GAMSAT Deadset: Whether You Think You Can or Think You Can’t, You’re Right

Thinking is being. It is difficult to imagine a moment when one is not thinking. To not think is to be asleep or be dead, both literally as well as figuratively. It is a unique exercise to try and stop thinking, about anything at all. While it may seem as if you have achieved it for a few blank seconds, but those blank moments are simply moments of thinking about not trying to think!

All great achievements be it the discovery of gravity or the invention of a light bulb, or the idea of you getting through GAMSAT, began with a thought. You may have seen a person being reprimanded by a teacher in a classroom or being mocked at by friends for being lost in thoughts. Well, if an apple falling to the ground did not make Newton wonder, we would not have known of the phenomenal force that binds us to the earth. Therefore, it is not too bad to ponder over things; it is what makes us humans. GAMSAT is aced easily by those who do not refrain from thinking in a novel way. This is not just thinking out-of-the-box just for the sake of sounding new and interesting but offering new solutions to an existing problem.

You are only as big as you feel. I once read this line in a delightful book called Stuart Little. It is needless to question the validity of this statement. Great success and happiness in life can be achieved by managing ones thoughts. Thoughts are like waves, an incessant stream of good and bad notions that flood the mind. Meditation, an in thing these days, is a process of controlling the quality of thoughts, to be at peace with oneself. This leads to a more aware personality, more adept at handling everyday situations. If you think you will not be able to pass GAMSAT, you have probably already spelt out your fate. Therefore, the magic wand to control your destiny lies in your own hands. Events in life are nothing but a materialisation of thoughts. To be a doctor, you have to first learn to think like one. The more you hold on to a thought, the more power you invest in it. Positive thoughts energise you whereas negative thoughts drain you of your strength. A medical career is bound to be filled with anxious, disturbing and high-pressure situations. Therefore, it is imperative to replace negative thoughts with more positive ones.

But, how do we control our thoughts? How do we separate the chaff from the grain? It is important to analyse our response to situations, words spoken by others, or simply our notion of others and our self. We must learn to ask questions. Were my thoughts positive? Was it essential? What purpose do they serve? People may say, you will not be able to pass GAMSAT. The question is will you accept this idea.

If you have decided upon a medical career and get through GAMSAT, then first build a firm belief in yourself. The idea that you can become a doctor is waiting to become a reality. And as the popular commercial tagline goes, an idea can change your life, it truly can.