Choosing to make a difference by pursuing a career in the medical field can be both exhilarating and trying at the same time. You already know you’re passionate about helping people and how rewarding working in medicine can be, where do you begin?
Choosing what college you want to attend requires time and research. You need to make sure you have the tools you need to be successful in school. Check out the latest reviews on home PCs and laptops to see if you need to upgrade what you currently have or what you need to buy if you don’t have one already. You will be spending a lot of time with your computer, so make sure it’s a good fit for what you need and what you can use.
Prep Work
When you have an idea of which school you’d like to go to, make sure your credentials are up to par. Not only do prospective schools evaluate your admission on your GPA and MCAT scores, but they also want to know what extracurricular activities you participated in. Being well-rounded and showing an interest in your community lays the groundwork for illustrating your compassion and dedication.
A good doctor will not only be one who is well-rounded but also has strong communication and leadership skills. Having experience in areas that require strong commitment and being a team player is just as important as having the required test scores.
Tips For Med School
Now that you’ve gotten into med school, you need to make sure you succeed. Make sure you get a good handle on useful skills in your first year of medical school. If an organization is something that you’ve always struggled with, now is the time to become organized. There is an overwhelming amount of information, reading, schedules, and obligations that are thrown at you in your first year, so use whatever works best for you to stay on top of it all.
If you are big on technology, use a digital calendar to keep track of your schedules and deadlines. You can even set reminders and alarms to help you stay aware of what needs to be done when. If technology isn’t your strong suit, keep a diary. You can color code with different colored highlighters to differentiate between the various things you’re juggling.
Keep all of your study materials and notes in the same place. If you are going digital, there are apps to help you keep all of your information in one place. If you work better with pen and paper, invest in notebooks, page tabs, and plenty of highlighters. You also can’t go wrong with a study buddy. Not only does it help to study with a partner, but you may also adopt some of their techniques to stay as organized as possible.
Information Overload
Don’t underestimate the vast amount of information you’ll be responsible for knowing. Figure out early on what learning techniques work best for you. Do you find you absorb information better if you read the material before the lecture? It’s worth a try to test the theory. Are you an avid note-taker? If not, buy a small recorder to tape lectures and replay it later, when you can pause where needed, to make clear and concise notes. If it helps you to work in a study group as opposed to by yourself, either form or join a study group.
Being successful in med school depends on how quickly you can adapt your routines and stay organized. The quicker you master the skills necessary to succeed, the smoother your journey will be.
