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Meet Krishi Dudhia, your brave and compassionate MCAT mentor. She’s an outstanding tutor in our community who has been through the tedious test prep journey as a full-time student like many of you!
Today, she's here to share some hard-earned wisdom with you.
In this video (and the commentary below 
), Krishi shares her MCAT journey, and her biggest tips that helped her maintain her well-being while studying for the exam.
Follow along to master your own work-life balance as you’re studying for the MCAT.
A Full Course Load, Overwhelm and a Bad Idea = A Low 490s Diagnostic
Hey my name is Krishi and I am a tutor and mentor with MedLife Mastery!
In this article, we will go over my own MCAT journey and how I navigated through tough mental and emotional obstacles, as I was in your place not too long ago.
For reference, when I was studying for the MCAT, I was a junior handling a full course load.
My very first encounter with the MCAT involved me sitting through an introduction session hosted by the premed committee at my school.
I sat there, overwhelmed and anxious, thinking to myself, how would I ever be able to conquer this exam?
After all, this was meant to be the longest and most intensive exam of my life so far. Just seeing the amount of content I needed to ace this exam was enough to almost deter me.
As opposed to taking the time to go through each subject area, I took a chance and tried doing practice questions almost immediately.
I quickly realized that this was a bad idea, as I was seeing consistent and persistent content gaps, especially in courses that I had taken over 2 years ago. My diagnostic full length was around the low 490’s.
At this point, I convinced myself to go through all the content, starting from step 1.
Content Review Phase: Setting A Strong Foundation
Again, I was overwhelmed. I spent days switching from one Kaplan book to another without achieving any progress.
It was then that I realized that I was too bothered by the outcome and reaching my goal score, as opposed to investing my time in the process and the journey.
After all, how could I build a whole building without setting a strong foundation?
I suggest to all those that are looking to start MCAT prep soon or starting to study again for a retake, to critically evaluate your content expertise at the beginning.
Having a strong grasp of high-yield content and basic familiarity with lower-yield topics from the get-go will save you lots of time in the long run.
As a part-time student, I spent about 3-4 months going through the 6 content books of the Kaplan set. During this time, I was also doing the corresponding UWorld questions for each chapter.
After doing so, I saw my FLs increase slightly to the low 500s. I was still not satisfied, I was unaware of what more I could do.
Reflecting On Weaknesses: Getting To The 510 Range and My 519 Score!
Upon further research, I stumbled upon YouTube videos that were created by other MedLife Mastery tutors, and I realized that even though I was putting in the hours and doing the work, I was not reflecting upon my weaknesses.
After reviewing my old practice questions, I realized that content was not my issue anymore, it was actually consistent critical thinking and analysis flaws.
I then targeted these flaws and switched my practice exclusively over to the AAMC full practice bundle. In my opinion, this is a must-buy resource!
After spending 1-2 months doing only AAMC questions and reviewing both wrong and correct answers thoroughly, I saw my bi-weekly full-length scores steadily increase to the 510 range.
I continued doing so until my test date, and I believe this last step is what helped me achieve a 519 on my official MCAT!
As you can see, my journey in studying for the MCAT was anything but linear and simple.
There were many ups and downs. However, I learned one very important thing: which is to always prioritize self-care!
How To Be Mentally & Emotionally Prepared For Test Day
This journey can be grueling and intense, so be kind to yourself and be sure to make time for fun activities.
For example, especially while I was studying, I would be sure to go out for a walk while listening to music, as this was the most relaxing and stress-relieving for me.
Take frequent breaks while studying and take at least one day off per week for yourself. At the end of the day, you want to prevent burnout and be mentally and emotionally prepared for test day!
Another piece of advice that I want to give all of you is even though things will get tough during the process, continue believing in yourself.
A positive mindset and reaffirming self-talk really does go a long way!
Lastly, I encourage you all to sign up for our free MCAT strategy emails as well. These emails are super precious because you will be able to learn a lot more strategies from our mentors who aced this exam!
With that being said, I want to wish all of those studying right now or preparing to study for the MCAT, good luck!
You got this! Our team here at MedLife Mastery is always here for you!
The Fastest Way To Achieve Your Score Goal Like Krishi
Reminder that you don't have to go through MCAT prep alone.
It becomes SO much easier and it's so much faster, if you have someone who's already done it hold your hand through it.
And even more easier when you're going through it with a committed group of like-minded future doctors.
There is no perfect way to study or prepare for the MCAT but there are tips and strategies to help you on your journey.
We’ve taken the time to reflect on our strategies and tips to help you be successful in your studying. You have the tools you need to overcome your test-taking barriers and it starts with these methods!
At MedLife Mastery, we're here to support you every step of the way.
We help students get accepted into medical school through services like our affordable 1:1 application coaching, our most valuable 6-week Live High-Yield MCAT Strategy Course, alongside our private MCAT tutoring options.
Questions about any of the above options, or just need advice in general? We're here for you.
Looking forward to speaking with you,
The MedLife Mastery Team
Your MCAT Success Mentors
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