Rate the difficulty of medical school

soxman said:

On a scale from 1 to 10 (where 1 is the least difficult and 10 is the worst difficulty level possible) how would you rate the difficulty level of each yaer in medical school:
For MSI, MSII, MSIII and MSIV ?

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I know this is not what you asked, but this is my take on overall difficulty.
3 > 2 > 1 > 4

You will probably get a lot of varied responses given each other's likes/dislikes and strengths/weaknesses.

I agree, its like a 2 so far (1 week in). There's not a lot thinking involved.

After finishing U Texas Southwestern, I give it a 2 out of 10. The first half is just classroom stuff and there were only 17-20 lecture hours per week (same as college). In the 3rd/4th years all you have to do is show up on time and act interested. The 4th year isn't even a full year.

Mixtli said:

I agree, its like a 2 so far (1 week in). There's not a lot thinking involved.

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Give it some time --it's like rolling a snowball down a hill -- seems small and manageable at first, but you will feel like Indiana Jones in the opening scene of Raiders pretty soon.

currently an ms3, but so far...

biochem major in college: 3
ms1: 5
ms2: 8
ms3: 4-9 depending on rotation

the ratios are probably more meaningful than the actual numbers...

m1 - 7
m2 - 7 or 8
m3 - 5
m4 - 1
advanced physics 10
premed courses 4
mcat 5
sat 2

80 percent of med school material is simple: There's just tons and tons and tons of it, and you are responsible for every little bit of it. Don't know how to rate it, because the difficulty does not come from the material, for the most part.

werd said:

currently an ms3, but so far...

biochem major in college: 3
ms1: 5
ms2: 8
ms3: 4-9 depending on rotation

the ratios are probably more meaningful than the actual numbers...

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Was that 5 based mainly on Gross? We started our "Fundamentals I" course (aka - biochem, molecular, and histo) today, and it kind of looks like it is going to be a low-study operation for me with little to no new material.
Too bad the sheer volume of Gross Anatomy material is already starting to rape me in the ass.

Advanced Physics?? I personally found graduate E&M impossible to do, followed by Stat Mech. And then graduate QM I&II, Solid State, Classical Mechanics become relatively a piece of cake.

footcramp said:

m1 - 7
m2 - 7 or 8
m3 - 5
m4 - 1
advanced physics 10
premed courses 4
mcat 5
sat 2

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TheProwler said:

sure, it's harder, but let's think big picture here. You could be in 120 degree weather in Iraq, wearing full battle dress, having people try to blow up your vehicle with booby traps. You could be pulling decaying stillborn calves out of cows (I kid you not, a classmate of mine has done this when he lived on a farm).


Or you could be reading books in an air conditioned, heated library. I'm already kinda stressed, and I know it will get more intense, but where else would you rather be? (working as a doc, I know, but other than that )

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Hmm...I'm in med school and my husband is about to leave for Iraq....therefore difficulty of med school is pretty close to 10 some days and others it's more like a 6-7.

Just started this week. College was pretty rough for me, mainly because I overextended myself with too many difficult classes in one semester. If med school is anything like that.....I guess I'll at least know what to expect!

NonTradMed said:

Just started this week. College was pretty rough for me, mainly because I overextended myself with too many difficult classes in one semester. If med school is anything like that.....I guess I'll at least know what to expect!

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Engineering undergrad - 8/10

Medical school MSI - at times 2/10, and other times 10/10. On average, like 6/10

Med school: 7/10

Finding yourself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that are not your own...finding yourself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap will be the leap home: 9/10

Agent Splat said:

Finding yourself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that are not your own...finding yourself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap will be the leap home: 9/10

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That's deep.

Agent Splat said:

Med school: 7/10

Finding yourself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that are not your own...finding yourself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap will be the leap home: 9/10

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Agent Splat said:

Med school: 7/10

Finding yourself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that are not your own...finding yourself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that the next leap will be the leap home: 9/10

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Oh boy!

ok scott Bakula back in your cage and for gods sake shave your chest hair

Bow down to Quantum Leap, folks.

TheProwler said:

sure, it's harder, but let's think big picture here. You could be in 120 degree weather in Iraq, wearing full battle dress, having people try to blow up your vehicle with booby traps. You could be pulling decaying stillborn calves out of cows (I kid you not, a classmate of mine has done this when he lived on a farm).


Or you could be reading books in an air conditioned, heated library. I'm already kinda stressed, and I know it will get more intense, but where else would you rather be? (working as a doc, I know, but other than that )

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well put. keepin it in perspective.

when things get "tough", i tell myself, "oh, you poor, poor baby. having to learn all that stuff about the human body (while drinking my favorite cup of coffee at caribou)"

if my biggest problem in life is having to study hard and prioritize my new "job" as a med student, then i'm one very lucky dude.

First year students saying med school is a 2 on a scale of 1- 10 after TWO WEEKS!
We'll ask that question again after first year, better yet, after second year and I garantee that you wont say its a 2 anymore.

Dr Who said:

First year students saying med school is a 2 on a scale of 1- 10 after TWO WEEKS!
We'll ask that question again after first year, better yet, after second year and I garantee that you wont say its a 2 anymore.

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Right Med school is like a little snowball atop a hill, and you are at the bottom

TheProwler said:

did you read what I was comparing it to? geez. It's already been quite tough, but let's have a little perspective here. I could be getting shot at right now in battle or missing limbs/senses, but instead, I'm following my lifelong dream.

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Why are you comparing academics to fighting a war in Iraq?

I understand your point prowler, but you forgot an important point. Lets say someone has a good photographic memory and get an "easy" A in anatomy. That same person will probably be miserable in physiology or pathology. My point is that no matter what your strengths are, there is bound to be a class, or instructer, that will test your limits. You might find that studying a certain way is excellent for one course only to find out that it will not work at all for another course. Not to mention the enormous course load.
Anyone who says that medicine is "easy" is either my hero or full of it. While the material is not harder than many undergrad courses, the sheer volume in such a short time is something to keep in mind. I laughed when I read some MS1's proclaiming medical school to be "easy" after two weeks, and it is. But let them wait until new material just keeps piling up on the old and life basically starts to revolve on avoiding falling too much behind on class material. We will see them use many a weekend to catch up on whatever they couldnt keep up with. I am in no way criticizing anyone, I myself thought the same thing a couple of weeks into med school only to how wrong I was.

TheProwler said:

I don't think it's easy by any means. I met with a study group for 4.5 hours (after a lot of independent study) after the first week. I know I can't let myself get behind. I'm hoping to do pretty well - I want more than just a "pass" in all my classes.

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I apologize Prowler, my comments werent directed at you personally. Like I said, I also thought that in the beginning, but experience taught me otherwise. I guess its like one of the posters stated, med school is like a rolling snowball on a huge hill, and you are at the bottom.

In regards to difficulty, its not the material correct? More of the volume and time requirement of the work?

Requiem said:

Why are you comparing academics to fighting a war in Iraq?

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Thank you!-Geez..

maxbaner said:

In regards to difficulty, its not the material correct? More of the volume and time requirement of the work?

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1)Your comment is mostly but not absolutely true..[you have physio, molecular bio, even ethic questions that might even tell what kind of human being you are]

2)Plus there is the mental gymnastics part.. No matter how difficult, there is always at least one guy suggesting its easy as hell..(Im not saying this guy can easily teach what he knows)[This guy will never tell you how he relieves stress or if he manifest it in headache, insomnia, gastritis, lightheadedness, mild depresson, etc...

3)Ignorance is bliss.

why don't we have people who have actually been in medical school for a while answer this question, like 3rd, 4th years, or graduates instead of 1st years or students who have been in medical school for a week or two.

Nappalachian said:

why don't we have people who have actually been in medical school for a while answer this question, like 3rd, 4th years, or graduates instead of 1st years or students who have been in medical school for a week or two.

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Well, the people who were posting earlier in the tread are all MSII's or higher now seeing as the thread is almost two years old.

Prowler give us an update.

My thoughts (I'm only a MS1)...

Difficulty of material: 2
Effort/time required do "good": ~6

Difficulty of undergrad material: ~6
Effort/time required to do "good": 2

(I was an engineering major)

Well, the people who were posting earlier in the tread are all MSII's or higher now seeing as the thread is almost two years old.

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Exactly, so why don't they reply or someone who can actually compare the different years in medical school.

Difficulty of material: 2
Effort/time required do "good": ~6

Difficulty of undergrad material: ~6
Effort/time required to do "good": 2

Doing "good" is really not difficult. Just say a kind word to someone, help someone in need, forgive someone. Doing "well" in academic fields depends on ability, effort, external factors.

quiltlady said:

...

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do you make your own bed sheets or blankets?

My memories of medical school are that it was the most difficult academic challenge I had ever faced. My previous academic backgound includes an MBA (from NYU-Stern) and a masters degree in bio-organic chemistry.

SnowTown said:

do you make your own bed sheets or blankets?

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yes, I do good work when I make them, and then i do good by giving them away. they are well made.

MSI (anatomy and neuroanatomy) 9/10- I hate memorizing without context.
MSII (path and micro) 5/10
MSIII 4-9 depending on rotation and what is meant by difficult (i.e., difficult schedule, difficult material, difficult people). The hours in some rotations are worse than others. I had some issues with the residents in one of my rotations.
MSIV- I'll let you know next year.


Other life experiences:
Law School 3/10
MCAT 4/10
USMLE 7/10 (high pressure to do well)
Bar Exam 9/10- two day jugernaut of a test- by far the worst test I have ever taken

vtucci said:

MSI (anatomy and neuroanatomy) 9/10- I hate memorizing without context.
MSII (path and micro) 5/10
MSIII 4-9 depending on rotation and what is meant by difficult (i.e., difficult schedule, difficult material, difficult people). The hours in some rotations are worse than others. I had some issues with the residents in one of my rotations.
MSIV- I'll let you know next year.


Other life experiences:
Law School 3/10
MCAT 4/10
USMLE 7/10 (high pressure to do well)
Bar Exam 9/10- two day jugernaut of a test- by far the worst test I have ever taken

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I've always wondered how the Bar compared to the boards? Would mind elaborating on what made the Bar exam more difficult?

I.. 5 ("harder than college")
II.. 7.5 (workload became increasingly ridiculous)
III.. 8 (early mornings, long hours, little respect)
IV.. 3 (occasionally like III, usually nothing like it)

Granted that I'm just finishing M1, if I weren't a nontrad with a family, med school would really be no big deal. Like a 2 or 3...

Since it does get harder, I'll do as suggested and update this thread in the future after I get there.

alphaholic06 said:

I've always wondered how the Bar compared to the boards? Would mind elaborating on what made the Bar exam more difficult?

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The Bar Exam is two full days. The first day is usually the multi-state portion of the exam, i.e., 200 of the worst multiple choice questions you can possibly imagine on the slightest nuances of property, constitutional, criminal, contract and procedural law, and it is general law not actually practiced in any given state (the real laws have been modified from this "model" law). The second day is filled with essays (usually six) and multiple choice for the specific state bar. The multiple choice questions are taken from footnotes out of one of any numbers of volumes of statutes.

I took the NYS Bar Exam in Feb 2001, which had the lowest pass rate in history at that time (only 44% passed). I don't know if subsequent administrations were worse. Fortunately, I did not need to take it a second time.

The wait time to find out your grade is also much longer-- I took the exam in February and did not find out until November.

The greatest thing about the exam is that they post the names of people who took it and passed on a website that anyone can access so law firms would know immediately if you did not pass. My firm found out I passed before I did-- I knew when I saw flower arrangements on my desk from my secretary.

2>1>3>4?

Not sure about ms4 at this point, but I'm sure as hell glad to be out of the "death by powerpoint" phase of med-school.