Session 576
Noor is a medical student at Stanford who overcame her fear of the MCAT to become an MCAT instructor, sharing her experiences to help others. Learn about her nontraditional path to medical school and why it’s important to explore your interests and motivations before committing to medicine.
For more podcast resources to help you with your medical school journey and beyond, check out Meded Media.
Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.
Interest in Becoming a Physician
Noor didn’t have a specific moment when she realized she wanted to be a doctor, but rather it was something she thought about in the background growing up with physician parents. As she grew older and enjoyed sciences, especially biology, it became more of a realization that medicine was what she wanted to pursue. She reflected on it over time, particularly during college and her postgraduate years.
Noor felt her physician parents provided a realistic view of medicine’s intensity, which she appreciated. Rather than hindering her, it made her think deeply about the sacrifices and commitment required. And this gave her a “reality check” about what it takes to become a physician without romanticizing the profession.
Noor realized early in her undergraduate studies that she wasn’t ready to go into medicine right away. Noor felt drawn to explore public health and global health, realizing there were many noble careers in sciences and public health beyond just being a physician. She recognized that if she didn’t explore these interests, she might have regrets later, and wanted to ensure she was truly ready for the intense journey of becoming a doctor before committing to it.
Exploring Interests in the Healthcare Field
The Value of Exploring Paths Before Medical School
Noor emphasizes that there are many paths people can take before medical school, including further education or gaining work experience in various fields. For her it was earning a Master’s in Global Health from Harvard. She highlights that these diverse experiences can be valuable, whether it’s additional schooling or practical work in fields related to healthcare and social services.
Noor advises students who feel they’re not ready for medical school to trust that intuition and explore other paths or experiences. She suggests that this exploration can lead to either a different career altogether or a return to medicine with greater strength, knowledge, and real-life experience – both of which are perfectly valid outcomes.
“If you have the feeling of not being ready just yet… lean into that because there is good intuition that’s telling you maybe there’s more for me to explore.”
Seize Opportunities While You Can
Once you start medical school, it becomes very difficult to pause or explore other interests due to the momentum. Think about debt accumulation, residency expectations, and career progression.
Exploring different paths before entering medical school allows for more flexibility and the opportunity to gain diverse experiences without the pressure of medical education and its associated commitments.
What Led Her Back to Med School
While working on various global health research projects, Noor realized she felt something was lacking in terms of making immediate, tangible change. She found she enjoyed one-on-one interactions with patients or research participants more than full-time research, which led her back to the idea of becoming a physician to create more direct, daily impact.
Balancing Clinical Practice and Advocacy
Noor emphasizes that physicians have a unique opportunity to become powerful advocates for health equity. She argues that doctors witness firsthand the impacts of social determinants and healthcare disparities on patients, giving them credible, real-life examples to support policy changes. Noor believes that by speaking up and advocating for their patients, physicians can play a crucial role in changing healthcare systems and addressing broader public health issues.
Physicians should always be tapped into advocacy because they have real-life testimony from their daily interactions with patients. This firsthand experience allows them to provide concrete examples of how social determinants and healthcare disparities affect people’s health. This makes their advocacy more powerful and credible when pushing for policy changes or improvements in healthcare systems.
“Physicians play such a huge role in changing healthcare systems.”
Tips for Building Advocacy Skills
Noor suggests that medical students and premeds start by educating themselves through books, scholarly articles, and podcasts about health inequities. She also recommends actively seeking out opportunities to engage in advocacy work such as:
- attending local town hall meetings
- participating in health-focused community events
- connecting with organizations that focus on healthcare policy and advocacy
These experiences can provide valuable insights into the process of enacting change and help students develop the skills needed for effective advocacy in their future medical careers.
Understanding the Impact of Racial Inequities
Noor recommends the book, Medical Apartheid, which explores the history of medical experimentation on African Americans in the United States. It discusses how the black population has experienced a form of apartheid in the medical system – from egregious historical abuses to more subtle but still significant disparities in modern healthcare, such as higher maternal mortality rates among black women. This book can be an important resource for understanding the roots and ongoing impacts of racial inequities in healthcare.
“The best thing you can do is to educate yourself… The more we educate them ourselves, the better physicians we are.”
Noor emphasizes the importance of continuous learning about health inequities for all healthcare professionals, from premeds to practicing physicians. She points out that these inequities are constantly evolving, with new issues emerging over time, making it crucial for medical professionals to stay informed and vigilant in order to identify and address these disparities effectively in their practice and advocacy efforts.
Navigating the Path Back to Medical School
Noor didn’t need to do postbaccalaureate work because she had already taken all the premed courses during her undergraduate studies at UCLA.
Prepping for the MCAT
Noor’s main focus was on tackling the MCAT. She described it as the “scariest thing” in her life and her biggest hurdle in applying to medical school. She had to overcome her fear and anxiety about the exam before proceeding with her application.
Noor initially considered self-study for the MCAT but realized she needed more structure due to her full-time work and ADHD. She explored various course options, looking for one that was highly organized, provided structure to her studying, didn’t overload on information, and had good reviews. Ultimately, she chose Blueprint MCAT prep course, which offered the structure and resources she needed to succeed.
Finding the Learning Style That Suits You Best
Noor emphasizes the importance of understanding your personal learning style. She discovered that breaking up her study time into shorter intervals with breaks works best for her, rather than trying to study for long stretches.
Noor also mentions the value of active learning methods, such as clinical reasoning exercises and shadowing, which help her apply and solidify medical knowledge more effectively than passive learning alone.
Noor acknowledges that she still struggles with guilt when not studying constantly for medical school. However, she’s learned to recognize that she’s human and needs time to live, eat, sleep, and enjoy life. She emphasizes that working through this guilt is an ongoing process, and mentions that therapy has been helpful in managing these feelings.
Diagnosing MCAT Struggles
Moving Beyond Content Knowledge to Application Skills
Noor suggests that students struggling with the MCAT may need to shift their approach to understand that the exam tests application of knowledge rather than mere regurgitation.
She advises focusing on learning how to approach MCAT questions, identify traps and tricks, and apply content knowledge in the specific way the MCAT requires.
Noor recommends starting practice questions and full-length exams early in the preparation process to develop these crucial skills.
“You have to learn how to take the MCAT exam.”
Choosing Your MCAT Prep Courses
Noor advises students to choose MCAT prep courses that go beyond just reteaching content. She emphasizes the importance of courses that teach how to approach questions and identify traps and tricks used by the MCAT.
From her experience as an instructor, Noor has observed that the MCAT employs specific strategies to mislead test-takers, and learning to recognize these is crucial for success on the exam.
The Power of Practice Tests
Noor emphasizes that the MCAT is not about memorization, but rather application of knowledge. She explains that questions typically require understanding properties and relationships, such as how changing an amino acid affects protein function, rather than simple identification. Noor stresses that the best way to develop this application skill is through extensive practice with MCAT-style questions.
The Right MCAT Mindset
Noor encourages MCAT test-takers to be kinder to themselves and recognize their hard work. She advises entering the exam with the mindset that you’ve done your best given your individual circumstances and resources. Noor emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, acknowledging that everyone’s preparation journey is different due to varying responsibilities and available time.
Navigating the Application Process
Leveraging Nontrad Experiences
Noor advises nontrad applicants to use their personal statement to highlight the turning points in their journey. She emphasizes the importance of explaining why you’re choosing to pursue medicine, or in her case, return to medicine. Her various global health and public health research projects ultimately led her to realize that becoming a physician was the best way for her to make the impact she desired.
“Having that nontraditional experience made my application stronger.”
Noor shares that her nontrad path and diverse experiences made her application stronger, despite not having the highest GPA. She openly discusses her struggles in undergrad due to undiagnosed ADHD, challenging the assumption that all Stanford medical students had perfect GPAs. This honesty highlights how overcoming challenges and gaining unique experiences can compensate for a less-than-perfect academic record in medical school applications.
Getting Her First Med School Acceptance
Noor describes getting her first medical school acceptance as an incredibly emotional experience. She received a call from Washington University in St. Louis and cried tears of joy, which the caller assured her was a common and welcome reaction.
Regardless of where you get accepted, the first acceptance is “magical” because it means you’re going to become a physician, fulfilling your dream.
From MCAT Fear to MCAT Instructor
Noor became an MCAT instructor to help others overcome the anxiety she once felt about the exam. She wants to prevent the MCAT from being a barrier that stops people, especially those from low and middle-income communities, from pursuing medicine. Noor finds it rewarding to share her own struggles and successes, and to help students overcome this hurdle in their journey to becoming physicians.
Noor is a live online instructor for Blueprint MCAT. While she doesn’t have classes for the summer, students can find upcoming classes and instructors on the Blueprint MCAT live online instruction page. She emphasizes that all Blueprint instructors are excellent and enthusiastic about helping students succeed, even if students don’t work directly with her.
Final Words of Wisdom
Noor emphasizes that the MCAT doesn’t define your life, and neither does failure. She encourages students to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and determination.
“The MCAT doesn’t define your life. If it doesn’t, failure also doesn’t define your life. It just opens other doors.”
Noor advises students not to let one moment, exam, or hurdle define their future. Remember all the hard work and accomplishments, rather than focusing solely on challenges or perceived failures.
Links:
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
