Hi everyone, so people asked me for tips on MCAT, so I will give tips on MCAT studying, studying in general, and some life advice haha. Feel free to discuss / disagree with my tips =)
MCAT specific tips:
1) Study intensively. The quality of studying is more important than the quantity. I studied about 2-3 weeks for the MCAT, but studied very intensively those few weeks. Actually, if you spend many months studying for the MCAT, it's very likely you will forget what you learned several months ago. If you don't know the material at all, it might take longer, but that's a different story... see general learning tips below then.
2) Take the practice tests EARLY, not late. If you take the practice tests early, you can figure out your weak points and only work on those. If you take the practice tests late, it's useless because you can't focus on the weak points.
MCAT test day tips:
1) Stress is good for you. There is a common misconception that stress is bad for you. It's not true at all. There's a lot of research showing that stress enhances performance depending on how you use it. I scored 6 points higher on the actual test than the practice test because I worked harder, thought faster, thought deeper, was more creative, etc. There's also research showing stress (including cortisol, and chronic stress) is good for your health, not bad for you, depending on how you use it.
2) Basically, use the stress to your advantage, to move faster, think harder, etc. Stress is good for you. This is actually good life advice in general - use stress to your advantage. Olympians score world records under pressure, musicians do their best performances under pressure, test-takers get record scores under pressure.
General learning advice:
1) We're learning this stuff not just to get good scores or good grades, but because we are naturally curious about science, want to learn about the world, and want to use our knowledge to help the world and other people. Intrinsic motivation is very important - there's a lot of research showing that intrinsic motivation leads to better performance, better morals, etc. Focus on why you want to learn the material because it's interesting or will help you be a better doctor one day or help others, not just because you want a top score.
2) In contrast to my MCAT specific advice, for general learning, you want to space out study sessions. You will forget a lot of stuff, but when you forget and relearn, you strengthen the neural connections. Reason for MCAT it's different, is that on MCAT you don't actually have to know the concepts well- you just have to recognize them sufficiently to ace the test.
3) Study actively. TEST YOURSELF. Do not just re-read material. Think about why things are true from multiple angles. Be interested in the material, don't just try to get a good score on the test. It's such cool stuff!
4) Growth mentality. You can improve on anything with effort. That includes academic skills, social skills, etc. It's all about the process, and getting better every day. Try to get better every day, and work hard, as opposed to extrinsic things like looking good or achieving a high position. After all, as physicians, we will be lifelong learners =)
And finally, life advice =)
1) In addition to the idea that stress is good for you depending on how you use it (Winston Churchill gave his best speeches under pressure, Usain Bolt ran his best races under pressure, you get the point...)
2) Life is uncertain, accept it. Even though I'm on 7 waitlists, I'm very happy. And quite at peace. I am grateful to have the opportunity to study medicine in the first place. If I don't get in, I will just work harder and get in next time. It's not about getting into medical school - it's being the best doctor I can be to help other people. But uncertainty is part of life, not just the med school admissions process, but throughout life there is always uncertainty. That's not a bad thing. Uncertainty is opportunity.
