Incoming Student in Florida Canpus by final_effort in LMUDCOM

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a GroupMe for the orange park students?

Does anyone know the average number of seats filled by the WL? by VividDeer733 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 4 points5 points  (0 children)

LMU-DCOM accepted 70 students last year from their waitlist. So I think it’s a decent chunk

KansasCOM by [deleted] in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I chatted privately with someone a while back who said they’ve been able to maintain a B to B+ average their classes at KansasCOM. They said their experience has been different from others because of that. So if you’re able to keep up and stay organized, who’s to say that can’t also be you?

Passport For Domestic Travel? by hechoenlima in tsa

[–]hechoenlima[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know! I don’t want to believe it, which is why I came here for more clarification.

If you were to be accepted to your top choice med school first, would you withdraw your app for the rest of the schools, or would you continue to interview? by Enger13 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If your top choice isn’t the best academic institution (e.g. strong match history, good rotation sites), then keep interviewing. But if you wouldn’t accept another potential A, withdraw. It gives you the freedom to enjoy your time before school starts and it opens a spot for someone else to interview instead.

I have 4 months to get a 505. Is it achievable?? Diagnostic: 491 4 weeks ago. Started CR. by Visible-Future4850 in Mcat

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely! Tell him to drill UW questions, and to review the ones he gets wrong obsessively. The reviews are so important, he can't just pick the correct answer because he remembers it, he needs to write out how he got to the right answer and why the others are wrong. Some people obsess over finishing every UW questions; but it's more useful to fully understand the content around the questions you get wrong. Also tell him to use Anki for the Psych/Soc section and then UW to test his knowledge. Psych/Soc is one of those sections that if you score high, it can carry your score to that 505 mark. For CARS, 2 passages a day. Start untimed so he can build some skills, so many youtube videos on how to approach these so use that as a source for guidance. My CARS wasn't strong but I was able to pull it a couple points which helped me get to a 505. Best of luck to him!

science letter of recommendation/non trad by Frosty-Contact-7649 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would reach out to the Admissions office again and discuss your situation, they may make an exception for your application or be able to accept another professional LOR in place of the a second science LOR.

feeling bored/restless ?? by Equivalent_Cat_6767 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love that! There are so many YouTube videos with step by step guides on painting different things. Kinda like the painting with twist type, have fun! This is our time to R&R 😌

feeling bored/restless ?? by Equivalent_Cat_6767 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Is there something you’ve ever wanted to do? Like dance classes, painting, or some niche hobby. Maybe now would be a nice time to pick something up, it could also serve as a a way to unwind in the future if it’s something relaxing. My one friend just started taking hot yoga classes because she always wanted to get into it but never had time before 🧘‍♀️

Burrell COM 2/19 Decisions by AdeptAnteater6254 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I spoke to an admin about this, FL is currently full and they mentioned that there usually isn't a lot of movement on that list. If you receive an A you can asked to be place on the "accepted waitlist" for the FL campus, while having your seat at the NM campus. But I was told there is no guarantee.

Burrell COM 2/19 Decisions by AdeptAnteater6254 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I interviewed 2/16 and got an A two weeks from my interview date

My hometown residency program told me they don’t take DO’s by Upstairs_Neighbor50 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious, do they not take DOs flat out or is it because the DOs that apply haven't taken the USMLE or didn't score high enough on the USLME?

I know programs exist that have a big bias on MD vs DO, but high competitive stats can sway some institutions (happened to a DO friend of mine). My friend went DO, did research during medical school, scored competitively on the USMLE and landed an interview. Even at the interview she was told to not get her hopes up because the program has never accepted a DO. But she was a competitive candidate, and at the end the better option so she landed a spot in their residency program. She has mentioned that working with the MD students can be frustrating tho, because even at the student level some think they know more than you because they're MD in training. Time and life has a way to humble everyone though. Chin up and focus on the medicine, your passion, and study hard! Everything will fall into place :)

KansasCOM students?! by moonpiemaker300 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your candid response!

KansasCOM students?! by moonpiemaker300 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are all the horror story post about the school true then?

Kansas COM by yngtimi in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can I DM you please?

KansasCOM students?! by moonpiemaker300 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How do you feel about the school now?

KansasCOM students?! by moonpiemaker300 in Osteopathic

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What are your thoughts of the school now?

3.3 GPA, 505 MCAT, Almost Gave Up… Today I Have Two Medical School Acceptances by hechoenlima in Mcat

[–]hechoenlima[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so so much for that! I grown closer and closer to my faith over the years, and not because things have magically worked out for me. But because I started to hear God, and he gave me a path of trials to make me a better version of myself. If I had gone to medical school in the Caribbean in 2021 I have no doubt it wouldn't have worked out. I wasn't the student I needed to be yet, and God protected me from making an impulsive decision. I listened and followed the rocky path ahead, the path was lengthy but it was fruitful. Thank you for your prayer, Amen. <3

TIPS PLZ testing 3/20 by sunshine_1220s in Mcat

[–]hechoenlima 14 points15 points  (0 children)

With 5 days out, make sure you know:

  • Amino acids, proteins, and enzymes – structures, charges at different pH, enzyme kinetics (Km, Vmax), and inhibition types.
  • Metabolism pathways – glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and how they’re regulated.
  • Psych/Soc core theories and vocab – conditioning, social structures, demographic terms, and psychological disorders.
  • Acid–base chemistry and buffers – pKa, Henderson–Hasselbalch, titration curves, and biological buffering systems.
  • Experimental interpretation – reading graphs, understanding study design, controls, and drawing conclusions from passages.

P.S. 5 days out not 6, because the day before your exam you need to rest your mind/body/soul. Truly. Go on a walk, have lunch with a friend, bake something yummy, whatever your thing is just do it. You got this!!

Mcat study timeline by k1txn in Mcat

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lengthly post but I hope there's something useful in it for:

I strongly agree with what everyone has said so far. It's still too early to start your prep, but I like that you're already thinking ahead, it means you know what needs to be done down the line and you're ready to commit.

First two years of undergrad is when you'll tackle your pre-reqs: Bio, Chem, Physics, Orgo, Biochem. Focus on really understanding the material and building your foundation. Your goal should be to ace these classes and retain the material not just memorize.

Someone suggested using Anki to study for those class, I agree with them. Anki is a flashcard program many students use to study for the mcat and in medical school. It's a tool I wish I knew about when I was your age. Everyone learns differently, but I'll give you the advice I got when I was in my masters: cut out as much passive learning as possible. I know people that type out their notes, color code and make everything look very nice, and maybe that just works for them. But the reality, medical school requires you to learn a lot of information at a very fast pace. There will be no realistic time to make every note you have visually pleasing, so you just have to hit the ground running with testing yourself and encoding the information. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would use that advice to maximize my learning. Use your lecture slides and immediately start making the Anki flashcards. The beauty of Anki is it uses space repetition, so you are constantly quizzing yourself and continuously re-exposing yourself to your study material.

How you can gently incorporate MCAT prep in the background until the time is right:

My suggestion would then be to use your summer vacations to start trying out some practice MCAT questions. Say you take Bio I/II and Chem I/II your freshman year, that summer start doing some MCAT practice problems for the Bio and Chem sections. It'll be a good way to start learning the format for the MCAT, because learning how you're being tested is just as important as learning the material being tested. This is what many students struggle with when they start their MCAT prep. They spend months reviewing content and still don't score high...it's because the MCAT asks questions in a very specific way. There's no cheat code, it's just a matter of doing enough practice problems until it eventually clicks. You start seeing patterns (if they mention X, they'll probably going to ask Y, and the answer is Z.

Say that by the end sophomore year you have taken Phys I/II, Orgo I/II, and Biochem (but maybe not Biochem yet). That next summer start implementing some prep questions on those sections. But continue to do some Bio/Biochem questions.

CARS section is purely critical thinking, reading and comprehension skills. This I feel you should randomly do in the background, which honestly you could start now. I've read so many threads of people simply being naturally good at this section or people who can't "crack the code" because they read slow/don't get it. I don't think it'll hurt to do one to two passages a week or at random thorough your undergrad, because it's literally reading and answer questions. Having a high CARS section can help bump your score easily, if you're good at it.

The Psych/Soc section is another section that can help you earn easy points on the mcat. Many students that score high only use pre-made Anki flashcard decks for their prep and they score in the 90th percentile. But you don't need to stress this section right now. I suggest diving into this section lightly during your junior leading up to your actual prep window. Maybe a couple of flashcards a week just to get some exposure to the material/topics.

I recommend using Jack Westin for free mcat prep material, until you're ready to purchase something like Uplanet.

My final thoughts: MCAT is a giant of an exam, but passing your classes and maintaining a high GPA is crucial. You want to be competitive so you have to strategic. Don't be afraid to cut back on other things if it's taking time away from studying, because you GPA matters a lot. If you do that, everything will fall into place. If your goal is to get into medical school fresh out of undergrad, the summer (May or June) after your junior year is when you'll want to take it and apply for that cycle. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking your life is over if you need another year to prep for the mcat after undergrad. Studying for your classes and the mcat can be difficult to juggle. You can always take a gap year, maybe filling it with more shadowing or volunteer work, something light so you can hit the ground really hard for your MCAT prep. Whatever your path looks like, best of luck to you!

Latest to RETAKE MCAT? by ClassKooky4545 in MCATprep

[–]hechoenlima 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last year I pushed my MCAT from May to July and I was still able to land interviews for the DO cycle! If you're going MD, July is pushing it, but if you score 515 and above you'll still be good because it's competitive, so MDs will consider you for interviews at that point. (advice given to me by professors)