Are you in the middle of taking organic chemistry and struggling? Have you heard horror stories from other students who have taken it and are dreading your turn?

Organic chemistry (also known as “orgo” or “ochem”) is notoriously challenging, but it doesn’t have to your nemesis, and your final grade in this class does NOT determine whether you’re cut out to be a doctor. It’s really just one of those hurdles you have to jump through to show that you have the commitment and perseverance to succeed in medical school.

In this episode, Dr. Marina talks with two current chemistry teaching assistants (TAs) who share their experiences with taking organic chemistry and how they managed to master the material well enough to succeed…and become TAs! They also help to show you that you shouldn’t be afraid of asking for help — in fact, they love it when students come into office hours with questions!

In this episode, Dr. Marina chats with Jessica E., a recent UCLA graduate, about how she managed to score a 516 on the MCAT on her first try. She shares all about how long she dedicated to studying, what test prep materials she used, how she focused her study time, how many practice exams she took, and how she overcame the psychological hurdles of studying for such a big test. If you’re planning to take (or re-take) the MCAT soon, listen and get inspired by her success. If she can do it, so can you!

Are you struggling in your general chemistry course? Have you heard horror stories from other students and want to prepare yourself to succeed?

General chemistry is widely known as one of the first premed “weeder” courses, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a grueling experience. It also doesn’t mean that if you fail chemistry you’re just not cut out to be a doctor. In fact, many people have struggled in chemistry and are fantastic doctors today.

In this episode, Dr. Marina talks with two current chemistry teaching assistants (TAs) who share their experiences with taking chemistry and how they managed to master the material well enough to succeed…and become TAs! They also help to show you that you shouldn’t be afraid of asking for help — in fact, they love it when students come into office hours with questions!

Dr. Marina and Dr. Zulma act out some mini medical interview (MMI) scenarios, with not-so-good and good example responses. MMIs are like “speed dating” interviews, and you only have a few minutes to leave a good impression, so preparation and practice are key. We explain a few ways to ensure that your responses show maturity, compassion, problem-solving, and good communication skills. If you’re approaching medical school interviews, this episode is for you!

In this episode, we answer some key questions about getting research experience as a premed student, including:

- How important is it to get research experience before applying to medical school?

- What types of research are there?

- Is there a specific type of research I have to do?

We also share some tips on how to seek out and find great research opportunities, including:

- Talking to professors

- Doing targeted web searches

- Looking at federal work-study opportunities

- Applying for summer research programs

- Overcoming the fear of asking!

Are you just starting your first year of college? In this episode, we share tips we wish we’d known when we were just starting out — like how many classes to take to avoid feeling overwhelmed, how to choose the right balance of classes to take, and how to balance classes with work, extracurriculars, and sleep. Learning to find the right balance for you will pay off when it comes time to apply to medical school.

In this episode, Dr. Marina talks with Gabe C. about how he recently prepared for the MCAT and scored an incredible 514. We also talk about his upbringing in the South, what motivated him to become a doctor, his career detour as an engineer, what he did during his 5 months of preparing for the MCAT (hint: lots of practice questions and full-length practice tests), and what applying to medical school is like. If you’re planning to take — or retake — the MCAT anytime soon, this is for you!

Did you know that quality volunteer activities are a key component of your application to medical school? In this episode, we offer a few pointers for choosing volunteer activities that will help you reap the benefits of altruism AND show admissions committees you’re a caring and compassionate person.

Our five main suggestions are:

• Choose things that you actually enjoy doing.

• Choose at least one activity that shows a medium-to-long-term commitment.

• Try to have at least one CLINICAL volunteer experience.

• Choose some activities that align with your purpose.

• Find a good balance between volunteering & academics.

Are you applying to medical school this cycle and wondering what you can do to prepare for interview season? In this episode, Dr. Marina & Dr. Zulma discuss the different types of interviews you may encounter, what kind of questions you might be asked in each, and how to prepare for interview day.

In this episode, Dr. Zulma interviews psychiatrist Dr. Renee Garcia. Dr. Garcia has a bachelor’s degree from CSU Los Angeles, MD from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Keck USC. She also completed a fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at Stanford. She shares all about her upbringing, how she unexpectedly got pregnant during her senior year of high school, how she managed to get through college and into medical school even while raising her son, how she overcame discouragement about her chances to get into medical school, why she chose psychiatry, what it’s like to be a psychiatrist at a large hospital, and what psychosomatic medicine is all about.

One of the most common questions we hear from high school and college students considering a career in medicine is, “Is it possible to be a doctor and have a family?” We get it. We worried about this too when we were younger!

In this episode, we help break this common question down by discussing a few others, including: (1) What is it like being a parent and a doctor? (2) Are you able to do the normal parent activities that non-doctor parents do? (3) Who takes care of the kids? (4) When is the ideal time to have kids? (5) What are the biggest challenges of being a parent and a doctor?

With medical school application season upon us (hello May!), you may be wondering if you’re really ready to take the leap and apply. Application costs can really add up fast, so it’s wise to make sure you are reasonably prepared before you hit that “apply” button.

In this episode, Dr. Marina & Dr. Zulma take you through some questions you should ask yourself to make sure you are adequately prepared to apply, including:

• Am I absolutely sure that I want to be a doctor, and can I clearly explain why?

• Have I had enough clinical exposure to know what I’m getting into?

• Have I shown that I’m a caring and compassionate person through service/volunteering?

• Have I demonstrated that I have what it takes to succeed academically in medical school (e.g. via GPA and MCAT)?

• Have I participated in any research activities?

• Do I have strong letters of recommendation?

• Do I have the personal attributes that it takes to be a great doctor (e.g. communication skills, humility, open-mindedness, maturity, resilience)?

In this episode, Dr. Marina interviews Morgan McManus, a college senior at Clemson University who applied to medical school during the 2021-22 application cycle and ended up getting 12 acceptances! She shares how she navigated the college premed experience, how she prepared for the MCAT (and got an amazing score!), a lot of tips and tricks for navigating the year-long medical school application cycle, and what she’s looking forward to in medical school. She has an amazing Instagram account (@melanin.in.med) where she shares her story and offers inspiration and advice for other premeds.

In this episode, Dr. Marina welcomes Dr. Latika Hinduja, a practicing podiatrist who helps people optimize the health of their feet and ankles. She shares about growing up in India, what motivated her to switch career trajectories form computer programming to podiatry, her experience transferring from a community college to university, how she managed self-doubt and found a support system, how becoming a podiatrist differs from (and is similar to) becoming a medical doctor, and what she does day-to-day in her current career. Her story is inspiring and insightful!

Is failure or rejection threatening to get in the way of you achieving your goal of becoming a doctor? If you’re tempted to give up because of bad test scores, a low GPA, a less-than-stellar MCAT score, or even a recent rejection from medical school, this episode is for you! We share some of our most challenging experiences with you to show you that failure is not the end — it is sometimes just a part of the process. We also share some tips on how to keep striving and not let failure get the better of you.

In this episode, Dr. Zulma speaks with Dr. Ricardo Salas about his journey into medicine — including being the child of farmworkers, overcoming his fears about paying for college, how his aunt’s struggle with ovarian cancer opened his eyes to the world of cancer medicine, and how he helps people of all backgrounds deal with blood diseases and cancer.

Do you ever feel like you have way too much to do but too little time to get it all done? If you’re trying to juggle classes, work, volunteer activities, and personal and family responsibilities, it’s probably a familiar feeling.

In this episode, Drs. Marina & Zulma offer four major tips to help you learn to better manage your time without feeling completely overwhelmed. These tips include:

Set realistic expectations

Do the most important things first

Learn to say “no”

Allow flexibility for the unexpected

It’s been a rough two years for many people since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adjusting to virtual learning, losing out on volunteer and work opportunities, and possibly facing illness or death may have taken a toll on your motivation. If your motivation to stick with the premed path is wavering, Dr. Zulma and Dr. Marina have some words of encouragement and a few strategies that might help. We know it’s tough, but don’t give up!

One of the most common questions we hear from students is, “How do you pay for college and medical school?” As you probably already know, getting an education isn’t free. The average medical student comes out of training with $200,000 in debt (which is enough to buy a house in some places!). If you’re letting worries about money hold you back from your dream of becoming a doctor, this episode is for you! We cover the basics about options to finance your education (free money vs. loans) and tips for how to be financially smart during high school, college, medical school, and residency so that you don’t have to worry too much about money in the future.