Karan Joseph

Major and Minor: Neuroscience (major) and Electrical Engineering (minor)

Favorite class you took at Michigan:

EECS 320/BIOLCHEM 415

BIOLCHEM 415 was one of the more difficult classes I took at Michigan, but I thoroughly enjoyed the course content. It was very intriguing to me to begin to understand how our body functions on a microscopic level. I thought it was so fascinating to think about how all of these different processes that we learned about were occurring on a daily basis. Even though the sheer volume of content seemed overwhelming at first, I think that this class helped me develop the study skills and discipline needed for the remainder of my college career.

EECS 320 was probably the most difficult class I took at Michigan (a close second being CHEM 230). This class’s content was very far removed from the typical biology and chemistry that I was used to. We mainly focused on the physical laws that dictated typical semiconductor behavior and then moved up in complexity to how actual semiconductor devices worked such as BJTs, MOSFETS, and MOS-Cs. The challenge that this class presented was much different than classes like BIOLCHEM 415 as there was a great deal of mathematics and logic involved which proved to be quite the challenge. However, I believe that I learned a lot from this course and enjoyed the long hours studying something so fascinating to me.

When/How did you study for the MCAT: I self-studied for the MCAT. I began studying in May and took the exam in August. I began with reading the Kaplan Books and taking detailed notes and making flashcards. From there, I moved onto the Uworld question bank and NextStep Full Length exams. The final segment of my studying involved completing all of the AAMC material as well as other resources I found online.

When did you take the MCAT: August 2019 (right after my sophomore year)

What was your pre-med experience:

My pre-med experience was a lot of fun. It started out pretty rough and I had a tough time adjusting to Michigan and the rigor of college. However, I quickly found a great group of friends and that friend group continued to grow and strengthen throughout the four years. If it wasn’t for the support and encouragement I received from them, I don’t think my pre-med experience, or my college experience in general, would have been as rewarding. In general, pre-med at Umich is supposed to be tough, but that doesn’t mean it has to be miserable. With good planning, support, and discipline it can also be a lot of fun.

Recommendations/advice for current students:

The biggest piece of advice I’ll give is never be afraid to challenge yourself. If it wasn’t for my willingness to push myself out of my comfort zone, I wouldn’t have met all of the good friends I have now nor would I have had all of the great experiences to look back on. In terms of practical advice: get organized. Make sure your calendar is organized, you have a to-do list, your email inbox is clean, you have a set daily schedule. Every morning, you should wake up knowing exactly what events you have, what tasks you need to complete and by what time they should be completed. Take one day of the week (for me it was Sunday) to plan the next week and reflect on the previous week. Using this will help make life feel less hectic, and give you more free time than you previously had.

Classes: