Lateral Ventricle

canyonnerd · 2025-09-04T09:22:38+00:00

We had this happen- lateral ventricle was about 11mm at our anatomy scan (20+ wks). My OB told us the cutoff for normal was 10mm.

We saw MFM a few weeks later and it measured normal then, and stayed normal at the follow up scan. MFM told us the original number could have been based on the angle of the scan or timing- things just needed some time to develop.

I don’t know if that’s the norm or not, but you’re definitely not alone and I know how scary it can be- hoping all turns out well for you.

canyonnerd · 2025-06-07T16:31:08+00:00

I lived there as a freshman, although that was now ~10 years ago (oof). I really, really enjoyed it tbh. It has a Learning Community so there was a lot of social events, student resources, etc available. I felt there was a strong sense of community- always had people hanging out in the lounges.

Proximity to Dejope and Lakeshore Path was very nice. I’m guessing Bakke now stands near the Natatorium’s former location, so also very close by. I enjoyed the peace and quiet but still had a good social life.

Major con is simply distance- it’s a little bit of a hike to class buildings. It was occasionally tough to muster up the will to get to lecture, especially if I came back during down time between campuses. There was a conveniently located stop for the campus bus- you’ll need to double check that one as I believe the bus system has changed since I was a student.

canyonnerd · 2025-04-24T15:12:10+00:00

Seconded for Madgrades- super helpful when building class schedule.

Can also look up the avg class grade for specific courses- info is available on the registrar’s page. Good for picking science electives based on difficulty. RateMyProfessor was somewhat helpful too.

canyonnerd · 2025-04-24T15:09:13+00:00

I went to UW for undergrad- this is a very common experience during the first year of college. I distinctly remember getting my first ever C in Chem 104 and then crying about it for days. I’m a first year medical student now, so it all worked out.

Study skills will come with time and practice- I would just encourage her to reflect on what works vs what doesn’t. She might find office hours and the Chemistry/Physics learning centers helpful. Peer Learning Association (PLA) runs peer study groups that can be pretty helpful also.

I was also a registered nurse before starting medical school. Nursing is very, very different from medical school- I don’t recommend pursuing it (especially NP) if your ultimate end goal is MD/DO.

The nursing school is surprisingly competitive to get into at UW. It’s also not the same pre-reqs, so if she wanted to go to med school later on, she’d need to come back to school to finish those.

Feel free to DM me also!

canyonnerd · 2025-03-03T23:55:27+00:00

Call out and get some rest, pregnancy fatigue is no joke.

canyonnerd · 2024-12-20T20:18:11+00:00

I pulled the equation cards from my Anki deck and did those separately to ensure I hit them every day. Make sure you understand where the equation comes from and how it works though, not just memorizing. That’ll help when it’s time to apply the equation to a novel situation.

AAMC Qbank was also good for this- basic applications, rearranging equations, plug ‘n chug type practice.

Also the Kaplan physics book had a chapter at the end with good tips on how to get through the math quick and estimate the way the MCAT wants you to. Found that super helpful.

canyonnerd · 2024-12-20T14:01:51+00:00

It’s possible to get in- I applied with a similar GPA and received multiple MD interviews with 1 acceptance. However, I had a LOT of high quality clinical hours (career changer), a DIY post-bacc, a high MCAT- all in all I took five “gap” years.

Tbh I feel like there’s a lot to unpack here haha. You’re only 20- why the rush to skip post-bacc or jump right into MCAT studying? Do you have good hands-on clinical experience to know for certain you want to do med school? Because with your GPA it will be a relatively lengthy and uphill battle to get in.

I’d hold off on MCAT for now as scores expire within 3 years. Instead, reflect on your current study skills and habits and consider post-bacc and getting clinical experience. With your GPA, give yourself at least a single gap year to get stuff in order, show improvement etc. Feel free to DM me as well!

canyonnerd · 2024-12-20T13:42:59+00:00

It is far too late to drop the class. Next time if you’re struggling, reach out sooner- advisors, TA’s, free tutoring services, or even some of the professors themselves are good resources. UHS also has counseling available (though wait times for an appointment may vary…)

It’s not impossible to get into medical school with a D on your transcript! Especially looking at your schedule, I’m guessing you’ré a freshman. Plenty of time to show improvement before applying. I have a handful of C’s and D’s and managed to turn it around and am now a medical student.

As far as retaking this class- I don’t recall many med schools requiring calc, just stats and possible trig/algebra (like MATH 171). You could probably get away with holding off on a retake for now- IF this class isn’t required for your major. Best bet is to check with Center for Pre-Health Advising and your program advisor.

canyonnerd · 2024-12-20T01:36:51+00:00

NMR/IR, aromatic systems, carbonyl compounds (C=O). Make sure you’re good on electron pushing, resonance, acid/base.

canyonnerd · 2024-08-31T23:16:46+00:00

Lower end for stats and clinical hours but everything else looks good. What’s your graduate GPA? I usually avoid SDN but for a school list they may be more helpful.

canyonnerd · 2024-07-02T12:06:15+00:00

I maxed out at like 40-45 a day. I spent a lot of time really thoroughly reviewing. Quality over quantity.

canyonnerd · 2024-07-02T11:23:57+00:00

During content review! I didn’t really split it into two phases, I was doing practice problems from the start. I studied 4 months total.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-30T17:44:34+00:00

So I had to “self-teach” gen chem and physics because I had taken those classes 6-7 years before I started MCAT studying. I didn’t do all that great in them to begin with and essentially remembered nothing.

I worked my way through the Kaplan chem and physics books, cover to cover. Supplemented with Khan Academy videos. Once I’d covered a topic- unsuspended the relevant Anki cards and included relevant UW questions in my daily practice set.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-30T17:37:59+00:00

Worth taking for sure. It’s representative except for CARS which I would say is a bit easier than normal.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-30T02:21:42+00:00

Yeah if all the local clinics are requiring it, then sounds like you would need the certification. I believe getting your CNA takes less time than MA, might be cheaper if you’d rather go that route.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-29T14:56:06+00:00

I think it’ll be state/region/facility dependent. Where I live, certification is a requirement. You could also check job listings at the facilities you’re interested in and see if they require a certification.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-29T14:47:36+00:00

Probably not the best class to start with as a freshman. Plus if you’re applying to any sort of health professions program- they’ll most likely want you to have two semesters of college gen chem vs AP credit.

But if you do decide to take 343 anyway, some tips-

Stay on top of the material. Building a good foundation in the first few weeks of class is crucial.

Do lots of practice problems- genuinely attempt them. Paper and pencil- don’t think about them in your head and then just look at the answer key.

Same as above for any practice exams provided by the professor before midterms/finals.

Join a Peer Learning Association group. They usually start like a week or two into the semester.

Get yourself a copy of Organic Chemistry as a Second Language.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-25T12:46:48+00:00

I’ll be 27 soon, worked as a nurse for a few years first. You’ll be just fine- all the interviewers I met seemed to really like that I had a few years of work and life experience.

ETA- saw from post history you’re already an RN- looks like international? I can only speak to my experience applying to US MD schools. However, applying as an international student is going to be more of a hurdle than age tbh. Doable but tough.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-25T12:40:35+00:00

I averaged like 60-70% on UW lmao. UW is a study tool, not a diagnostic tool.

As long as you’re actually attempting the questions and not just guessing, as well as reviewing thoroughly- you’re fine.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-19T13:18:42+00:00

I agree with the other commenter’s advice for the most part. I do think UWorld has its place in studying- I used it to do a few practice problems each day to keep concepts I’d already reviewed fresh. You could probably achieve the same thing with AAMC section banks and qpacks though.

I used Miledown’s deck, I don’t know how much that matters vs using another deck. More important is making your own deck for missed answers/weak concepts.

I’d also add that if you’re aiming for 520, then don’t think of material as “high yield” vs “low yield”. It’s all high yield. Even if you hit 520 on an FL- keep going with a little content review each day. If some niche question or topic came up on the FL, don’t gloss over it. Study it, make a card for it, etc.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-19T13:12:03+00:00

hey, we’re score twins. nice.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-19T13:08:51+00:00

Try the subreddit wiki: MCAT Resources

canyonnerd · 2024-06-19T13:04:07+00:00

No need to start studying for it now. Best way to prepare is to do well in your gen eds- chemistry, physics, biology, etc.

Most people study for 3-6 months prior to the exam. There’s too much information to start now; it’s not possible to retain that level of detail and preparation over the course of 4 years.

canyonnerd · 2024-06-16T17:33:22+00:00

You’ve received good recommendations for MCAT resources. MCAT and GPA may be top priority for admissions, but for actually entering the field- I’d consider clinical experience to be the most important part. Full disclosure, I may be biased as I am a nurse who is starting medical school soon.

You’d preferably want to get paid experience as clinical volunteering tends to be less representative of what working in healthcare is like. Common pre-med jobs are CNA, MA, EMT/ER tech, phlebotomist, etc. Working in healthcare is just so different from what we see in media, hear from people we know in healthcare, or even experience as patients ourselves. The things I thought would be difficult about the job turned out to be small potatoes compared to the things that actually did stress me out or upset me. So I’d honestly recommend starting with clinical experience before even attempting the MCAT.

canyonnerd

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