The process of getting into a medical school after surviving the MCAT is much easier than it was when you were there.With a lot of focus, study skills, and determination, you can be successful in your pursuit of becoming a doctor.
Step 1: You can find out which learning methods work best for you.
Even though you have a few years of college education under your belt, medical school will be a very different challenge.You may not be able to use the same study skills anymore.It is possible to experiment with different studying methods to see which works best for you as a medical student.Make sure you are studying and learning.Active learning requires you to ask questions.Is this section of material important?How do I fit this piece into the larger picture of what I am studying?Passive learning might involve simply re-reading notes or going through the textbook with a highlighter.Incorporating studying into other activities can be helpful.Try to listen to recorded lectures a second time while working out at the gym or doing chores around the house.Success in medical school is often tied to how much time can be devoted to learning a topic.
Step 2: There are more effective approaches to studying.
You need to study smarter and more effectively in order to understand your own learning methods.Use different ways of studying until you find a way that works for you.There are diagrams and figures in your textbooks.Understanding these images is important to getting a full understanding of the concepts.You need to correlate concepts and structures in the atlas.When looking over handouts or lecture notes, use textbooks as a reference point.If you can't understand something in class, use the textbook.Write a short summary of your lectures each day.Make sure you understand what your professor wanted you to do.If the textbook can't answer your questions, write them down and discuss them with your professor or classmates.If you were an undergrad, don't pull all-nighters.Medical school tests are going to be a lot more complex and cumulative.It will be more effective to study steadily over the course of the week.Stay organized.Medical school has a large amount of information to learn and at times it will seem unrelated.You will need to constantly integrate information between textbooks, lecture notes, labs, and lecture slides that don't always integrate in real-time.
Step 3: Try tutoring.
It is possible to gain insight and experience from being tutored as well as doing the tutoring on your own.If your school has a tutoring center, you should visit it.The purpose of tutoring and study groups is to help you remember that you are not alone during medical school.Some of the pressure and stress can be alleviated by having a support group.
Step 4: Always attend class.
In medical school, attendance has a lot to do with the level of success a student can achieve.Success will begin to diminish if you don't learn the material through instruction.Poor attendance can affect your grades and success as well as reflect poorly on you as a professional.As a medical student, you need to begin working on your professional demeanor and establishing professional habits, which includes being where you are meant to be, and being there on time.
Step 5: Schedule your schoolwork.
If you schedule time before and after each class, you can look over notes and material for that class.This will help you get engaged with the material prior to the lesson beginning, and then help it settle into your memory more by looking over it again.For periods of the day when you know you will be the most awake and ready to work, make sure you schedule important or difficult tasks.You don't want to schedule time to study for a test when you're tired and ready to sleep.If you want to do less taxing things later on, schedule difficult or challenging things first.
Step 6: A schedule is needed for personal time.
A set schedule for the time you will spend outside of the classroom is just as important as the class schedule.Setting a schedule for things like study time, personal time and appointments will help you maintain good habits and be less likely to forget to complete or work on something important.To maintain your schedule, use an online calendar or an app on your phone.Group classes, appointments, and lunch with friends are some of the things you can do.Taking care of things you need to do while having your personal things marked will help you better out your studying schedule.
Step 7: You should be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Everyone has things they are exceptional at, and other things that they have to work harder on.As a medical student, you probably have had a successful academic career so far, so getting a low grade on something in medical school might feel a bit discouraging.Rather than focusing on these weaker areas and letting them consume you, try your best to better yourself in them, while still recognizing and playing off your strengths in other areas.Don't lose sight of the subjects you excel at in an attempt to get into the subject you are struggling in.Do your best in all subjects and keep a balanced study routine.To succeed in med school, you need a good attitude and enthusiasm.Being interested in the material will help you retain it better.
Step 8: Look for a few mentors.
You can enroll in a mentoring program at most schools to be matched with older students or established medical doctors that can advise you and help you along your way through school.Networking around your program is possible if your school doesn't have one.Professors can help you connect with mentors in the community.A relationship with a few mentors can bring benefits.You will have a lot of people to call on when you need recommendation letters for residency applications once you are an established doctor.
Step 9: Be willing to try new things.
This also includes exploring the world around you.Study abroad opportunities can give you a chance to learn about other cultures and the medical professionals who serve them.If you want to specialize in a field, learn as much as you can from other fields.While it is available to you, taking a research project in another field or taking classes outside of your field can give you a well-rounded education.
Step 10: You should see your advisor frequently.
You will have a faculty or department through medical school who will help you direct your course of study and keep you on track.She will have a clear idea of how to help you succeed, as well as being able to offer valuable advice and insight, because she has been through medical school.You should work on fostering and maintaining your advisor through medical school.She can help you both while you are in the program and after you finish the residency application.
Step 11: You can take advantage of campus resources.
Student organizations are great for gaining practical experience in the community, as well as bulking up your residency applications.A few established organizations are geared towards medical students.Counseling centers, health clinics, and recreation centers are some of the valuable resources that most universities have.You will probably be paying a student fee for these things, so you should take advantage of them.
Step 12: Get involved in volunteer work.
When you apply to medical school, you should probably seek out volunteer opportunities as well.They can enrich your learning experience by giving you practical experience with members of your community, but they can also help enhance your residency applications.If your program doesn't have a mentorship program, volunteering is another way to find a mentor.You can establish relationships with people outside of your program by connecting with doctors in the area.
Step 13: Prepare for the next thing.
Medical school isn't the end of the road to a residency or licensing exam.After you pass your exam and get matched with a residency, you will need to be prepared for a busy first year as a resident.Prepare for the licensing exam in your first year of medical school.If you want to attend med school, you need to pass this exam and land a residency in order to do so.For help with your applications when the time comes, you should work with mentors and professors.You can take practice licensing exams and attend seminars to prepare for the test.Residency often entails long hours and work weeks, so make sure you get into the habit of taking care of yourself and maintaining your personal health through medical school in preparation for residency.
Step 14: Take some time for yourself.
Medical school takes up so much of your time that you may feel like you don't have anything left for yourself.Even if you have to schedule little moments to yourself, it is important to make time for yourself.You want to balance your academic and personal life so you don't end up burned out.When you need a break, have an activity that you enjoy doing.Whether it is reading a book for fun, going for a bike ride, or just making yourself a home-cooked meal, make sure you allow yourself the luxury of personal time now and then.
Step 15: Don't have friends that are medical students.
It can be easy to fit into a social bubble in medical school.You might find that you spend most of your time with these people.It is important to keep friends that are not doctors.You want to give yourself a chance to disengage from it now and then and have conversations that don't focus on what you're doing in school.Taking time away from campus and the people you are constantly around will help you gain some perspective on the experience of medical school.Taking time away now and then is important because you can get a better idea of what you are doing and why.
Step 16: Exercise.
It's important to work regular exercise into your schedule.You can incorporate exercise without neglecting your studies by reading a textbook while walking on the treadmill or listening to a lecture while working out.It is possible to stay physically healthy while also reducing stress.Good physical health can be maintained with adequate sleep and exercise.As a medical student, you need to make sure you get enough rest so you can perform your best.
Step 17: Eat well.
Try to eat fresh foods.Grab a piece of fresh fruit instead of grabbing a snack on the way out the door.Make time to eat a balanced meal every week.As a busy medical student, it may seem like processed or sugar-laden foods are the easiest option.It is possible to make a difference in your health and well-being by working in fresh foods.
Step 18: You can live off-campus.
Staying as close to campus as possible might seem like the best option when taking a medical school course, but living outside of campus housing will probably be the better choice.You will limit the distraction that comes with living in dorms and student housing, and give yourself the physical and mental space you need to relax from the stress of school.If you have to take on a roommate, try to room with another medical student.Not only will you have a built-in support system with someone who understands the stress you are dealing with, but they will likely have similar study habits and ambitions, so you will have far fewer distraction.
Step 19: Do not take things personally.
You will need to adjust to the new hierarchy of medical school.If older students or doctors brush you off, don't be offended.If you aren't at the top of your class right away, try not to get discouraged.It will take time, practice, hard work, and dedication to succeed in medical school.Take inventory of the successes you have had so far.You have already done a lot of hard work to get to where you are, so it's proof that you're capable.