How have they done so much work experience? What if I don’t have as many extracurriculars as they do? Can I get into medicine if I’m not studying 12 hours a day?

Comparing yourself to others is literally destroying your application and your progress. It can feel like others are ahead and have done so much more and you’re falling being. But constantly comparing your progress to others is what is harming you the most.

If you feel like you’re caught in the trap of spiralling and comparing yourself to the work that others have done, here is exactly what you can do.

An in the moment fix

The 10-minute reset rule

When you feel like your spiralling, step away from everything for 10 minutes. For these 10 minutes do something to calm you down like walking or deep breaths. Don’t spend this time scrolling or panicking. Taking just 10 minutes can help you to break the loop of stress and to feel calmer

Ask One Simple Question - What is my next step?

When you’re feeling stressed and unsure what to do, Instead of thinking about everything you haven’t done, ask yourself

What is the single most useful thing I can do for my application today?

A long-term system

Everyday just pick 3-5 things that you need to get done for the day. For example it could be

• Do 20 practice questions on Respiration
• Pre-reading for your next lesson
• Email a hospital to ask for WEX

Instead of looking at a massive to-do list or thinking about ALL the things you need to get done, pick 3-5 focused things. The focus of the day should be to complete these. And if you do, that’s a win. Approaching your tasks in this way will help you to feel less overwhelmed actually feel like you’re making progress.

Focus on Reflection, Not Collection

Many students think they need to collect endless work experience and extracurriculars. In reality, strong applications come from deep reflection.

Ask yourself after every experience:

• What did I observe?
• What did it teach me about medicine?
• How did it change my perspective?

It’s not about the number of things you can do, but what you take away from each experience.

Whether you’re in Year 12 or 13 these are tips that will help you to approach all stages of the application cycle. They will provide you with more clarity so you can get through the application process!

As someone who received 4/4 offers and was in the first batch of offer holders at both King’s College London and the University of Birmingham, I’ve poured everything I know into creating the best possible interview resources, so you can achieve your dream of studying medicine. If you want to get your medicine offers, check out my interview resources on my website!

Additionally, you can check out my website for resources such as the A* AQA A-level psychology notes and my notes templated designed in an active recall format.

📸Here are the links to each of my social media pages, so make sure you follow! In all, I detail the advice and tips you need to help make your application to medicine so much easier! If you ever need any help, feel free to reach out to me at loveleenj241@gmail.com