What’s your biggest dream? It’s a loaded question, isn’t it?
 
Most of us would need a moment to think, but a few years ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated. My answer was unshakable: getting into medical school.
 
You can call me cliché if you want, but I was so certain of this dream that I spent years chasing it. In fact, I became so focused on the getting in part that I almost forgot to think about what getting through medical school would look like.
 
When I first started, I expected the experience to be all about diseases, drugs, and diagnoses. And yes, I’ve learned more science than I ever imagined. But two years in, I’m surprised to admit that the lessons that most stuck with me go way beyond textbooks. Some are hilarious, some are heartwarming, and all of them have shaped the way I see medicine, life, and myself.
 
So, here are 10 unexpected things I learned in medical school.

1. I questioned my ability to be a doctor and honestly, every life decision that brought me here.

​Watching friends travel, buy houses, and earn real paychecks while I pushed through 12-hour shifts for free (seriously, who decided that medical students don’t get paid?) often made me wonder if my life would be easier if I had just chosen another path. This feeling also grew when I was thrown into hospital rotations with minimal training; you go from textbooks to real patients overnight. It’s terrifying. Every awkward physical exam and every time I had to tell the patient “I’ll check with my staff” felt like proof that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.
​
But you know what? When I look back at all those scary moments, I’m proud of myself. I learned to appreciate my small wins, and this quickly reminds me why I chose medicine in the first place.

2. When in doubt, I just say…I don’t know. 

At first, I thought this was a failure on my part, but oddly enough, supervisors love it. Saying “I don’t know, but I can find out” shows humility and willingness to learn.

​However, be cautious of how you might tell patients that you’re not familiar with their issues . Patients want to feel reassured, not alarmed, so instead of blurting out “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” it’s often better to say, “That’s a great question, let me check with my team and get back to you.” This brings me to my next lesson… 

3. Learning takes time and practice and time and more practice. And sometimes… I fake it till I make it! 

No, not in a dishonest way! But in a way that projects that I am cool, calm and collected while I process what’s happening. No matter how much I study medical theory or case studies before a new rotation, real life and real people have a way of catching me off guard. I often internalize my feelings of panic, while outwardly, I show that I am engaged, trustworthy, and competent.

4. The days are long, but the years are short. Live in the moment. 

This is what I was told my first ever day of medical school and it’s true. I am constantly amazed by how much I’ve experienced over the last two years. From touching a real human brain during anatomy lab to removing a metal rod from someone’s arm and suturing it back together, these moments are surreal and unforgettable. It’s easy to get caught up with evaluations and deadlines, but when I pause and reflect, I realize how rare these opportunities really are.

5. Everyone kind of understands I’m busy…but no one truly gets it. 

And that won’t stop friends, family, or even strangers from asking about their ailments during my “off time”. Yes, I can get tired of always talking about medicine, and I used to believe it meant I didn’t love what I do. However, I have now learned that it just means that I am human, trying to set boundaries, and survive medical school while still caring about people.

6. Your fellow medical students will inevitably, weirdly, become your best friends. 

Yes, even if you’re an introvert like me. Medical school can be an isolating experience (quick call back to lesson 1), and there are many things non-medical students just won’t understand. When I first started medical school, I was open to making a friend or two, but I also didn’t see it as much of a priority because I had solid friends outside of school.

​However, two years in, I don’t think I would have survived without all the friendships I have made! There’s something about getting through endless lectures, grueling exams, awkward clinical encounters, and terrifying attendings that creates a bond unlike any other. The friends I made are truly friends for life. 

7. My health anxiety got worse. I guess ignorance really is bliss… 

Medical school has a way of making you hyper-aware of every unusual feeling in your body. I’ll develop a headache and immediately convince myself it’s something rare and deadly. The more you learn about diseases, the more your mind jumps to worst-case scenarios. Recently, I convinced myself I had pancreatitis, only to find out it was just indigestion. But hey, at least I get to practice my diagnostic skills on myself!

8. Self-care is the key to maintaining my mental health. 

Self-care isn’t just sleeping eight hours a night—that’s the bare minimum. Real self-care means intentionally carving out time for myself, whether it’s a proper meal, a short walk, or just a moment to breathe. It happens both inside and outside the hospital. Attendings often forget things like lunch, so if I want to eat, I make it a point to say so—yes, I may even have to ask my staff for a break!

​Little things like this aren’t selfish, and they don’t make you look weak; they’re what keep you sane and allow you to show up fully for your patients.

9. Mastering small talk will get you far! And a little laughter gets you a long way with patients and staff alike. 

Share a funny observation or a lighthearted story, and you’ll be surprised how much it can break the ice. And if that doesn’t work? I’ve found that simply smiling, nodding, and genuinely listening is often good enough.

10. There is no better high than coming home after a long day and feeling like I had a real, tangible impact on someone’s life.

It doesn’t have to be a big thing. I remember on a surgery rotation, I was just passing by the waiting room to check in on a patient’s family before heading out. They were anxious and exhausted, and taking a few minutes to chat, answer questions, and just be present made such a difference. Even small gestures can mean the world to a patient and their loved ones. 

​Medical school taught me far more than what I could have learned just in the classroom. I gained a deeper understanding of people and, most surprisingly, of myself. I have learned a lot in the last two years, but it’s the human moments, the connections, and even the challenges that I’ll carry with me the longest.
 
And yes, if you asked me today what my biggest dream is, my answer has slightly changed: being a doctor and finally knowing why I’ve always wanted to be one.

If you’re involved in STEM classes or research, you’ve likely come across the term “sample size.” Understanding sample size is crucial, whether you’re an undergraduate planning an independent research project, a graduate student preparing a lab research plan, or someone just trying to find out if the research paper you read has valid results. This stats primer will help you grasp one of the most important aspects of conducting and analyzing research.

Unleashing the power of simulation: determining sample size for your experiment

​The day has finally come to perform your experiment. You have an interesting new idea to test, you know what you’re comparing and how you’re going to measure it. The only question left is: how many times are you going to run your experiment?

Choosing the right sample size tells you if your study has any power, i.e., how likely the results you see are due to the thing you’re testing. For example, should you believe an antibiotic will help you if it’s been shown to cure 3 people or 3 million people? The answer is, it depends.

Generally, larger sample sizes increase a study’s power, but you don’t need to go overboard. By determining the minimum sample size at the start, you avoid unnecessary repetition and clarify your results.

Think about it like this: you could flip a coin and get “heads” 5 times in a row just by chance. If you stopped there, you could say that a coin always lands heads up. But, if you continue flipping the coin a dozen more times, you’ll start to approach the true 50/50 probability.

Now you’ll need to decide when to stop repeating your coin-flipping experiment. Is 100 times sufficient? 500? Flipping the coin 1000 more times will only reinforce what you already know. On top of that, actually flipping a coin this many times in real life takes a decent amount of time – it’s much faster and easier to use an online coin-flipping simulator than to do it manually.

Similarly, sample size determination often involves complex formulas and mathematical notations that no one really likes. Instead, we’re going to work around those using the power of simulation. By the end of this post, you’ll not only understand the basics of sample size determination, but also have an editable R script to help you perform these calculations for your own experiments.

Why use simulation?

Traditional methods of calculating sample size often rely on standard formulas and assumptions that might not fit well with your specific experiment. This is where simulation shines. 

By generating random samples and repeatedly testing them, simulation provides a flexible way to estimate the necessary sample size under various conditions. It’s like running your experiment thousands of times on your computer to see how many participants you’d need to detect an effect.

Simulation: making (good) guesses

In this process, we will analyze the potential results of the experiment across various sample sizes. 

To do this, we need to make educated guesses about important effect sizes and the study’s reliability. Estimates for effect sizes can come from meta-analyses, previous publications, pilot studies, or making educated guesses about reasonable outcomes for your treatment groups. While studies often only report test statistics, when simulating, it’s usually easier to think of potential outcomes in terms of the mean (and/or standard deviation—a measure of data spread) of what you are measuring. Even without prior data, you should be able to imagine a range of likely outcomes and exclude implausible ones (e.g. negative values for measures of size). 

One nice thing about simulating is that it’s simple to adjust your assumed outcomes and see how these changes impact your sample size determination. The reliability of a statistical test is measured by both its significance level and the study’s power. Significance is a measure of how often the test is expected to return a false positive (i.e. finding a difference when there isn’t one), while power measures how often the test correctly identifies true positives. 

Standard settings often include a 5% significance level and 80% power, but the appropriateness of these levels requires careful consideration. Would you trust a test that correctly identifies outcomes only 80% of the time or one that yields false positives 5% of the time? Sample size determination should not just aim for a specific power or significance level, but should also evaluate how changes in sample size affect these metrics and your overall conclusions.

Getting Started with Simulation in R

R is a powerful programming language for statistical computing and graphics, widely used in both academia and industry. Adding R to your toolkit can be highly valuable. In this guide, we’ll use R to simulate data and determine the sample size needed to achieve a desired level of statistical power. 

To follow along, simply copy and paste the entire provided R code for each step. (Anything preceded by “#” in the code isn’t code itself – it’s either notation to help explain the purpose of that particular line or shows the results you should see in your own R file).

Simulating data

Let’s first simulate data for an experiment seeking to measure some type of difference between two groups - such as the body temperature of people receiving an antibiotic and of people receiving a placebo. 

We’ll start with a manageable sample size, say 10 for each of the two groups. 

We’ll create a table (dataframe) to hold our observations for each subject, including the identification of the treatment they receive. We’ll also mix up the order of treatments, just like we would in a real experiment.

set.seed(1) # controls random number generator

# assign treatments in dataframe
for(i in 1:length(df$x)){ # provide a value of y for each x
  ifelse(df$x[i] == "treatment",
         df$y[i] <- rnorm(1,6,1),
         df$y[i] <- rnorm(1,7,1)
  )
}

# show the top of the dataframe
head(df)

This is the output you should see:

           x        y
1   control 6.373546
2   control 7.183643
3   control 6.164371
4   control 8.595281
5 treatment 6.329508
6 treatment 5.179532

# conduct the t-test
t.test(df$y[df$x == "treatment"],
       df$y[df$x == "control"],
       paired = F)

This is the output you should see:

Welch Two Sample t-test

data:  df$y[df$x == "treatment"] and df$y[df$x == "control"]
t = -2.6442, df = 17.219, p-value = 0.01692
alternative hypothesis: true difference in means is not equal to 0
95 percent confidence interval:
-1.9903293 -0.2246649
sample estimates:
mean of x mean of y
 6.136775  7.244272

Note: make sure you're using an up-to-date installation of R. If you're not seeing the exact same numbers, it may be due to you using a different version of R than what was used at the time of writing this article.

​
​This random sample give us a significant result (p <0.05) (meaning there was a measured difference between the two groups).

So, does that mean we found our correct sample size on the first try? As you might have guessed, the answer is no.

Many other samples from the same distributions will not give you a value of p <0.05 in your t-test. In other words, to check to see if your first guess was right, you’ll want to run this again with the same sample size number, but using different random numbers in your dataframe.

We can demonstrate this in R by changing the random number generator value.

Simulating, many, many times, very quickly

​Using a “for loop” (https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-intro.html#Repetitive-execution), we can recreate the dataframe, and rerun the analysis as many times as we want.

Each time we run it, we will check the p-value. When the p-value is significant (p < 0.05) we’ll save the result as 1, and if not, we’ll save it as 0. We’ll save these values in a list outside the loop. The average of this list will be our measure of power.

power.t.test(n = 10, # size of each group
             delta = 1, # expected mean difference b/w groups
             sd = 1, # expected standard deviation of each group
             sig.level = 0.05) # desired significance level)

This is the output you should see:
​
Two-sample t test power calculation

 n = 10
delta = 1
sd = 1
sig.level = 0.05
power = 0.5619846
alternative = two.sided

Note: n is number in *each* group

set.seed(5)
pwrlist <- list()
samplesizes <- 10:20 # number of subjects in each group to compare

for(n in 1:length(samplesizes)){
  for(s in 1:10000){ # simulations to run for each sample size
   
    #create the data frame
    df <- data.frame(
    x = sample(rep(c("control", "treatment"),
               each = samplesizes[n])))
   
    # populate data frame with numbers from random distributions
    for(i in 1:length(df$x)){
      if(df$x[i] == "treatment") df$y[i] <- rnorm(1,6,1)
      if(df$x[i] == "control") df$y[i] <- rnorm(1,7,1)
      }   
   
    # perform the analysis
    test <- t.test(df$y[df$x == "treatment"],
                   df$y[df$x == "control"],
                   paired = F)
   
    # compare the p-value to 0.05, and store as significant or not
    ifelse(test$p.value < 0.05,
           pwrlist$sig[s] <- 1,
           pwrlist$sig[s] <- 0)
  }
 
  # compute the average significance to determine power at each sample size
  pwrlist$PWR[n] <- mean(pwrlist$sig)
  pwrlist$n[n] <- samplesizes[n]

}

data.frame(
  Power = pwrlist$PWR,
  Samplesize =pwrlist$n)

This is the output you should see:

     Power Samplesize
1  0.5617         10
2  0.6066         11
3  0.6436         12
4  0.6892         13
5  0.7214         14
6  0.7537         15
7  0.7826         16
8  0.8151         17
9  0.8295         18
10 0.8518         19
11 0.8692         20


​Then, you can visualize your results: 
​
# plot the results
plot(pwrlist$PWR ~ pwrlist$n,
     xlab = "Sample Size in Each Group",
     ylab = "Power")

The plot of the results show how power increases on the y axis as the sample size for each group increases on the x axis.
​
For this example, when using a 5% significance level, the power increases rapidly, reaching the conventional 80% threshold at 17 samples in each group. So, if you chose to go with the original sample size of 10, your experiment wouldn’t have very much power at all – you’d expect to get a significant result about 55% of the time. Nevertheless, adding just a few more samples in each group makes it much more likely to get a significant result.

Flexing your power

There are many ways to encode a power analysis, but the code above is meant to provide flexibility.

Simple modifications to the code can be used for sample size determinations at different effect sizes and significance levels. Additionally, you can change the types data you use or draw from different types of distribution that reflect the type of data you’ll be analyzing (e.g., binomial (0,1) data). You can also include more treatment groups, and you can modify the type of analysis performed, for example doing ANOVA, or even generalized linear models instead of a t-test.

Simulation is a versatile and accessible method for determining the sample size needed for your experiments. By leveraging the tools in R, you can tailor your sample size calculations to fit your unique research needs, making your experiments more robust and reliable. Armed with these tools and knowledge, you’re well-equipped to embark on your research journey with confidence and power.
​

​Despite progress in increasing women’s access to educational and career opportunities, girls and young women remain underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A Forbes report on STEM education notes that women account for only 28% of the STEM workforce in the US, with female scientists facing challenges like burnout and unequal wages. The report highlights that girls often lose interest in math and science as they advance through their education, but addressing these concerns can start with education.

To encourage more girls to pursue STEM degrees and careers, it's crucial to make STEM topics engaging and relevant to the real world. One effective approach is to introduce girls to robot toys, both in the classroom and at home. These toys can spark an early interest in math and science and help develop essential skills in STEM.

Building STEM Foundations Through Play

The toy industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of STEM skills in children's development. Many robot toys are now designed to teach foundational coding and programming.

For example, primary school teachers have reported success using the KIBO robot to teach kids how to code without relying on a screen. The KIBO15 STEAM Robot uses barcode technology and blocks that children can scan to execute sequential commands such as moving forward, flashing lights, and making sounds.

Kits like the Boolean Box, a build-it yourself computer kit for girls, include programming lessons and simple circuitry tasks.

Robot toys like these facilitate learning of engineering design principles, from brainstorming and planning to creation and testing.

Combine education and playtime

Many robot toys focus on combining education and playtime into a fulfilling learning experience. Reviews of robot unicorn toys, like those by Robot Pet Friends, show how STEM education can be fun and engaging.

For example, the UBTECH Unicornbot, a highly-rated robot toy, engages young girls in coding by allowing them to build, customize, and program its 440 snap-together parts. They can choose sensors and commands to execute actions like poses and light-up colors, blending STEM learning with creativity.
 
Foster hands-on, collaborative learning

Robot toys can also be used to support hands-on, collaborative learning. Instead of structured lessons, educators can encourage kids to work on building and coding projects with their peers, providing experiential learning through critical thinking. problem-solving, and resolving mistakes together.

However, as noted in an article by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, it's important for teachers to set ground rules to ensure productive collaboration. Assigning specific tasks and ensuring young girls are represented in leadership roles can create a balanced and effective learning environment.
​
​
Robot toys are more than just advanced platforms for fun. They can create intuitive, engaging, and collaborative learning environments for girls interested in STEM. And, as young female learners decide to pursue STEM in higher education, they can refer to resources like Scientista for continued guidance on their educational journey.

I’m technologically challenged. Actually, maybe ‘challenged’ isn’t the most accurate word. I prefer ‘technologically hesitant’, which I have defined as someone who can navigate tech pretty well, but will always believe a human brain is better than a computer (especially when it comes to my schoolwork).

So, when ChatGPT was launched to the public, I was very, very, very hesitant to jump on the bandwagon and get into the craze. I mean, I have been writing my entire life, and now I’m supposed to believe that a chatbot with no feelings, no lived experiences, can write better than me! Nope, not buying it.

Well, I was wrong. My first experience with ChatGPT happened because a friend suggested using it to explain complex medical concepts. So, I began typing in prompts like “Explain T cell development to me like a 5-year-old” and my life changed! I started using ChatGPT to summarize topics, organize information into tables, refine my writing, and I haven’t looked back. So, I wondered, “What other AI tools can make my life easier as a student?”

​If you’re like me, a fellow “tech hesitant” and want to explore the many ways AI can maximize your academic potential, look no further! I’ve done the research for you, and I’ve compiled a list of a few AI tools anyone can use to boost their learning.

Grammarly 

Need help with your writing? Grammarly is more than just a spellcheck! It corrects your grammar mistakes and provides suggestions to make your writing clearer and more concise, all while explaining why these suggestions are being made. The feedback also varies depending on the type of paper you’re writing. Plus, Grammarly has expanded to include new features such as citation-making, help with brainstorming paper topics, and more!
 
Mathly 

If you couldn’t tell by the name, Mathly is like Grammarly, but for math. Now let’s be honest, math is not for everyone, and you need to understand mathematical concepts to pass your classes. Mathly allows you to take a picture of your question, and not only does it solve it, but it also explains how to go about it. It can then generate other problems similar to your initial one if you’re still struggling and want more practice. You can also ask it follow-up questions if you’re unsatisfied with its explanations.

Tutor AI 

As a student, you can’t always rely on your professor to explain everything to you. You’re forced to do a bit (or usually a lot!) of self-directed and independent learning. Tutor AI comes to the rescue! If you want to learn about a topic, just type it into the search bar and you’ll get your own module-based course on that topic with all the most important information in one place. This saves you tons of time searching through multiple websites.
 
Socratic by Google 

If you need help with an assignment on any topic, Socratic is for you! Just ask it a question (no, like, you can literally use your voice), and you’ll immediately receive student-friendly answers to your questions. The platform is known for its simple and effective visual explanations, handouts, and diagrams.
 
Zotero, Mendeley, and Endnote 

I think we can all agree that one of the worst parts of writing a paper is citing all our references! Well, have no fear – tools like Zotero, Mendeley, and Endnote are here to manage and organize your bibliographies. They can even steer you in the direction of additional references as you start to add citations to your virtual library. Zotero and Mendeley are free, while Endnote offers a free basic version. But you can also check if your university library offers the full version of Endnote free for students. These platforms are similar, and there exist several videos that explain how to set up them up better than I ever could.
 
Consensus 

Have you ever had a random question to ask Google (i.e., Does vitamin C prevent colds? Or will rosemary oil help with my hair growth?) and wanted actual, research-backed answers? In a world full of misinformation, Consensus allows you to type in any question and will answer your question after having analyzed several research studies. You’ll receive a “Consensus Meter” that details the various answers to your question and how valid each one is. The studies analyzed are featured further down the page, all summarized with a “Study Snapshot” in case you wanted to track them down.
 
Scite, Elicit and others 

Scite, Elicit, and others like them are similar to Consensus, but geared towards technical questions most often asked by researchers and academics. It identifies research trends in a particular topic, allows you to discover related work, and helps you place the impact of a study within that topic. It’s a lifesaver for writing your own literature review or even for starting your own research project by identifying knowledge gaps in a particular topic.
 
Humata 
​
No time to read through a PDF? Humata allows you to upload any PDF of your choice and will read it for you! You can then ask it questions about the content of this PDF such as “Can you summarize the findings?” or “What was the most important conclusion?” and there you go – time saved!

A few caveats to keep in mind: it's crucial to approach AI tools as study aids rather than substitutes for critical thinking and originality. While these tools are improving every day and can enhance efficiency, they are not perfect by any means! As such, it is important to maintain a critical eye when using any AI tool. They are not meant to replace your learning, but to help you learn better! Additionally, remember that AI-generated content may possess a distinct writing style, so you will need to edit it to reflect your individual voice. As AI continues to shape the landscape of academic learning, you’ll need to learn how to use it responsibly. This includes understanding evolving policies regarding crediting AI assistance in academic work, especially in essay writing and research publication. The goal is for us to harness the benefits of AI while upholding academic integrity and embracing the journey of learning!
 
As we wrap up, remember that whether you're conquering complex equations or crafting compelling essays, there's an AI tool out there for you! AI tools can make your academic journey smoother, smarter, and more enjoyable. Finding ways to harness the potential of AI in your learning can be overwhelming, but I hope I’ve given you some guidance to enter the daunting world of AI. Happy exploring!

By Nektaria Riso

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’ve achieved your life-long dream: getting into medical school! I’m sure you’re experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. When I received my acceptance, I was in disbelief – a feeling which quickly turned into excitement, and once that had worn off, I was oddly…anxious. I had spent so much time focusing on getting into medical school that I had barely spared a thought to what I would do if I got in. I mean, how do I prepare for this new chapter of my life? Was my undergrad studying enough? Will I make any friends? Is there an orientation? Are my immunizations up to date?

Well, have no fear! I have compiled a few tips for how to start medical school off on the best foot possible and keep those first-day jitters at bay! 

​
​Tip #1: Pay attention to the details

My first tip is quite an obvious one, but it is worth mentioning! Please read the entire acceptance letter! Oftentimes, the admissions committee will offer you a conditional acceptance and detail the conditions towards the end. The conditions can include ensuring that you are CPR certified before the start of the program, for example. 

Acceptance letters may also urge you to immediately set up your school email because this is how they will communicate with you going forward. From my experience, your school email is your lifeline before starting medical school. This is how you’ll receive important information such as when to attend your orientation! 

Tip #2: Don’t skip out on orientation

This brings me to my second tip: attend your orientation, even if it is optional! Orientation provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the program structure and the resources on campus for learning and wellness and get to know your peers and your medical student body. Trust me, the latter will encourage you to subscribe to their newsletters to receive super useful things like discounts on learning platforms (Osmosis, AMBOSS, etc.), medical equipment and scrub sales, and much more!

Attending orientation will also help you immensely in understanding the program structure, its procedures, e.g., who you should contact if you need to miss out on a mandatory learning activity, and all resources available to you as a medical student (career advising, peer tutoring, mental health support, etc.). 

Tip #3: Get organized

My next slightly unconventional tip is to get organized, but perhaps not in the way you’d think. Medical school is a huge transition and can have a significant impact on your mental and physical health. It is very important to practice self-care and to prioritize time for your own well-being, your hobbies, your friends, and, well, your life outside of school! Get into the habit now of scheduling downtime during your week and learning to let go of a stressful week. Your future self will thank you! 

Also, medical school is expensive, so sorting out your financial situation is something to put on your to-do list before the fall. Will you be dipping into your savings? Opening a credit line? Applying for a government loan or a bursary? Getting a part-time job? Your own medical school may have financing options for you! 

Tip #4: Adapt and grow

Finally, a last and perhaps an obvious tip, is to keep an open mind about your studying habits and accept that you may need to switch them up during medical school. With an overwhelming amount of learning strategies, tools, websites, and subscriptions out there, all targeted towards medical students, it can be super challenging to find one that works for you. Reflect on your own learning style. Are you a visual learner? Do you like to take your notes by hand? Is your laptop up to date to support all the new learning you’ll be doing? Do you want to buy a white board? How about cue cards? Back-to-school shopping may be in order!

​
And that’s a wrap! Remember, this is an exciting time - you’re going to learn about your interests and share those experiences with new friends. I hope you feel even a bit better about starting this new adventure. I’m wishing you a great medical school journey! You’ve got this!    

Earning a master’s degree in healthcare administration can introduce you to a range of business and leadership practices as they relate to healthcare. You'll sometimes see this degree abbreviated as MSHA, which stands for Master of Science in Healthcare Administration.

This master's degree can also bring important health laws, policies and healthcare quality to the front of your mind and teach you how to combine everything you know to create strategic plans. 

If expanding your skills and knowledge in these ways aligns with your professional goals, then, yes, a master’s in healthcare administration is likely worth it. 

Why Should You Get a Master’s in Healthcare Administration? 

The answers are plentiful, and some can be personal. But five of the best reasons why you should get a master’s in healthcare administration are that it can help you:  

1. Enhance Your Skill Set 

It takes a lot of finesse to be a leader, but to lead in a healthcare organization? That’s another conversation. You might not wear scrubs as a healthcare administrator, but the work you do can quite literally save lives. 

“Healthcare administrators need to focus on serving their stakeholders while continuously improving quality of care and managing the cost of delivering care,” said Urmala Roopnarinesingh, MS/HSA, Ph.D., a clinical faculty member of health professions at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “It is essential they put patient care and safety at the top of their daily activities.” 

To carry that responsibility, balancing soft skills and up-to-date technical skills in healthcare administration is essential. Within this master’s program, you’ll have an opportunity to focus on the skills needed to lead in this industry, according to Roopnarinesingh. 

She and SNHU Associate Dean of Health Professions Meredith O’Hara, PhD, said those skills include: 

• Analysis, problem solving and strategic planning 
• Communication in healthcare 
• Cultural competency 
• Financial management, human resources and marketing 
• Regulatory compliance 

Some programs ensure their curriculum is aligned with industry standards, meaning you can know your coursework and lessons are worthwhile. 

The program at SNHU, for example, is consistent with standards set forth by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), and graduates of the program will have the tools to demonstrate the association’s four critical competencies:

• Communication
• Computational skills
• Critical thinking
• Societal and cultural context

2. Expand Your Professional Network 

Building a professional network is beneficial regardless of your industry, but Roopnarinesingh believes that participating in professional associations is necessary for career advancement. 

During a master’s program, you’ll be surrounded by people with similar aspirations – some of whom may already work as healthcare administrators. You can take full advantage of each course by connecting with as many classmates and instructors as possible. 

“As a student, it is important to know that the MSHA faculty have both healthcare industry experience coupled with the appropriate academic credentials,” Roopnarinesingh said. 

Because the flexibility of online learning can be more conducive when working a full-time job, there’s a chance your classmates may already be making strides in the field.

“Along with the materials your professor teaches, you will learn as much from interacting with your peers in the online classroom as you participate in group discussions and activities,” Roopnarinesingh said. 

3. Increase Your Opportunities in Healthcare 

If you have your eyes set on a management role, you may need a master’s degree to be considered a competitive candidate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical and health service managers commonly have master’s degrees – and sometimes employers prefer to see that graduate credential. 

O’Hara said a master’s in healthcare administration could also open doors to upper-level positions such as: 

• Chief Executive Officer 
• Chief Operating Officer 
• Clinic Manager 
• Hospital Director 
• Nursing Home Administrator 

Depending on the organization, some of these roles could also require a doctorate degree.

“The classroom knowledge combined with your practical experience will prepare you to lead an organization,” she said. Some programs allow you to gain both. There may be experiential learning opportunities available at your school and other hands-on learning methods that can help you better understand healthcare administration. 

If you’re working full-time while earning your degree online, you could also apply what you’re learning directly to your job.  

4. Grow Your Salary Potential 

A master’s degree can also increase your salary potential – especially if you’re climbing the management ladder. In 2021, those with a master’s degree earned a median of almost 18% more than those at the bachelor’s level, BLS reported. 

Looking at a healthcare management role, BLS reported that medical and health service managers earned a median of $101,340 in 2021, more than double the median earnings across all occupations.
 
Where you work can also have an impact. For example, medical and health service managers in a hospital setting earned a median of $119,450. 

Toward the top of the management chain, you’ll see salary potential increase even more. For example, chief executives in healthcare earned a median salary of $154,650 in 2021, according to BLS. 

5. Show You're Motivated 

Another reason to earn a master’s degree is to prove how serious you are about the field and your role in it. “A graduate degree shows that you have motivation to learn, succeed and develop professionally,” O’Hara said. 

Not only does it show you’re focused on becoming a healthcare leader, but it also indicates that you're willing to learn. Being receptive to education is especially important when you’re working in an ever-changing field. 

“One of the most important things that it signifies to employers is that you are dedicated to the field and have the drive to be a lifelong learner and continually develop your skills and knowledge base,” O’Hara said. 

How Difficult is a Master's in Healthcare Administration?

You may find some courses, topics and assignments more challenging than others, and that’s okay.  
It’s actually normal. 

If you’re feeling stuck, O’Hara suggests: 

1. Reaching out to your instructor. Let them know you have questions. Try requesting a one-on-one meeting or taking advantage of their office hours. 
2. Forming a study group. You can connect with your classmates to discuss the lessons each week to gain different perspectives and talk through questions. 
3. Connecting with the tutoring center at your university. Some schools offer 24/7 tutoring, so no matter when you could use support, someone will be there. 

Is it Better to Get an MBA or MSHA? 

While researching degrees, you might notice that some Master of Business Administration ​(MBA) programs allow you to specialize in healthcare administration or a similar field. If you’re trying to decide between an MBA and an MSHA, you’ll want to consider what you hope to do with your master’s degree. 

“A student planning to build a career completely focused in leading healthcare organizations will be better served by the MSHA because they will gain the competencies necessary to advance in the healthcare industry,” Roopnarinesingh said. 

But, if you’re not sure you want to stay in the healthcare industry, she said the MBA could give you greater flexibility. The MBA will focus more on general business practices but still allows you to take a few healthcare-related courses. 

So, Should You Go For It? 

If leading teams or organizations in healthcare is what you want to do, then signs point to yes.

Roopnarinesingh, who has 20 years of experience working in healthcare and teaching graduate healthcare students, said she’s witnessed master’s degree graduates have greater healthcare administration employment opportunities. On top of that, she’s also seen their ability to advance into executive positions. 

O’Hara agrees. “Not only because it broadens your knowledge and experience in the healthcare field, but it also opens doors for career advancement because of the leadership skills and advanced understanding you will develop as your progress through your degree program,” she said. 

Working as you earn your degree, which is made possible by asynchronous online courses, can also help you advance your career in the field as you advance your education. Gaining leadership experience and focusing on your professional network can also make a difference, according to O’Hara. 

“Try to take advantage of any opportunities you have to assume a leadership role and learn from those that are currently your leaders,” she said. 

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Nowadays, our smartphones are a multidimensional tool: an alarm clock, GPS, calendar, and much more all in one. This handy functionality led us to involving these gadgets in our daily work, inevitably causing smartphones to play a significant role in defining productivity. Real-time communication is made possible with messaging platforms. The internet’s broader geographic availability via smartphones has enabled more remote work opportunities, which has increased employee availability. And improvements in smartphone technology have only continued to grow, meaning users are able to do more on their phones than ever before.

Smartphones can also hinder productivity. Users tend to waste a lot of time by falling into the trap of endless scrolling on social media sites designed to capture their attention. To combat this, people have turned to productivity apps: software programs that help boost personal productivity. 

From digital notes to gamified time management, here are some productivity apps that can help you re-route and get the job done.​

Maintain motivation

It’s impossible to stay motivated all the time, especially given the monotony of the pandemic; don’t be too hard on yourself when you have off days.

Be proactive! Avoid burnout by taking regular breaks. Take at least one day a week completely off from studying. While planning your schedule, give yourself some wiggle room to take time off when you need it. 

If possible, mix up your study space by visiting coffee shops, libraries, or a friend’s house. If you’re stuck at home, try rotating between different rooms.

Filling time with hobbies and socializing will help you stay motivated. Not to mention, having other commitments can make you more productive. According to Parkinson’s Law, work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. If you give yourself all day to complete a chapter, odds are it will take all day! However, if you have a 3pm piano class or dinner plans at 5pm, you’re more likely to complete work in time. 

Remember that the MCAT is a “mile wide but an inch deep”. It's easy to get discouraged by how much content the MCAT covers. However, you’re not expected to know everything in extreme detail – it is multiple choice! 

Prepare yourself for COVID writing conditions 

Check out the COVID-specific regulations for your testing centre and prepare in advance. I completed all my full-length practice tests wearing a mask, so I was used to wearing one for the real thing. ​

​We’ve all been there: it’s the end of class and suddenly your professor is saying that the big exam is in two days. Two days?! How did that happen? You haven’t started studying at all yet and there’s a lot of material to cover – what do you do? 

​As the end of the semester nears and final exams are looming, many students are either starting to study or pushing it off until the day before the exam. Hopefully you’re in the former group, but if not, here are some of the best tips and strategies for cramming for an exam. 

1. Rewrite everything            

One of the best ways to refresh your memory is to go through all of the information again and write it out. This forces you to thoroughly read through your notes, which will help you remember details and specific concepts that might be on the exam. If you have the time, hand-writing the information will help you remember it better. But if you don’t have the time to do that, you can also type it up. An alternative strategy is to read those notes out loud. It might feel silly at first, but pretend that you are presenting this information to someone who has never heard it before (learn more about this in tip #5). If your professor provides PowerPoints from class you can also use those!
 
2. Find a new study spot           

Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to get into a focused mindset. It’s best to find a study spot that is not your bedroom because your brain and your body associate that space with sleeping. This will cause you to be easily distracted, and might lead to you taking a nap instead of studying. You can go to your living room or common area, a library, or some other space that works for you. Some people like to go to public places such as coffee shops because that setting automatically makes them feel more productive. Just beware of running into people you know and hanging out with them instead of studying!
 
3. Break it Up           

You might find yourself sitting down to study and immediately becoming overwhelmed with how much information you need to go over. Don’t lose hope, you’re perfectly capable of getting through it all! Break the material up into smaller sections, such as the units or modules that you had in class. This will create smaller amounts of information that are easier for your brain to focus on, learn, and absorb.

Another way to break things up is to take frequent breaks for yourself. Studying can be exhausting for your brain so it’s good to stop, process, and recharge before continuing. Make sure to keep these breaks short, but do something active and engaging. Get out of your seat and have a five-minute dance party, go stand outside in the sun, or grab a snack and some water. It’s good to try to take a break every thirty minutes or every hour so that you can avoid mental exhaustion and stay focused. Some people like to use time management strategies, like the Pomodoro technique, that involve setting timers for scheduling study breaks.
 
4. Make Flashcards or a Quizlet           

Taking the time to make flashcards for yourself can be extremely beneficial for your studying. Even the act of making the flashcards is a form of studying in and of itself! Creating them forces you to read through your notes and write out important information. This also connects back to the first tip about re-writing your notes. If you don’t want to make physical flashcards, Quizlet is a great resource. You can create your own study sets using this site and it will quiz you and track your progress. Quizlet also has multiple study games that are good for different modes of learning. You can do basic flashcards, match terms and definitions, complete practice tests, and more. Creating any sort of flashcards is a quick and effective way to learn information in a short time.
 
5. Teach the content to someone else            

One of the best ways to ensure that you know your material is to teach it to someone else. A good way to do this is to get together with a study group or a group of friends and have everyone teach one of the topics on the exam to the group. This gives everyone a chance to become an expert on one of the topics while also giving study time for everyone else. Make sure to ask each other questions and work together to find the answers. This keeps everyone engaged in studying. If you don’t have time to form a study group, you can also teach the content to your roommate, your cat, your plants, or anything else that will listen! 
 
6. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition!            

​Finally, one of the best ways to study is simply to keep repeating the information until it sticks in your brain. Keep reading your notes, keep writing things out, keep looking at your flashcards, and keep teaching the content, even if it’s just to yourself. The more you go through the material and the more you engage with it, the more you’ll learn. Good luck and happy studying!