The MCAT can be a touchy subject. While it cannot be taken too lightly, it should not be looked at as a burden. The pre-medical culture has turned the MCAT into this stress inducing word- “he who should not be named” so to speak. Being in the midst of preparing for it now, has made me reorient the way in which I think about things. While I recommend this mental practice to all those preparing for the MCAT, I think it can also be applied to many areas of life.

First, appreciate the position you are in. You have made it this far in your pre-med journey- not all people can say that. You have been given the opportunity to pursue your passion of medicine, and have kept with it this far! Congrats! Think of all of the classes you’ve taken, all of the opportunities you’ve had to learn, and the breadth and depth of the knowledge you’ve gained. That is an accomplishment in itself. When you take the MCAT, or should I say prepare for the MCAT, all of this information comes together. It’s given me the unique perspective to look at how the things I’ve learned in physics apply to concepts learned in physiology- the two really cannot go without one another. The education you’ve received thus far is a gift. Acknowledge that. It will make you grateful for all that you’ve received. 

Secondly, allow that ceiling you’ve built, that limitation, you’ve constructed to break. By this I mean putting labels and constraints on yourself. Telling yourself that there is no possible way you can get [insert MCAT score here]. By telling yourself that, you are subconsciously ruling that option out. Now, I’d like to counter this to say that you cannot expect to study a week ahead of the exam and get a perfect MCAT score. The chances of that are slim. You must be realistic and attribute a good deal of preparation into the MCAT. But do so with a happy heart. Stay hopeful and know that you are going to do great! If you let this spirit of hope flow, it automatically puts you in a better disposition during your preparation. And, what is the harm of staying positive? Opportunity looks to take hold of positivity. 

Lastly, stay in the present. I am notorious for catching myself outside of this one. While reading my prep books, I will often find my mind wandering to the worries of if I will get accepted into medical school or not. I like to call this concept “tunneling.” So for a brief second let me show you what I mean by giving you my train of thought during “tunneling.” Here is the context: *I am reading my physiology book about how ADH affects the renal system* “Ok, so the ADH release causes water reabsorption, is released by the posterior pituitary, then…. hmm.. I wonder if this will be tested on the MCAT. Am I spending my time right studying this? I sort of already know it, but do I know it well enough? What if I don’t score well? This has been my life long dream and all that is separating me from med school is this test. Jeez. No pressure or anything…. Do I have a back up plan? What would I even do with my life…?” Ok, STOP. Really quick, let’s examine my tunneling. I went from about 0 to 1000 in the period of about six sentences. I went from ADH to questioning my life path. HALT. And did you notice the self-doubt? If there is one tip I can give you during this process it is that self doubt will not serve you well. Let’s imagine for a second that you are 5 years older than you are now (already in your residency) and your younger sibling is preparing for the MCAT. In a frenzy, they FaceTime you and you can hear and see the distress they have on their face. They’ve just experienced tunneling. Recalling your past journey through the pre-med process, you tell them that it will all be alright. Everything will workout. Calm your mind, and believe in what you CAN do. Not what you CANNOT do. Would you give your sibling poor advice? “Ya know, you might as well give up now. You probably can’t do it…” NO! Because you know that’s not true, they have every capability of doing it. They just have to keep going. Just as you wouldn’t give your sibling bad advice, don’t give yourself bad advice. Know you’re doing your best and keep pressing forward. The positivity will only push you to go further. Negativity puts roadblocks in the pathway to success.

I would like to end this with one example of how peace of the mind can truly lead to success. His name is Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. If you’ve never heard of him before, search his name. He also has a book, website, and movie devoted to him. To put it shortly, he landed a failing plane on the Hudson River, saving 155 people. There were very few injuries and no deaths. As both engines began to fail from flying through a flock of birds, he decided that the best plan was to land in the river. “Prepare for impact,” he said. Both the crew and passengers remained calm. He has since been recognized as a national hero. His calm, determined mind allowed him to save 155 people. That in itself is testimony to the power of a calm mind. And is this not symbolic of what you will be doing one day? Whether you become a high-pressure ER doc, or a family physician, keeping a calm mind will benefit you in all regards.

So as you continue through this pre-medical journey, step back for a minute. See how far you’ve come. Know that the present moment is the only moment you have- so keep pressing on. Keep doing your thing. Trust the journey you are on, the path that God has for your life. Keep your mind calm because you can and will land this plane.

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155 people safe and sound.

Here is the man himself, Captain Sully. If I were ever to be able to have lunch with one person, it would be him. 

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