Tips to Prepare for Med School Over the Summer! (How I Personally am Preparing!)
Preparing for Medical School can be so anxiety inducing, here are a few tips from a personal standpoint of how I am getting ready for medical school this summer!
★ Take at least 1 hour a day/week to get your mind moving! Whether this is with one of the Kaplan Test Prep Courses, or even an educational game, reading a book, or going over some topics for the MCAT! Currently, my hour a day comes from an online Physics and Biostatistics class I am taking this summer This is so good to keep your mind moving!
★ Look for observation/shadow experiences over the summer! This can be so interesting and can really help you when it comes to the application process. Shadowing doctors in all sorts of fields can help you determine what you are interested in and help you become more immersed in the field of medicine. Currently, I am looking into observing an OB/GYN in my area!
★ Volunteer in your community! This is great for your applications, and just to help you as a person in general. There is nothing more rewarding than giving back to the community and helping as much as you can. Currently, I am volunteering at a local Food Bank that my mom works at helping with back-to-school drives, food drives, flyers, etc.
★ Take a Break!!! It can be so stressful to try to be the perfect medical school candidate, try to protect your mental health and your brain by taking a little break! Summer is the perfect time to enjoy spending time with friends and family and just doing what makes you happy. This is so important to avoid burnout, make sure you are helping yourself just as much as you are helping your application! My family and I are going on a few vacations, I spend some time with friends, and I enrolled in a pilates studio to allow myself some time alone to focus on me!!
★ Don't compare yourself as a medical school candidate! I know it can be stressful to constantly worry if you have enough clinic, research, or volunteer hours compared to other students. If you're anything like me, i'm also constantly wondering if my GPA is as good, if I will do as good on the MCAT when I re-test or if I am going to be as good of an interviewer. Don't stress about this, be yourself! Of course, take the opportunities to better yourself as a candidate, but you're also just a normal person and student, have some fun and protect your own peace!!
Comments
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Hey Peyton! I love your advice here, so helpful for everyone applying to med school! Definitely want to emphasize to take a break, don't try to overwork yourself. Where are you going on vacation with your family? I love hearing about everyone's summer trips! I love doing pilates, but I do it from home since it's so expensive. If you've got a good deal, let me know!
I also think it's important to emphasize that you're exactly where you're supposed to be! I feel like everyone is constantly trying to get to the next level - better grades, more volunteering, etc. and working themselves so hard, but in reality you're doing so much better than you think you are and you will get there!
#SBAGiveaway
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