Hi Friends, 

I wanted to share a great article written by Med School Bootcamp because I know Anatomy can be a pretty intimidating class. 

Enjoy - 

You need to start by first asking yourself the question “why do I need to know anatomy?” Anatomy is not like any other subject you’ll take in medical school. It involves learning new terminology to refer to specific structures within the human body - and not just knowing the names of things, but understanding what they do. In its essence, learning anatomy is like learning a new language and you have to treat it as such. That bring me to my first tip which is: 

Treat anatomy as a new language

You have to treat learning anatomy as if you are learning a new language, like Spanish or French. When you think about how you will be using anatomy in a clinical setting, you will need to understand it to be able to communicate with other health professionals. The only way to become better at this is to practice speaking in anatomical terminology and become fluent in it. 

How do we learn languages? As children, we learn our native language through hearing words, repeating them, and then giving them meaning, NOT by trying to memorize names of things on a piece of paper. With anatomy, we need to flip this, we need to learn what something is called and then incorporate it into our vocabulary when we are in the lab or clinical setting. If you were learning italian, you wouldn't try to memorize an entire italian book. You would learn it through practicing communicating with other people. This brings me to my second tip which is to…  

Study in small groups

The most effective use of your time is to learn the basics of anatomy individually and then practice communicating it to others by studying in small groups. Find a small study group of no more than 2-4 people and meet in the lab once a week to “talk anatomy”. Create a list of objectives for the chapters your group will be covering, and take turns explaining those concepts to the group. For example, “Sarah, can you please explain the celiac trunk, its branching, and the general structures it supplies?” This way Sarah can practice communicating her understanding to the others, while the rest of the group can check their understanding and also provide feedback in real time if Sarah is misunderstanding anything. While describing the structures, make sure Sarah can also identify them on a cadaver! This brings us to our final tip…

Practice with the REAL thing

Now comes the hard part, making sure you can identify structures on cadaveric specimens. The best way to prepare yourself for your next practical exam is to practice on the REAL thing. You’ll want to make sure that you’re practicing on a real cadaver and using real cadaveric images to study, not just learning from your slides/note or you will be unpleasantly surprised on the day of the exam. 

Sometimes it can be hard to find time to make it to the lab, and during the week leading up to the exam, everyone’s in the lab cramming for it at the last minute. One alternative is to use online resources to help you prepare, and one of the best online resources for learning cadaveric anatomy is anatomybootcamp.com. We’ve got thousands of practice questions testing both identification and application style concepts on REAL cadaveric images, and with our 24-hour tutor support service, you’ll have all your questions answered when you need them!

These are the methods I used while I was getting my masters in clinical anatomy. They help me not only understand human anatomy but also effectively communicate it so I could go on to teach thousands of healthcare professionals over the years. Try them out this semester - I’m positive they will help you just as much as they’ve helped me!

Happy Anatomy!

Bootcamp.com

@wearebootcamp

Hi Friends! After a lovely one week break, I am back at school for my fourth and final block of my pre-clinical years!! Yes, that sentence terrifies me, but this block is like 5 months long and contains most of the organ systems so we still have a long way to go. We started off the block with Dermatology and MSK (jury's out how I feel about them but I don't love it so far). 

With finals coming up and the MCAT back in full swing, I want to share some of the strategies I use while taking tests. These strategies are things that work for me but keep in mind, everyone is different. Find what works for you and run with it. Although I don't personally struggle with test anxiety, it can be a huge hurdle for those that do. While I don't struggle with specific test anxiety, I do struggle with generalized anxiety. Therefore, my one test anxiety tip comes from that experience.

1. TRUST YOURSELF. Personally, I rarely change an answer after I have gone on to the next question. The only way I will change my answer is if I catch a mistake (if I didn't read the question correctly, didn't do the math correctly, etc). I never change my answer unless I am almost positive that my first choice is incorrect. I strongly feel that if you do not know the answer, your first choice is probably going to be a better guess than whatever you change it to. 

2. Do not agonize over one single question. This is especially important on the MCAT because time is so limited. If it's a difficult question, either mark it to come back to or make an educated guess and move on. There comes a point when staring at a question isn't going to make you any more likely to know the answer. 

3. If you find yourself anxious or spacing out, take a minute to ground yourself. If you aren't pressed for time you can go through the 5-4-3-2-1 method but if you are taking the MCAT you may need something quicker. The 5-4-3-2-1 method involves focusing on your 5 senses. First you notice 5 things you can see, then 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell and one thing you taste. If you are more pressed for time I suggest just noticing what you can feel. Either way, the goal is to ground yourself into your surroundings to take your mind off of the anxiety.

4. Avoid studying for the hour before the exam. I know it's tempting to study until the very last second but I think it just makes you anxious. The only time I study the morning of an exam is if I'm going to passively do Anki reviews. If you are taking the MCAT you should NOT study the day before either. Just relax and trust yourself. 

5. If you have the time (you may not for the MCAT), cross out each wrong answer and silently tell yourself why it is wrong. This mostly applies to biology based questions since you can easily do process of elimination. I also find that physically crossing out wrong answers helps me focus on why I am picking a certain answer. 

6. Do NOT worry about the same letter being the answer choice for multiple questions in a row. I've fallen victim to this as well but you should not change your answer choice just because it is the same letter as the question before. Ignore it. This seems silly but I know it can sometimes cause doubt. 

7. Okay so this is not a real tip but if I truly do not know the answer (like if I need to make a blind guess in the dark) I pick C. I remember someone (truly no idea who) telling me it was statistically the best choice (based on what test-writters tend to pick). Truly I do not know if this is true but I've been doing it for years lol.

I hope this helps you develop your test taking skills! 

Good luck on finals

xoxo

It's that time of year again and I imagine that many of you are so overwhelmed thinking about finals. My own finals start in a week from yesterday and so I completely understand the panic. These tips are meant to help you through studying for finals in undergrad (especially as a pre-med). I am definitely using some of these tips as I study for my medical school finals but I don't want to pretend like I know the best way to go about medical school finals. I'm truly just rolling with it and hoping that I study the right way, but I guess we will see! Here are some things that worked for me when I was in undergrad:

1. Make a to-do list for each final. Include all the lectures/practice questions/etc that you want to get through. Having a list always makes me feel more in control! It is also great to be able to check things off as you go so that you can see the progress you are making. 

2. Schedule your time. I say this on my blog/instagram a lot but it really works. Schedule each day with exactly what you want to accomplish. Some people prefer to study each class for a few days before switching. I personally prefer to study for multiple classes a day. Pick which works for you and make a schedule.

3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP. Do not pull all-nighters. Really don't. It is not sustainable considering you are probably studying for a week or more and it is not going to help you learn material.  Also, fun fact, you consolidate your memories while you sleep so you need to sleep in order to remember what you learned!! 

4. Try to avoid junk food/fast food. I am in FULL support of chocolate while you study or ice cream every night as a reward. This is not me telling you to "eat healthy". I say this only because fast food and junk food can make you sluggish and tired.

5. Remember that coffee is not a meal. Another fun fact, your brain is picky when it comes to fuel. It requires glucose to work at its best so it is important that you remember to eat real meals while you're studying.

6. The library is not for everyone. Some people thrive in the library but it is okay if you don't! You shouldn't feel pressure to live in the library just because that is what people around you are doing. I hate the library and much prefer to study at home!

7. Let your meal times be a break! You don't need to study while you eat dinner, I promise. Use the time to decompress.

8. Study by yourself before you study with peers. As much as I love studying with friends, it is only helpful if you all know the material. It is very difficult to go over content or do practice questions as a group if you didn't study first. 

9. Carefully choose your study partners. Throughout undergrad I had 3 people that I consistently studied with. We worked well together, supported each other, learned the same ways and all stayed on top of the material. It was amazing and we really helped one another. Find your people and stick to them. Large study groups often turn into social hour and that isn't the best during finals week. Also, make sure to avoid people that insist on comparing themselves to you. You don't need to compare your study habits to anyone else's and you shouldn't allow others to make you.

10. Remember that it will be over soon and you will be okay. 

Happy Studying

xoxo

We all have that one class that we cannot stand. For me, it was physics in undergrad and histology in my first block of medical school. I used to say that physics took a piece of my soul every lecture (and no I’m not dramatic thank you very much). For others it was definitely OChem. Either way, they are often pretty important classes and ones you need to do well in! I actually ended up getting an A in Physics both semesters even though it killed me. So here’s how I did it!

1. Set aside specific time to study for that class! Mark it on your daily calendar because I promise that you will try to avoid it otherwise. It’s always that one class that you’re like… well…. I’ll just skip it and keep doing *insert better class here*. 
2. Keep assignments at the top of your to-do list. Things at the bottom tend to get pushed until the next day and it feels better to get it over with at the beginning. Avoid having a hard assignment looming over you all day and I promise you will feel so accomplished!
3. Do not get behind. Because then you will have to spend multiple days in a row on it and trust me, nothing is worse than multiple days of physics.
4. Take breaks while you are studying so you don’t get burnt out. This is what I do with histology so I don’t fall asleep lol. 
5. Reward yourself at the end of your study period! Something to look forward to (even something small like a cookie) is so helpful!
6. Find a study group! Keep each other accountable and make studying more fun by making it a tad bit social!
7. Get a tutor!!!!!!! If you are struggling, use resources! This does not have to be a private, expensive tutor. It can be school tutoring, a group tutor session (so you can all split the cost), or asking a friend for help. Either way, don’t make it more painful by trying to struggle on your own. For physics I would have one tutoring session before each big exam because it helped me feel more confident.
8. Do practice problems! I’ve said this before but I think active studying is SO much less boring than passive studying. Sometimes this isn’t always applicable but for things like Ochem and Physics it is key. It also will improve your grades so much more than passively staring at your notes.
9. Find people to complain with. This might seem silly but seriously it can be so cathartic.
10. Most importantly, remember that it will be over soon enough!

Well, I hope those tips help you get through the class you dread the most!

XOXO, Happy Studying!

As with everything else, Anatomy Lab is a bit different this semester. At my school, we are only doing 1/3 of the dissections (because we are split into 3 groups to keep room capacity down) and we are not allowed in the lab for "open lab" study hours. Obviously, this makes lab practicals and quizzes kind of difficult to study for. These are some of the resources I am using to keep on top of the material! I hope it's helpful to those of you struggling to study for anatomy during the pandemic (or anytime). 

Being a pre-med can be so overwhelming. I remember always feeling like I was drowning and like I would never make it to medical school. But I'm here to tell you that you will be okay and you will get to medical school. In fact, I start in just one month!

To help you feel a little bit at ease, I compiled my Top 5 Pre-Med Tips! I hope this helps.

The MCAT is probably the scariest part of applying to medical school - besides the fact that you will one day have someone's life if your hands of course. I was honestly so overwhelmed by the thought of studying for and taking the MCAT. However, I ended up doing very well and so I wanted to share some of the tips and tricks that got me through the MCAT!

Organic Chemistry is probably the most infamous pre-med class there is (although I thought Physics was WAY worse). I think one of the reasons it can be so intimidating is that it requires a different set of study skills/habits than most classes.

I managed to get through Organic Chemistry with *most* of my sanity intact (although my parents and a few of my friends may disagree) and did well in the class overall. So, I decided to share some of the study strategies I used in the hopes that it will help someone else make it through with some sanity and a good grade.

I'm not going to lie, the MCAT is extremely stressful. In fact, I ended up developing Celiac Disease while studying for the MCAT due to stress. Yes, I was always genetically predisposed but never had any symptoms... until the MCAT rolled around. The gene is usually "turned on" by extreme stress, hence my diagnosis shortly after finishing the exam.

BUT... there are definitely ways to take care of yourself while studying for the MCAT

Here are some of my favorites: