Costly Courses and GAMSAT Prep!

I've been away from this blog for a while now. I'm struggling to find a way to get enough money together to pay for my college so it's not exactly encouraging me to come here and blog about the future when it's hard to see how I'm going to get there.

I am trying to remain hopeful and positive though. I WILL find a way through this undergrad and then onto the next stage. This next stage poses even bigger financial challenges though!

So lately when I get a spare few minutes, I have been looking into cheaper ways to study medicine as a post-grad. My first choice has always been to stay in Dublin and study at my old uni, UCD. However, the fees there are around 14,000 euro a year. Students are granted a loan to complete the course and then have to pay it back. But of course it takes a huge amount of careful consideration to sign on to a loan of that magnitude!

Honestly it scares the heck out of me! That's more money than I currently make in a year! :/

My next choice would be to look at studying in England. I've been there several times especially to London which is where I would love to study so it's not too intimidating a prospect. Also from looking at the cost of post-grad medicine over there it works out to be about 4,000 euro cheaper a year!

A couple of weeks ago I came across an article in a newspaper about studying across Europe. I started investigating how much it would cost to do medicine through English in different countries. The answer? A lot less!!!

Post-grad medicine in general seems roughly around the same figure as Ireland or the UK with the cheapest I have found in Poland for 10,000 euro a year. For the traditional full lenght course, fees start from around 1,000 euro a year upwards.

These courses are all taught through English and welcome European students to apply. However my guess is that you really would want to pick up the native language pretty quicky if you are treating patents etc.

But it's definately something to think about. I'm hearing about more and more people who are going abroad and getting their medical degrees before coming back here to work so ithis is a very real option for anyone wanting to pursue a career in medicine.

If anyone is interested in having a look at what programmes are offered around Europe (and at what cost) check out: http://www.eunicas.ie/

I love to let my mind wander and think of the future, about studying medince and becoming a doctor. But let's face it dreams don't just materialise overnight. It takes a lot of effort and hard work. So while it's important to have a clear vision of where you want to be in the future, I know I have to keep focused and chipping away at the work I'm doing now.

My GAMSAT preperation is seriously lacking. I've been letting the prospect overwhelm me and discourage me when I need to just give it a go. I started reading a bit on organic chemistry which I think I will really enjoy actually. Because it just feels more relevant than reading about electron orbitals etc. But the basics are essential so gotta get those down before jumping into the fun stuff!

For anyone needing to improve your sciences I really recommend paying a visit to the Khan Academy website. They offer FREE lessons on Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths as well as other non-GAMSAT related courses such as Art History (although let's face if with the GAMSAT anything could be relevant!)

Here's the link should you be interested:http://www.khanacademy.org/

Anyway that's about it for now. Have to go work on a journal article I'm writing. Has to be ready for publication by the end of the month. My oh my!

:)

Over the hump!

Good evening!

It's been a silent blog for the past few days. I have been studying like crazy for my exams. Getting up at six o clock in the morning and going to bed at ten at night. If I'm not taking the test, I'm studying! Ouchies! Three exams over with now which means I am officially more than half way through! :D

Today was my worst exam. I really hope I scraped through, I'll be lucky if I did but I'm trying to be positive. I really am looking forward to Friday when everythings finished!

Then onto the GAMSAT! OH MAN!

Lol I feel like I am a permanent student. I never stop studying or learning something. Which is good I suppose, and part of the reason I am so attracted to medicine as a career. I like the idea of constantly being challenged and learning something new.

I am going to order the Gold Standard GAMSAT book of Friday. I have researched a good bit, and although it's not supposed to completely cover what you need to know, it's a definate start! It's not too unreasonably priced either.

Might look into the tutor situation next week. Am back to work for the summer! SOB! But my bank account will be happy once more!

Anyway I have got to sleep I am too tired to study tonight! Zzz...

:)

GAMSAT webinar!

Afternoon!

I haven't been feeling all that well for the past few days so my posting has been a bit off. I also have been really struggling with my exam prep so not being very productive at all.

Anyway something positive today: I attended a free GAMSAT webinar, from passgamsat.com. It was on how to approch the GAMSAT when you don't know where to start.

The first half of the webinar was quite good and motivating and then the second half was pretty much trying to sell their online course which like all other GAMSAT stuff is reallyyyy expensive!

Some of the useful things I did get from the webinar, included the following:

1) 80% of people who sit GAMSAT don't get into med school.

Eek how terrifying is that?! But good to know so you don't underestimate the challenge.

2) Make a visual reminder of what will happen if you don't pass the GAMSAT!

You might include having to wait another year, having to fork out more money, or having to settle for a career less fulfilling than you want.

3) Imagine your future if you do pass GAMSAT and get in!

This is a positive reminder about why you are doing all this prep. Get a clear and specific mental picture into your head of where you want to be and what you want to be doing.

The guy who runs the company who was hosting the webinar is offering a free ebook to download from their website called "How to Pass the GAMSAT". I looked at it briefly just now and it seems like it has a mix of helpful info and promotion of their course which is fair enough I suppose.

Just handy to have all the info you can.

Personally I'm still deciding how to approach my study. I think I might need a tutor or something like that for chemistry and physics because I have no basis in them, but not sure about a GAMSAT course, they seem pricey and I'm sceptical about how helpful they are...

Anyway I'm off to do yet more study (will exam period ever end?!).

Exam period kicks off and Exam tips!

Afternoon!

I didn't get a chance to update as usual in the past day or so, as I was studying for an exam. The exam period is two weeks and I have 5 exams in total. One this week and four next week. Today's exam went surprisingly okay I think! It wasn't that I did any extra revision because I just crammed yesterday and this morning! But I remembered a surprising amount of very specific information such as authors and years.

Could my choline and inositol supplement be kicking in? I hope so! :D

After the exam I went shopping and I picked up some books for my GAMSAT revison, chemistry, maths and physics for Dummies! Exciting stuff! :)

Anyhoo seeing as it's exam period I got to thinking about the way different people approach exams.

I wanted to share some tips from my own experience on how to survive!

1) Give yourself time for revision.

This means try not to cram (ha I know how hard it is not to) but if you have time, plan out your revision time as best you can. Set realistic targets for revision, and when revising a lot of material switch topics after a while to keep your brain fresh.

2) Eat Well!

Maybe I'm always talking about nutrition but you know it's reallyyyy so important! Changing your diet can actually cure illnesses such as depression or fibromyalgia so try keep a balanced diet heading up to exams. Avoid junk foods that cause blood sugar spikes. Opt for good carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats and fresh fruit and veg. On exam day itself, make sure to have breakfast! Make it a good one too! Scrambled egg with wholemeal toast and a piece of fruit will give you energy and fill you so your tummy doesn't start growling like a whale in the exam! :p

3) Get a Good Nights Sleep

Don't fall into the trap of cramming late the night before, drinking caffeine to stay awake. This puts stress on your body and your mind. You probably won't learn all that much anyway, and in the morning when the exam comes, you're probably not going to be able to remember all that much anyway! So get some sleep and let your body rest. If you find it hard to sleep with anxiety the night before exams try a chamomile tea. Chamomile is a herb which is known for its relaxing and soothing properties. Try avoid sleeping tablets, even herbal ones as they can make you feel groggy in the morning.

4) Take Some Deep Breaths

This is a good tip I picked up somewhere along the way. Taking a couple of deep breaths allows more oxygen to get to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. It also calms you down. So wherever you are take some deep breaths and just quieten the mind for a second.

5) Avoid The Post-Mortem Overload

The first thing most people do after an exam is ask pretty much everyone they know, "Sooo how did you do?", while not so harmful in itself, make sure not to go overboard with the post exam analysis. What's done is done at that stage. You can't change anything and going over each section with your friends will probably only make you (and them) realise what you forgot to do, or didn't do, making you feel terrible. Best to just draw a line under it and hope for the best.

Overall keep a positive attitude. Exams will be over before you know it, and if worst comes to the worst and you fail, it's not the end of the world. You always have options. So don't stress, just do your best!

:)

Women, Life and Education

I decided to make this post about the challenges women face in their journey towards education.

I live in a country which legally ensures that all women are treated equally, and yet the reality of life on the ground is we are not equal to our male counterparts.

Research has shown that women are still consistently being paid less than men for doing the same job. I have had personal experience of this and it is the most sickening experience! I worked hard and cared about doing a good job, and yet I was getting paid less. It was only when I found out (through a relationship with a co-worker) and called my boss out on it, that my pay was equalised.

As we all know, education costs money, a lot of money if you want to do something like medicine, and if women are being paid less than men in the workplace this may add increased pressure to women who are struggling to cope.

It seems women still have not caught up to the financial security and power that is enjoyed by men in society. Much of this is due to social problems such as the aforementioned inequalities in pay, however I also believe some of this responsibility falls on women themselves.

It seems many women are waiting for the so-called "prince-charming" to show up in their life and take care of everything. They fail to educate themselves on what they need to do to survive in this world. Many women fall into the trap of getting comfortable letting their partner take control of the finances. This leaves them in a reliant and vulnerable position. All women need to take initiative, discard the fairytale images of life we were introduced to as children and get real. Knowledge is power, therefore if women really want to occupy a powerful position within society, they need to educate themselves.

It's not an easy thing to be a woman. I believe woman have always been at a real disadvantage from the get go. First it was physical disadvantage, and then alsodisadvantages of living in male-centered societies.

I believe women are caught in a struggle. Trying to hold onto their equality with men so strongly, that they are afraid of the penalties of being female. As women, our bodies do function differently to men, we struggle each month to varying degrees to keep going, pregnant women are under pressure to work as long as possible up until they give birth, and then to get back to the workplace as soon as possible.

The pressure on women to have it all cannot be understated.

While I was growing up it was my mother who worked full time while my father stayed home with the kids. I'm grateful that I had such a role model early on in life. Career has always been important to me and I believe that's where it came from. However, now that I'm older I am able to talk to my mother about what it was like to be a mother, a wife and a full-time employee.

She said the pressure was unimaginable. If she had her time again she wouldn't have had children because of the toll that it takes trying to have it all.

I wish that those in power could understand this pressure (although they are mostly men so maybe they just can't). Equality as I see it, is the bare minimum that should be required by society. But it's not enough. There should be some allowances made for women and their struggles. I think is not saying that one sex is better or weaker than the other, rather it is saying that we are different to men and that's ok.

If you added up the money spent by a woman on sanitary products for her life (nevermind the painkillers etc) it would add up to a whopping sum. Yet there is no allowance made for this, we just have to shoulder yet another burden.

Equality ensures that men and women get the same number of sick days. Even though, lets face it women could do with an extra few to get them through!

Constantly having to push, constantly trying to be "equal" to men is exhausting!In work I try do everything the men do (even if I struggle due to difference in physical strenght), sometimes I feel I have to just to assert myself. Yes I am a woman, don't dare underestimate me though. It does take a toll on me and my health, and that in turn effects my education.


Men have created societies which are catered to their needs. I hope and pray that as women educate themselves we can go on to create societies that are friendly not only to men's needs but to womens as well!

In the mean time, women like my mother and I struggle to keep up, and yet refuse to fall behind.

Off to study I go! :)

Study Fatigue

Evening!

It's a nice (relatively warm) evening here and it's stopped raining! Yay! :)

I have to be honest I had a ridiculously unproductive day today. I somehow sat at my computer and managed only to get 4 small questions covered...in 8 hours....yeah not good!

I'm really quite tired today. I've so much to do and so much on my mind I think it's wearing me out. I just ache all over! I got to thinking about study fatique. When you just hit the wall and can't do anymore, which is where I'm at right now!

I wanted to share some of my tips for getting through long periods of study:

1. Get up and move

 If your brain is switching off and you're starting to feel lazy then get that butt off the chair and get moving! I recommend dancing around your room! :) It's a fun way to wake up your brain! Otherwise you can shake yourself out, do some stretches- anything that gets you're blood going!

2. Make time for breaks

If like I am at the mo, you're studying for long periods of time, make sure to take a mini break every 30-40 mins or so. It will help give your brain a little rest rather than overloading it. I'm not suggesting a longggg break now so be good and keep it to 5-15 mins max depending on how tired you are ok? ;)

3. Ideal Environment

Take a bit of time before you study to create the ideal study environment, tidy your desk or find a clear table to work on. Try to make sure it's not a space with a lot of activity such as a kitchen as you will get distracted. Also make sure that you have some fresh air coming in, and that the temperature of the room is not too high or you will get sleepy!

4. Music

This may not be everyones cup of tea, but I find most of the time I study I need some sort of music in the background to just break up the monotony. I have an internet radio and I cannot stress how amazing they are! You can pick from thousands of stations of all different genres of music! If you can't get one not to worry, try creating a playlist on itunes of study songs. Study songs should ideally be played low, and not be too distracting in themselves. So no rock tunes! (unless you're on a break that is heheh)

5. Learning Personality

There are a number of quizes you can do to figure out your learning personality. You may be a kinesthetic learner, an auditory learner, a visual learner, or a combination of all three. Kinesthetic learners like to move around while they are studying and might fidget a lot. An Auditory learner learns best by hearing things out loud, and learn best by reading out to themselves. A Visual learner remembers things best by seeing them. Figuring out what type of learning style suits you will help you realise what techniques you should be using. For example, if you are a Visual learner you might want to make your notes visually appealing through colours and pictures.


These are just some tips to help you study. But my final piece of advice is if you are tired- REST!

If you are really exhausted take some rest or take a nap, and come back to your studies later or the next day with a fresh brain! Which is exactly what I'm off to do! Zzz....

 

 

:)

Student Nutrition

Morning! :)

As my exams loom I'm trying to watch my diet more and more. It's taken years of anaemia and  a whole host of other deficiencies to make me realise I need to keep an eye on those vitamin and mineral levels! Guess I'm a bit slow on the uptake! :P

I went shopping yesterday and made a beeline for the health food store. Picked up a new supplement to add to the collection. An inositol and choline supplement. Never tried it before so will let y'all know what I think of it!

I was doing research one day on supplements for med students (I research all things pre-med!) and came across them being mentioned over and over. I had never really come across them before, even though I have a certificate in nutrition! Oops!

They are supposed to help with memory function, so yes I had to have them!

I also am taking a multivitamin, iron tablets, an omega complex and sea kelp supplement. That's if I remember to take them all, which I have to be honest most of the time I don't! But I am trying and that's what important right? :)

I think nutrition is so important for students to maximise their potential in exams and throughout the academic year. We all want to do the best we can in the time we have in college and to do that we need to be in the best health possible!

A bloodtest at the end of the summer term will highlight any deficiencies that may have developed and will give you time to get yourself fighting fit for the next year.

It's so tempting when you are stuck at a desk studying all day to just snack on junk so it's worth doing a shop before you sit down and stock up on healthy nibbles!

I like fresh and dried fruit, popcorn, baked chickpeas with flavours and pickles!

Also if like me you have an almighty 3 pm slump, instead of just leaping towards the kettle to put on another coffee, try a fresh fruit smoothie instead!

1/2 a banana makes a good base for smoothies and will release energy slowly. Add in anything you like! :) I love strawberries, pears, mangos and raspberries! Then to give it an extra POW add in a bit of spinach or kale (you can't taste it, don't worry. It's just extra iron and vitamins). If you need to sweeten things up add in a little honey or stevia!

 

 

 

Healthy banana and chocolate smoothie with a wee bit of spinach :)

Sleepy Sunday zzz...

Evening!

Today I have been so exhausted! Got a fair bit done though so am happy that I had a productive day. I cleaned out my guinea pig cage, gave her a bath, sorted my phone billing out and then made food for my family and got in around 4 hours of study! :)

I had to push myself a bit. I didn't want to study. But I know that I will be studying for my GAMSAT (and then hopefully in med school) and I'm going to be tired and not in the humour of doing it, but I just have to do it. Keep my eyes on the prize and not slack off.

I guess what's been on my mind today is money.

Medicine is so expensive! I know that if I get into med school I will be applying for a loan, but I'm worried about everything that comes before that.

Everything related to the GAMSAT is so expensive! Books, materials, the test itself! Also if I am flying over to London in Sept, I'm going to need some money for that as well! Nightmare!

I also have to pay tuition for my final year in college which is ALOT!

I worked it out, and even if I work as much as possible, I can't afford to cover all the expenses I have this year, plus all that I had planned to do. I've abandoned the idea of a holiday. I guess I will have to abandon learning to drive as well, and that means I will have to reapply for my learners permit.

My minds just working on what to do to make and save money. I'm considering setting up an ebay account and trying to sell some of my stuff! Haha desperate times and all that.

I guess money is the first hurdle one must pass on the way to medschool. Sad that that is the first criteria for becoming a doctor, being able to shoulder the economic burden.

But it is what it is, and I won't give up. If I have to sell all I have, I will.

Except my bed...it's too comfy, and I'm off to dream now!

ZZZ

 

:)