Few Words for the future RMTs
I was supposed to write this entry months ago, when I was a fresh passer of the Philippine’s Medical Technology Licensure Examination, but I think now is also a good time to give my few tips for the upcoming March 2016 board exams.
ONE MONTH BEFORE THE BOARD EXAM:
….the things I wish I knew and did.
Setup a schedule and stick to it.
One overwhelming thing when it’s just over a month left is that with so many notes, lectures and references you have, you don’t know which one to start with. So I suggest you sit down, relax, and contemplate on your specific subjects as well as your strengths and weaknesses on the subjects. List them down, if possible you can narrow them down up to the specific topics you need to focus on. Then set up a schedule, and make sure it is achievable. Be realistic about it. Take into consideration the difficulty of the topic and how fast you absorb the information. By this way you will have a concrete plan on how you will finish all the subjects you need to tackle.
Also, don’t forget to set up break times, don’t limit yourself too much with breaks, but of course not too much as well. Break times are vital because your brain needs a break too or else you’ll feel too overloaded with information and end up forgetting a lot more information. Put a small but clearly visible desk clock in front of you every time you study so that you will always be reminded of how much time your spending. And not just a watch because it would mostly just be in your wrist unlike a clock that’s right in front of you and you won’t be able to avoid it.
2. Organize yourself and your materials.
A clean area also clears and declutters your mind. You may organize your notes on the per subject especially if you have so many materials (you know all the xerox you got from your friends from other review centers or other sources). This way you would feel calm knowing your lectures are at hand and less worries for you. This is especially useful if like you encounter a particular topic from one topic and you want to remember but need to consult another subject, finding it would be a lot easier.
This is not only limited to the printed ones but of course also for your digital e-books or soft copies of notes or lectures, make sure to keep them in a folder for easy access.
3. Keep your 3rd year books on the shelf.
With just a month left it is not really practical to be reading from books (this is suggested if you have like 2-3 months before the boards). Right now you need to be focusing on retaining valuable information that your brain could easily process and memorize like the ones in handouts because usually they’re already summarized and in bullet form, rather than reading paragraphs from your textbooks.
4. Do NOT aim on reading EVERYTHING. (by this time)
It’s too late if you haven’t started.
If you did, then better stop right there.
By everything I mean like books or photocopies they said you have to read, e.g. the book of Harr (I suggest reading this 2-3 months before as well wherein you took notes on what you didn’t know or you think is crucial). Now is also not the time to be reading on the photocopies you have that were suggested readings (because in the start of review classes they send out references on must read and so…I remember having everything photocopied on what was being sold in photocopies at one review center but ended up not even finishing one and by the time I wanted to read them it was already one month before the boards and 2 weeks before the boards was when I realized I should have focused on my handouts instead of desperately trying to read everything, making me forget the valuable topics and must knows). Don’t imitate my mistake but by this time you should be aiming on retaining the most valuable information, and not trying to gain new ones you’d probably forget and it’d be not that valuable enough as compared to your handouts. The time you spend on trying to gain new information by reading should rather be focused on maintaining and keeping what you already have and need to improve on. These are usually the general and MUST knows. Reading on the books right now with the aim on getting new information that may or may not come out would probably only give you nice to knows. I would only suggest on you reading books if there’s like a particular topic you don’t fully comprehend and need elaboration.
How do you which ones are the must knows?
These are usually the ones in the handouts or those summarized ones. If you have photocopies from your friends who took different review centers, I suggest you try to compare the similarities and note the differences. Pick one which has the most comprehensive information and that’s where you write your additional notes from other copies.
5. Compile all your acronyms, mnemonics and all in uniform index cards or color coded ones or anywhere you think you could easily familiarize yourself with.
Now is the time to keep up with your tools and helpers in memorizing those bacterias that fall in the same category, the normal values in clinical chemistry, the defining characterisitcs of cells in Hematology, and the special characteristics of other blood groups. By the time it’s only a week left make sure you have already mastered these and you could easily recite or remember it all in a breeze. Don’t try making index cards with just two weeks left because it’s too late. Believe me, I did this and how I really regret not making it earlier because it really took so much time for me. Time I should have just been using on recalling and remembering everything.
6. Take your exams in the review center seriously, especially the mock boards.
Study like it’s already the boards and keep that mind set that every test you answer is already your board exam. Put marks on your mistakes and those that you guessed and don’t forget to go back to them. This is very helpful in recalling from your memory those particular questions you were wrong or just guessed. That way you would not commit the same mistakes again.
7. One or two weeks before the boards, read on the recall questions.
Do not initially read them for the first time ever like 1-2 DAYS before. (That was what I did huhuhu). You will probably be cramming it and you’ll be pressured to just finish but not really absorbing and retaining the information.
Right now, that’s just about what I can share based on my own experience. If I was able to pass it in one take, I’m sure you will too.
If you have any other questions PLEASE DON’T HESITATE to ask me. I would gladly help.
