Hello! My name is Anna S., and I am a first-year medical student at Washington University in St. Louis. I hold a BS in Chemistry with Highest Distinction, ACS Certification, and a Biochemistry Specialization from the University of Virginia. As a Chemistry major, I obtained substantial teaching experience in premed courses through a variety of TA roles. I served as a Supplemental Instructor for Calculus II, a role in which I was tasked with developing my own lesson plans and practice problems....
Hello! My name is Anna S., and I am a first-year medical student at Washington University in St. Louis. I hold a BS in Chemistry with Highest Distinction, ACS Certification, and a Biochemistry Specialization from the University of Virginia. As a Chemistry major, I obtained substantial teaching experience in premed courses through a variety of TA roles. I served as a Supplemental Instructor for Calculus II, a role in which I was tasked with developing my own lesson plans and practice problems. I also served as a Primary Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for CHEM 2311, an organic chemistry laboratory course designed specifically for premed students. In this role, I was a primary instructor to a cohort of 20 students, and was expected to grade all assignments, conduct all in-person lessons and experiments, hold regular office hours, and meet each student's individual learning needs. In tandem, I also conducted private chemistry tutoring sessions.
My own MCAT journey includes a retake that ultimately gained me admission to one of the top medical schools in the United States. I earned a 513 on my first attempt, prior to which I self-studied ~2 hours a day for 2.5 months on top of a full-time laboratory job. The difficulties I encountered--burnout, lack of familiarity with low-yield content, lack of funds and time--are the same obstacles that prevent so many students from reaching their full score potential. 1.5 years later, I decided to retake the exam, and self-studied for 6 months on top of a full-time job. My study schedule and techniques, which are self-developed, resulted in a 9-point score increase. I scored a 521 (98th percentile) and obtained a 130 for the Chemistry/Physics section, a 129 for CARS, a 131 for Biology/Biochemistry, and a 131 for Psychology/Sociology. I feel I am an invaluable tutor because I not only understand how to obtain a highly competitive score, but how to maximize a retake opportunity in a real-world context: studying while working full-time and with a limited test-prep budget.
