The 1st merit list is out and most
students already have a clear idea about whether they would make it to the
medical college or not?
The road
to a good medical college in Pakistan is
cluttered up with difficulties and hurdles, with the MCAT frequently being
the most challenging of all.
Unfortunately even after 3 whole months of
hard work, anxiety and stress some students cannot reach their goal score
From social media to friendly gatherings the
most frequently asked question these days is ‘should I repeat the MCAT or not?’
Before you make any decision, there are a few
things not to be missed..
Ask yourself the following questions before
deciding anything
1 What
was your test day like? : just like a bad hair
day there could be a bad brain day. For some the MCAT day would have been great while for
others it would have been anything but nice and pleasant. You have to manage so
much pressure, anxiety and fear that your mind can easily go out of function and
an unfortunate panic attack can strike. But trust me that’s just fine because
these attacks are actually quite common.
What
you have to consider is: was it just the anxiety that did not let you perform
properly? If the answer goes in the positive sense, you sure should go for a
gap year and take MCAT again.
2
Did your score accurately reflect your ability? Out of the students who take MCAT each year, most are the bright students
with a good reputation in their family and academic life. The failed MCAT exam
is usually a big shock for them which results in a sense of desperation and
distress. But ask yourself, Can a single exam nullify all the happy and
successful moments you have had throughout the years in your academic and
social life? The answer is definitely a big NO... There could be countless
reasons behind your bad exam performance. If you had been performing decently
in the practice tests but the MCAT day was a mess for you then your score
doesn’t match your ability. Try to figure out why you could not give your best
on the test day. Once you do this you are good to go for the exam once again.
3
Do you have a considerable score in Fsc? Fsc has a heavy percentage of 40 in the aggregate, therefore this is
something important enough to be considered before taking any step. Now
bitter the truth might be, but, you cannot really get into a good medical
college without a reasonable Fsc score, if you wanna repeat MCAT its better to
repeat some subjects u scored less in too. This would definitely increase your
chances to get a seat.
4 Are you strong enough to
stick with it? Once you get the answer to the above to questions its time for the most important
thing i.e. can you stay determined and motivated throughout the year? Gap year
is the time that can make you stand or fall . You can use this time to make or
break yourself. This time is not only crucial for your academic betterment but
also for your mental stamina building. Taking a gap year is not as bad as most
people think it is. It has its own benefits, some of them are as follows:
Once you
have decided, stick with your decision and don’t let anyone make you think otherwise
Here are
some important points to consider after making this critical decision;
Give yourself proper time to heal…. don’t go in a rush, don’t start studying the next day. Take a break to
think. Console yourself. Take a few steps back to come back with double the
energy. Go to your khala’s or phupho’s place or somewhere you like (if you have
better choices :-P)
Cut off the haters… don’t pay attention to the taunts and other bad stuff people say…u will
have to face the criticism, take it like a pro with sportsmanship. After all
this is Pakistan and we should make ourselves comfortable with such desi
problems :-P
Start studying when….you have coped up
with the frustration of repeating, you have a good plan and you are calm and
patient about the whole idea. If you find it too difficult to recover and
return to normal life consider seeking help from an expert. Get yourself
surrounded by positive people. Stay away from all kinds of negative energies.
Try to build as much confidence as you can. Just like you need physical exercise
to build nice big muscles, you need mental exercise to build mental stamina.
This mental stamina would help you through the exam as you definitely have heard
about the overrated line i.e. “it’s
nothing but a game of nerves” ( trust me I used to hate this sentence as
much as you do). And remember you are strong, you can get through the thing
because time doesn’t stop bura waqt bhi
guzar jata hai.
Don’t go too fast…start revising slowly when you have balanced your emotions but remember
you don’t have to rush your preparation. It’s the quality not the quantity that
matters here. You have a year this time....if you are like me and you find it
too difficult to even look at the old MCAT books just don’t start studying.
Instead do short listing.
Go for the preMCAT session…these early sessions are a blessing for repeaters… if you actually work
hard you can revise your syllabus up to three times even before the fresh kids
know what MCAT is… J
Find an MCAT buddy
Find someone u can discuss your issues
and problems regarding MCAT with. Share your feelings with each other and help
each other. Discuss anything that is difficult (it makes things ten times
easier). Remember you don’t have to miss anything this time. Get help from your
buddies and try to help them too.
Keep a plan B … one of most common reasons of anxiousness during MCAT is that you don’t
have another option in your mind, which ultimately leads to the fear of ending
up doing nothing and wasting another year. Its better to have a plan B than to
be paranoid all of the time. Having a plan B would also let you focus in a
better way as your brain would be free of the negative thoughts about the
consequences.
Balance yourself emotionally …never ever make yourself emotionally dependant on this small test. The
more you would think about it, the more terrifying it would become for you. Have
faith in fate and remember that sometimes you cannot get things no matter how
much you try because they are just not meant for you. God might not have
created you to be just a doctor with a basic job and a mediocre salary; maybe
he made you to be the president of a country or a famous scientist or something
even more awesome.
Keep praying… not only for yourself but for your friends too J
Have a happy MCAT..!
