2nd Day Medical School

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EmCEm

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I just hope I can absorb all of the information I am supposed to in due time (by mid block exam). A ton of the lecture material thus far was skipped over as it is supposed to be self study. Freaking out a bit. I feel like other classmates don't seem as freaked, which worries me more. I will push on, but... Can things feel better? Less overwhelming?
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EmCEm said:
Freaking out a bit.
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Isn't that cool though? Medical school. I think you'll learn to thrive on the anxiety and adapt to the workload. Everyone else is freaking out to a greater or lesser degree and will continue to do so for the next four years, at least.
 
EmCEm said:
I just hope I can absorb all of the information I am supposed to in due time (by mid block exam). A ton of the lecture material thus far was skipped over as it is supposed to be self study. Freaking out a bit. I feel like other classmates don't seem as freaked, which worries me more. I will push on, but... Can things feel better? Less overwhelming?
Click to expand...
It's very common for classmates to act like they are fine when they are really freaking out just like you. Your scenario is very common the first few weeks of med school. Just keep chugging along.
 
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EmCEm said:
I just hope I can absorb all of the information I am supposed to in due time (by mid block exam). A ton of the lecture material thus far was skipped over as it is supposed to be self study. Freaking out a bit. I feel like other classmates don't seem as freaked, which worries me more. I will push on, but... Can things feel better? Less overwhelming?
Click to expand...
If it makes you feel better, I just finished the second day of med school too and felt the same way. I was barely keeping up with the hundreds of anatomy ppt slides (with half of them not lectured on, and self-study too). Definitely was not prepared for this amount of information! But talking to other classmates afterwards, I think everyone feels the same way--some just show it more/less so don't stress haha.
 
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Welcome to medicine. You're going to be fine.
 
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At your stage there are 3 categories of people who "aren't freaking out":

1) that one guy with the photographic memory who legitimately isn't freaking out.

2) people who aren't freaking out and spend a bunch of time playing video games and going out still. They will be freaking out once they fail first block

3) Liars. Plenty of these around. People who lie about not freaking out, how much they study, how well they did


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sonofva said:
At your stage there are 3 categories of people who "aren't freaking out":

1) that one guy with the photographic memory who legitimately isn't freaking out.

2) people who aren't freaking out and spend a bunch of time playing video games and going out still. They will be freaking out once they fail first block

3) Liars. Plenty of these around. People who lie about not freaking out, how much they study, how well they did


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Eventually there will be a 4th type. They are the people who put in legitimate study time and accept their fate, whatever it may be. This is the person you want to be, imo.
 
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It's normal, many people don't show their true selves till much later in the year when they begin to realize we are all struggling together and there is no need to pretend like we know what we're actually doing lol. Remain calm and study with a plan, don't just say "i'm gonna study" and study whatever. Organize what topics you want to cover in a certain amount of time and conquer that, then move on to another study goal. I found this to be helpful and less stressful since the beginning is very overwhelming.
 
I want to thank you all for the feedback; it really helps me put things into perspective. I ended up speaking with classmates today, and most seem overwhelmed. My studying technique has been to make a master study packet of notes based off course objectives, but it takes a while. This worked in undergrad, but I am worried I can't keep up with that here. I tend to make my packets look how I like to see info, as I remember it best that way. I think I am too detailed. Any comments on this?
 
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EmCEm said:
I want to thank you all for the feedback; it really helps me put things into perspective. I ended up speaking with classmates today, and most seem overwhelmed. My studying technique has been to make a master study packet of notes based off course objectives, but it takes a while. This worked in undergrad, but I am worried I can't keep up with that here. I tend to make my packets look how I like to see info, as I remember it best that way. I think I am too detailed. Any comments on this?
Click to expand...

I don't have a solution yet, but I had the same experience trying to make review packets this week (didn't work, I lost the forest for the trees) so you are not alone!
 
EmCEm said:
I want to thank you all for the feedback; it really helps me put things into perspective. I ended up speaking with classmates today, and most seem overwhelmed. My studying technique has been to make a master study packet of notes based off course objectives, but it takes a while. This worked in undergrad, but I am worried I can't keep up with that here. I tend to make my packets look how I like to see info, as I remember it best that way. I think I am too detailed. Any comments on this?
Click to expand...

I don't recommend using course objectives as a guide to studying. I rarely ever look at course objectives, but in the instances that I have it was always as a final review to make sure I recognized all of them. I have never encountered a question on a test where I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at (not true for Kaplan Qbank, but true for school exams). IMO using course objectives as a study guide narrows the scope of your learning and leads you down a road of memorization rather than understanding. Memorizing 70% of med school is harder than understanding 99% of it.
 
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EmCEm said:
I just hope I can absorb all of the information I am supposed to in due time (by mid block exam). A ton of the lecture material thus far was skipped over as it is supposed to be self study. Freaking out a bit. I feel like other classmates don't seem as freaked, which worries me more. I will push on, but... Can things feel better? Less overwhelming?
Click to expand...

Don't look around you - yes, some people are absorbing it better/faster than you are, but overall, medical school is about how well you can hang in the long run. Put in everything you have to offer and don't be scared. It will get less overwhelming as you understand things better (i.e. professors, expectations, what is on exams)
 
EmCEm said:
I want to thank you all for the feedback; it really helps me put things into perspective. I ended up speaking with classmates today, and most seem overwhelmed. My studying technique has been to make a master study packet of notes based off course objectives, but it takes a while. This worked in undergrad, but I am worried I can't keep up with that here. I tend to make my packets look how I like to see info, as I remember it best that way. I think I am too detailed. Any comments on this?
Click to expand...

You're trying to find your own learning style to cope with the deluge. It may take a couple of tries to get this right. Keep what works, ditch the time wasters. Be flexible. Use whatever method to memorize what you need, plus some, but it's always more important to understand the bigger picture. (But don't overthink. And never, ever procrastinate. Just get 'er done and you'll pass.)
 
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It's been almost two months for me and still don't know what the f... I am doing...
 
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Guys, relax. It's going to be okay. It is totally normal to feel like this in the first weeks to months into medical school. My best advice is to try and LEARN the material as opposed to memorizing every little piece of minutia caked on the lecturers slides. I would also recommend deviating from the course objectives. Find a review/board book (preferably FA) and for each section of a class, see what is highlighted in the board book and hammer that home. You may not get you an A+ in the class, but it will help differentiate between what is important and what is "fluff".

Also, the way you study for one class may not be the best approach for another class. The way I studied for cell was completely different than the way I studied for pathology. Also, throughout the year my note taking skills changed. I was the type that typed everything out on my computer next to the ppt slides, but then I got a iPad a few months into school and converted all of my powerpoints to PDF files and took notes on Notability. This allowed me to annotate, write, and draw on my slides. Then, a few days before the exam, I would take a "snapshot" of the high yield slides and compile them into an album on my camera roll for that particular test and go over it several times leading up to the test. This was sufficient for me, and didn't completely eat up all my time.

In UG, I was the type who learned best by writing/drawing diagrams, but found that I had to deviate from this strategy during medical school due to sheer load. Whenever there was extra time though, or I felt that I really couldn't memorize or understand something, I would draw the appropriate diagram pertaining to that concept. Point being, with my strategy, not only did I managed to survive first year, but I also feel like I actually learned the important, big picture concepts from my classes that are board pertinent. This is more important in my opinion because boards>>>> pre-clinical grades. The sooner you figure this out, the better off you'll be.

Lastly, AVOID discussing grades with anyone, especially after the test, especially at the beginning of the year. It will lead to people lying about their grades, hurt egos, confrontations, and you doubting/reconsidering your study strategies. When it comes to grades, worry about your own and don't worry about what the guy with "photographic memory" or the person who "didn't really study" got on the last test. It doesn't matter because in no way does it or should it affect you and your output during first year. You know your capability and the effort you need to put forward in order to be successful, and that is all that matters at the end of the day. Best of luck on the road ahead. It may seem difficult at first, but you will find that you have another gear and everything will become manageable soon.
 
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I really liked some advice second years gave: it's a marathon not a sprint so don't burn out too soon (ie half way through first semester)
 
1 week into the first year. I'm studying a fair amount (4-5 hours on weekdays). I plan to do 8-10/day this weekend. I know there is a lot of information that I don't know but I'm just in a chill mood right now. Going with the flow pretty much. I'm sure I'll freak out the night before my exam or something though.
 
Some good advice in here. As hard as it is, try not to get caught up in the "worrying about how everyone else is doing" thing. I've seen that drive some of my classmates insane. Just focus on what you are doing, make adjustments as needed, don't get down on yourself if you falter since the information will not pause and wait for you while you sulk and finally, be honest with yourself about the amount of work you are putting in to this--it takes quite a bit to be successful. Believe it or not, by the end of your first year you will most likely be able to look back a year and have your mind blown with how your brain has adapted to the unreal amounts of info that is thrown at you and how you have become much more proficient in the way you absorb it and learn.

Oh and also don't forget to use the Force.
 
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I'm a couple weeks into first year, studying about 4 hrs after class on weekdays and double that on weekends. My study plan is basically Mon-Fri I've been outlining that day's lectures in my own words (writing helps me learn things), skimming the next days lectures and reviewing the past days' outlines. On weekends I catch up on anything I'm not understanding (cross reference with textbook, watch lecture again, etc) and add any missing details to my outlines. I also write mock test questions/flash cards on anything seeming to be important, which I plan to use in the days leading up to the exam to study and drive home the main points, along with practice questions from BRS, Pretest, etc. I have no idea how this plan will work out, but I find it's easier to study when I have a routine and certain goals to accomplish each day. Just trying to pass and not waste a year's tuition haha- if I can do that, I'll be happy!
 
EmCEm said:
I just hope I can absorb all of the information I am supposed to in due time (by mid block exam). A ton of the lecture material thus far was skipped over as it is supposed to be self study. Freaking out a bit. I feel like other classmates don't seem as freaked, which worries me more. I will push on, but... Can things feel better? Less overwhelming?
Click to expand...
Yep, we all felt like that. don't let anyone say they are not. We all cried every day thinking we would fail out - we didn't. You will be fine.
 
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Just had my first exam today.

As long as the first digit of my score is a 7, I'll be happy. Get by now during the transition, and perfect it later.
 
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IH8ColdWeath3r said:
Guys, relax. It's going to be okay. It is totally normal to feel like this in the first weeks to months into medical school. My best advice is to try and LEARN the material as opposed to memorizing every little piece of minutia caked on the lecturers slides. I would also recommend deviating from the course objectives. Find a review/board book (preferably FA) and for each section of a class, see what is highlighted in the board book and hammer that home. You may not get you an A+ in the class, but it will help differentiate between what is important and what is "fluff".

Also, the way you study for one class may not be the best approach for another class. The way I studied for cell was completely different than the way I studied for pathology. Also, throughout the year my note taking skills changed. I was the type that typed everything out on my computer next to the ppt slides, but then I got a iPad a few months into school and converted all of my powerpoints to PDF files and took notes on Notability. This allowed me to annotate, write, and draw on my slides. Then, a few days before the exam, I would take a "snapshot" of the high yield slides and compile them into an album on my camera roll for that particular test and go over it several times leading up to the test. This was sufficient for me, and didn't completely eat up all my time.

In UG, I was the type who learned best by writing/drawing diagrams, but found that I had to deviate from this strategy during medical school due to sheer load. Whenever there was extra time though, or I felt that I really couldn't memorize or understand something, I would draw the appropriate diagram pertaining to that concept. Point being, with my strategy, not only did I managed to survive first year, but I also feel like I actually learned the important, big picture concepts from my classes that are board pertinent. This is more important in my opinion because boards>>>> pre-clinical grades. The sooner you figure this out, the better off you'll be.

Lastly, AVOID discussing grades with anyone, especially after the test, especially at the beginning of the year. It will lead to people lying about their grades, hurt egos, confrontations, and you doubting/reconsidering your study strategies. When it comes to grades, worry about your own and don't worry about what the guy with "photographic memory" or the person who "didn't really study" got on the last test. It doesn't matter because in no way does it or should it affect you and your output during first year. You know your capability and the effort you need to put forward in order to be successful, and that is all that matters at the end of the day. Best of luck on the road ahead. It may seem difficult at first, but you will find that you have another gear and everything will become manageable soon.
Click to expand...

This post is true on every point.
 
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Our anatomy professor is like 80 years old, he comes in presents 15 poorly put together slides, and leaves the rest of it for us to figure out on our own :lame:. Already looking forward to the weekend.
 
Mehd School said:
Just had my first exam today.

As long as the first digit of my score is a 7, I'll be happy. Get by now during the transition, and perfect it later.
Click to expand...
OMG, that's how I felt in neuro. Just didn't get it. I figured if I could get a 50 on the first exam, then I could pass because the pathology at the end would save me. Got a 54 on the first exam. YES:claps: Was totally happy. Got a 95 on that last exam (the path portion), ended up with an 88 over all. What??? Just pass, it all sucks. You cannot know it all. Just get through.
:ninja:
 
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EMDO2018 said:
Our anatomy professor is like 80 years old, he comes in presents 15 poorly put together slides, and leaves the rest of it for us to figure out on our own :lame:. Already looking forward to the weekend.
Click to expand...
We don't have anatomy lectures at my school :confused:
 
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Mehd School said:
Just had my first exam today.

As long as the first digit of my score is a 7, I'll be happy. Get by now during the transition, and perfect it later.
Click to expand...

Just so long as its not the first and last digit, right? But yeah, at this point that's your goal.

NontradCA said:
We don't have anatomy lectures at my school :confused:
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Yup, we didn't either, with the exception of an intro lecture telling us that if we fail we will have to repeat the year and maybe one other short one on autonomics later in the course.

Mehd School said:
Wait.



What?
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cabinbuilder said:
How is that even possible??
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PBL... (anatomy is the one course I feel they should have done differently).

cabinbuilder said:
I would be so pissed if that is what my tuition paid for.
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Haha, well many of the people at your alma mater are taking it in stride.
 
Hallowman did you go to Bradenton? Because if you did we have anatomy lecture now for the first 10 weeks then we start pbl
 
Buckeye1992 said:
Hallowman did you go to Bradenton? Because if you did we have anatomy lecture now for the first 10 weeks then we start pbl
Click to expand...

Nope. You guys get all out lectures consistently in those 10wks? I feel like LECOM PBL (but I guess not Bradenton) is unsure what to do with Anatomy. I have friends who graduated not too long ago and they had lectures first also. I also hear some people saying that in their year they lectured for embryology and histology during anatomy and others only got embryology lectures in their year. It seems like it's a little fluid and might vary from year to year.

I mean in the end our NBME anatomy shelf average is consistently higher than the national average and equal to or slightly higher than the LDP averages, so it doesn't seem to really matter. It just makes getting started a little tough.
 
cabinbuilder said:
What is that supposed to mean?? We had a great anatomy course in Erie when I went there. Not sure what you are getting at?
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Its still a good course. Some of us aren't lectured at for Anatomy now though, which is what I was getting at.

As I said, we still get above average on the NBME anatomy shelf that we have to take and don't get time to study for (at least outside of studying for our own exams), so like I said, we aren't really hurt by it.
 
hallowmann said:
Its still a good course. Some of us aren't lectured at for Anatomy now though, which is what I was getting at.

As I said, we still get above average on the NBME anatomy shelf that we have to take and don't get time to study for (at least outside of studying for our own exams), so like I said, we aren't really hurt by it.
Click to expand...
Well, you have shelf exams that are required now which is practice for the boards. We did not have shelf exams at the time so there was the course exams for practice before the boards.
 
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