I got a 518 and never used Uworld or anything like it. The two biggest thing were prep books and general reading. Get a set of books and make it your job to learn everything in them. It's gonna be way easier than your class textbooks and you will end up overprepared. I got the kaplan books and read the biology, bichem, gen chem, and ochem books before my first practice test and got a 512. After I read the psych book and a little of the math and physics I was up to a 518. Also, just go on Nature or Science a couple times a month and pick a paper that looks interesting and read it until you understand it as best you can. The MCAT is more than anything a reading test and not just in CARS. They want to know that you will be able to read papers and correctly apply the information as doctor. Don't know why nobody else seems to give this advice but it's truly a massive part of the test. Everybody learns differently though so take this with a grain of salt.
19:57 It's so ironic that "a focus on skills and traits and preparedness for medical school" is undesirable on a medical school application. I need to get my head around the idea of admissions people trying to get to know me through my application. My gut reaction is to say: "They don't know me! They can't know me! They're just strangers reading my essays!" But I am starting to understand that I have to think about this whole application process differently than I expected.
Hi Dr Ryan! Thank you for all the amazing videos! I do have one question for you. Is it safe to talk about videos game during a med school interview? I used to play lots of video games (competitive type) which require a lot of hand-eye coordination as well as team communication. And the main thing you always mention in your video is to "be yourself" during the "tell me about yourself" type of question. So I was wondering if it is safe to talk about me spending my free time playing video games? (Because that was basically what I did for the past decade before knowing what I want to do).
I think you kinda of answered it! Be yourself. If video games allows the ADCOMs to know you better then include it. Doctors play video games, and you never know if that is the piece of information that connects you with your interviewer!
for me, I would include video games but I wouldn't write that it requires hand-eye coordination & team communication, it sounds like a sales pitch. maybe describe your experience with your teammates etc., just my thoughts..
if we allowed hospitals to privatize and be responsible to generate their own residency positions, independent of Medicare/Medicaid, we can have even more residency spots that incentivize more medical school seats and this will lower the unreasonable requirements for MCAT/GPA and even app creativity. The government can only make as many residency spots for their residents, so long as it comes with weeding out more pre-meds. Which gains more attention in the national spotlight - Doctors who can't find jobs in residency or a point dexter pre-med with perfect stats who was rejected from med schools simply because his app opening statement didn't "entertain", the admissions officer.
I love how she said “I gotta show the people!” In the beginning. You’re going to be a great doctor one day! You got this!
Dr. Gray: what dream were you talking about here?
Student *deadpan: I don’t know…
I love her she’s so self aware and funny.
I love how honest she is with herself , she seems like such a great person. I truly hope she gets in now that she has the right advice ❤️!!
Even with the essays, I'm surprised she didn't get in. Has great scores and applied early.
Note for myself: practice problems on UWorld 7:27, Reddit MCAT prep, AAMC practice tests
Yeah I wish I had started with UWorld way earlier than I did.
I got a 518 and never used Uworld or anything like it. The two biggest thing were prep books and general reading. Get a set of books and make it your job to learn everything in them. It's gonna be way easier than your class textbooks and you will end up overprepared. I got the kaplan books and read the biology, bichem, gen chem, and ochem books before my first practice test and got a 512. After I read the psych book and a little of the math and physics I was up to a 518. Also, just go on Nature or Science a couple times a month and pick a paper that looks interesting and read it until you understand it as best you can. The MCAT is more than anything a reading test and not just in CARS. They want to know that you will be able to read papers and correctly apply the information as doctor. Don't know why nobody else seems to give this advice but it's truly a massive part of the test.
Everybody learns differently though so take this with a grain of salt.
19:57 It's so ironic that "a focus on skills and traits and preparedness for medical school" is undesirable on a medical school application. I need to get my head around the idea of admissions people trying to get to know me through my application. My gut reaction is to say: "They don't know me! They can't know me! They're just strangers reading my essays!" But I am starting to understand that I have to think about this whole application process differently than I expected.
Hi Dr Ryan!
Thank you for all the amazing videos!
I do have one question for you. Is it safe to talk about videos game during a med school interview? I used to play lots of video games (competitive type) which require a lot of hand-eye coordination as well as team communication.
And the main thing you always mention in your video is to "be yourself" during the "tell me about yourself" type of question.
So I was wondering if it is safe to talk about me spending my free time playing video games? (Because that was basically what I did for the past decade before knowing what I want to do).
I think you kinda of answered it! Be yourself. If video games allows the ADCOMs to know you better then include it. Doctors play video games, and you never know if that is the piece of information that connects you with your interviewer!
for me, I would include video games but I wouldn't write that it requires hand-eye coordination & team communication, it sounds like a sales pitch. maybe describe your experience with your teammates etc., just my thoughts..
We love you Dr. Grey❤️
She’s so cool, I’d love to be her friend lol
What kind of friend 😎 (lol jk)
if we allowed hospitals to privatize and be responsible to generate their own residency positions, independent of Medicare/Medicaid, we can have even more residency spots that incentivize more medical school seats and this will lower the unreasonable requirements for MCAT/GPA and even app creativity. The government can only make as many residency spots for their residents, so long as it comes with weeding out more pre-meds. Which gains more attention in the national spotlight - Doctors who can't find jobs in residency or a point dexter pre-med with perfect stats who was rejected from med schools simply because his app opening statement didn't "entertain", the admissions officer.