Quote:
Originally Posted by arckid
I'm Impressed...because many students i have spoken to, tell me it is better to take less semester loads and perform better than taking much more and graduating on time. If you don't mind me asking, how well did you do in the program considering the fact that it took you only two semesters. And also since i just got into the program, looking at my classes it seems like endocrinology might be the class taken from a three to four credit from what i heard due to its course load.......besides that what advice/method would you give to students just getting into the program as far as hours of studies is concerned!
|
I finished with a 3.7 GPA. Do I regret not getting a 4.0? Only slightly. Those friends of mine that did end up with 4.0's, for the most part, took a slightly more relaxed schedule. But I'll give credit where credit is due, and these students who got 4.0's are still quite exceptional students. I Took all 4 of the 5-hour courses b/w the Fall and Spring semesters, plus a few other classes. During Maymester I took the 2-hr seminar and the 3-hr Medical Mycology class. If you feel that you are a strong student, and you are a seriously disciplined "studier," then I believe it is possible to do it this way. **This is just my opinion, though.** The reason I completed the program in such a manner is that I felt "if I couldn't handle this kind of a load, then how would I fare in medical school?" Not to mention, I'm not from MS, so I had no chance of getting into UMC. I had to try and create a schedule (in terms of course load and difficulty) that would closely mimic the other "true" SMP programs to have any shot of getting into my state schools. Some people end up spreading out their time at MC over 3 semesters, and along the way they waste money taking some bullsh*t classes (i.e. Genomics, Human Heredity...etc). I wanted to get in and get out. If you look at most of the other SMP programs, they are designed to be completed in a calendar year.
In terms of how much you should study each day, it really ranges from student to student. I personally believe that one should study close to 6 dedicated hours each day. That means without distractions! No laptops, no facebook, etc! Find a good partner to go over the lab structures with for Neuro and Gross. Having multiple friends who can quiz you on the cadavers and models is a great help. If you study your butt off consistently for each lecture and lab quiz (given weekly in the 5-hr classes), come exam time it won't be as stressful when you are preparing. I also believe this is the key to success/getting A's in the 5 hour classes. Speed of learning is also key. You will be memorizing lots of information in a small amount of time.
Make sure you take time to make friends, too! Most people are really awesome and super helpful in the program. I made some truly great friends in my time down in MS.