Great Read

Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories......interesting article by the New York Times

Struggling with Balance

Returning to school as a mother of three, a wife, an active community member, and a well rounded individual has been hard. I have a real life. I have board meetings, committee meetings, sick kids, football games, cheerleading competitions, and travel softball games to make. I try to visit my grandparents, my great Aunt, my friends and I work hard at my marriage. In the midst of my real life enters Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Cellular Biology, and Psychopharmacology. While I am the kind of person that actually enjoys school, sometimes I find myself making choices between talking to my husband about his day and studying for Organic Chemistry's infamous NMR and IR spectra.

Fortunately for me, I have a great support system. Everyone is rooting for me to succeed. Even my little ones, who recently spent Columbus Day at college with their mom. Getting a six and seven year old to sit quietly for three hours is an accomplishment. Getting them to sit through three hours of Biochem, O-Chem and Psychopharm without a bathroom break is just miraculous. It really put things into perspective for me. Not only am I making those choices of where, what and how to spend my time - my children are learning the very same lesson. This journey to Medical School certainly has not been easy or quick, but the lessons I am teaching my children remind me how important it is that I reach this goal.

I hope this provides you with a bit of inspiration on your journey as a non-traditional student.

Shadowing....In the beginning.

As I began this process I went to our local hospital and spoke with the individual that works with the Medical School students as they come out for rotations. I explained my situation and asked for help with arranging shadowing opportunities. 

For me, arranging shadowing opportunities on my own was getting me nowhere fast, so I knew that I needed help. In my full time career and life, I just did not have interactions with physicians to build relationships to pull upon for shadowing opportunities. Going to the source was the best option I had.

What did I ask for and why?  I have a great deal of experience as an ENT patient. I had nearly 20 surgeries on both ears before I was 18. I worked in the ER while in college, but that was nearly 10 years ago and in another city/state. I worked in a lab and taught at a Community College. Again, 10 years ago and no where near my current home. So basically all my "medical" experience is ancient! UGH! In order to figure out what things are like now, I knew I was going to need to jump in. So I asked to shadow everyone. Every type of physician. If I am going to leave a great career behind to pursue my dream, well, I owe it to my family to remind myself of what that dream really looks like - GOOD, BAD, & UGLY. Luckily for me, my new found ally thought it was a great idea to shadow different types of docs, too. 

And that is how I began down the road of shadowing. I have learned an enormous amount from each physician that has permitted me into their world. It has been amazing. In future posts I will break down each experience, questions I asked, bites of wisdom shared. Thank you to all of the physicians that have been so wonderful to allow me to spend a few moments with them, their teams, and their patients. 

More Arsenal for the MCAT

I am still gathering resources and in the beginning stages of studying for the MCAT. I have decided on purchasing all of the available AAMC Practice Exams. Go straight to the source. I plan on taking all of them. A very large task to undertake.

Next on the purchasing list is the Complete Examkrackers package, and I mean the whole enchilada. All five resource books, the 1001 Questions for each core topic, 16 mini-mcats, and Audio Osmosis CD package. From all the forums, research, checking the books out. I think these will be the best for my style of learning. In addition, I have a host of websites that I have pulled together and book-marked. I will start to compile those for a later post.

I have also pulled together a select few podcasts to listen to on a regular basis. Those include:

• Medical School HQ by Dr. Ryan Gray - first one I discovered with good quality audio and useful material. Plus I actually had the opportunity to meet Dr. Gray in the flesh at the OldPreMeds conference this summer. Nice guy. Thanks for the podcast and encouragement. Oh, and if you listen, give the guy a positive review. Help the cause!
•  Mental Math Secrets  - This is really because I know as an older student, time is not my friend. Speeding up my ability to process numbers in my head will really be helpful. Plus this podcast includes videos as well as audio. Good quality recordings that are easy to listen to.

So, I am feeling pretty good about my game plan. Working on study calendar and timeline. Hope to have it together by the end of this week. 

Gathering MCAT Study Materials

Finished up my first semester back with an A in General Chem II. Big confidence boost. Now I am in the thick of summer gathering resources to study for the MCAT. While I have read many a blog post about preparing in two or three months, I just don't think that is enough time for me. I have put together an plan to study that is a bit unorthodox.

Many blog posts, tweets, articles, and even the AAMC resources discuss how the MCAT is unlike any test you have ever taken. There is much discussion that the MCAT is more about testing your ability to read, analyze, and think critically. Based on that, I have decided to go about preparing for the MCAT a bit differently than I have seen elsewhere.

Of course I am focusing on Physics, Chem, Bio, A&P, O-Chem, and Biochemistry, but I am also taking a good bit of time to work on math skills, logic, and critical thinking skills. I believe those skills will be helpful to work my way through the passages and figure out the science that slips my mind the day of the exam. Afterall, isn't that what doctors do in the real world. They think their way through problems, often with only the information available right in front of them and what is tucked away in their minds.

In addition to studying this summer, I am taking a Physics course and Psycology course, plus shadowing. Those are for the next post.

Day One

Day One. I can remember being a little girl knowing that I would be a physcian. That with my hands, I would help fix people. Sometimes, when you can't fix yourself, fixing others fills that hole. It has been a long, windy, and often broken road that I have travelled that has led me to today - Day One.

Today is the day that I straighten the road and take back the promise of that little girl. Today is the day that I start back down an old path, slowly removing the over grown debris, and blaze a new trail. Today is the day I start down the road of becoming a physician.

I am not sure I can accomplish this goal. I have faultered many times. Once as an eighteen year old. A life altering decision made the goal of college a little bit tougher. Then again, leaving college and chosing a different path. All this time, sitting in my gut, has been a sinking feeling speaking to my mind, saying - "You are on the wrong path."

Today is the day I start back to taking classes and begin studying for the MCAT. I wonder if that phrase, "Three strikes and you're out" is really true. This is my third strike. It is time to swing, and swing big. I am aiming for the fences in center field, channeling my inner Babe Ruth. Come along this journey with me. Encourage me. Hold me accountable. Challenge me.

Through a busy work schedule, a hectic family life, this mom of three is pulling the little girl inside out. I know that I am suppose to be a physcian. This is my Journey.