Things I wish I had known before applying to medical school

Another requested blog has asked me to dig deep and think about things that I wish I had known before I started out the long process of applying to medical school. But for me, with all the research I had done over many years, I didn't end up having anything that I didn't already know was to arise in the process.

The thing with applying to medical school, is that you know what you are getting yourself in for and so hence, if medicine really is what you want, there should be no shock and nothing you wish you had known before hand. Like they say, 'preparation is key'.

That being said, I know that not everyone starts out knowing that they want to study medicine and so in these cases, there will be things that you wish you had known before applying!!

For instance, understanding that the process is a long and hard one, with little room for error and a need to have the determination to succeed are factors that I often hear people discussing when their application goes amiss or they are worried about not getting in. With the right preparation and appreciation for the process, you should know that the path will be hard, and thus have the skills and knowledge to overcome any obstacles that may be thrown your way.

Additionally, there are those completely out of the loop of medicine that don't realise the journey to becoming a Doctor doesn't end when you graduate, but instead continues for the rest of your life with teaching and exams for all the years to follow - medicine is every changing and never stands still.

There are the applicants that don't take notice of how difficult the admissions tests actually are, and that although it may not seem like it, there are definitely ways to revise for such to ensure you get the outcome you desire.

I am sure that the list of things people wish they had known before applying to medical school could go on, but as an applicant that was well aware of the road to such there is little I can offer from this blog. I always knew medicine was the life for me, so I was always that one step ahead on making sure I knew what was required of me.

I expected and thrived in the long days revising for my UKCAT, the hundreds of hours I put into volunteering and work experience, and the hard work I needed to keep up to achieve the grades. I knew the sacrifices I had to make and was more than prepared to make them. That is the difference between applicants that have things they wished they had known before applying and those that don't. Make sure you pick which side you want to be on carefully!

H xx

Study tips

As requested on my Instagram channel, this weeks blog is going to focus on study tips I have come to find which will hopefully come to help you all on your journey through academia (at whatever stage that may be).

Finding study tips and tricks that work for each individual is a tricky process. Studying is a unique process and varies based on peoples personality, learning style, course, motivation and time. Hence, the tips I am going to share are going to be more generic and something that everyone will be able to make use of and adapt to suit them and their needs.

Top tip No. 1:

• Start early - this one always gets people. The key to success is to start studying early on in the academic year. All courses have a lot of content that is required for you to know and hence leaving revision until the end of the academic year will only leave you stressed and overwhelmed as you try and cram a years worth of knowledge into a few weeks/days. Starting early gives you a chance to make sure you truly understand what you have learned and also leaves you will enough time to ask for help if needed. 

Top tip No. 2:

• Plan your time - this is possibly one of the biggest things to affect how well you succeed. You can have all the prettiest notes in the world, colour coded and wrote neatly up, but if you haven't planned your time in advance to make sure you cover every topic before the exam then all the beauty of revision is wasted. Make a timetable, and stick to it!! It also helps if you plan as though your exams are a week or two earlier than they actually are so that you have some extra time incase you need it to go over some topics in a little more detail. 

Top tip No. 3:

• Stay individual - in the midst of exam stress it is easy to start comparing yourself to others around you and tailor you studying to follow the way of your peers. But this can have detrimental effects. Everyone works differently, and what works for your friend may not work for you. Stay focussed on your own studying and follow the plan that suits you best. Think of yourself in this situation - it's ok to be a little selfish. 

Top tip No. 4:

• Test yourself - being tested and testing yourself is one of the most successful ways to ensure you know the content and that is remains known. Make mock exams, use flashcards, practice writing essays under timed conditions and work with groups to ask each other questions. However you do it, just do it! You'll be glad you did. 

Top tip No. 5:

• Think about your wellbeing - it is so easy to forget to look after yourself during times of intense study, but it's not looking after yourself that can be of most detriment. Make sure you take regular breaks, feed your soul with activities you love, get outside, talk about something other than work, watch an episode (or two) on Netflix. Make the time for number 1 and make it regular. 

While it's easy to look at the list above and believe that they are silly and not actually 'study tips', it is even easier to fall into a negative cycle of studying and getting no-where which will leave you asking 'why'. Taking the time to think about factors other than actually revising is key to study success and making sure you come out with the top grades that your hard work deserves. 

I hope these tips will become part and parcel of your routines during this academic year, and bring you as much success and they did me!!

Best of luck with your studying.

H xx