Essentials for Surviving Med School?

[CjOz]

Hey guys,

I'll be starting med school in a couple months and I'm curious if you guys have any tips/gadgets/apps etc that can help a first year survive the 4 year marathon that is med school. Stethoscope/BP cuff/otoscope are a given. I will be starting at a DO school. I'm assuming info you have for an incoming MD student will be applicable to a DO student. I posted this thread in the MD forum due to the increased traffic compared to DO forum.

All I'm bringing to med school so far is a couple anatomy books and a brain that will be swimming in alcohol prior to the start of school.

Thanks!

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[FSU2013]

A keurig.

 

[obscurehero]

a smart phone. Didn't have one before, and now I can't imagine not having one.

Also, school supplies. You'll need things like pens, paper, pencils, you know things you've been buying every August since you were born. OR you could go paperless and grab a tablet and stylus.

Otherwise, chill and enjoy the summer. You won't get many more of those.

 

[BlaseFaire]

Yes. And don't be discouraged if you don't get A's on all of your exams.

Stock up on hi-liters, mechanical pencils, pens, paper, etc. before you start--especially because everything is on sale in August. It's a pain to make trips to the store during the year.

Get one of those Nespresso machines, not a Keurig. You're going to be a doctor.

 

[Armadillos]

If you plan on studying at home, get a good chair. I went to walmart and bought the nicest chair they had, but I really wish I would have shopped around more and spent a couple hundred more to get something nicer and better for the back seeing as I do almost all of my studying at home.

 

[Didierdrogba]

If you plan on studying at home, get a good chair. I went to walmart and bought the nicest chair they had, but I really wish I would have shopped around more and spent a couple hundred more to get something nicer and better for the back seeing as I do almost all of my studying at home.

+1
as well as a good couch and a good bed. Getting quality rest is very important

 

[evilbooyaa]

A good chair/desk with good lighting.
Hi-liters and other stationary + writing utensils.
Don't buy a BP cuff.... ever.
Don't buy an otoscope/ophthalmoscope (at least not yet, make them tell you that you absolutely need one first)
If you drink Coffee regularly and are picky about it, then get a coffee maker. I like microwaveable instant coffee so it's not an issue for me.
A smart phone will probably help, especially if you can be disciplined to not play angry birds 24/7. However, this will help you more on rotations where you don't have a laptop handy.
Decide within the first week whether you learn better by going to class or by watching the lectures from home (depends on school; I know some DO programs are mandatory attendance)
Focus on learning your class material. Make sure that you are retaining at least some info from module to module and not just cramming like it's undergrad. After a module, make sure you can at least remember general concepts, even if you don't remember enzyme names or in-depth mechanisms.

 

[Etorphine]

Let's see, looking around my room at the things that are used the most:

#1 - Start reading reviews for comfy mattresses, you'll want a nice bed.

USB drive/external harddrive - regularly back up all important med. school documents

Stopwatch - helpful for studying

Solid backpack

Nice pair of headphones

Wireless mouse, preferably laser (so it can be used on all med school campus surfaces, like different lecture halls/study locations)

Alcohol

 

[CjOz]

A good chair/desk with good lighting.
Hi-liters and other stationary + writing utensils.
Don't buy a BP cuff.... ever.
Don't buy an otoscope/ophthalmoscope (at least not yet, make them tell you that you absolutely need one first)
If you drink Coffee regularly and are picky about it, then get a coffee maker. I like microwaveable instant coffee so it's not an issue for me.
A smart phone will probably help, especially if you can be disciplined to not play angry birds 24/7. However, this will help you more on rotations where you don't have a laptop handy.
Decide within the first week whether you learn better by going to class or by watching the lectures from home (depends on school; I know some DO programs are mandatory attendance)
Focus on learning your class material. Make sure that you are retaining at least some info from module to module and not just cramming like it's undergrad. After a module, make sure you can at least remember general concepts, even if you don't remember enzyme names or in-depth mechanisms.

Great tips . I already know the type of learner I am. I had to teach myself almost all the sciences because I just dont get anything from going to class. I only learn if I do it myself.

 

[BlaseFaire]

And don't ever open a thread that has the words "DO" and "MD" in the title.

 

[NeuroLAX]

A keurig.

Yes. And don't be discouraged if you don't get A's on all of your exams.

Stock up on hi-liters, mechanical pencils, pens, paper, etc. before you start--especially because everything is on sale in August. It's a pain to make trips to the store during the year.

Get one of those Nespresso machines, not a Keurig. You're going to be a doctor.

Yeah, we are so used to getting As it is sometimes difficult at first to get over it in med school. Do the best you can.

Those machines are over-rated, imo. My classmate's Keurig broke once last semester and once this semester. To me coffee is coffee... I'm not going to pay more for a machine to make me a little cup when I drink a travel mug or two before noon.

A good chair/desk with good lighting.
Hi-liters and other stationary + writing utensils.
Don't buy a BP cuff.... ever.
Don't buy an otoscope/ophthalmoscope (at least not yet, make them tell you that you absolutely need one first)
If you drink Coffee regularly and are picky about it, then get a coffee maker. I like microwaveable instant coffee so it's not an issue for me.
A smart phone will probably help, especially if you can be disciplined to not play angry birds 24/7. However, this will help you more on rotations where you don't have a laptop handy.
Decide within the first week whether you learn better by going to class or by watching the lectures from home (depends on school; I know some DO programs are mandatory attendance)
Focus on learning your class material. Make sure that you are retaining at least some info from module to module and not just cramming like it's undergrad. After a module, make sure you can at least remember general concepts, even if you don't remember enzyme names or in-depth mechanisms.

Definitely stock up on pens and hi-liters . I've already gone through about 2 or 3 packs. I don't use very much notebook paper. My school requires us to have physical exam equipment, . It can get expensive through the school (we get ours from Welch-Allyn) but some of my classmates have fared well with Amazon or eBay.

As for the keeping up and making sure you retain info from each module to the next, I couldn't agree more. Keep up with the class notes and know them well. The most difficult thing about medical school is not so much the content but the amount of content. Since I go to a DO school, I'll advise you on a few things I've picked up: don't kill yourself studying for OPP, just don't. A couple/few days before the exam is plenty, imo. Remember treatments, you will see them over and over and over again. The earlier you memorize them, the less work you will have preparing for exams in the future.

Let's see, looking around my room at the things that are used the most:

#1 - Start reading reviews for comfy mattresses, you'll want a nice bed.

USB drive/external harddrive - regularly back up all important med. school documents

Stopwatch - helpful for studying

Solid backpack

Nice pair of headphones

Wireless mouse, preferably laser (so it can be used on all med school campus surfaces, like different lecture halls/study locations)

Alcohol

to all of the above. I have dual monitors for my desktop and love it. I also have a 1 TB MyBook Live from WD. It's an external HD that allows you to access your files on the go with an internet connection. So it is similar to drop box without the space limit.

 

[CjOz]

I actually dont drink caffiene because it makes me jittery and gives occasional PVCs which annoy the hell outta me. I might just have to suck it up because caffiene seems vital to med school success.

 

[survivordo]

One thing I really enjoyed was having a large screen monitor to study on. It really is nice to be able to bring up multiple windows at once.

Survivor DO

 

[FSU2013]

Those machines are over-rated, imo. My classmate's Keurig broke once last semester and once this semester. To me coffee is coffee... I'm not going to pay more for a machine to make me a little cup when I drink a travel mug or two before noon.

Eh, I used it almost every day during the pre-clinical years. Admittedly, it doesn't make the best coffee, but when you have 8AM required class MS1 and are used to getting up at noon during undergrad, a quick cup of coffee goes a long way. I have a keurig, french press, stove top espresso maker and regular coffee maker. The french press makes the best coffee, but I rarely wake up in time to boil water and let it steep every morning. Plus, there's no clean up with a keurig.

It's all about convenience in the first year of med school when you're trying to figure how to hack it.

 

[theshellyb]

+1 on the Keurig. I couldn't live without mine and I started a collection that we used to put one in the study lounge.

Also don't buy a BP cuff, for sure. Also don't buy an otoscope. A number of people in my class spent a ton of money on them and use them about 3 times in all of M1 and M2 years. If you don't have one, you just borrow someone else's for the very few times you'll need an otoscope and not be in a room where it's mounted on the wall. Same goes for ophthalmoscope.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Eh, I used it almost every day during the pre-clinical years. Admittedly, it doesn't make the best coffee, but when you have 8AM required class MS1 and are used to getting up at noon during undergrad, a quick cup of coffee goes a long way. I have a keurig, french press, stove top espresso maker and regular coffee maker. The french press makes the best coffee, but I rarely wake up in time to boil water and let it steep every morning. Plus, there's no clean up with a keurig.

It's all about convenience in the first year of med school when you're trying to figure how to hack it.

I'm an MS1 right now. Coffee definitely makes my morning. No coffee = not going unless it's required lol.

Some of the best coffee I've ever had came from my friend's French press. Admittedly I've never used one myself but that was damn good coffee. I also don't wake up early enough to do that. Most mornings I barely have enough time to throw on my scrubs and get to class.

 

[NeuroLAX]

+1 on the Keurig. I couldn't live without mine and I started a collection that we used to put one in the study lounge.

Also don't buy a BP cuff, for sure. Also don't buy an otoscope. A number of people in my class spent a ton of money on them and use them about 3 times in all of M1 and M2 years. If you don't have one, you just borrow someone else's for the very few times you'll need an otoscope and not be in a room where it's mounted on the wall. Same goes for ophthalmoscope.

I cannot wait until 3rd year so I can pawn my equipment on incoming first years...

 

[yehhhboiii]

Equipment to buy: Stethoscope
Books to buy: Anatomy Atlas

That's about it.

 

[05silvergt]

One thing I really enjoyed was having a large screen monitor to study on. It really is nice to be able to bring up multiple windows at once.

Survivor DO

Multiple times now I have seen this recommendation in similar threads for incoming first years. How big of a monitor would you all suggest? Keep in mind I don't want to drop $300-400 on a monitor for my laptop.

I was thinking of something along the lines of this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer-Computers-S230HL-ABD-WM/19714383

 

[CjOz]

I love how about 70% of the posts on the thread about"med school essentials" are about coffee.

 

[FSU2013]

Equipment to buy: Stethoscope
Books to buy: Anatomy Atlas

That's about it.

Eh, I'm more of a book guy. I cannot sit through a class to save my life. Give me a pot of coffee, a textbook and a paid subscription to pandora (Oh, that reminds me - if you listen to music while you study, worth the $36 for the year for a pandora subscription) and I can read for days.

I love how about 70% of the posts on the thread about"med school essentials" are about coffee.

That's not a coincidence.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Give me a pot of coffee, a textbook and a paid subscription to pandora (Oh, that reminds me - if you listen to music while you study, worth the $36 for the year for a pandora subscription) and I can read for days.

 

[LUCPM]

If you plan on studying at home, get a good chair.

+1 and I also got a LED desk lamp after first semester - this thing is so much brighter with less heat than a regular halogen lamp.

Dual monitor graphics card for your computer, duplex laser printer, dry erase board...

These are, of course, not essential but try to make everything as optimal as possible for studying.

Even if you don't plan on studying at home, you never know. I stopped going to classes after a month or so, and I was glad I spent $$ to buy these kind of things (when I had money).

 

[ManBroDude]

Headphones: either noise canceling or Bluetooth. I have these lightweight Bluetooth headphones which work beautifully at the gym, no cords. Bonus: record yourself reading your notes out loud on your smartphone and then listen to them when you work out. MEElectronics Air Fi Runaway Bluetooth Stereo Wireless Headphones with Microphone http://amzn.com/B008OUL1OC

First Aid 2013. Go to kinkos and get them to take the binding off and put it in a 3-ring binder so it'll lie flat (and allow you to stuff your handwritten notes, $8). This book will be your bible for the boards in 2 years, you need to get used to it.

Gym membership = health + sanity + sleep

Crock pot = time saver, cook ahead of time.

Whatever hobby you have, spend money on that, too. Anything that will keep you sane and have some semblance of a normal life is worth it's weight in gold. I like golfing and video games, and whenever I get to do those two things is when I'm the happiest.

Netters and/or Rohen anatomy atlases, which are free when you join certain clubs when school starts, so hold off on buying those.

To do well in school, I've found it really helps to form a study group with 1-3 other people right before exams. Learn the material on your own, then get together and explain things in your own words.

Don't pre-study. But if you can't wait, go through a medical terminology textbook, a lot of my classmates struggle remembering words whose word roots give them away. "Clinoid" means "bedpost", for example. There's 4 of them around the diaphragma sellae, which kinda looks like a bed. How easy is that?

 

[LaughingMan]

If you are looking for a high quality chair,

I highly recommend the Herman Miller Aeron Chair. It's a big upfront investment, but the chair is great. I can sit for 8 hours and barely tell.

 

[NeuroLAX]

If you are looking for a high quality chair,

I highly recommend the Herman Miller Aeron Chair. It's a big upfront investment, but the chair is great. I can sit for 8 hours and barely tell.

I've considered buying one. The problem I have is the step where you justify the price and commit to the purchase.

 

[BlaseFaire]

Agreed on the price justification problem. If it cuts into my going out and having fun budget, it's a no-go.

 

[BlaseFaire]

Headphones: either noise canceling or Bluetooth. I have these lightweight Bluetooth headphones which work beautifully at the gym, no cords. Bonus: record yourself reading your notes out loud on your smartphone and then listen to them when you work out. MEElectronics Air Fi Runaway Bluetooth Stereo Wireless Headphones with Microphone http://amzn.com/B008OUL1OC

First Aid 2013. Go to kinkos and get them to take the binding off and put it in a 3-ring binder so it'll lie flat (and allow you to stuff your handwritten notes, $8). This book will be your bible for the boards in 2 years, you need to get used to it.

Gym membership = health + sanity + sleep

Crock pot = time saver, cook ahead of time.

Whatever hobby you have, spend money on that, too. Anything that will keep you sane and have some semblance of a normal life is worth it's weight in gold. I like golfing and video games, and whenever I get to do those two things is when I'm the happiest.

Netters and/or Rohen anatomy atlases, which are free when you join certain clubs when school starts, so hold off on buying those.

To do well in school, I've found it really helps to form a study group with 1-3 other people right before exams. Learn the material on your own, then get together and explain things in your own words.

Don't pre-study. But if you can't wait, go through a medical terminology textbook, a lot of my classmates struggle remembering words whose word roots give them away. "Clinoid" means "bedpost", for example. There's 4 of them around the diaphragma sellae, which kinda looks like a bed. How easy is that?

Anybody else do this for the binding? It sounds brilliant but doesn't it cut off some of the text?

 

[Lady Netter]

1. Make friends..make an effort to get to know your classmates. You can't do med school alone.
2. Look for online copies of books before you think about buying hard copies.
3. Goodwill sells cheap scrubs for anatomy lab.
4. You only need a stethoscope. If you have a family member in the field, just use one of theirs. You could probably think about getting your own for 3rd year.
5. Get your priorities straight.
6. Learn how to time manage - many people coming to med school probably got away with cramming in undergrad. That's not going to work in med school.
7. Think of med school like a job - 9 hours of the day should go towards med school.
8. Think positively and relax - just do your best and try not to compare yourself to others. If you are doing your own personal best, then that's all you can ask for. Realize that there is likely to be those who do much better than you. Don't stress yourself out and just do what you can do.
9. On a similar note, find your own study style and stick do it. Group study may or may not be your thing. I study with a few other girls, but when I say "study with", that means we're in the same room sharing the same table. But we've never really had true "group study." We all do well...group study is not required. So again, what works for some may not work for others. Do what works for you.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Anybody else do this for the binding? It sounds brilliant but doesn't it cut off some of the text?

Doesn't sound like a bad idea, really. I bet they have a special method of separating the front and back cover from the inside pages. You can see the glue or resin that binds the inside pages to the covers.

 

[obscurehero]

Yep. Did this. Seems to be all the rage at my campus at least

 

[theshellyb]

Anybody else do this for the binding? It sounds brilliant but doesn't it cut off some of the text?

Yeah, instead of a 3 ring binder though we had our FedEx put in a spiral binding. No text is cut off. It's at the point now where if you walk in to the FedEx/Kinkos near campus with a First Aid and put it on the counter, you don't even have to tell them what to do, they just know.

 

[BlaseFaire]

Dude. Just had it done. This is legit.

None of the text is lost and the book sits perfectly on the desk. Thank you guys.

 

[CjOz]

why is it so much better to have your first aid photo copied compared to just the book? I dont get it.

 

[BlaseFaire]

They bind it so that the book lays flat.

No photocopying involved.

 

[CjOz]

Ohhh...lightbulb just went off. Thanks