medicalschool

Medical School.

As a current student of UCSD (University of California, San Diego), I have seen and experienced the many woes and triumphs of reaching medical school. So, I decided, what better topic to blog about than the journey to medical school!

Of course the aspiration to become a doctor is a big decision. And this big decision has a lot of preparation. I believe being a doctor is one of the noblest professions in the country. And honestly, with all the insurance HMO’s drama, most doctors don’t make as much as they should. So, my first word of advice, don’t become a doctor for the money. It won’t be worth it.

So first, let me introduce myself. If I want you to take any of my advice I’ll need to establish myself, right?

I was born and raised in San Diego. From my kindergarten years, I have always strived to be a doctor. This initial desire is still a mystery to me, but until now, my passion is unwavering. And as a more matured and grown woman, I am realizing how much this goal really means to me. (More on this in later blogs…)

I attended a brand new high school and graduated with honors. I was actually the first class that graduated from my high school. I was the typical over-involved student, stacking up her resume with clubs, titles, awards, and recognitions. Oh yeah, I should also let you all know I’m a proud Filipina-American, and my culture is something really really important to me. (Also more on this later) I scored well on my AP (Advanced Placement) tests and moderately well on my SATs, had stellar letters of recommendations, and awesome extracurricular activities. So I applied to UCSD and UC Irvine (as my back-up).

And I got accepted to UCSD! Now, I am going into my 4^th year as an undergraduate at UCSD. You may know this university for its strides in clinical research and maybe its medical school, pharmacy school, and new Management Science school. I am a Pre-Med, Physiology and Neuroscience major. I have received various honors throughout my time at UCSD and am ready to embark on my journey to medical school. I am going to take my MCATs (Medical College Admissions Test) in September.

*Phew* That was kinda lengthy, but I thought an introduction was needed. Of course, throughout my blogs, you all will be able to really get to know me, but I hope this suffices for now.

For my first blog, I wanted to start with high school. Yes, the preparation for medical school can start as early as high school. But, do not be intimidated if you didn’t figure out you wanted to be a doctor until college or even later.

Establish good study habits!

Creating and keeping good study habits is essential. And if you start as early as high school, you will be set for college and medical school! Be goal-oriented (set goals for yourself each night, what will you finish?). Learn what atmosphere works best for you (do you work well with music? Does it need to be completely silent?) Work on basic note-taking and effective reading and writing.

Stay balanced!

Get involved! Find your passion. Explore clubs and organizations. Most universities want to see a well-rounded individual. And…one of the first steps to medical school is getting into an accredited university. When you apply for medical school, you receive a certain number of points merely on what school you graduated from. So getting into a good undergraduate school can therefore help you get into medical school.

Get to know your teachers!

I have realized throughout my high school experience that there are so many teachers are really wise and knowledgeable. Not only will you gain insight, but getting to know these adults will help in your social skills. One of my MCAT teachers told me, 50% of the spots in medical school are taken by people, who know people. In the world today, networking is CRUCIAL. Being able to network with those older than you is really important in not only medical school, but life in general.

Take AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) classes!

AP and IB classes, if you score well enough on the test, can earn you a lot of credit in high school. For example, I received a 5 on my AP Chemistry test. So when I came to UCSD, I passed out of THREE quarters of general chemistry. It saves a lot of time (and $$$) and gives you a strong foundation in college. I cannot begin to tell you how much my AP classes have helped in college. Learning the information over and over has really ingrained the material in my head, therefore helping me do much better on exams. These classes will give you the edge that will help you compete in the college world for those ultra-coveted A’s.

So there. These are the things I believe are the most important things to do in high school in order to prepare for medical school.

Cheers to my first blog and I’m excited for this new adventure!

<3, futurepinayMD

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