First Exam Results/ Study Strategies

Well I got in the 13 percentile for the first test.... the bottom 13 percentile.  I failed the test.  it's a devastating feeling to see all those hours spent studying go to waste.  The good thing is that this first mini is only 10% of our grade as compared to 30% in previous semesters.  I'm actually very satisfied with my work ethic and study time, I averaged about 7 hours of studying (except for the first two days) during those two weeks.  I know for sure that I studied more than a large percentage of those who did better than me, which leads me to a crossroad:  1) give up and acknowledge that I am not intelligent enough for medical school  2) change my study habits and strategy.  Those who know me already know which path I'm taking.  Today, I implemented concept maps instead of my usual recopying of the notes.  Really, I didn't have a strategy for the first mini.  I just figured that if I studied the power points long enough then I would absorb the information.  I guess that old saying holds true... "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." For the next mini I'm adopting a new study strategy.

I'm going to preview the lectures the day before they begin.  I am also going to actually attend lectures, as it will keep me accountable to watching the lectures at a specific time and being around my peers.  I passed on various opportunities such as playing basketball, partying after the White Coat ceremony, and going out to eat.  I wanted to just focus on the exam, but my efforts proved to be futile.  I will also review Netter's anatomy flashcards every morning.   On Saturdays I will do the CTL practice problems and try to answer all the learning objectives without any notes.  I will also review all of my notes from that week.  On Saturday or Sunday I will join a study group with some friends to go over practice questions and review the learning objectives.  This plan will get me at least an 85% on my next test.

- Are you gonna bounce back or bounce backwards?

First test

Well that day has finally come, the first test of medical school.  It was a fair exam, and on every question I remembered that topic being addressed during lecture, however there is sooo much material that is introduced during lecture.  Most of the first week's material was review of simple cell biology and physiological concepts, but there were also plenty of details that were new to me.  I was fortunate that this test was given so early, as it only counts for 10% of our grade and gives us an opportunity to see how well our study methods are working out. 

 I didn't feel too confident after the test, especially after hearing how confident other people sounded.  There were at least 15 questions out of the 60 that I was unsure about.  I studied really hard for the mini and put in about an average of about 7 hours of study time per day, not including class.  I realized that I got distracted by prep/cook time and just unexpected things that seem to happen here in Dominica: ants invading the house over the smallest crumb, brown water or no water (our water was out for a day), IT problems, and simply getting adjusted to the island.  Overall, I'm satisfied with the amount of time I spent studying, however my time spent studying could've been much more efficient.  Therefore, instead of doing something fun after the Mini like many of my classmates, I just grabbed a pizza and went home.  I ate it, got greeted by a couple of ants, then decided to take a nap.  I woke up and listened to some Joe Budden's Mood Musik 3, which put me into a sad mood.  Then I listened to some Drake, which put me in a sadder mood, then looked on the internet to figure out how to revamp my study habits.  Then I listened to Kendrick Lamar's the Heart pt. 1-3 and Social Club's Summer of George.  Now I feel reenergized.  

After browsing I figured out a few things about how my study habits will change:

I have always tried to learn every single detail introduced in a lecture, and that hurt me during this test.  I didn't spend enough time focusing on the major concepts and memorizing what the professors implicitly told us that we need to memorize.  This week I will review Netter's flashcards of a specific muscle group in the morning, create condensed study packets of the lecture notes immediately after class, preview the next morning's lecture, and review yesterday's lecture.  I'm shooting for a 85% or better on the next Mini, which is 3 weeks from now.  Success is measured daily, not just during exam time, and I'll try to keep that in mind these next few weeks.

White Coat Ceremony

On Friday we had our white coat ceremony.  I wondered why we didn't have the ceremony during orientation week, when many parents were still here.  I later realized that they knew we would be feeling overwhelmed after that first week, so they probably wanted to encourage us.  It helped me to keep the big picture in view as I was becoming overwhelmed due to the many powerpoint slides, particularly in biochemistry and anatomy.

The ceremony began with the introduction of the president of Dominica and other politicians and notable members of the Dominican community.  Then statistics from our class were read off.  It turns out that we have: 431 students in our class, age range of 20-44, avg. age of 26, avg. gpa of 3.26, avg. MCAT: 26, a bodybuilder, and an attorney.

Our speaker, Dr. G, was excellent.  He really seemed to enjoy his life as a family practice physician, which is what I plan to become.  He went into teaching for a few years before deciding that he wanted more.  He then joined a group practice in Dominica.  He emphasized the quality of the professors at Ross and how great his experience was.  His colleagues didn't look negatively upon the fact that he went to a Caribbean school, instead they were interested to hear about the experience.  It is unreal that we get to do our schooling on this gorgeous island, and he encouraged us to take advantage of this opportunity.  Dr. G also went on to say how the hospital he did his residency at actually preferred Caribbean students, because they had something to prove and worked harder.

My apartment: Jedany's Comfort

I have enjoyed my stay at Jedany's Comfort so far.  This apartment is near the Annex, but unfortunately first semester students no longer have classes in the annex.   My rent is $650 a month, and the landlord, Glen, lives downstairs for easy access to fix and problems.  I have had water get under my back door to the balcony, so I have to see what can be done about that.  However, everything else has been fine.