Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Med School Life Admissions Through the Eyes of an M4

This interview is the latest in an Accepted blog series featuring  interviews with medical school applicants and students, offering readers a behind-the-scenes look at top medical schools and the med school application process. And now, introducing Jenny†¦ Accepted: We’d like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? When did you graduate? Jenny: Hi! Im Jenny, and Im originally from Chicago, but moved to Shanghai, China when I was in junior high. I went to the University of Chicago and studied biology as an undergrad. Accepted: Where are you currently attending medical school? What year are you? Jenny: I currently attend an allopathic medical school in New York City, and Im in my last year! Accepted: What motivated you to pursue a career in medicine? Jenny: I really enjoyed my upper level biology classes as an undergrad, and always wanted to work in the healthcare industry to some capacity. I ended up loving my shadowing experiences, and knew I ultimately wanted the autonomy that comes with being a doctor. As physicians, we can truly make a difference in peoples lives, and thats such a privilege and honor. Accepted: As an MS4, your time in medical school is almost complete! What have been some of your favorite moments thus far? Jenny: Submitting my ERAS (residency application) was so liberating! I felt like everything I worked for led up that moment. But Im also loving my medicine sub-i. Its hard work for sure, but I actually feel like Im part of the team and am doing real work! Its great to feel like youre actually contributing. Fourth year is the best year by far. Accepted: Have you been able to balance your personal life and medical school? Jenny: Thats always a struggle. Im lucky that I have a supportive husband who is incredibly understanding of my schedule and workload. But I cant say that it was always easy. I definitely wish I was able to keep in touch more with my friends outside of school. You really have to prioritize friends and family while in medical school. Accepted: Lets take a look back at your application process How did you organize yourself for applications and secondaries? Jenny: Excel was my life. I categorized the schools I applied to as safeties, matches, or reaches. I think you need to apply broadly, both geographically and in terms of school caliber, to guarantee a positive outcome. When secondaries come around, organization is key. I basically allocated two to three weeks for each secondary, and made sure I didnt submit an essay beyond that time frame. Accepted: How did you prepare for the MCAT? Did you feel like the best prepared test taker on exam day? Jenny: I did take a Kaplan course but I really dont think I benefited that much from it. I found the online resources to be extremely helpful though. Im someone who needs to churn through multiple practice questions and practice tests to get a good feel for an exam. So I would recommend procuring as many exam questions as possible and timing yourself with questions. Also, the Kaplan practice exams are pretty good at predicting your actual score. So if youre doing worse than youd like, you probably need to study more. And I dont think anyone feels super prepared to take the MCAT, and NO ONE feels good about it afterwards. Everyone feels like they missed so many questions, and thats totally normal. Dont freak out. You gave it your best shot and now its time to enjoy the rest of your year 🙂 Accepted: Lastly, if you could tell MS1s anything, what would you tell them? Jenny: Enjoy your time as an MS1! Things will only get busier. You have way more flexibility in your schedule during 1st and 2nd year (if its preclinical), because when you start your clinical rotations, itll be like a full-time job. Youll have less time to go to doctors appointments, make weekend plans, etc. But also, realize that things get much better on the wards. I hated studying so much during my first two years, but just remember that third year is when you finally get to talk to patients, be a real student doctor, and apply all of the knowledge you accumulated over the years. Happy studying, and remember that youre on an amazing path! You can continue following Jenny’s story on her blog, The Vibrant Med, Instagram (@thevibrantmed), Twitter (@TheVibrantMed), and on her YouTube Channel (The Vibrant Med). Thank you Jenny for sharing your story with us, we wish you much success! For one-on-one guidance on your med school applications, check out our catalog of  med school admissions services. Do you want to be featured in Accepted’s blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at  bloggers@accepted.com. hbspt.cta.load(58291, '8ebd6301-0d73-4195-b896-15302dbca6f5', {}); For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to their dream healthcare programs. Our outstanding team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, admissions committee members, pre-health advisors, postbac program directors, and doctors. Our staff has guided applicants to acceptance at allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools, residencies and fellowships, dental school, veterinarian school, and physician assistant programs at top schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Penn, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and many more.  Want an admissions expert  to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢ Navigate the Med School Application Maze, a free guide †¢ The BEST Advice for New Med School Applicants †¢ How to Research Medical Schools

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