4 CASPer Tips
Looking for advice on how to approach a CASPer? Annie Lamei, a 1st year medical student from Hamilton, has put together some of her key tips from her experiences.
|
Overview of a MMI
Wondering what happens the day of an MMI? Kristen Hall, a 2nd year medical student from Saskatoon, has written an article that outlines what to expect.
|
Scrap the Formula
Do you find yourself trying to check the boxes of a medical school application? Check out this article by Kerry Walker, one of the first-year residents from Vancouver.
|
Now that applications are submitted and many of you have done the Casper exam, the last big piece of this admission cycle are the interviews! Although most interviews happen in the new year, it’s never too early to start thinking about what the interview process entails and how you can set yourself up for success. Mentor Caroline Najjar, who not only went through the MMI interview process herself but was also a rater for the McGill MMIs, offers her advice to all of you with regards to how you can prep for these interviews in advance, but also how you can excel on the day of your interviews. Give her piece a read here and let us know if you have any follow-up questions as you go through it!
0 Comments
The MMC is here this week to provide you with this great resource for both mentors and premeds in the community, that was the product of many of our wonderful mentors! For incoming medical students, the transition to medical school can be a bit daunting, but not to worry, our upper year mentors have come together to work on this resource for you and to provide you with tips that they've learned along the way to make your transition a smooth one. And for our premeds in the community, it's never too early to start adapting some of these strategies that medical students employ to help them be successful in their studies! By looking through this file, you can also gain a better understanding of what being a medical student entails and what you can expect in your future!
This week we have an exciting new piece from one of our mentors, Brandon, who details his experiences as a new third year medical student on the wards. For our medical students in the community, the transition from pre-clerkship to clerkship can certainly be a scary one with a lot that needs to be learned quickly in order to navigate the wards and be successful. Brandon shares with us his experience as a new clerk and breaks it down into how he prepared, what his daily routine consisted of and even shares some things he’s already learned that he didn’t know going into clerkship! And for our premeds in the community, this is a great way to hear about one of the most exciting transitions that medical students go through when they get the ability to learn on the wards by managing patients with all kinds of presentations! Check out his piece here!
As some of you work on preparing your medical school applications for this upcoming cycle or if you’re thinking ahead for the next year, one of the things that’s bound to cross your mind is references! Who to choose? How to ask? When to ask? Our mentor Selina Shi takes us through 4 of her top tips for choosing the best references who can highlight your assets in the best ways! Check out her piece here to help you evaluate who might be the best reference for you! And if you’ve already chosen your references, use the piece as a checklist to help you feel even more confident in the choice that you’ve made!
Wherever you are in your training or life, at some point or another, we’ve all let procrastination get the better of us and delay our efforts in getting work done. Mentor Jasmine Gill understands that contrary to the belief that procrastination is a sign of laziness, there are so many additional factors that contribute to this. In her piece, she takes us through various causes for procrastination and some coping strategies to help us get through those times when it’s hard to find the motivation to get our work done. “Taking a moment to reflect on and acknowledge our personal challenges is the first step towards overcoming the potentially disruptive and negative behaviours associated with procrastination.” Check out her piece here to learn about some ways that you can overcome procrastination when it comes and let us know below some strategies that you’ve developed for dealing with procrastination in your life!
The MCAT can be one of the most challenging parts of the application cycle and as the summer rolls around, more and more students dedicate their free time to studying for this exam. Specifically the CARS section is one that often leaves students confused with how best they can excel in this challenging section! Mentor Faramarz shares his top 4 tips for acing the CARS section based on his own experience with the MCAT. Check out his piece here to see what new strategies you can employ to help you get the highest score!
Ever wondered what life as a preclerk (first and second year med student) is like right now during the COVID pandemic? Our mentor Katie van Kampen has created this day in the life vlog style video to give you an inside look into what her classes are like and how she keeps busy as a McMaster medical student. Check out her video here to get a look at how medical school classes and teaching have been adapted to now fit an online format!
Many premedical students consider all of their options when applying to medical school, including expanding their chances by also applying to American medical schools. Mentor Dileas MacGowan led the production of this overview document to provide some helpful considerations for applicants applying to both Canadian and American medical schools. With the support of mentors Taylor Young, Victoria Hayman and Natalie Landon-Brace, this document is packed with practical advice from mentors who know both the Canadian and American application processes. Check out the document here for timeline recommendations, tips from mentors and a list of some helpful resources to help guide the application process.
The MCAT is one of the most dreaded components of the application requirements. As a cumulative exam covering a wide range of topics from chemistry and physics to psychology and sociology, many premedical students spend months preparing for this long 7 hour exam! Mentor Mallika Suresh reflects on her experience writing the MCAT and provides a host of suggestions based on what she wishes she knew prior to taking this exam. Check out her article here to find out how you can best prep for this exam and be as stress free on exam day.
Once your applications are in, the next final hurdle to getting that medical school admission is the interview! While it may seem scary to think about given it’s unpredictability, our mentor Georgia Besant breaks down her top 10 tips for interview prep that will leave you confident and well prepared for interview day. Check out her article here to find out some strategies you can employ to take your interviewing skills to the next level.
As a premedical student, you often get exposed to many organizations offering the opportunity for students to travel abroad and perform some sort of volunteer work in more impoverished communities. Mentor Jocelyn Adundo takes us through her thought process of whether an abroad volunteer trip is necessary, advantageous or harmful to a medical school application. Check out her article here for some important things to consider before you make that decision!
"Thank you for your application, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for an interview" is a sentence no premedical student wants to receive after they've worked tirelessly in their medical school applications and want to move on to the next step of interviews. Mentor Ana Sepulveda shares her experience of receiving medical school rejections and how in hindsight she's learned a lot from this experience. Rejection is an inevitable part of life and although disappointing, it's an opportunity for growth and learning. Check out her article here to find out how a seemingly negative experience like this can be turned into something positive in your life!
With the COVID-19 pandemic, life has been turned upside down for many of us and the experience of medical students during this time has certainly had its changes as well. Mentor Sarah Keyes gives our community an inside look into what medical school has been like for her as a first year student at the University of British Columbia. Check out the article here to learn more about how medical schools have adapted their teaching to suit the current climate.
While everyone wishes there was a simple A + B + C formula that would guarantee them admission into medical school, there's unfortunately not one that exists. Mentor Jessica Pelley recalls her experience of thinking that there was a recipe for the perfect medical school applicant and that as long as she was able to do that particular research project or that specific volunteer experience, she would be a shoo-in. Check out her article here to learn about how there is no "perfect medical student applicant" that you should strive to be.
In this empowering piece, mentor Lyna Siafa discusses the challenges experienced by BIPOC medical school applicants and how we as both premedical and medical students each have an important role to play during this critical time of change. She aims to bring awareness to the systemic racism that exists, prompting readers to think about their roles and how they can positively contribute to this cause. Check out the article here to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of many BIPOC applicants.
|
AboutThe members of the MMC community write articles that outline their experiences with medicine and advice for their younger selves. Popular events and mentor spotlights are also highlighted here. Check out their insights below! Categories
All
|