Mistakes from undergrad and the consequences
I really enjoyed my time in undergrad. But if I could go back, there are some things I would do differently. Here are some costly mistakes from undergrad.
Mistake #1: Working during second year
Over-estimating myself
One of my biggest mistakes from undergrad was deciding to work during 2nd year. I had heard from a few senior students that 2nd year was the hardest in my program. And that it was important to not take on too many other things that would make it harder to manage all the class material.
But I was too stubborn and thought I knew better, so I didn’t take their advice.
Instead, I decided to not only start volunteering at the hospital and get involved with extracurriculars on campus, but also continue the part-time job I had started over the summer. Brilliant.
I thought I could handle it all because I had started 1st year on a big high. I had received the highest scholarship at the school. And I did extremely well in all my classes, despite all our high school teachers warning us that our grades would drop that year. Since I did so well, I thought I could take on additional activities in 2nd year and still maintain those grades.
But I couldn’t. I took on way more than I could manage at the time. At several points, my mom begged me to quit that job. She could see it was wearing me out and I didn’t have the energy to dedicate to my academics and perform like I had done previously.
But I had told my bosses I would continue my job after the summer, and I didn’t want to back out of that commitment. Eventually, I left that job the next semester but it was too late. The damage was already done.
The aftermath
This decision single-handedly tanked any chance I had of getting into a Canadian medical school. The classes in 2nd year were harder and required more time. But I was putting that extra time towards a job (and volunteering) so I was too tired and unable to focus when it was time to study. I fell behind and did terribly on some midterms.
And it all snowballed from there.
I didn’t have the energy or motivation to study. All the stress impacted my sleep, so I was never rested and energized. And obviously, that also impacted my studying. But I didn’t realize all these things. I just felt dumb and thought that no matter how much I tried, I wouldn’t be able to catch up.
So to escape the stress, I’d doom scroll on YouTube. Which meant I had less time to study so I’d panic, try to study and feel overwhelmed because I couldn’t figure out how to manage all the material before the next exam. So, I’d look for more distractions to help manage the stress. Which meant more doom scrolling on YouTube. It was a vicious cycle which dragged on for most of 2nd year. Even after I stopped working.
Looking back, I know now that what I was experiencing was burnout. But I wasn’t aware of this. Frankly, I don’t think I even knew that term back then. And more importantly, I didn’t know how to get out of that situation and recover.
It makes me shudder thinking back to that time and how truly miserable I was. Fortunately, I wasn’t close to failing any classes but it was enough that my GPA was no longer competitive for Canada. I also lost my scholarship that year.
No doubt, it was a humbling experience. But it did teach me a valuable lesson. It helped me recognize how much I can and can’t take on, and when to say no. That lesson is especially important now in med school.
Mistake #2: Not knowing how to study
Another mistake in undergrad was not learning how to study effectively.
In the last 2 years, I’ve really gotten into productivity and learning how to learn. This talk by Dr. Barbara Oakley is one of the sources that helped me realize that learning is a skill, and therefore we can get better at it.
This learning journey has also made me realize that I did NOT know how to study in undergrad. I think my main study strategies were re-reading lecture slides and making notes. Which are some of the most ineffective learning techniques.
And occasionally, I did practice problems, which is one of the most effective methods. But it wasn’t a staple in my routine. I also didn’t know about spaced repetition aka Anki. Looking back, it makes sense that I did way better in classes that were structured around practice problems.
I wish someone had told me that studying is a skill and you have to be strategic about it. It would have made studying so much easier, efficient, and enjoyable. In turn, I would have been less stressed and would have had more time to spend on other things.
In fact, I probably would have been able to continue that part-time job in 2nd year and maintain my grades.
Mistake #3: Not knowing enough about medical school applications
Finally, one of my biggest mistakes from undergrad was not doing enough research about the medical school applications process.
I thought coming into undergrad that I knew exactly what to do to get into medical school. Get high grades, have quality extracurricular and leadership involvement, establish good relationships with professors to get strong recommendations, perform well during the interviews.
But there was more to it than that.
I didn’t fully understand just how high those grades had to be. Or the best time to write the MCAT. Or that I needed to get some shadowing and research experience. And that if I wanted to get into med school right after undergrad, I actually needed to have a strong, well-rounded application by the end of 3rd year since I’d be applying at the start of 4th year.
I also didn’t realize that I needed to have a plan for the year after undergrad in case I didn’t get into med school after 4th year
Those classmates who got into a Canadian medical school came into undergrad with a strong game plan. They knew exactly what to do and when.
I wish I had taken advantage of the pre-med association on campus and learned from the experiences of the older students. Gotten mentorship from them so I was better prepared.
There’s so much to check-off as a premed that those 4 years of undergrad go by in a blink. So it’s important to be strategic with your time and have a game plan.
Final thoughts
On a positive note, these mistakes from undergrad helped me learn a lot about myself. They forced me to reflect and recognize my weak areas, which led me down a path to figure out how I can improve. Not just academically but in different aspects of my life.
And in a way, those mistakes and failures really helped me prepare for medical school. I have way more on my plate than ever before, and yet I’m performing better than I did in undergrad. And I’m more proactive in preparing for the challenges that are yet to come over the next few months and years.
What lessons have you learned from your mistakes?
-M
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