Discover Top Posts Tagged with #medschool application

Failing Upwards

I’ve been reflecting on my reasons for disliking mediocrity and realized that I’ve been doing it for all the wrong reasons. Around this time two years ago, I set out for Manila to submit my applications to four medical schools: University of the East, San Beda University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and Our Lady of Fatima University. I took the entrance exams and finished my interviews but…

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#epictetus #faith #Medical school #medschool application #nmat #philippine healthcare system #philippine medschool #stoic #stoicism

Med school prewrite: the best character sheet EVAR

I'm working on a prewrite for my med school application essays. This whole process is basically intended to get folks comfortable with identifying their strengths and tooting their own horn in essays and applicant interviews. For me, it's almost been a process of befriending and getting to know myself from scratch.

The worksheet I'm using has a section for brainstorming strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, personal motives and goals, influences, challenges, and an overall chronological narrative to knit these elements together.

I just sat down to begin the strengths section. The very first thing I wrote is something I didn't actually realize was firmly within my tool chest until this very moment. It's a skill I have always admired and sought to cultivate in myself, one I'm extremely proud of, and I owe its growth within me almost entirely to my time on the faire circuit...

"charismatic leadership"

Holy crap, this is who I am now. I'm growing into the kind of person I so looked up to when I was a kiddo. This is so freaking AWESOME! This prewrite process almost feels like putting together a backstory and character sheet for the BEST RPG EVAAAR! Except the character is me, and those aren't build points and skill trees... that's my real life experience, and the wisdom and skills it's afforded me. Holy crap. This is awesome.

#medschool application #remember for medschool

I’ve worked amazing jobs

I don't realize how many awesome and strange jobs I've had till I spend time talking with curious young folk. I had a car full of college freshmen this afternoon, and we talked about everything under the sun. Renfaire is the obvious one. Six Flags? I worked there as a stage tech for a couple years. Music festivals? I worked the counter at the largest volume food vendor at Bonnarroo, and I saw Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, and Bjork on my breaks! Second language? I worked as a bilingual leasing agent for a few years. (Alas, I've forgotten so much since then.) Stringed instruments? I worked repair for a luthier as my first job! Travel? I spent a month in Bali learning about small-scale importing. Driving? I often drove four days between faire jobs! Haunted houses? I helped build one a couple years in a row. o_O! I've done a heck of a lot of cool stuff, I just don't realize it. I have to imagine someone somewhere thinks I'm full of it and just making stuff up after a while. ;p

#remember for medschool #medschool application

Contemplating duty and purpose

In quiet moments, I wonder sometimes if I've chosen a path that is wise for me. Sure, the idea of practicing medicine probably sounds bright and exciting to anyone with little practical clinical experience. How will I handle long days, endless paperwork, basic assessments, problem patients, conflict and social politics along the way? How will I keep my heart in what I do? How will I recharge myself so I can best serve the folks who are counting on me? I recently worked dinnertime at a shelter. Food service positions were filled, so I volunteered for dish pit. I thanked folks for bringing me their trays, my grin and giggles broadening as the pit got busier. I joked with folks, cheered kiddos who tossed their own silverware into the bin, wished friendly faces a lovely evening, and tried my best to show warmth, gratitude, and appreciation toward the folks who seemed to feel grim. When dinner was finished, I scrubbed tables and chairs and swept the entire dining room, trying my best to leave a clean and welcoming space that felt more inviting for the next meal. I was reminded of how much I genuinely adore working in service. I love the chance to brighten someone's day, and my greatest reward is to see folks feel genuinely appreciated and respected. My favorite jobs have been in the service sector, and I tend to thrive in the busiest and most demanding situations. Winter holiday mall retail felt like licking a battery in the best way. I served hundreds, possibly thousands of customers in a shift. It felt like a dance to me, full of magic and mischief, and every time someone grinned or giggled with me, I felt recharged. When someone walked in sour and left feeling satisfied, I was triumphant. Especially when folks at renfaire remarked that I had become part of their family memories, I felt my spirit sing with gratitude. When I reflect on this, I'm less anxious about the future. I have no doubt that some things may get me down, but I anticipate that recharging my spirit in service of others may be my key to avoiding burnout. I will keep this in mind, and continuously seek out ways to honor others in my work.

#remember for medschool #medschool application

Tutoring

A really sweet and dedicated fellow student asked me to help her study for the next exam. She thought she was handsomely prepared for this last one, and came out with a score in the 40s. She's rattled, anxious, discouraged, and worried about losing her scholarship. I asked her how she learns best. Videos? Lecture? Reading? Photos? Writing or drawing? She's not sure. How does she solve our problem sets? (researching the answers is most of how I actually understand and retain our material) She and a friend basically practice rubber ducky debugging to arrive at answers together. Does she use any outside sources? No. Is she a member of our course group chat? She never logs in. Did she go over any of our professors old exams? No. Hmm... We get our exam papers back Thursday, and we're going to start by going over what she missed for the last exam. I hope to help her lay a solid foundation first, and we can build from there. I showed her the big glycolysis/gluconeogenesis map I made, and explained how making it helped me review our material in minute detail. She's going to try making one of her own, and then one for the pentose phosphate pathway as practice, and we're going to tackle glycogen synthesis and breakdown together. I'll make sure she has access to our course dropbox so she can review old exams, and I recommended eyeballing the short answers on all the old exams, since our prof's short answers are tricky as hell and researching ahead of time is almost essential. I understand feeling discouraged, and it is my hope we can restore some of her confidence, so she feels empowered to deepen and broaden her study resources and try again. I've taken a knock on a couple exams, and I've been fortunate for the folks who helped keep me on track. I'm crossing my fingers I can pay it forward.

#remember for medschool #medschool application