MCAT or Not?

Admission to naturopathic medical school does not require one to take the MCAT for admission.  All of the usual medical school science prerequisites (Bio, Chem,Org Chem, Biochem, Phys) are required for entry, along with a bachelor's degree, but the MCAT is not a requirement.

I should probably be happy that the MCAT is not required, but I am on the fence about that one.  I am a person who tests well, and I will study like crazy (as evidenced by my LSAT adventure) if I know that I am expected to ace a comprehensive examination.  Even though it is not required, I think I will take the exam anyway, here's why:

I like the fact that the MCAT is designed to test approximately how much of the knowledge you have retained in core science courses. I like the feeling of accomplishment I get whenever I perform well on a test that measures how well I know my stuff.  A part of my desire to test well is the competitive spirit within me, and the other part is my feeling that ADHD-I is truly disabling to me. I need reassurance that I am actually mastering the necessary content to help me to, not just succeed, but excel in naturopathic medical school.

Although the reality of the exam is quite a way off into the distant future, I do believe I will challenge myself to retain as much knowledge as I can, so I can "strut my stuff" on the MCAT.  I will take that exam, even if only to prove to myself that I can do it.

Me & Math, We Meet to do Battle Yet Again!

Well, tomorrow is my first day in my math class.  I'm gonna get a full night's rest and walk into the classroom tomorrow with a positive attitude and a can-do spirit!

I feel that this is my last chance, and I have got to master mathematics or it will completely halt my future plans.

 It's me and you math, and this time I shall not give up so easily.

Why I Initially Chose to Opt Out of ADHD Meds

In the autumn of 2008, I was diagnosed with ADHD-I (Predominately Inattentive).  At the time I thought I wanted to go to law school, so I was studying for the LSAT.

Both my primary care physician and psychologist agreed that I should try Adderall. At first I objected, but then I later decided to take the medication just to see if it would enhance my ability to focus as I prepared for the LSAT.

They started me out with 15 mg of Adderall, and at first, I didn't notice any difference.  Shortly after, the chemical did it's thing and I noticed a HUGE difference.  In fact, the difference was almost overwhelming.

I first noticed the effect the medication was having on me when I was at the library one day.  In all of my life, I had NEVER been able to focus or concentrate on any one thing at a time.  I actually used to be jealous of people who had the ability to sit in a library and open up ONE book and concentrate on that ONE book.  I love libraries & I love books, but before Adderall, I used to grab six or seven different books, and read them all at once or else I would get bored.

I was nearly knocked over when I found myself staying focused on one book at a time.  It just "happened," I don't know exactly when, I just know that I was in tears when I realized that I had the ability to stay focused from one paragraph to another.

Pretty soon, I was reading entire chapters at a time without taking a break to dive into another book with a completely different subject.  I know this sounds odd to most people, but this was a GINORMOUS accomplishment for me.

I purchased the Powerscore LSAT Prep Study Guide (Get it if you wanna kick butt on the LSAT), and I totally inhaled it....but there was a problem. Finally having the ability to focus was amazing, but it seemed to go farther than just plain focusing, I began to seriously hyper-focus.

It was CaRaZy.  I remember studying for stretches of 12 hour straight, and my mind becoming mad at my body for needing sleep.  Eventually, my body would "take" the sleep it needed, and I would wake up and be totally disappointed in myself for falling asleep.  Even when I was sleeping, my mind wasn't really at rest.  I would have freaky dreams and wake up disjointed.  It was almost as though I could not  make my brain "power off."  Plus, I had this feeling of being "disconnected" all of the time.

I stopped taking the Adderall three or four days before the day of the exam.  I scored a 158 on the LSAT, and I KNOW I wouldn't have been able to perform nearly as well without the Adderall.  I would never have been able to concentrate on all those exercises that taught me how to master logic games.

Now, I wouldn't have tanked the exam without the drug, because despite my developmental disability, I'm relatively smart, but there is no way I would have scored a 158.

After the exam was over, I decided to discontinue using the Adderall.  I didn't like the side effects, I did not like the fact that it is a Schedule II Controlled Substance (high abuse potential), and I especially did not like the fact that the drug was so powerful it could actually "rearrange" my thought processes - When you think about it, that is pretty significant.

That was four years ago.  I have since decided law school was not the thing for me, and I have become consumed with naturopathic medicine.  Because I am planning to pursue a naturopathic physician degree, I know that I will need assistance in dealing with my lack of focus.

My current plan to try to tame my wild mind is to seek natural alternatives, consistent talk therapy, and diet changes, but ADHD is historically not a condition that has responded well to alternative treatments.

If all else fails, I will get back on the Adderall, and I will make certain to start with the lowest dosage possible and work my way up until I find a good fit....because feeling freaky really ain't all that fun.

 

My Academic Life Thus Far: Inattentiveness & Lack of Self Esteem

I have been in a state of constant lack of focus for most of my life. A few yeas ago, I was diagnosed with Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Inattentive-Type (ADHD-I).

 Translated into plain English, having ADHD-I means I have serious issues focusing and staying on task, I get bored at the drop of a dime, I procrastinate, I'm horrible at making final decisions, I am impulsive to the extreme, and I avoid activities that require me to pay a lot of attention.

When I was first diagnosed (2008) I felt as though a bright light switch had been turned on in a very dark room. The aforementioned issues have caused massive problems throughout my life, and gaining knowledge of an explanation was a marvelous thing.

 At the time I was diagnosed I was in college at the University of North Dakota. I was in undergraduate school working towards admission to law school. I never really wanted to be a lawyer, I had taken a couple of career aptitude tests that pointed me in that direction so I just decided to go with the flow.

 In my heart, I always wanted to study something within the professional health sciences field (medicine, epidemiology, public health, etc.), but I never believed I was smart enough -- let me give you some background on that: I dropped out of school in the ninth grade, not because I was pregnant or I needed to get a job and help out my family... I dropped out for the lame fact that I couldn't hack algebra... (I know, how pathetic is that?)

 I knew that chemistry and physics are math-based sciences,so I talked myself out of a biological science based career. I thought to myself "How in the world am I going to be able to pass a math based science class when I can barely master fractions?" So that was that. I was able to pass social science based classes with straight "A"s without having to do too much thinking (remember that lack of sustained attention aspect of ADHD-I?), so I just decided to go with the flow.

I chose law because it seemed challenging, and I figured I wouldn't get bored quite as easily as I would with just about everything else -- I was wrong. In the fall of 2008 I took the LSAT exam, and I performed well (158) with the help of Adderall (click here to read about Why I Initially Chose to Opt Out of ADHD Meds). I planned to apply to law school & begin in the fall of 2009.

While I was doing my pre-law routine, I obtained a paralegal diploma from an online school. My goal was to work full-time as a paralegal and pursue law school on a part time basis.  Did I mention that I was 41 years old at the time? Oh yeah, I decided to go to college when my kids were nearly finished with high school.  I had absolutely no desire, nor the luxury of time and youth, to go to law school without working

Fortunately, I spent a couple of months working as a paralegal in a law firm, and that was when I got an eyeful of what a lawyer actually does - man was it awful! I would have enjoyed law school much more than the job of being a lawyer, so I thought I might as well quit while I was ahead. I dropped out of school altogether and headed back to Florida (my home) to be closer to my family.

There I was... I had about 80 college credits, no degree, and no real passion for any career I thought I might be capable of enduring, so I kinda drifted for a while. Eventually, I moved to Arizona for work, and that was when I discovered naturopathic medicine began (read: How I Discovered Naturopathic Medicine).

Naturopathic medicine is the subject I have been most passionate about for as long as I have known me (roughly 43 years - give or take a couple of months).  Now that I have found my true passion, I have made the decision to return to college and pursue a degree as a naturopathic doctor (ND). However, there are several realistic issues I am going to have to deal with along the way:

1. I do not have a good track record of stick-to-it-iveness (have you been reading?)
2. The math thing is still an issue
3. The ADHD-I thing is still an issue (did you read Why I Initially Chose to Opt Out of ADHD Meds?)
4. I am 43 years old, and I'll be nearly 50 by the time I'm done

My solutions to the above issues are as follows:

1. I think I have finally found my true calling in naturopathic medicine. 
2. I am enrolled in a supportive math class & I am more receptive to learning because I am pumped to get into Naturopathic Medical school. 
3. I am exploring natural techniques to control my ADHD.  If the natural methods prove to be ineffective, I'm giving in, and I'll take the freaking Adderall and not worry about things that are beyond my control
4. I'm going to be 50 years old anyway, so why not be a happy and content 50 year old?

In the words of the immortal Betty Davis, "Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"