trixy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 7
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hi everyone im new to this exam forum , i'm wondering if anyone out there could help me on my dillema.. I'm a full time mom and wife, I graduated from med school 5 years ago...Life has been good but then something in me keeps on telling me to take the USMLE and practice medicine again...since we moved here in Ca i somehow have forgotten that I am an MD...anyway now that I've been trying to study/review again, I don't know, I just can't focus, everytime that I would sit down and study, well i just can't focus anymore, my husband bought all the possible review materials that i could use, I even took kaplan classes but well don't get me wrong i want to practice and be a good doctor but now i just can't focus...how do you get back on track? how do you focus on the biggest exam in your medical career, please give me some advice?
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| busy_mom
Forum Senior
Topics: 4
Posts: 100
| | 01/25/06 - 05:26 PM
1 of 1 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #2 |
Hi Trixy,
we´re certainly not 20 anymore - that alone is reason enough for having some difficulty focusing/studying. Add the fact that the most important issues in your life these last few years probably revolved around diapers, family-friendly living-communities, weekend activities to keep the kids entertained, what to cook for your husband, and so on, and so on... No wonder your brain needs a booster !
My advice: be patient and give your brain some time. I think somebody in this forum once compared (most of) our IMG-situation with a marathon & I thought that was pretty appropriate: when you train for a marathon, you don´t start out running 15 miles or more from day 1. No, you have to train your body, get it to adapt to the changing situation. You´ll start out with walking or jogging perhaps 30 minutes a day for the first week or two. Then graduate to 2 45-minute jogs a week, while still jogging 30 minutes a day for the rest of the week, and so on... In the beginning it´ll seem like you´re not really improving at all, but after having done this for a few weeks, your body will be able to cope with you REALLY increasing your workout - and all of a sudden you´ll be training 15+ miles a day. And then, as you get better, you´ll even be able to start working on your time...
I don´t know, maybe it´s just me - but I see alot of common factors in building your stamina for a marathon and in "re-oiling those rusty hinges and screws" of your brain to get it to work like a clockwork again (excuse me for using this extreme simple and non-medical way of looking at the brain !). Give yourself a break and don´t expect too much of yourself these first few weeks of studying. Start out slowly - I would suggest listening to one Goljan audio-lecture per day. I think his lectures are interesting enough for you to be able to follow. And if you notice your mind drifting off after 15 minutes, pause the lecture, have a cup of tea (or coffee), and then turn it back on again. And you´ll see: soon you will WANT to read up on what he just talked about. Or maybe you´ll just want to start taking notes. Whichever it will be, this will be your brain´s graduation from walking to jogging. And once you´ve finished the Goljan lectures, you might want to listen to them again, or maybe see where you´re at and start doing some pathology questions. And all of a sudden, you´re brain is not jogging anymore, it has started to run & it´ll like running (to some extent ). And will want more.
I´ve been where you are right now, so I can relate to this & really tell you that you WILL learn to focus on studying again. It may take a while, but hey: you´ve waited 5 years for this, it probably won´t matter whether you´ll need an extra few months or not. At least not in the long run. And once you´ve passed the USMLEs, maybe even started a residency, you´ll feel like a real doctor again - I´m sure of that !
I hope my rantings weren´t too confusing - I´ve had a long day (and it´s not over yet !). I wish you best of luck for your studying - keep at it and believe in yourself. And keep reading this forum - you will find sooo many people in similar situations to yours and that too will add to your stamina. And keep us informed on how it´s going (maybe start a study-journal when you feel fit enough).
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| trixy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 7
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Dear Busy Mom, thank you, thank you so much for your reply...I truly find your post helpful...You know what, when I was reading the first paragraph of your reply, I smiled to myself and Im glad finally I found someone who could really delineate what I'm going through right now as a full time mom and wife. Yeah, most of the time when I would sit down to study, my mind would drift away thinking what am I gonna cook for dinner? Hehehe..I will definitely take your advice and I will just simply persevere! You've given me hope, believe it or not, and so I thank you for that! Thank you so much! God bless you and your family!
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| aisha2
Forum Guru
Topics: 37
Posts: 414
| | 01/26/06 - 07:31 AM
1 of 1 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #4 |
hi trixy , well im glad to c more moms goin for the USMLE , well im one to but for its been only 2 yrs now since i have graduated and i have started feelin rust and i can understand where ur comin from ........... i can tell u a couple of things that got me started ......... dont use too many book , stick to kaplan , get the DVD lectures and follow them with ur notes , except for pathology , us goljan's notes and audio lectures , for im livin ina smal town where i didnt had acess to kaplan center plus for us right now its not possible to afford so im workin with wat i have .
i bought an MP3 player and i listen to golajn when ever im not able to site with my books , that includes cookin , cleanin , out in the car .......... even my son now recognizes his voice ,  , it takes a lil time , one more thing right now dont give ur self and dead line , just keep readin and keep on brushin ur memory , as if this is the first time ur readin all this ....... i hope this helps ur
GOOD LUCK
here's where u can dowm load goljan's audio lectures www.doctok.com , and if u need his notes send me ur e mail add and i can send u the PDF file , whcih u can print out if u like them .
___________________
NEVER GIVE UP IN LIFE, BE PERSISTENT
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| OBO
Forum Senior
Topics: 10
Posts: 106
| | 01/27/06 - 10:33 AM
1 of 1 forum leaders found this post helpful
| #5 |
Hello trixy,
I was in the same boat as u are right now and whatever busy_mom and aisha2 adviced is all u need. And YES everyone goes thru this in the begining of their preparation but U will soon find your studies interested and then u don't eevn want to think 'what to cook for dinner' believe me u will. And for that i liked Aisha2 advice that stick to one material.Repitation is one the important point in the success of this exam . The more u revise from a single book or source u will master that and find it more interesting.
Take care
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| trixy
Forum Newbie
Topics: 2
Posts: 7
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To aisha2, busy_mom and OBO thank you for your reply, you know what, I keep on reading and reading all your advice, letting it sink in me and now everytime that I open my kaplan book I think of you guys as one of my many inspirations...thank you so much...I hope and pray for perseverance and zest for my review..Goodluck to all of you too..
Aisha2 if it's not too much to ask please email me the goljan's notes, I would deeply appreciate it and your wonderful help. My email add is pink4trixy@yahoo.com Tthanks again everyone..gotta go now and hit the books again.. God bless!
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