Best Tips for Time Management in UCAT Exam

While preparing for a demanding exam such as the UCAT, students refer to specialized UCAT preparation books and UCAT past papers. But, apart from this, other keys issues surrounding the exam should need to be addressed during the course of preparation.
A lot of candidates consider time management as the hardest part of taking the UCAT exam. This is because UCAT has been intentionally designed to test the candidate’s memory, concepts, and mental agility; the ability to solve maximum questions in lesser time.
Here are some tips to consider for effective time management.
Practise UCAT Past Papers with Keyboard Shortcuts
There are a number of keyboard shortcuts that will help you to navigate easily through the test and save a precious amount of time.
For instance, if you want to go to the previous question, simply press ‘Alt+P’, and for the next question, you can press ‘Alt+N’. To flag or unflag a particular question, you can press ‘Alt+F’.
Keyboard usage will prove to be useful especially in the quantitative reasoning section, where the UCAT calculator is to be used. You can use the number pad on your keyboard to enter numbers quickly.
Shortcuts can help you to save approximately one second per question, which can be a major game changer. By the end of the test, you will be able to save about four minutes, which can be used to answer an additional 17 questions.
Remember to practice the use of keyboard when you solve UCAT past papers or while attempting a UCAT practice exam.
Keep Track of the Timer
There is a chance that you can become so engrossed in a question that you ignore the time passing by. Although there is no need to constantly check the UCAT timer after every question, you need to have a sense of where you are, after attempting a specific number of questions.
Flag Wisely
The flagging option is useful only if you handle it properly. You should flag only those questions for future review that you find complex and time-consuming.
Try and avoid flagging those questions that you think can’t be attempted; flagging too frequently will lead to wastage of time.
Effective test time management strategies, combined with up- to- date UCAT preparation books and practice papers will help to you pass the exam with flying colors. Reputed institutes like iCanMed, can help you adopt the correct approach in solving all types of UCAT questions in limited time.

Medical School Interview: Questions on Background & Motivation

Among the various questions you will be asked in your medical school interview, many are meant to find out how serious you are about the medical profession and whether you are fully aware of what it entails.

Here are the 3 most common medical school interview questions on background and motivation.

1.    Why Do You Wish to Go to Medical School?

This is among the most common questions asked in medical school interviews. And, it is best to have your answer prepared beforehand. For this, you need a thorough understanding of what it means to be a medical student and then a doctor. Focus equally on passion and pragmatism in your answer. Make your response is detailed but avoid rambling. Show your desire to engage with and help people by including examples from personal experience. Explain why the combination of medical science and human interaction appeals deeply to you.

2.    What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Get a Place in a Med School This Year?

By asking this question, the interviewer is trying to determine how committed you are to a career in medicine. So, simply answering, “I know I will get in,” would make you sound arrogant and would be almost as bad as suggesting that you would try something else. Tell the interviewer what it means to you to get in and that you will not give up, try harder for next year and, in the meantime, look for a job or volunteer work in a related field to gain more healthcare experience. This will show that you’re a positive person who is capable of turning misfortune into an advantage.

3.    Which Aspects of a Doctor’s Professional Life Appeal to You?

Your answer could be along the lines of:

·       You find helping people in need rewarding and wish to make a real difference in their lives.

·       You find patient care, disease management and the accompanying medical research intellectually stimulating.

·       You believe that a doctor’s job is multi-faceted and presents exciting challenges.

·       You enjoy problem-solving and teamwork.

·       Healthcare professionals get a diverse range of opportunities.

Strengthen your answer by including first-hand experiences that can back what you say. Also, don’t forget to mention that you are aware of the stress and emotional difficulties you’ll have to face, but believe that these are outweighed by the positives.

The key is to ensure thorough preparation not just for the entrance exam but also for the interview. Joining an experienced coaching institute, like ICanMed,  that provides excellent training courses for medical school interviews could prove beneficial.