Getting into medical school is tough because of the competition and the dropping acceptance rates amongst med schools. However, what seems more difficult to overcome is the feeling of self-doubt as to whether or not you have what it takes to survive in the medical profession. With such heavy thoughts and the fear of failure, your medical school application process will be nerve-wracking, which could be detrimental to your performances in the GAMSAT, UCAT - or even the final hurdle, medical interviews.
What you need is self-assurance and confidence because, let’s face it, you have been motivated to enter the healthcare profession and put forth concerted effort throughout your student life to reach this stage. By succumbing to the pre-med burnout, you are missing the opportunity to showcase the best of your abilities to medical schools!
In order to help you beat anxiety, we provide 3 tips for medical school stress management that can:
1. Help you reflect on the purpose of entering medicine;
And
2. Regain your confidence, which is an essential personality trait for future doctors.
Let's jump right into it!
Do Not Delay your Med School Application Process
‘Procrastination is the thief of time and there is no denying it.’
Some of us tend to worry about the outcome before facing the challenge. In this case, applying to a medical school seems tedious, hence a majority of students delay the process to the last minute. This is largely because we are afraid of facing the idea of not getting a medical school offer. By procrastinating, your mind wanders into a series of ‘what-ifs’ that can cloud your final judgement of pursuing a medical degree altogether.
Receiving a final medical offer is highly rewarding but demands months of hard work, which includes scoring in the top decile in exams like the GAMSAT and UCAT, and displaying advanced social skills in medical interviews. The aforementioned selection criteria is not an easy road as medical schools put forth high threshold scores that need to be overcome to obtain an offer.
Besides, imagining a hypothetical scenario of facing a med school rejection without adequately preparing for challenging assessments is a total waste of your valuable time. Instead, we at Fraser’s advise you to be optimistic about the med school application process and learn to tackle different obstacles on the go. Focusing on preparing for medical school assessments and planning your plan of action for other med school prerequisites is a better strategy than sulking about the future.
Our all-inclusive GAMSAT courses, i.e., comprehensive and concentrated course packages have problem-based learning sessions, video tutorials for additional growth, access to a range of question-bank and mini-mocks as well as private tutoring as significant course inclusions. Each of these learning methods ensure you are fully acquainted with the content of the exam. This is what we mean when we talk about being GAMSAT ready!
Our UCAT courses, on the other hand, are led by some of Australia’s best tutors and are designed to benefit all types of learners. The courses give you access to over 2000+ practice questions, 20 mini-mocks and intimate PBL-style classroom learning. In addition, our UCAT courses have a unique ‘personal mentor’ program, whose role is to monitor your UCAT growth from scratch and to address other concerns about getting into med school. Investing in our courses and taking charge of your exam preparations can genuinely take some weight off your shoulders as the chances of failure are reduced to a great extent!
Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome can be loosely defined as doubting your accomplishments and the authenticity of your journey. The inner feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ is the biggest mental obstacle that you could be struggling with. However, we are here to tell you that this is a natural feeling that can be overcome through a healthy response to failure and mistake making.
For starters, we have to recognise the origin of imposter syndrome. The ‘why’ behind this feeling of self-doubt needs to be reflected upon in order to accentuate the positive aspects of your growth so far.
Medicine is undeniably a competitive degree, and rightly so. Numerous students compete for a medical offer each year and only a lucky few make it into the medical profession. So getting into the medical curriculum extends far beyond your academic grades.
Considering how difficult it can be to come to terms with your self-doubt, one way to beat the imposter syndrome is to separate facts from your feelings.
Take a moment to yourself and do a quick recap of your accomplishments. It can be pursuing an extra-curricular activity outside your comfort zone or portraying strong communication skills at a medical interview. It is crucial to consciously identify the little moments of success that you have worked hard for. This way you become self-reflective as an individual, be able to critically evaluate failure and respond to your mistakes in a mature manner.
Finally, always remember to reward yourself. Self-validation is the biggest form of encouragement that can really drive you towards excellence. By implementing the above strategies, you can break the cycle of doubting your capabilities and give it your best shot when applying to medical school.
Talk to an Expert who has mentored students to get into Medicine
Getting help early in your medical school application process is quite important, mainly because you have multiple factors to be mindful of - preparing for the UCAT or GAMSAT, understanding how to preference med schools and most importantly, getting acquainted with the medical interview formats. Each of these criteria are mandatory prerequisites to enter a majority of medical schools in Australia. Therefore, it is important that you have the right information source to help you navigate through the various stages in an organised manner.
Our Fraser’s staff have a longstanding reputation in the pre-medical field for mentoring students from diverse educational backgrounds to successfully begin their medical school dream. Over the years, we have revolutionised our communication strategy to include regular consultation sessions to closely guide students, give personalised feedback and make them accountable for their learning experiences. With this support, our students begin to think outside the box, conduct active research when in doubt and are motivated to engage in classroom discussion.
These factors are essential for prospective medical students, so you feel assured when you have the relevant information to enter a medical school rather than being uninformed and missing out on a particular testing window or application deadline.
At Fraser’s, we are committed to hosting a range of useful workshops and events that are solely targeted to inform students about:
- Various medical entry pathways
- Fundamental information about the UCAT and GAMSAT
- How to master your Section 2 essay writing skills for GAMSAT?
- Parents webinar: To inform parents about UCAT requirements and their child’s progress
As you can see, each of these events are conducted in person and online to tailor the learning experience towards the individual. This way, you can gain necessary information at your convenience. We are also not biased towards one assessment format, and have an in-depth overview of applying to portfolio universities as well.
In conclusion, stressing over med school entry is reasonable considering the many factors you need to know and take into consideration. However, it is solely upon you to overcome this med school stress burnout and focus on the purpose of pursuing a medical degree.
If you are still pondering over the question, ‘How stressful is pre-med application cycle?’, we can help through a one-on-one consultation with one of our successful current medical students. This way you can question them on how they beat medical school stress as a student. After all, the staff at Fraser’s have all been through, and experienced the challenges of GAMSAT, UCAT and medical interviews. WIth their learned experiences, our team has mentored all types of students from every background, ready to help you on your med school application journey.
