Haile Gebrselassie - Probably my most favorite distance runner of all time |
For the last two weeks I have been silent, but I have not been idle. I decided to take a two week vacation from work so that I could spend my final run into the MCAT in total isolation. Like the ancient Taoist masters who would retreat to a remote mountain cave to contemplate the Universe, I too felt compelled to divorce myself completely from society so that I might finish my preparations unimpeded.
During those two weeks I had a Biochemistry final that was soul crushing, but I did well. I was pleased by that. Somehow I also managed to do a practice MCAT and review it every day. I did not do exhaustive review, but rather re-read each question and determined whether I "guessed", accidentally got it right, or if my thinking was correct. This seemed to be an efficient method for me to find where I was deficient in my knowledge.
Much to my chagrin, I could not score over an 11 on the Verbal Reasoning sections, no matter how hard I tried. There always seem to be several illogical choices that the test writer insists is the "most logical" answer. Most of the time, after reading their explanation I could see why they chose the answer that they did, but in some instances I wasn't convinced.
On Saturday I took the test and I was extremely nervous. All that effort for a mere three hours of my life. Much to my surprise, I started to panic on the Biology section when my mind when blank for no reason. Fortunately I was able to take a breath, regroup and get back on track. That was a scary moment. Even post test, I feel like I did not do as well as I could have on the Biological sciences section. That really annoys me, since I was counting on it to help buoy my score. On the flipside, I felt more comfortable in the Physical Sciences section than normal.
Objectively I know that I did better than the last MCAT, but how much better? I will be devastated if it is only one or two points. If it is three or more points, then I will consider it to have been a success. Running into the test, I was averaging a 32 on the practice tests, and my highest was a 35 on one test. I think that realistically I can reach 33 if I didn't make any stupid calculation errors in PS, and I managed to see through the logic traps on VR. We shall see in thirty days.
For now I have decided to enact plan B of my journey into medical school. The last 9 months have been very trying for me physically. I would usually sit at work for 10 hours, after which I would go home to study for another 3 - 4 hours. I have gained at least 30 pounds, and I do not feel like I am presentable to an interviewing committee. To remedy this I am going to start my Triathlon training plan over again, while also doing a juice fast for the first week. The triathlon training will serve to replenish my overall health, while establishing a strong energy reserve, while the juice fast will be to reset my metabolism. I feel like endurance training will consume more fat than HIIT. I just have to be able to manage the increased food cravings that are inevitable with that type of training.
Tomorrow I will input my initial body stats, and maybe a picture to help publicly shame me into following through, although I don't know how violently the general public will react to my hideous form >:] I am excited to be able to exercise again, and to be honest...endurance training is sort of apropos to my path into Medical School. The journey is far, but if you take a measured pace you can reach your goal!
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