“Pressure” is a word you’ll definitely learn in medical school and as you get ready to graduate it only piles up. The initial pressure can be dealt with fairly easily during your undergraduate years or during the few years where you took a break before entering medical school. The secret here is preparation. Being well-prepared can you make you handle any challenges the world throws at you. On the contrary, being unprepared can throw your plans off balance and you’ll end up at the bottom of the heap.
Academic Preparation
Ask around. Try to find out what that particular medical school is like. Be your own Sherlock Holmes and get a composite picture of what it could life be like in that medical school. Don’t rely on what you see and hear on TV and school websites. Don’t believe in gossips and myths immediately. See for your self. To better prepare yourself for the different levels of pressure in medical school, do simulations and mock-up situations. Simulations can help you control levels of pressure and make you see if you are ready for it. You can increase it by level and check how your system reacts. Get used to the pressure coming in. This is a good gauge of how ready you are to enter medical school.
However, if you are already feeling pressured in college or work, this may not be a good idea. You probably need to decompress first.
Photo Credits
Academic Skills
Assuming you are already accepted to medical school, get your study skills ready. We are not talking about the volume of study but about study methodology. Just as in law school, there is a different way of thinking and analyzing the facts. There are different ways to study and you need to fit your study skills in accordance to how you are going to deal with medical school. A lot of memorization is involved and there might be some academic skills you need to learn in its entirety. Start ramping up the academic skills you will need to perform well.
Emotional Maturity
This is probably the hardest to prepare for. Going to medical school requires certain strength of character and discipline you may not have now. You may need to start giving yourself deadlines and establish the self-discipline you will need to carry you through medical school.
This post was written by Chris Walker, a professional writer of model personal statement essays for medical school. You can reach him at http://www.ivyresearch.com