A fine layer of dust

Approaching the keyboard he found it caked with a fine layer of dust. Though it was precariously evocative in a "Modern Gone Retro Instagram Photo Shoot" sort of way, it was sadly the reality he had come to. Having hadn't published a blog post in months, his readers wondered at what point such severe drought becomes extinction. With a deep breath he cleared away the filth and sat down to begin unleashing his soul through his fingertips.


Well perhaps "unleashing my soul" is a bit of a stretch, but it is fine time to revive my typing skills (acquired primarily in 6th grade "typing" class thank you very much!).


As far as this blog is concerned, I'll admit that I've been selfish. It takes a good deal of effort to write a post in the manner that I find worth publishing. I'm a true perfectionist when authoring pretty well anything. Heck, I probably average 5 minutes each time I create a witty Facebook status. "My name is Sam, and I have a problem." I know. Quite frankly majoring in rhetorical analysis the first time round in my undergraduate studies did not help this quirk.


Taking my time is not a sin, but at some point I just need to start throwing something out there into the vast abyss of the internet. Not everything I write will be gold... clearly.




The MCAT swarms my thoughts quite frequently these days. Specifically determining what study method to use has been the pressure point that consumes me. Reading through the Student Doctor Network and talking to friends has given me such a breadth of knowledge about what is out there. Some claim that Kaplan is the greatest force the MCAT has ever faced, yet others deny that readily. Some suggest studying for 3 months straight with a combination of thick literature, yet others swear by notecards.


I know for certain that I want to take at least 4 or 5 fully timed practice exams from AMCAS, but beyond that I'm uncertain. If you have any suggestions, I'm not quite yet overwhelmed by my options, and I'm certainly willing and open to many methods of study.


Until I decide my summer will consist of the equivalent to two simultaneous full time jobs so that I can save as much money as possible to pay for whatever prep my roulette wheel turns up with. (More on this in my next post.)

With Level One Vanquished, Our Protagonist Has Reached the Point of No Return

Today marked the end of my first class on track to medical school. I awoke early to do some final studying before downing some oatmeal and hitting the highway. With 10 minutes to spare I made my way into the frigid NIU lecture hall. Our final began. From 9am to just after noon I pounded away at the keys of my trusty TI 84 Plus and scribbled diagrams and formulas with my purple mechanical pencil (the likes of which I've grown irrationally attached to). As the test came to a close our professor started making rounds to the few of us who were left. When he came my way he asked me why I was still focusing so hard considering I'd already secured my "A" for the course... I casually replied, "thermodynamics has always been my nemesis."

What I really wanted to say however was something along the lines of "I want to be as prepared for the MCAT as possible, and I will feel more secure in my preparation if I answer each of the questions on this test to the best of my abilities." *Insert nerdy mannerism here (ie. the classic Steve Urkel glasses fix, etc.)

That said, I'm questioning if this class has truly prepared me in the best way possible for the MCAT. I know that my classmates struggled quite a bit in this course, but my ease has actually put me in a state of unease. I'll be taking some MCAT physics prep this weekend to test the waters, and hopefully I'll be reassured.

In any case, it has been tremendous getting back into the classroom again! It really feels like home, and that in and of itself reaffirms my doctoring pursuit. With one class down, I'm already excited for Physics 2 to start on Monday (though I will thoroughly appreciate my homework free weekend).

I'm officially that much closer to becoming a physician. I think some ice cream is in order  :)