Half of First Year is Gone

I blinked and the first half of my first year has flown by.  I intended to write more frequently, but I have been so busy it just didn't happen.  What are my impressions so far?

1. It isn't that bad!  Before I started, I was warned over and over just how completely impossible and daunting medical school is.  I was extremely nervous about this, because everyone worries about doing well.  After half a year I can tell you that it just isn't that bad.  Don't get me wrong, it is difficult, but not in the way I was expecting.  The concepts that we are learning aren't very difficult to comprehend, however the difficulty lies in the amount of information you have to learn and the extreme level of detail that you need to achieve.
2. Be prepared for long hours.  The first six months is like a boot camp.  Some people figure out things pretty quickly and are able to eventually spend less time than at the beginning.  For me, I am still working on finding the best approach to maximizing my grades.  I have tried many different approaches and each time I have spent a ton of hours.  I still haven't reached my goals yet, but I have seen a constant improvement which means I am moving in the right direction.  The hard part of medical school is learning how to learn.  The most important thing is not to quit trying and changing things when you don't get the result you are expecting.  You have to be humble and willing to admit that your approach may not be the best.
3. Pick only one student group to participate with.  There are so many student groups that want your participation that you could easily become overwhelmed doing extracurricular functions.  This is a huge trap and it robs you of valuable study time.  I think people should be involved in at least one group though.  It is a nice social outlet, especially if you spend all your time studying.
4. Find an organization system.  Whether it be a calendar, a to-do list.  There are so many assignments, labs, activities, and other items that happen within a week that it impossible to keep track of it unless you have it organized.  What works for me is a sequential list ordered by when it is due (date + time).  Every day I look at that list and make sure I have completed the top items before moving on.  I didn't start doing this until I missed the deadline for a paper I was supposed to write.  I knew about the paper, but thought the due date was later.   That really hurt my grade and was the wrong way to learn my lesson.  Learn from me and just start out doing that.  You will thank me.
5. Anatomy sucks the first few times.  After that you just stop thinking about it.   I joined the cadaver team so that I could do all the dissections.  I wanted to do this, because I learn better by doing and seeing than by memorizing a picture.  The first time I was nervous about how I would react to a cadaver.  Once we started the first dissection the nervousness went away pretty quickly.  After that I would only get a headache after about 2 hours of constantly smelling the formalehyde.  Take some Ibuprofin just in case.
6. Formaldehyde - It stinks.  Don't make the mistake of wearing your street clothes to a dissection.  They let you wear a lab coat over your clothes, or you can wear scrubs.  Take the scrubs option.  Get a pair of scrubs that you will burn later and use only those.  The worst thing in the world is to be studying later at the library and to keep getting whiffs of formaldehyde from when it seeped into your clothes.
7. Avoid the temptation to complain.  It is almost a past-time for undergraduate students to complain about their class.  "Why are we doing calculus?  I will never use this in the REAL world..."   So far I haven't seen anything that I won't ever use in the "real" world.  Yes there are probably a few things I will use rarely, but it is all applicable and important.  Try to enjoy all of the material.  It will make it that much easier to remember when you have to study it again for the Steps.

Those are the impressions that immediately come to mind.  I have immensely enjoyed my experience so far.  I am always up for answering questions, and can't write about something else if someone is interested.  If you are still trying to get in, don't get in.  It is worth it!

How to Score 270+ on the USMLE Step 1

I came across the following post while reading through Step 1 experiences over at SDN.  By now you may have noticed that the content of my blog has switched to focusing on Step 1 and the first two years of medical school.  Most of the stuff I am posting here is actually so I don't forget it.  I want to come back and look at this as I start to study more aggressively for the steps.  I know that most people will study for it during the six weeks after their second year, but after you read the following I think you may come to the same conclusion as I.  Waiting until then, while you can be successful, will not yield an optimal score.


The following is a write-up posted by "Golf med student" over at SDN

How to Honor Your Tests in Med School

Someone posted the following on SDN.  I thought I would catalog it here for future reference.  It comes from a thread where people are arguing about how people manage to get 100s on tests in med school.  Suddenly this guy pops in really late to the discussion and drops a bomb.  It was the only good advice given, and I intend to follow suit.

--------------

I had a horrible go of it in first year and failed four courses despite working long hours studying. I looked around and was in disbelief that anyone was getting or could get 100% or near that on these tests. 

When i was blessed with another chance at the year, i went to each member of the top 10% of my former class and took them to lunch to pick their brain.

They told me consistently the same thing...and it worked for me the next year to get near 100% all the time...you should plan to review the testable content a minimum of five times before the exam. This seems very daunting but each subsequent trip through is much faster because you have seen and understand the interrelationships of the content sections. I struggled to do this at first, and had to set a time limit per page and set a timer. When the timer went off, regardless of how far down the page I was, I turned and started on the next page. I also had to limit the number of sources I used to study from to a dictionary, anatomy atlas, and the recommended syllabus (it was a bound set of provided pages back then). At the top of each page I made a hash mark each time I had reviewed the page. By the fourth, fifth, and sixth time through, I could flip the page at about a ten second clip and recite the core material per page. As others have said on SDN before, its not hard to know how to achieve success in these classes, it is hard to do it though. In my experience repetition is key. 

This was my experience…yours may be different:
Barely one time through the content = barely pass
two times through = pass to slightly above average
three times through = above average to high pass
four times through = high pass to honors
five times through = honors to top three scorers
six plus times through = top three scorer

Over Joy

As I sat in the Library reviewing my Physics notes, I heard that distinctive note from my phone informing me that a new email had arrived to my inbox.  I quickly flipped over to take a look and felt my blood run cold when I saw who it was from.

MedAdmissions

The dreaded moment had finally arrived.  I was about to find out if my dream would finally come true, or if I would be forced to spend yet another year of my life trying to prove that I am worthy of the medical vocation.

I called my wife over to share the moment with me.  Initially she looked at me with a confused look.  Why was I interrupting her study?  Finally she acceded to my wishes and walked over.  I pointed to the screen, and then clicked to open the email.

On behalf of the Executive Dean, I am very pleased to offer you an acceptance...

I literally felt my body start to shake.  I was in disbelief, so I started to read the email again to make sure.

On behalf of the Executive Dean, I am very pleased to offer you an acceptance...

The words had not changed, yet my mind still could not comprehend.  My body continued to shake uncontrollably, and my wife embraced me from behind.  She was already crying, which caused me to cry too.  These were tears of joy, tears of disbelief, tears of pent up emotion that craved release!  I can't imagine what the other people, who beheld such an odd spectacle, were thinking at that moment.

My wife rushed off to call everyone and relate the good news.  I sat there in a daze, still trembling as emotion and adrenaline coursed through my body.  I realized at that moment that over the past seven years I had convinced myself that it would probably never happen, yet I was stubborn enough to keep trying in the face of the impossible.  Now I was confronted with reality, that it was possible, and the door to my dream had finally opened.

In retrospect, as I think about this now, I have never been so excited, happy, and relieved to have been given permission to start something.  Something that will take more effort, time, and dedication than anything I have ever tried in my life.  It is ironic, because many people would think it is over, but no...that was just the beginning, the first step on a road of training that will last at least 8 years.

This moment will forever be engraved in my mind.  I payed a high price to reach this starting point, but looking back on my credentials they are only average at best.  I can't help but believe that a miracle was enacted on my behalf.  I would love to take credit for this, but the truth is I must defer to the athlete who has just scored a touchdown and raises his hands to point heavenward.  I personally know several applicants with way better stats than me that were rejected.  Somehow God saw fit to turn the hearts of the Admissions Committee in my favor.  In turn I would also like to raise my hands heavenward and point to Him, because I can really see no reason why I am better than anyone else.

The blessing of God, have given me reason to be overjoyed and grateful at the same time.  At least once a day a surreal moment overwhelms me, sending me back to that email once again just to make sure;

On behalf of the Executive Dean, I am very pleased to offer you an acceptance...

Step by Step

All Rights to Mcraw-Hill and junk

The first two years of Medical School exist to prepare you for one seminal moment in your medical career.  That moment is when you take your first Board exam called "USMLE Step 1".  The last four years I have been so focused on sitting for the MCAT and getting into Medical School that nothing else has occupied my mind.  Although I have not been accepted into Medical School, I  recently started focusing on it and making plans for how I will approach it.

Although there may be some debate about this, I believe that the one key component which will allow you to apply to any residency unimpeded will be your Step 1 score.  I always thought that as long as you score a 99 on the Step 1 you could write your ticket, but this is not the whole story.  There are actually two scores and even if you are in the "99" range the second score can vary anywhere from 240-270+.  From my research I have been able to determine that scoring a 250 is very good, the top people are in the 260 range, and the godly freaks are in the 270 range.

Getting into Medical School will make me supremely happy, however that isn't my ultimate goal.  I will probably be accused of "gunnerism" for my approach to medical school, but I prefer to think that I am going into my future studies fully informed about the process.  As a non-traditional student, I am lucky to have already lived and done many of the things I wanted.  I have traveled the world extensively, lived abroad, married a wonderful woman, and enjoyed many reunions with friends.  As an undergrad I only wanted "to get my degree".

This time around, I want to see what I am really capable of, to fully embrace the process, and actually push myself to excel.  Most importantly, when it comes time to choose my residency I don't want my academic performance to have closed any doors.  I want the freedom to choose from any residency.  Even if I ultimately choose Family Medicine, which does not require a super high Step 1 score, I still want to have had the option to choose Neurosurgery or Dermatology.

Traditionally most Medical Students will use their 6 week break after the second year of Medical School to study for and take the Step 1 exam.  I plan on starting much much earlier.  From my first day I am going in with one thing in mind, to crush that test.  I will use every resource available to me to ensure that I am more than prepared on test day.

I have been formulating a plan to achieve just that, but it is still not complete.  What I have learned from the MCAT, is that I am not a super-freak that will be able to collate 2 years of study in just 6 weeks.  Taking the long term approach and making sure I continually maintain and refine my medical knowledge as I learn it, is really the only way I can expect to come out with a top score on that test.

Of course all this planning is still dependent on getting accepted into Medical School, so here is to hoping my interviews go well.

Being Successful

Sort of cliche, but sports are an appropriate metaphor for success

I often think about success, and say to myself "Wouldn't it be great?"  I don't think I have the traditional definition of success where the end result is tons of money, a hot car, trophy wife, and a white picket fence with a two story house.  No I am always impressed by true success.  Success that people reach where they look back after a long journey and say to themselves "I made it!"

One thing I have noticed about success is that I hear other people speak of those who have achieved it in hushed tones of envy.  "Oh if I was only as LUCKY as them."  or "I could never do that, he's a GENIUS." or "It's just not FAIR" or "I just don't have the TALENT they have".  These people always look at a fully realized successful person and assume that they have always been that way.  They totally ignore the journey  that person had to take in order to become successful.  They completely ignore the hard work, the agonizing moments, the long tear-filled nights, the times of self-doubt, the times when they believed they couldn't go on...yet they did.

I find my favorite success stories by reading through blogs.  I love reading about the journeys people take to become better athletes, to learn a new hobby, or to reclaim their lives from obesity.  Every day "average" people decide that they are going to do something great.  They are going to go from a sedentary life to running the Ironman in Hawaii.  Maybe it is someone who is going to get on a bike and ride from Alaska all the way down to the tip of Argentina.  How about a person who decides that their life has been ruined by complacency and that they are going to lose a tremendous amount of weight one day at a time?

For me, I always have to start at the first post when I read those blogs.  I want to know about the days when it was impossible.  I want to read about the times when they felt weak, unable, and inadequate.  It is because I feel like this all too often, and I hope that one day someone is going to read my blog and realize that they can do it too.  I want to say now, that I FEEL like I will never become a doctor.  The cards are stacked against me.  I have an average MCAT, and substandard GPA, and I have been out of college for more than 8 years.

It is impossible for me, but I have something that all the lazy apathetic people don't have.  I just can't find it within myself to give up.  For some reason, after I was laid out flat by rejection after five years of preparation I got back up and said, "Lets try again."  Even after everyone online said, "No, it is impossible for you, you just don't have the right stats."  I closed my ears and decided to keep going.

When I start my residency, I want to look back at this post and remember what it was like when it was impossible.  Because I know what will happen when I get into medical school.  People will start saying those things about me.  "Oh it is because he is so SMART." or "I wish I was as LUCKY as him."  But it isn't true.

None of them who say that noticed the tears streaming down my face.  None of them were with me when I was defeated.  None of them sat with me during the long study sessions I had to do AFTER I had already worked a full day at the office.  None of them were there when I had to turn my wife down for date night so that I could do well on a test.  None of them used their vacation time to study those final two weeks for the MCAT instead of going to Peru for some fun.  The only thing they see is the end result, the fruits of my labor, what happens AFTER all the sacrifices.  So they simply dismiss it with a casual statement, because it makes them feel better for giving up on their own dreams.  That is the real truth, and that is why when I am successful I want to look back and remember how high the price was.

I also hope I can inspire someone, somehow.  I want them to read about my journey and realize that Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Businessmen, or whatever you choose to be has no bearing on your intellect.  It has to do with how much time you spend practicing, improving, sacrificing and moving towards your goal.  An elite athlete practices for years so that one day he can stand on the big stage and compete in front of thousands.  It is no different for the highest levels of success in any arena.

I did not improve on my MCAT score this year.  Conventional wisdom says, that after 2 tries you should quit.  That a 29 is "good enough".  You know what?  It isn't good enough for me.  After three tries, guess what?  I am going to start studying again.  Because it is all stuff I NEED to know.  Because I know I can do better, and because I want to do better....for me.

I think that the key component to success is the ability to maintain discipline.  By managing to put for a solid effort every single day over a long period of time someone inches ever closer to the success that they have in mind.  Writing a novel does not happen in a one week flurry if intense activity.  It consists of research, writing, revising, and often times throwing away large portions of script that have to be redone.  Losing weight does not happen in a week, even if commercials tell you it does.  It happens over a long period of time after someone has changed their lifestyle and committed themselves to a new discipline of diet and exercise.  My own success, hinges on daily efforts of reviewing material I have learned in the past, keeping up with current advances in medicine, and constantly striving to involve myself in the opportunities that exist to participate in volunteering or research.

Today my goals seem impossible, but I can see that every day I am inching ever closer to what I truly want.  Once I reach the starting line of Medical School I am looking forward to raising the bar even higher and making a new set of goals that will further define my new success story.

Coming Back to Society

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!

MCAT Update & Study Tips

I originally planned to take a follow up practice MCAT last week, but I was derailed by a Biochemistry test that was more pertinent to study for.  After finishing up with the Biochem test, I was able to return to my original plan, so I continued my regular weekly study schedule and then took my practice test on Saturday.

This time I decided to go with one of the AAMC  practice tests, since these tests are usually the most predictive of how you will do on an actual MCAT.  This time around the test did not seem nearly as difficult as the Kaplan diagnostic I just took.  When I finished I was pleased to see that I scored a 33.  To be honest I was still a little upset by this score, since I thought I would score a 35 - 37.

When I reviewed the content I found out that the majority of the questions I missed were not due to lack of knowledge.  Several of  the questions I missed were because of some really stupid calculation errors.  A few others were because I misread the question.  This is good to know, because these are things that I can resolve quickly within the amount of time I have left.  I believe that if I had not made those avoidable mistakes, I would have scored at least a 35.

My final analysis of that Kaplan diagnostic is that it is off-the-charts difficult.  There is no reason that there should be a 10 point disparity between an AAMC practice test and the Kaplan diagnostic.  The diagnostic did serve one good purpose, and that was to frighten me enough for me to reevaluate my study techniques and make a few changes. 

If you are planning on taking the MCAT, I would like to share with you some advice that has helped me prepare.  I have tried many different approaches, and after making quite a few mistakes I feel like I am on the right path to a high score.

Finish the Core Curriculum 

My recommendation is that if you plan to take the MCAT you should not even think about it until you have finished the following courses

• General Chemistry 1 & 2
• Organic Chemistry 1 & 2
• Principles of Cellular and Molecular Biology 
• Microbiology
• Physics 1 & 2

There are also two other courses that AAMC says aren't necessary, which is a recommendation that I have recently come to disagree with.  After having taken Anatomy & Physiology and Biochemistry I suddenly find the Biology section of the MCAT, which has always been my weak point, coming into focus.  You would do yourself a huge favor if you added these to your pre-MCAT list of courses to take.

Prepare with Adequate Review

There is an essential component of preparation that everyone has to do when studying for the MCAT.  To prepare myself I chose to use the Berkely Review prep course materials.  There are several test prep companies such as Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Exam Krackers.  When I was doing my initial research, I discovered that a lot of the guys who scored high and wrote a "how to study for MCAT" used the Berkeley Review materials as their core, while supplementing their study with material from the other prep companies.

The first, and probably most important step, is to simply slowly and methodically work your way through every subject and make sure you really understand what is being presented.  I would also like to mention that these materials are a very condensed presentation of subject matter that you should have already covered in your undergraduate course load.  I made the mistake of taking the MCAT the first time without having finished 4 of the main core required courses.  This was an extremely stupid mistake, and led to my demise on the first test.

Identify Your Weaknesses

Once you have worked your way through all of the prep books, then the hard work begins.  You now switch from reviewing, assimilating and understanding information, to working on your instant recall, test taking skills, and identifying key weaknesses in your basic knowledge.  I believe that the way you approach this portion of your preparation will be the difference between a 30 and a 35+ on the MCAT.  

This has probably been the most difficult part of the process for me.  I like the studying, and I like understanding the material intimately because I feel like I have a more profound understanding of how the Universe works.  However, I become irrationally angry when I miss questions.  I don't know why, but I take it really personally when I miss something.  If you are like me, then you really have to approach each study session with humility, ready to miss every question, ready to set aside your ego to plow forward, otherwise you will find many excuses for why you just never get around to it.

Another mistake I have made during this phase of preparation was slamming through questions with the idea that "the more questions I see, the better prepared I will be."  That is only half-correct.  It is true that the more questions you do the more variety of questions you will have encountered so you will be less surprised by such a question on test day.  The true point of running through so many passages and answering thousands of questions is to reveal to you where your major weaknesses are.

The main point of doing so many questions is so you can show yourself just where you don't measure up.  This year I decided that in addition to doing thousands of questions I would also review every single one to see if I answered correctly because I knew the answer, or because "I got lucky".  I also decided to find out why I was missing certain questions.  If it were due to a lack of knowledge then I have been forcing myself to go back and re-read the sections I am weak in.  This has resulted in a remarkable increase in my knowledge and confidence.

Fill the Gaps

You cannot memorize every single tidbit of information, but hopefully by this point in your preparation you should have noticed that several tricky things seem to keep recurring, that cause you no end of trouble.  The things I have struggled with have been; quick calculations, hormones and their corresponding organs, light spectrum questions, and chemical reactions.  Here are a few things you can do to quickly plug some of those holes.

My Study Whiteboard

1. Note Cards - I always cringe at note card use, because I have never needed it before.  I have had a change of heart, because they do serve a very specific purpose if they are used correctly.  I stupidly bought some "MCAT Prep Notecards" from some company, that I have never used.  Instead I have found that they are most effective when you find a formula or simple relationship that you totally bombed on, so you put that on a notecard so that you can review it in your down time.  This is my opinion, but notecards only work if you fill them out yourself.
2. Mnemonics - I always thought these were childish, but now I see how awesome they are. All information is encoded in language and a mnemonic is an extremely efficient way to recall information you already know, but had trouble dredging up in the past.  The best mnemonics I have found so far deal with light, and hormones.  ROY G. BiV (Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Violet), etc.
3. Estimation Techniques - Every single prep book offers techniques on how to round to an easier number to make math quicker and give you a reasonable estimate of the answer.  I have been trained as an Engineer so I was quite resistant to this idea.  We are taught that a lack of exactness will lead to disastrous results.  Breaking this habit was difficult but rewarding.  Questions that caused me to sweat before, don't really stress me too much, and I generally finish the Physical Sciences section with plenty of time remaining.  I also like to use a small dry-erase board/markers while I am studying so that I can quickly jot things down, or work through a math problem.  I think it is way better than using a notebook, saves time, and simulates test day (you won't have previous notes jotted down to refer to).

Practice the Test

The only thing left now is to practice taking the test.  Take as many timed practice tests as you can, so that on test day the 3 blocks of question will be just like another day of study.  If you are planning on taking the MCAT, I hope that the many mistakes I have made will help you prepare in a more rational manner so you can achieve a great score the first time. 

As for me, I will sit for this exam again on May 18.  I will let you know how it turns out so that you can see whether or not my advice is worth taking.  Until then, lets keep studying!

Details and more Details

Often times getting accepted into medical school is distilled down into taking the MCAT and sending in your application.  It sounds pretty simple, but there are many details that you have to account for along the way, so that you can ensure your success.

The current detail that I am running after is finding shadowing opportunities.  Last year's cycle I was told that my six years of medical interpreting at the local clinic wasn't a truly representative experience for the American Medical system, so their recommendation was to find more shadowing opportunities.

I have already exhausted my personal contacts and have been forced to rely on recommendations of friends.  This has probably been one of the most difficult things I have had to do.  My schedule is very inflexible due to my full time job and the fact that most physicians (that I know) work a traditional schedule.  I also find it hard to ask other people favors.  I personally would rather be in the position to grant a favor, rather than accept one.

Fortunately I have been able to rework my weekly schedule into four days of 10 hour shifts, instead of five days of 8 hour shifts.  I am now able to pursue a more aggressive plan for securing a steady shadowing gig.  The final roadblock for me now, is to find a physician who is willing to let me follow them around.

Update: Not even an hour after I posted this, I heard back from one of the physicians I have contacted.  It looks like tomorrow I get to shadow in the OR at a Neuro Clinic.  I am very excited to take part in this.

If You Climb, You Might Fall

Last week I took a practice test to see how my preparations were coming and I was not pleased.  The final score was....wait for it....a 23.  That is one point higher than the first time I took it and six points lower than last year's test.  You can imagine, that with the MCAT only 1 and a half months away that caused me to panic greatly.

There are several ways I can interpret this outcome.  I can interpret it to say that I have taken a huge step back in my accumulated knowledge and have forgotten almost everything.  However, I don't think this is the correct interpretation.  I am positive I know much more than I did last year, so I have to examine the source of the test and where my deficiencies lie.

In my current preparations I have finished reviewing all but two chapters of the Berkeley Review test prep materials.  It is a very dense and difficult review, but I think it is more than adequate to help prepare for the MCAT.  The test I took, to show my progress, was a free diagnostic test from Kaplan.  I did remarkably poor in the Physics section, and ironically it had a lot of questions from the two chapters I had not finished reviewing.  What are the chances that the majority of questions would come from 2 of the 10 chapters that physics covers?  I thought that was a little skewed, but I also have to think that on test day, if the same thing happens I would still be screwed so maybe it is a moot point.

Being a free diagnostic test I did some research on it through Google and found several accounts where someone scored remarkably poor yet did very well on the actual test.  I began to suspect that the difficultly level on this diagnostic is much higher than the actual test in order to funnel more people into the Kaplan program.

With that being said, I still came out with some positives.  I plan to take a different diagnostic next week to see if my suspicion is correct.  Out of all the problems, there wasn't anything I didn't "know" per-se, but there were several problems that I knew how to do, yet couldn't remember the formula to do what I needed to do.  That is definitely something I can remedy, and it is certainly something that is not allowable on test day.

Because I am a theoretical thinker, I have never put much stock in memorizing huge amounts of information.  Since we have such a huge resource of data recall at our very fingertips that sort of exercise is unnecessary if you know how to find and apply theory to the necessary information.  In physics I would usually memorize one or two key equations which would allow me to derive any subsequent equations on test day.  It saves study time, and if you can derive the equations I believe you truly understand the fundamental concepts more intimately than someone who merely memorized formulae and variables by rote.

The theoretical approach is no good when approaching a test like the MCAT.  Yes, the test is designed to reveal how well you can think critically, how well you can apply information instead of regurgitate it, but when it comes to the calculation portions that is not true, because you do not have enough time to derive and then apply the solution.  Part of my past failures can be attributed to my desire to calculate the exact solution to "make sure" I was 100% correct, rather than estimating, answering, and moving on in a timely fashion.  The difference in time between both approaches is probably on the order of 1 - 2 minutes per question...which can add up quickly.

With this in mind, I have decided to use the brute force method.  I am simply going to slam as many physics formulas and chemistry reactions into my head as possible so that I will have a quick recall system ready on test day.  It is not my preferred method, but I have to admit that when pressed for time it will be an invaluable tool.  If I can immediately recall every physics equation, and quickly indicate what type of reaction is taking place I think my physical sciences score is going to shoot through the roof.

Another thing that accounts for my low score is that this is my first timed passage of my review.  I have been taking everything slow and measured up until this point to make sure I truly understand the concepts I am reviewing.  Now I am transitioning into the timed portion, and it is obvious that I am simply out of practice with regards to pacing and quickly moving through passages.  I did not run out of time during the practice test, but there were four or five calculation question I knew how to calculate, but "marked" for later because I felt pressed for time.  I know that practice will alleviate the panic I felt on those questions.

Next week I am going to post my score for the follow up practice test.  If it still sits around a 23, I may have to consider postponing my MCAT date.  Until then, stay tuned.

Getting Back to It

So I have neglected my posting on this blog, but happily I haven't necessarily neglected my training. With this post I want to give a progress report, and then extend the scope of this blog. Since it won't only be about fitness, but about becoming a better person in general.

Let's start with the progress report. From that initial post back in 2010 until January of 2011, I trained hard and consistently. I did change my approach, somewhat, to avoid injuries but I saw noticeable improvement as well as a dramatic weight loss. After January, I stopped training for the rest of the year. It was against my wishes, but there were personal issues involved so I did it in the best interest of my family and our peace of mind.

I proceeded to pack on an amazing 35 pounds which was even more than I weighed before I started training the first time. After gradually hating myself more and more I decided to start up the training once again. Since December of 2011 I decided to have a regiment of running and Chen Taijiquan. The running is for my cardio and the Taijiquan is for leg strength. I will probably return to full Tri training when I have the time, but I am currently reduced to training 1.5 hours a day 3 - 4 times a week maximum. I don't always reach that goal :(

The second part of this post is to outline new goals I have set for myself and to set up a forum where I can maintain public accountability. One of the reasons my training did not go as smoothly as I wanted to is because I had made the decision to try and start Medical School...at 32 years old.

You see what I did there? I like to make huge goals for myself. I have to go big or not at all. How can I get motivated if the challenge isn't worthy enough? Anybody can buy a book and get a computer certification, but medical school. Now there is a beastly challenge that I can test myself against!

Don't get me wrong, this decision wasn't made on the spur of the moment. I might as well give you the whole story, since you asked. My undergrad degree is in EECS, which stands for "Electrical Engineering and Computer Science". I put the emphasis in CS and thought that all my worries were over when I graduated in 2003. Monetarily my worries have been over. The job pays well and has endless avenues for improvement and exploration. Unfortunately I made a grave miscalculation. I didn't realize how boring and meaningless the work in this field would be.

I look like this when I am depressed

After years of coming home unfulfilled I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I was faced with a decision. I could either let myself go insane, dragged down by the monotony of the work and the severe depression as a result of the tremendous waste my life was going to, or I could do something radical! The crux of the matter was that I could not see how my life was making a difference by pounding out code every day for some faceless corporation. That feeling was exacerbated when I realized that ALL the work I had done would be re-done in a matter of 2 years or less. So even the footprint of my body of work would disappear and no record of what I had done would even endure as a testament to my "brilliance", collaboration, or contribution.

These realizations made me start searching. At first I thought I could find peace in starting my own company so that I stood at the top of the ladder and would be able to have an impact on how the business ran and grew. It didn't take me long to realize I am not a business man. I don't think like one, I am not motivated by monetary gain enough to really push for things. I only care about a sexy idea, and once I have developed it I lose interest and want to move on to something else. This is not a good way to grow a business. I was stuck at this point, but after I started volunteering at a free medical clinic as an interpreter the light bulb suddenly flashed on. I could be a doctor! I love to help people, and making their lives better has a much greater impact than writing some faceless computer program.

Chalk it down friends! My decision was made and Medical School has become my goal. That decision was made roughly 5 years ago. This year, it is finally coming down to the wire. I have finished all of the prerequisites (by taking one night class a semester) and the MCAT is looming in July. The MCAT is my first true hurdle to getting accepted. This test is like the Triathlon of the academic world. You must take everything you have learned about Biology, Organic Chemistry, General Chemistry, and Physics and apply it one 4 hour test.

Join me as I continue to post my journey to improve both my mind and body. I will keep you updated on my fitness, and my struggles to accrue the necessary knowledge for a future career as a Physician.