Must read if you want to score high in MDCAT 2022

We know that you are all eager to put the word “doctor” next to your name and wear white overalls. That’s understandable. But you, my friends, have to cross obstacles to get there. How? By scoring good marks in MDCAT. It would be best if you didn’t undermine the importance of MDCAT as 50 percent weightage is allocated to it.

Here are some tips that will help boost your performance in MDCAT.

1. Set a timetable:
   You are probably tired of hearing that you should devise a timetable. It might seem redundant because people have been telling you to do that since matric or F.Sc. But we all know that we do usually stick to these timetables. But this time, it is of utmost importance that you stick to it because your future depends on it.
   Making a schedule will help you stay more organized and will help you track your progress. Taking things slowly, one step at a time, reduces the pressure on your mind. You should divide your days and hours based on the subjects. In this case, you should dedicate the least amount of time to English, as it only contributes 9 % to the total marks.
2. Perform self-assessment of your previous knowledge:
   The syllabus of MDCAT is the same as of F.Sc pre-medical. But before starting your MDCAT preparation, you should check how much knowledge you have retained in your memory. To do this, go to past papers of MDCAT, and try to solve them. Make sure you don’t go beyond the past papers of 2016, as the material back then is a little different.
   Once you get your hands on these past papers, get a stopwatch and solve them according to the time allotted in the final exam. After you’re done solving, get the key and score yourself. This will give you a biased estimate of how much you already know. Instead of starting from scratch, you should start by solving past papers. You should also trace and mark the chosen topics from the questions.
3. Organize the study material:
   You should organize your study material instead of going through the redundant extra topics that are not even included in the syllabus. Go through all the notes you made during the classes and skim through everything that could prove helpful. Separate this material from the irrelevant material and discard it.
   Apart from your notes, two types of materials should be your priority, i.e., textbooks and past papers. You can refer to the UHS official website to see the topics and chapters from which the paper will be made. The syllabus is the same for students from a background other than F.Sc, like A levels or CIE, so they don’t need to panic.

   Past papers are essential because solving them will give you insight into the examiner’s point of view and the nature of questions that usually appear in the exam. You can also gather which topics or subtopics are more critical than the others based on the number of times related questions appeared in the class.

4. Work on your focus span:
   If you are passionate about achieving your dream of becoming a doctor, you should work on increasing your attention span. These 2-3 months are critical, and students should give as much time to their studies as possible. Assess your habits, and try to cut out the activities that waste your time. Decrease the amount of time you spend on social media. Certain apps help you reduce the time you spend on your phone, and you can even avail some of those for free. Try out meditation and other exercises that help to improve your attention.
5. Seek out the guidance from sound sources:
   It is wise to focus on the advice and guidance from good sources only, like your teachers, your friends who are preparing with you, people with the correct exposure and experience, or from the people who have already taken the MDCAT. Wrong advice can divert you from the track, and you will perform poorly because of it. Join our online academy if you are confused about who to seek help from. We got you. We are here to guide you at every step of the way.
6. Keep a positive attitude:
   While setting on a new journey, you must keep all the negative thoughts at bay. Being calm and composed during prep and the exam is essential as having complete control over your nerves will help you with effective time management. So, practice staying calm by completing the practice test within the due time. But most importantly, be confident and have faith. Some students get extremely depressed under pressure, so if you are prone to depression, performing self-affirmations.