Javeria Asif

Major and Minors: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (major) and Applied Statistics (minor)

Favorite class you took at Michigan:

My favorite class was German 386 (Fairytales). There were multiple ways to look at a story and I enjoyed analyzing each tale from different theories and perspectives, such as feminism or psychoanalysis. Trying to find a common theme, motifs, and symbolism, and patterns among the tales was also personal favorite of mine.

When/How did you study for the MCAT:

I studied for the MCAT from May - August before my senior year.  I first used the Kaplan books to review all the content and make notes. Alongside that, I studied flashcards using Anki  (I just used the Milesdown Deck for psychology and then added my own for the other sections). I also used the P/S document from Khan Academy to supplement my content review for psychology/sociology. Each day, I reviewed my notes and started practicing problems from UWorld and the AMCAS question banks. From mid-July to August, I took practice exams each week from AMCAS and Blueprint.

When did you take the MCAT:

I took it in early September 2023.

What was your pre-med experience:

I always felt like I needed to do more compared to the rest of my classmates and I struggled transitioning to the academic environment during my freshman year. COVID also made life harder because so many opportunities were shut down. I also had no idea entering the pre-med process how much I needed to do to get into medical school. However, being able to face such challenges showed me I had a desire to continue on the pre-med pathway. I was also able to find a lot of support from other pre-med students from the community which further motivated me.

What are your plans after graduation:

I am taking a gap year and applying to medical school! During the gap year, I will be working in a clinical setting and will continue volunteering!. I also want to take some time to do the things I enjoy, such as spending time with my family and engaging in my hobbies including painting and embroidery!

Recommendations/advice for current students:

Do not be afraid to ask for help and start asking early! Ask around - a lot of opportunities that people end up getting is from asking people they know, such as professors, GSIs, and other pre-med students!

It won't be the end of the world if some things do not end up working out the way you want it to. What matters is that you keep going and eventually you will reach your goal- you can still be pre-med with a B- or a W on your transcript. You just need to pick yourself back up and keep pushing.

Don’t compare yourself to others - this is most likely a simple, overused piece of advice but it’s incredibly important to keep in mind. Just because someone else you know has hundreds of hours of clinical experience, research publications, a perfect GPA, high MCAT scores does not mean you are not as capable as that person. Everyone is on their own journey and you just need to find yours and have fun with it!

Classes: