• what medical school is like
• what schools to apply to
• how to apply
• how to get in
• how to do better than average in class (from 1st year to 4th year)
• how to fund the costs
• how to make free time to stay sane in the sea of medical information

Who I am? Why should you listen to me? My name is Alex and I am currently where you want to be -- in medical school, doing better than average, and have enough free time for a balanced life style.

For most of my life, I never thought of becoming a doctor. When I was little, I wanted to be a police officer or a soldier. When I was applying for colleges, I had no interest in pre-med. Instead, I envisioned myself as a rising, hotshot banker. After college, I joined a public accounting firm. After a few years of working, I decided to change fields and go into medicine.

And now, here I am! I somehow stumbled into medical school. I have almost no background in science. I did not get a masters degree, unlike many of my classmates. And yet, not only am I surviving, I am thriving. Some would consider this an act of God. I sure do.

My school has a helpful program called Big Brother, Big Sister which I am part of. I first joined the program as a first-year and received substantial help from my "big brother" adjusting to my new environment. Now, as I am more experienced, I am a "big brother" to a first-year student. I pay-it-forward by showing him the ropes -- telling him what to expect in classes, how to prepare for them, and what to do if he has any problems.

Just like how I help my "little," I am also going to help you. I am going to break down the steps of getting in and staying in. I am going to give you success tips so you too may be where I am today. So, let's get started.

The first thing you should do is to know as much as you can about medical training and being a doctor. If you've already made up your mind to be a doctor, you may skip the introduction. If you are on the fence, I would strongly advise you to read the medical school introduction.