I can get a pretty mean bonfire going. It requires perseverance,
but the efforts are justified, especially when you can toss in
standardized-test-prep books and watch the flames engulf them
mercilessly.
“That’s the last time I’ll see these,” I
thought as a fresh high school graduate, feeding the books to the
fire.
But the standardized-testing madness remains far from over.
Pre-med students understand this as they await Aug. 19, when
they will plow through seven to eight hours of chemistry, physics,
biology, verbal and essay questions, collectively known as the
Medical College Admission Test.
Test
your skills on a few MCAT practice questions.
It’s no wonder that pre-med students are notorious for
being over-stressed and competitive. As a science student,
I’ve grown to shudder when classmates declare themselves
“pre-med.” But as I delved into the field, I began to
realize there are legitimate reasons for the competition.
Pre-meds have their own subculture. Never-ending prerequisite
classes, volunteer time at hospitals and research experience typify
an eager pre-med’s resume. As they reach the pinnacle of
preparation for med school, they hurdle through the MCATs: the rite
of passage that declares their decision to pursue medicine.
In addition to GPA, the MCAT is the other major showcase of
academic credentials, and the pressure to ace it is great. Because
of the breadth of information covered and the deceptive questions,
“It’s physically and emotionally exhausting,”
said Sheena Kamra, a fourth-year neuroscience student.
Considering this, students typically invest two to three months
studying, according to Kamra.
Pre-meds usually receive boot-camp training prior to the exam,
stepping over the mines of rigorous, competitive courses that test
their commitments to the profession. Companies such as Kaplan and
The Princeton Review are commonly used, but with the hefty price
tag of about $1,500 to $1,700, according to their Web sites.
“People take pills a week or two before the test because
they can’t sleep,” said fourth-year psychobiology
student Tony Klochkov. Because of the academic intensity, “so
many things go through my mind (before sleeping).”
A few days later, Kamra mentioned completing four practice tests
this past week and said, “I just want to get it over
with.”
Inevitably, the path to a medical degree is steep and especially
rocky due to competition.
With 704 applicants in 2005, UCLA had the highest number of med
school applicants, according to the Association of American Medical
Colleges. Because of the large pre-med population at UCLA, as well
as there being only 125 medical schools in the country, competition
““ in academics, research and volunteer opportunities ““
is especially fierce.
Though it is uplifting to see the motivation, sometimes the
desire to achieve these goals is so great that integrity is
compromised.
“I worry about the students that are so competitive that
they’re not learning the material or when it prevents them
from helping others,” said Pierre Nguyen, a life sciences
teaching assistant.
One example comes from Juliana Wilson, a fifth-year
psychobiology student, who shared with me a situation where
classmates intentionally gave her wrong information about class
material. “I wouldn’t want them to be my
doctors,” Wilson said.
Having previously been an undergraduate at UCLA, Nguyen also
mentioned that cheating can occur more frequently than students
would speculate.
“Competition doesn’t have to be at the level of
academic dishonesty, or where you are doing harm to yourself or
anybody else,” Nguyen said.
I decided to put myself in the shoes of a pre-med and went
through some of the practice MCAT questions. I realized that I had
forgotten a lot of physics and general chemistry, and found the
writing prompts to be difficult because many times they required
integration of current events and historical knowledge.
It also hit me to learn that in 2004, the admit rate was 4.5
percent at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Needless to say,
I felt the pressure thickening.
But all the while, I found myself desiring to do whatever it
takes to get me into med school, where dreams of becoming a real
doctor would become more concrete, learning about patient care with
my stethoscope and reflex hammer.
This brings me to point out the most important part of creating
the perfect bonfire: motivation to wake up a little earlier than
others to secure a pit at the beach.
Yes, even bonfires are in high demand, and there’s nothing
wrong with a little competition for your ambition as long as it
doesn’t prevent you from acting civil to other potential pit
users.
And as for those of you taking the MCATs this week, I’ll
see you at the bonfire after Saturday.
If you have lighter fluid, e-mail Yoo at
jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.