i haven't faced a battle as hard as this since the NMAT (which ended up being not as hard as i initially thought). but then again, the usmle is a completely different beast, requiring as much preparation as sun tzu would advise for an emperor. for the nmat, i had 4 months of preparation. for the usmle, we have around 6. however, for the nmat, i studied at most for 2 hours a day, a few days a week. for the usmle, we're planning on studying 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for the entire 6 months. anything less than this is underpreparation.
preparation is the key however. i made it my all-consuming purpose to get the highest score possible on the nmat, and i managed to achieve that. i got a 99+. for the usmle, i would like nothing more than to get a 99 percentile. the doors will open if i am able to jump this hurdle. if that's what it takes to continue on my road to dok, then i will do it.
but what is the end goal of all this test-taking? to see me, in my white coat, competent, strong, confident, and being the kind of doctor that can help people. someone that can save people. i am going to be the kind of man that this world needs me to be. have i come far on my road? i'd like to think that i've grown somewhat. i was able to successfully extract blood from a classmate, assisted in various surgeries, met many patients and did physical examinations on them, and i'm starting to understand the myriad of drugs prescribed to relatives and friends alike. i'm getting there, slowly.
life is short, the art is long...
