Restarting my study log for the MCAT

So after a break from the campaign trail, followed by recovering from the campaign, getting back to being a mom and wife, and gardening to reclaim my soul.....now it is time to get serious about daily studying. The exam is not too far away. The goal has been set for August 15th at 8:00 am.

Sure I have been studying a bit here and there. Working on physics mostly. But my study habits have not been near what they were and I have stopped blogging regularly. So starting today, I will be back at the routine. As a result, I will be reworking the study routine.

I am learning that becoming a DOC has little to do with intelligence and more to do with discipline, perseverance, determination, and beating your mental blocks. At the end of this portion of my journey, I am sure I will be stronger as a person. Just need to keep pushing forward.

Returning after being on the Campaign Trail - Lessons Learned

I have been working on this post for a week now. Trying to ensure that I convey what I learned, not just my emotions. Over the last five months, I took a break from my pursuit of medical school and conquering of the MCAT to make a new friends and fight for my state - in truth, I took a break to manage a congressional campaign. The lessons learned. Wow. There are so many. 

Now that I am back in my Chick-Fil-A booth, returning to my studies, I feel it may be time to reflect upon the last five months, the lessons learned, the people met, and how that 5 month break will make me a better physician.

1. Listen more, talk less. 

This is a lesson my family and close friends have been trying to teach me for years. Listen. Listen to the body language. Listen for what is really being asked. Take a microsecond to reflect and then give a short answer. Don't get trapped by revealing all your thoughts and feelings on a subject. Just answer the question. 

2. Don't judge - you don't know another person's story. 

Traveling through seventeen counties, you meet a ton of people. People from all walks of life, political stripes, economic backgrounds. Each person has their own story and often times what you think the story is - well, you're flat out wrong. As I write this, I am reflecting upon one person in particular. I judged too quickly. We were on opposing sides, therefore, my initial view was tainted. I allowed that point of view to construct my opinion before I even had a real conversation with this individual. I was wrong. (Yes, there is it is in bold print.) I was flat out wrong.

In politics, it seems that everyone has an alternative personality. An armor of sorts that they develop to protect themselves from the slimy cronies lurking around every corner that are trying to destroy them. When you first meet someone, you are meeting their armor, not them. It takes time and more time for most of them to let you know their real story. I think meeting patients for the first time will be the same. They will have their own armor and story. I will have to build trust with them in order for them to tell me their story. 

 3. The person who speaks less is usually the one who actually wants to fix the problem.

The public as a whole is frustrated with government - both sides. Very few problems get fixed. Part of this is our fault as an electorate. We are uneducated about the process of government and how things work. Heck, most of the time, we don't even know when the election is. 

As a patient, I have often found that the doctor who speaks the least amount of words often fixes the problem the quickest. They just go straight to work solving the issue. Politics is the same. The candidate that speaks the least actually has the most to say. They are just to busy solving the problem to talk.

4. You never know when the ride will end, so enjoy it. 

If you know me well, you know I am a work-a-holic and a person that loves to be on a project. If you are on a project with me, it's awesome. If you are my family or close friends, it is awful. I believe in saying yes, and figuring out the rest later. I tend to think I can do all things, it's just a matter of prioritizing at that moment - some might say, "Triaging." One could argue that my family often suffers because I am riding the ride. However, that is a view from the outside in. 

If you have seen me on the campaign trail or on a project, you have probably met Emma, Nolan, or Savannah, and maybe even, Brooke, my little sister. You have probably met Becca, my dear friend's daughter, or any of a number of their friends. Every project I have ever taken on, I have always taken the kids in my life along for the ride. I want them to experience life, all the opportunities it offers and all the challenges it provides. How are they suppose to know how to deal with real life if they don't ever see it. Besides - you never know when the ride might end, so work hard and enjoy the journey. 

 5. Never meet a stranger.

When meeting new people, find common ground. We are all human. You have something in common with everyone. Everyone breathes, everyone feels (even if it is only a little bit), everyone has an experience that you can learn from. Ask good questions, listen to the answers, and find common ground. When all else fails - I revert to hugs. You just can not go wrong with a hug! 

6. Give someone a chance.

This one is a very personal lesson for me. Someone took a chance on me. I have never managed a campaign before. Heck, I have worked a total of 9 official months in politics before this race. I owe someone a chance. A chance at winging it. A chance at googling staff titles and responsibilities. A chance at doing their best. A chance at coming up short. A chance at changing the world one mistake at a time.

Making Changes - What Worked for You?

By now, you may have realized all I talk and or think about is the MCAT. I should be ashamed to admit that I even dream about the MCAT. We were lucky enough to have a weekend filled with snow. That couple with a new/used stove brought out my inner Martha Stewart. So, I decide it was time to crank up the oven and start the holiday baking. Even as I stood at the counter mixing ingredients, I was thinking about chemical reactions and whether or not I have down the H2CO3 (Bi-Carb - thinking Baking Soda for my non-science friends) Buffer System.  It's sad, but true. 

I believe that the MCAT has taken over my entire thought process. This must be a good thing. I have often read that preparing for the MCAT is similar to the way athletes prepare for a big game. Focus, practice, practice, more practice, and take a break the day before. 

Because I am working on my own prep plan, I am always scrolling through websites looking for extra advice.  On a blog post by Alex Sassani, it was mentioned that you should start the day off doing MCAT passages:  2 passages each that cover Verbal, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Organic Chemistry.  Ten passages to start the day off. WOW. 

The same post also mentions getting into a sleep rhythm. That is an area I have never been great in. So, starting this week, I am going to do my best to get to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning. Hoping to get to bed by 10 pm, and up by 6 am. Before the kids get up and moving, I am hoping I can get through the 10 passages that Sassani recommends. I have purchased access to MCAT Question Q Bank. There are tons of passages. In addition, I have two books from AAMC with passages. That should be plenty. I sure am making changes to pull this off. Hope they work.

Here is my question to all of you. When you have been working towards a goal what changes did you have to make in your life to pull it off? What worked and what didn't?

Final Grades - They're In!

Final Grades:

Biochemistry: A
Organic Lab:A
Organic Lecture: B
Cell Biology: B
Psychopharmacology: B

Not a 4.0, but did well and maintained some balance. 

Thank you to everyone who helped. I appreciate all of the support, encouragement, occasional babysitting, and smacks in the face when I fretted. I am so excited to be preparing for the MCAT. For those of you who have known me since childhood, this has always been my dream. For those of you getting to know me, now you know. 
If you see me out and about and I am not studying for the MCAT, yell at me. (Well, at least if it is before Jan 25th.) In the meantime, thank you and please understand if I say no to something. You get one shot at this exam, and I intend to crush it!

Finishing Finals....Beginning the Road to the MCAT

This past week was a tough one. I shouldn't complain. I only had four finals and a ghastly cold. Others had it worse.  I have wrapped up the semester and it is now time to hunker down and study for the MCAT while I await my final grades. This semester was not my best work. Family stuff on my plate was a bit distracting in the middle of the semester, and it took a bit to pull myself out of that slump. I guess we'll all know soon if the dream is still alive. On my blog, I started a page titled MCAT Study Guide. This is exactly what I will be doing each day. I am putting it together as I go. We'll see at the end of this process if it works. I will be sure to report back. If you are doing the same and find something particularly helpful, be sure to share. I will be appreciative. In the meantime, I could use your thoughts and prayers for myself and my family. Got a lot riding on this!

Why Medicine?

"Why Medicine?" - the most commonly asked question I get these days. Well, the second most, right after, "What kind of Dr. do you want to be?" It is an important question. One I expect will be asked during my interviews for medical school. I feel as if everyone expects some life altering scenario that sent me down this path. I hate to disappoint them, but that is not the case for me.  I did not have a trip to the ER, an ill family member, or a life altering experience that told me that medicine was my calling. In fact, it is just the opposite. I have always known. I am the cliche. The kid who when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" answered, "A doctor." I know that is boring, but it is true. 

I have always wanted to do this. I have always been fascinated by the body and how unique we are as a species. Humans are fascinating. We are can think, build, design, and create from the world around us. We can feel, hurt, and absorb the emotions of others in our species. We can grow, bend, and break all at the same time. We can process light into images, process those images, and make decisions as a result. We make and then hear beautiful music that stirs our souls. We learn (well sometimes) and remember. Even though we are simply composed of a few atoms that are found abundantly on our planet, we are complex, ordered beings that seem to defy the very laws of physics that govern the universe. Yet when you look closer, we are really following them. We don't understand how we work. We are just beginning down that path as a species. For everything we think we have learned today, we will later realize that we were just turning the page of discovery.

Medicine is breathtaking. The ability to study the human condition is only for a privileged few. A privilege that often brought persecution. One that is a solemn honor. To care for others, to help heal others, is the greatest calling one can have. While others in my life have struggled with what they wanted to do when they grew up, I have never experienced that agony. Instead, I have been on a long journey to return to the calling I held as a small child. To go into medicine. To become a life long student of the human condition. To use all my learning and knowledge to help better my fellow man. That is why I chose medicine. 

$25/week for Groceries - Can you do It?

Recently I have been browsing the Internet looking for ideas to cut my family's grocery bill and to better prepare for gardening season 2014. These things go hand in hand. In doing so, I stumbled across several posts discussing the idea of spending around $25 per week. Some of the posts have suggested that this is the amount that folks on food stamps receive. Several of the posts mentioned that the owners of Panera Bread were purposely abiding by the $25 per week amount in order to raise awareness of hunger in the US.

This has really got me thinking. First, I am not sure I believe that a family of four receives only $25 per week in food stamps. It is my understanding that the amount a family receives varies upon the set of circumstances the family experiences. I am not however an expert on this, but that seems reasonable. I intend to make some inquiries on this and report back.

Second, $25 seems challenging if your family is relying solely upon the grocery store. If you are unable to cook from "scratch", it would be difficult or at the very least there would not much variety each week. On the other hand, if you know how to cook from scratch and you have a slightly green thumb, you could easily be successful in achieving this goal. I think you can even achieve a variety of healthy meals for your family. So, I am asking all of you - what do you think you could make for $25 a week? If you found yourself with only $25 to get through the week (let's assume a reasonable pantry), what would you buy and what would you give up?

Hunger is definitely present in our community. But so to is a lack of life skills. Gardening, canning, and home cooking have somehow gotten lost in our modern society filled with gadgets. I would like to suggest we fight to bring those skills back.