Things I Learned About Myself While Studying for the MCAT

In my opinion, preparing for the MCAT exemplifies one of those free trial version of an actual program in which the paid version is medical school itself. I definitely had to rearrange my schedule and allot specific activities to accommodate the amount of vigorous studying that was required. Firstly, I had to figure out my priorities for that semester and of course, number 1 goes to MCAT. I took only 12 credit hours and 2 of those classes were electives that were mentally relaxing compared to the other subjects I was focusing on. I also cut down on the extracurriculars I did. I took a semester of leave from my sorority, worked one day a week, and did volunteer work minimally. One of the biggest takeaways that I learned was that I was really doing my part of being a full time student. That means that all I can do is go to class, study, and make sure my body is healthy and able to perform well. An important aspect that might be a no-brainer for some of y’all is that when  your body is well rested and fed, your mental capacity to retain information and critically think improves. This is the revelation of someone who went through 5 semesters of college overloading myself, trying to maximize on academic and social life and not enough on sleep. My day consisted mostly of going to class then going home to study. I would hang out with friends maybe once a week. I consistently ate 3 meals a day and slept at midnight. I noticed that most of my energy was released in the form of brain power. I was able to study longer hours and remember more information. I was constantly worrying about my performance, my study plan, and how I was going to get the scores I wanted. Even before MCAT, I knew that I have always lived with FOMO (fear of missing out). I hated not being in the loop and being the only person in my friend groups that wasn’t present. Although I was upset, I started to realize that my friends weren’t going anywhere if they were truly my friends. My decreased interaction on social media was also a blessing because if you can’t see people snapping how much fun they are having, are you REALLY missing out? I hung out with a few of my close friends here and there and having their company was good enough to make me still feel included in the world. I began to truly notice who my close friends were because they were the ones that still checked up on me and were up to date with whatever current MCAT dilemma I was dealing with. I started to appreciate the little things that mattered in life. I was grateful to be able to have a support group of close friends and family. When I did have free time, I valued it so much; being able to cook yourself a meal or release tension at the gym were definitely not-taken-for-granted-me-time. Going through the MCAT and medical school can be a very lonely journey, one that is filled with self doubt and frustration. Yes you have a support group and your fellow classmates, but when it comes down to the work, it is you and your willpower that will help you survive. I learned a lot about what I was capable of as a person. There were days I blamed myself for not understanding the material and felt helpless. I thought awful statements such as “I don’t think I have what it takes to be a doctor” or “If I can’t get through this, I can’t make it to medical school.” In situations like this, you have to be able to detach yourself from these negative thoughts and reevaluate the fact that you ARE strong enough to get past this obstacle. It is okay to be disappointed in yourself, but what matters is being able to reassure and comfort yourself afterwards. As silly as it sounds, I had to practice believing in myself and being my biggest motivator. You really learn to love yourself and reflect about who you are as a person. Studying for the MCAT and completing it is a milestone for a premed student and something you should be proud of! Being able to walk out of those testing doors after 7+ hours is already a feat worth noting. These were just some of my reflections on how far I have come since I began college. I hope I could share this with you guys so that your struggles are not just your own, but ours ;)  Lub dub, Shanon