Summer Before Medical School

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Things you should do in the summer before med school:

1. How active are you? Could you be more active? Take this opportunity to get into the routine of regular exercise. Pick up regular running, try a new sport, hit the gym, go for a really long hike. (if I had had free time to do it before med school I would have tried to hike some long historic trail) Too many med students don't exercise regularly because they "don't have the time". That is bull****. You will have time you just need to set up good habits now.

2. Do you know how to cook? What do you know how to cook? Like I said above there are a few key aspects of health that busy students seem to neglect. Diet is one of them. Learn to cook a few simple healthy dishes and it should be helpful for your wallet and waistline. (not to mention a lot of long term health outcomes) Behavioral stuff is one of the most important things you can go for your health!

3. Do you smoke? Quit.

4. Do you drink? Keep it moderate.

5. Where are you going to live? Set that up. Get to know the neighborhood.

6. Play video games. Helps with hand eye coordination.

Basically you should try and get all the other aspects of living squared away this summer. That way when you start med school you are prepared to really focus on that and the rest will be on autopilot. Don't try to pre-study anything medically related. You'll just stress yourself out and there is enough time for that later.

Originally Posted by SirGecko

Things you should do in the summer before med school:

1. How active are you? Could you be more active? Take this opportunity to get into the routine of regular exercise. Pick up regular running, try a new sport, hit the gym, go for a really long hike. (if I had had free time to do it before med school I would have tried to hike some long historic trail) Too many med students don't exercise regularly because they "don't have the time". That is bull****. You will have time you just need to set up good habits now.

2. Do you know how to cook? What do you know how to cook? Like I said above there are a few key aspects of health that busy students seem to neglect. Diet is one of them. Learn to cook a few simple healthy dishes and it should be helpful for your wallet and waistline. (not to mention a lot of long term health outcomes) Behavioral stuff is one of the most important things you can go for your health!

3. Do you smoke? Quit.

4. Do you drink? Keep it moderate.

5. Where are you going to live? Set that up. Get to know the neighborhood.

6. Play video games. Helps with hand eye coordination.

Basically you should try and get all the other aspects of living squared away this summer. That way when you start med school you are prepared to really focus on that and the rest will be on autopilot. Don't try to pre-study anything medically related. You'll just stress yourself out and there is enough time for that later.

Fantastic advice. I would single out learning how to cook well as my favorite of these. If you don't know how to cook a good number of healthy, balanced, fairly quick meals, spending a good chunk of your summer practicing would be probably the best use of your time I could think of, along with exercising and drinking (moderately).

Originally Posted by SirGecko

Things you should do in the summer before med school:

1. How active are you? Could you be more active? Take this opportunity to get into the routine of regular exercise. Pick up regular running, try a new sport, hit the gym, go for a really long hike. (if I had had free time to do it before med school I would have tried to hike some long historic trail) Too many med students don't exercise regularly because they "don't have the time". That is bull****. You will have time you just need to set up good habits now.

2. Do you know how to cook? What do you know how to cook? Like I said above there are a few key aspects of health that busy students seem to neglect. Diet is one of them. Learn to cook a few simple healthy dishes and it should be helpful for your wallet and waistline. (not to mention a lot of long term health outcomes) Behavioral stuff is one of the most important things you can go for your health!

3. Do you smoke? Quit.

4. Do you drink? Keep it moderate.

5. Where are you going to live? Set that up. Get to know the neighborhood.

6. Play video games. Helps with hand eye coordination.

Basically you should try and get all the other aspects of living squared away this summer. That way when you start med school you are prepared to really focus on that and the rest will be on autopilot. Don't try to pre-study anything medically related. You'll just stress yourself out and there is enough time for that later.

Wow thats really advice!! I've been haunting sdn for what to do before medical school starts (just ordered two Atul Gawande books because they were recommended on a different thread). I think getting a good fitness routine is a great idea. Ty!

Originally Posted by SirGecko

Things you should do in the summer before med school:

1. How active are you? Could you be more active? Take this opportunity to get into the routine of regular exercise. Pick up regular running, try a new sport, hit the gym, go for a really long hike. (if I had had free time to do it before med school I would have tried to hike some long historic trail) Too many med students don't exercise regularly because they "don't have the time". That is bull****. You will have time you just need to set up good habits now.

2. Do you know how to cook? What do you know how to cook? Like I said above there are a few key aspects of health that busy students seem to neglect. Diet is one of them. Learn to cook a few simple healthy dishes and it should be helpful for your wallet and waistline. (not to mention a lot of long term health outcomes) Behavioral stuff is one of the most important things you can go for your health!

3. Do you smoke? Quit.

4. Do you drink? Keep it moderate.

5. Where are you going to live? Set that up. Get to know the neighborhood.

6. Play video games. Helps with hand eye coordination.

Basically you should try and get all the other aspects of living squared away this summer. That way when you start med school you are prepared to really focus on that and the rest will be on autopilot. Don't try to pre-study anything medically related. You'll just stress yourself out and there is enough time for that later.

This is really great. I'm going to learn a few dishes from my mom so I won't starve.

And on may 15 till orientation I'm going to "improve my hand-eye coordination" (i.e., play Diablo 3 for three months straight).

Originally Posted by kydoc

I know this is an old thread, but I'll be starting med school in August and wanted to know if anyone else had any suggestion on what I could do to prepare. I will be doing research this summer, but will still have a good amount of free time. I do plan on doing a lot of relaxing but still wanted to do something productive besides research.

Is there anything anyone particularly struggled with first year and thought some background would have helped?

oh sh#t!!!. Dude you gotta pounce before you loose any more time. Think about all the people who are already reading Harrisons (medicine book) and Robbins (pathology book). You dont wanna be the only guy on first day of med school who doesn't know what Porphyria is. You'll look like a total fool. For the next 4 years people will look at you with the "look" even if they never say anything, cause you know, its just not polite. Trust me!! I know. I also didnt know what Porphyria was on my first day.