Invaluable advice to incoming med student

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Eh, I found class very helpful. Depends on if your school has half days with focus on small groups and self-study, or has classes from 8-5. Not sure if I would have went to all of them if they were all day...

Originally Posted by Thornwalker

I think I read this thread about a hundred times before I actually started school. Now since I finished M1 year a little while back I can contribute something.

1. Don't pre-study. It's been said a thousand times in a thousand threads. Don't. Please. For the love of god. I know, you're excited, I was too. I know you are anxious and worried about it. I was too. Trust me and everyone else- you will be fine. If you are smart enough to get in you're smart enough to pass. Med school isn't about IQ it's about being committed and diligence.

2. Balance- This is the real #1 piece of advice. It was the first thing our asst. dean said at our orientation and I really took it to heart. Although I wasn't like some of you crazies here on SDN never going to parties in college and doing nothing but pre-med I definitely had my fair share of depriving myself at points during college. You can't do that in medical school. You are not a robot. Stop "sacrificing" your life for medical school. You'll be healthy, happy, and a better physician for it. Your patients will thank you in the long run. Do not be that kid who does nothing but study. During M1 I joined several different Intramural sports teams, volunteered, went on trips etc etc. Sure some blocks suck more than others but don't ever let medical school completely dominate your life. It takes a lot of willpower and effort to let go of the anxiety to be the best. You're already in! Trust the system- you will become a competent physician. You can't learn all of medicine during 1st semester, so don't try. You have the rest of your life to learn medicine. Make sure you make time to exercise, date, and make friends with your classmates.

3. Studying- Remember the transition from high school to college? When you put in the same effort for that chem 101 test and got a B or a C and realized it wasn't going to cut it? Yeah, that's kind of what medical school is like in terms of transition. You have to learn how to learn again, so to speak. It took me all of first year to nail down my preferred method. Experiment. See what works, what doesn't. I had the majority of my system 'figured out' by second semester, but kept playing with it just to be 'sure'. Listen to what works for other people (so you know what to try) but don't get freaked out if someone goes over there notes 8 times and reads all the chapters. Just figure out what works for you and do it.
-Some corollaries

• Anatomy: this was the course I was most freaked out for. I KNEW I was going to struggle in it. Part of it was just not knowing how to study, and the other was just that anatomy was hard for me. You literally just have to immerse yourself in it. Study everyday. Note relationships. HY anatomy was money for me (i like the organization better than BRS). But do the BRS questions - if I got 50%> of those right I knew I was in passing range for my quizzes/exams.
• Every course is a little different. Talk to your upperclassmen, they will be the most helpful for specific courses.

4. Don't go to class- okay, so this kind of contradicts #3 above. But most of the time class is a huge waste of time. If it works for you then great, ignore the rest. This is why class is a waste of time= wake up, eat breakfast, get ready, run out the door = 45 mins of extra sleep time you could have. In class, it's about 5 minutes of the professor fussing with the powerpoint/recording system/ intro slides/ jokes. +5 more minutes of stupid ass questions (everyone is at least like 22 years old right? learn how to f***ing look up information on your own and not waste everyones time). That's ~10 mins on average of a typical lecture just wasted. Plus the lectures may spend more time on stuff you understand (say, how a nerve fires) and then completely gloss over some important clinically relevant point. 4 hours of lecture (~200 mins) ? That's only ~80mins on 2.5 speed. That means even with you pausing to jot down notes/ wiki something you are still saving probably an hour / hour and half of time to actually *gasp* learn the material.

5. Exercise regularly - if you aren't on a routine now, start. Seriously, how can you tell your patients to eat healthy and exercise if you don't? Plus, I think that sweating after anatomy lab helps to get the smell off your skin (anecdotal i know). You'll have more energy, sleep better, and have more confidence. Just do it. It's worth it. You can take an hour out of your day to exercise.

6. Misc. - Learn how to cook good, healthy cheap meals. Make sure you budget your January rent in your fall budget because you probably won't get your 2nd dispersant until after 1/5 when the rents due. Don't be a douche. Help out your classmates as much as you can. Make friends, have fun!!! Try not to gossip to much. Oh and if you're single and lucky you'll probably hook up with one or more of your classmates at some point. Just don't make it a bigger deal than it is (this also goes back to 'don't gossip').

Starting medical school is a rough transition. No one really told me that before I started. For some of you your relationships are going to end, you're going to move across the country without knowing anyone for maybe the first time ever, etc etc. It's easy in the first few weeks to get depressed especially once you start feeling overwhelmed and stressed about school. I'm pretty sure 90% of my class felt the exact same way during 1st semester. You'll be fine, you'll make it through. I'm not saying it's easy, it's actually the toughest part (or was for me). Don't give up though.

In conclusion, I hope this helps!

This was gold. Thanks for the good info.

Glad someone found that useful. I have a bunch of other random thoughts about M1. Maybe I'll write some more if I have time.

Originally Posted by management

This was gold. Thanks for the good info.

This is an awesome thread. Can't wait to contribute a year from now if I can survive MS1.

My advice: Don't listen to people's "invaluable advice."

Originally Posted by CaptainSSO

My advice: Don't listen to people's "invaluable advice."

Do what works for you. Some of the real fanatical study plans would have made me go insane. It took me a while to realize that I should study how I study best.

Originally Posted by CaptainSSO

My advice: Don't listen to people's "invaluable advice."

+1. Read it but understand that you are not the same person, and your experience may be different. Either way, things will work out.

I had to bump this thread, it's so good.

My Advice to any incoming M1:

.............GET OFF THIS SITE


The information in the SDN forums can be useful sometimes, but keep in mind that the major user base on this site are application-stage undergrads and M1s. Do not take advice from this user pool.

Originally Posted by Irish Football

I had to bump this thread, it's so good.

+1 Just read all 10 pages--some amazing insight. A huge thanks to all those who contributed!

Bump! Read every single post. Very insightful. Thanks to everyone who took the time to post their ideas!!

.

Stop worrying about other people's experiences and learn on your own. Use the time before starting first year to travel. Your life will be full of medicine for the next 4 years +, that extra reading for 1-2 months will not help!

Kill or be killed.

Originally Posted by IlDestriero

Kill or be killed.

Lol. Winning.

Don't trust anyone.

This is not only advice for medical school, but advice for life.

Originally Posted by John Lannister

Lol. Winning.

Seeing this username...

Originally Posted by John 117

Don't trust anyone.This is not only advice for medical school, but advice for life.

...and the above advice totally reminds me of the season 2 episode of GoT where Shea tells Sansa not to trust anyone, not just in King's Landing, but in life.

/dorkiness

[QUOTE=Guero;13902177]Seeing this username...

...and the above advice totally reminds me of the season 2 episode of GoT where Shea tells Sansa not to trust anyone, not just in King's Landing, but in life.QUOTE]

GoT FTW

I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you will know the debt is paid.

prehaps we should sticky this? (mods?)

Originally Posted by John Lannister

I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you will know the debt is paid.

Poor poor Tyroin...love ASOIAF!

Originally Posted by h9i9j9

prehaps we should sticky this? (mods?)

+1

Originally Posted by BabyDoc86

GoT FTW

Originally Posted by John Lannister

I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you will know the debt is paid.

Originally Posted by Lucidity

Poor poor Tyroin...love ASOIAF!

nice avatar

Originally Posted by ClotBuster

nice avatar

Haha thank you!

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Originally Posted by nmskyle

buy lube/stretch hamstrings

Hahahaha, this thread is growing more hilarious and off top with each post.

If at all possible, go to a true P/F school...

Don't lose your perspective on life and where you are at in it.

Originally Posted by John Lannister

I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you will know the debt is paid.

strong username to post content ratio

The advice about books in this thread is helpful. Does anyone know if editions matter at all with most of the review books as long as they're less than five years old? Are there any subjects where using an old edition would be a problem?

Also, a Lannister always pays his debts, unless he does IRB (Edit: IBR).

Originally Posted by Tommyguns89

strong username to post content ratio

Shut up.

Originally Posted by tyrionlannister

The advice about books in this thread is helpful. Does anyone know if editions matter at all with most of the review books as long as they're less than five years old? Are there any subjects where using an old edition would be a problem?

Also, a Lannister always pays his debts, unless he does IRB.

This man speaks the truth.

editions don't really matter - with that said, some books have gone from no color to color - that's a big deal. If you ask about specific books you'll get better answers. Also depends on the topic - anatomy is good 5 years ago, molecular bio is not.

Originally Posted by John Lannister

editions don't really matter - with that said, some books have gone from no color to color - that's a big deal. If you ask about specific books you'll get better answers. Also depends on the topic - anatomy is good 5 years ago, molecular bio is not.

Very helpful. Thanks!

Originally Posted by John Lannister

Shut up.



This man speaks the truth.

editions don't really matter - with that said, some books have gone from no color to color - that's a big deal. If you ask about specific books you'll get better answers. Also depends on the topic - anatomy is good 5 years ago, molecular bio is not.

Originally Posted by tyrionlannister

Very helpful. Thanks!

you lannisters are slowly forming a small army.