Houston We Have a Problem.

Sooo...

I completed a first draft of my schedule for next few months...

I need to find a way to have less work and More MCAT & GRE...
I am pretty confident I have a good amount of A&P time.
My work II is a bit flexible, but not really a good study environment.

This kind of ties back to my first lesson learned...  Go all in..  trying to fit in all this work is seriously going to effect my study potential.

Hmmm...

I take progess anyway I can get it.

So as I mentioned in my last post I tend to get a little unproductive when I have a lot of things going on.

So I originally planned to have a detailed plan ready to post today.

However I only ended up with some high level written steps.

I tend to be a visual person...  And when I have this big ball of stuff it helps to just start at the top and break it down.

Here is one of my mind maps...

My next big task is to create a detailed study plan for this semester.

I did get some things done
- Got a GRE study book
- Submitted a request to consolidate my latest student loans, I was paying about 550 between the two, and it is killing me.
- I went to go get my A&P books today, but the books store was closed by the time I got off work. ( going back tomorrow)

I am pretty confident I will have a plan by Monday, a rough draft at the least.

Okay back to trying to be productive.  :)

Lessons Learned #2 --- Organize and conqure.

Lesson : Plan
take the time to sit down
1. identify goals/milestones
2. determine what needs to be done to complete the milestones
3. write down due dates
4. write down resources.
5. MOST IMPORTANT 
  - Track your task
  - Complete your task
  - hold your self accountable.

While your in the thick of it, its hard to see the end of the tunnel, but if you lay your obstacles down, end to end, you build a track to get you through to the other side.

And sometimes it just helps to look back and see what you have accomplished.


So one of my big challenges is the getting things done.

I feel sometimes I have so many things to do I end up doing nothing.

Especially when you are busy with work and life.

I feel like working this M - F, 8 - 6 in a clinic  and evenings at the studio are my worst time yet.   I don't really have time to sit down and plan,

Working a desk job  I  was always in front of a computer or writing something down, ( and looking for a distraction) so I had time to make list and organize and check stuff off.

Now, I am only home in the evenings and usually by then its dinner, baths, then bed.

I am starting class on the 20th, and have not developed a schedule to integrate MCAT, GRE, & homework.   Before I know it, the time for application submission will be upon me..

So it looks like I need to sit down and take my own advice..

I will have a plan here tomorrow..

Lessons Learned Part One - All in

Hi there..

So today is kind of a crappy day at work.
So instead of thinking about how much I want to quit, I will start my lessons learned page.
I wanted to make this really organized and release it in parts...

But "aint no body got time for that" lol   jk ( kind of)  

But I do want it to be clear, concise, and organized. ( not sure that happened here)


First Lesson Learned :  If you are going to Do it.  DO IT 100%

This is a crazy journey and if you want to be successful at it you have to go all in.

I tipped my toe in and tried the safe route and now I regret not just going for it from the begning.
I feel that the part-time approach put me at a great disadvantage and extended my attempt far longer than it should have.

Group 1: Ideally, If your young and about to start college
- establish a relationship with your advisors and/or premed committee
- take advantage of reputable student pre-health organizations
- follow your degree plan
- Shoot for the best possible grades
- build relationship with your professors
- build a good relationship with a few good community organizations, find something you love and really give it 100%
- find interesting ways to gain exposure to medical field
- study diligently for the MCAT, take lots and lots of practice test
- start writing Personal Statement early, and let as many people critique it as you can.
- apply early & turn in secondaries early
- practice interviewing ( professionalism, communication, concise answers, etc)

Group 2 : For late entries, with no major hindrance
- come to terms with your decision and be certain it is what you want
- then say good bye to the old life and start your new one
- basically just get in there with the "ideal" crowd and kick A$$

Group 3. For late entries with major challenges like families, little to no support, financial constraints, etc
- See Group 1 & 2
- get in there with the other two groups, and do WHATERVE you have to do to kick even MORE A$$



When I started writing Group 1 I thought I would write something different for each group, but as I was writing the list for the ideal group, I thought WE ALL have to do that.  But sometimes as a non-traditional students we let our "real lives" keep up us from being just as diligent as others.

If I would have applied those principles when I first started this journey in 2005, I would be blogging about surviving residency by now.

Why didn't I? 
I think some of the things I allowed to hinder me were

1. being a parent.
- I felt I needed to stay employed for money, insurance, and to be responsible.
- so I drew my basic preqs out over 2 years (2 per semester in the evening)
- working jobs, volunteering, taking classes, and studying for MCAT while still trying to be a good mom I did not give school and MCAT 100%. 

 ----  I feel like I would have been better off, If I would have just resigned at that time, went back to school full time and just focused on being a mom and getting into medical school.


Unfortunately I have to go back to work.

In conclusion

If you happen to be reading this and you KNOW that you want to be a doctor. Really consider going all in.  Part-time half-hearted attempts are a waste of time and money.

Good article...

So I had this plan to update my blog with some lessons learned over my 4 days off.

However my charger stopped working on my laptop, so I couldn't type it up. :(


However at work today I found this pretty good article on SDN that I thought I would share.

The 10 Lessons Every Pre-Med Must Learn


I plan to stop by Best Buy today between jobs today to get my charger replaced.
I think I have a 3 year warranty, but I don't have my box ( its in storage somewhere)


This was also a good response on the forms to the question.
"Is anyone on SDN actually happy with their decision to go to medical school?"

Response to question : Is anyone on SDN actually happy with their decision to go to medical school?