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Hiatus, Explained:
Oct. 18th, 2010 09:11 pmAs promised, why I am on hiatus:
A month or so ago, my parents sat all of us "kids" (me; my siblings Kelly, Nick and Matthew; plus Geena and Dan (who was still living here at the time)) down for a talk. Essentially, due to ongoing drama with me eldest sister Cindy, we were all effectively being cut off -- we are expected to pay for our own cell phones, car insurance, gas, etc. They want us to be independent and want to avoid a repeat of Cindy, who uses them as a crutch every time she falls in a hole and never pays them back even though she swears she will. After that announcement, they spoke with me and Nick individually to help us decide what to do with our lives and how, and with Matt to figure out what to do with him (he's still in high school). Kelly and Geena went back to their apartment to talk things over between themselves and come up with a game plan for their future, too.
I'd been weighing my different options all summer. I'm interested in health and I adore neurobiology. I'd considered going into veterinary medicine, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, and going to graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in neurobiology. I've thought about the requirements, the work involved, the approximate time required, and the duties and onerous tasks involved in each line of work. I've decided that studying for an M.D. in neurology is most suited to my interests and abilities.
Since the evening, I have been applying for nearly any neurobiology research laboratory that I could find (currently looking at Stanford, UCSF is up next). I've looked up the requirements for medical school. And I've started studying for the nightmare entrance examination, the MCAT.
So, the MCAT is consuming my life right now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I plan to take the exam in February. Hopefully I will do well enough the first time so I won't have to take it again. I'm aiming for 13's across the board -- biology, physical sciences (physics and chemistry), and verbal reasoning -- and a good score on the essay portion, too. If I manage to get 13s, I should be able to get into a really good medical school. Like, Stanford-level good. Even if I miss the mark and get all 11's, I should still get into a good school, maybe UCLA?
Aside from all that madness, I need to find doctors that will let me shadow them for a few months. I should find somewhere to volunteer and take part in extracurricular activities that I personally enjoy. I'm thinking dancing, or rock climbing, or a sport like soccer or lacrosse in addition to my photography/art and learning Italian.
A month or so ago, my parents sat all of us "kids" (me; my siblings Kelly, Nick and Matthew; plus Geena and Dan (who was still living here at the time)) down for a talk. Essentially, due to ongoing drama with me eldest sister Cindy, we were all effectively being cut off -- we are expected to pay for our own cell phones, car insurance, gas, etc. They want us to be independent and want to avoid a repeat of Cindy, who uses them as a crutch every time she falls in a hole and never pays them back even though she swears she will. After that announcement, they spoke with me and Nick individually to help us decide what to do with our lives and how, and with Matt to figure out what to do with him (he's still in high school). Kelly and Geena went back to their apartment to talk things over between themselves and come up with a game plan for their future, too.
I'd been weighing my different options all summer. I'm interested in health and I adore neurobiology. I'd considered going into veterinary medicine, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, and going to graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in neurobiology. I've thought about the requirements, the work involved, the approximate time required, and the duties and onerous tasks involved in each line of work. I've decided that studying for an M.D. in neurology is most suited to my interests and abilities.
Since the evening, I have been applying for nearly any neurobiology research laboratory that I could find (currently looking at Stanford, UCSF is up next). I've looked up the requirements for medical school. And I've started studying for the nightmare entrance examination, the MCAT.
So, the MCAT is consuming my life right now and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I plan to take the exam in February. Hopefully I will do well enough the first time so I won't have to take it again. I'm aiming for 13's across the board -- biology, physical sciences (physics and chemistry), and verbal reasoning -- and a good score on the essay portion, too. If I manage to get 13s, I should be able to get into a really good medical school. Like, Stanford-level good. Even if I miss the mark and get all 11's, I should still get into a good school, maybe UCLA?
Aside from all that madness, I need to find doctors that will let me shadow them for a few months. I should find somewhere to volunteer and take part in extracurricular activities that I personally enjoy. I'm thinking dancing, or rock climbing, or a sport like soccer or lacrosse in addition to my photography/art and learning Italian.
