How did you get over the dread of being almost naked for 300 hours?

[cryhavoc]

Osteopathic manipulation class is like 300 hours of being naked.

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

And I know I'm going to be scarlet for weeks. I have worked with patients who have been naked via volunteering. But that is them.

I'm modest. Even just wearing shorts and being touched seems so embarrassing to me.

I'm going to do it of course (no choice really) but I'm dreading it.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dr. Death]

Me too. This is my primary motivation for working out. Fortunately I have a spouse to shave my back for me so it doesn't take nearly as long.

 

[DO2015CA]

You'll be over it by the 3rd week. It's not that big of a deal and the majority of your classmates arent going to be models either

 

[Roxas]

Osteopathic manipulation class is like 300 hours of being naked.

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

And I know I'm going to be scarlet for weeks. I have worked with patients who have been naked via volunteering. But that is them.

I'm modest. Even just wearing shorts and being touched seems so embarrassing to me.

I'm going to do it of course (no choice really) but I'm dreading it.

Are you M or F?

Honestly you will be amazed at how quickly you get over it and it becomes no big thang. Also remember that everyone else is probably feeling just as awkward as you are about it. Out of it there comes a camaraderie of sorts.

And finally: nothing beats the embarrassment to us all that Cranial OMM is a thing.

 

[D4C]

Be comfortable and confident in your own skin.

 

[kenjixshadow]

Easy
1) Be attractive
2) Don't be unattractive
People can look at me being naked all day everrryyyydddddaaayyyyy since I am confident of my body. Be confident. Seriously.

 

[ortnakas]

1) You're not going to be naked. You're probably not even going to be almost naked. Shorts and t-shirt are pretty standard, with shirts removed for some things (sports bras for females stay on, obviously). I've worn a lot less clothes at a beach/swimming pool or a 100-degree day than I do to OMM lab.

2) At my school, rules against making fun of anyone's body habitus, cat-calling, etc. are STRICTLY enforced and I am sure that's the same anywhere. I've never seen anyone actually do or say anything cruel, but I've seen faculty think that's what happened, and they took it very seriously.

3) It's awkward for almost everybody at first, but you get used to it.

 

[Jinxapotato]

and you're not exactly "naked" per se, and if you're a woman prof will tell you how to properly "ensure your and the patient's modesty"...yeah

 

[cryhavoc]

Me too. This is my primary motivation for working out. Fortunately I have a spouse to shave my back for me so it doesn't take nearly as long.

Lucky. Takes forever for me to do it on my own.

Are you M or F?

My school didn't have gym so I never had the whole locker room thing. And we didn't walk around half naked at home. And swimming was like a once a year thing.

I'm basically a 85 year old nun inside a 20-something's body.

 

[GUH]

You get over it quickly. Besides, if you're fat, people know it whether or not you're wearing a shirt.
If you're in great shape, then there's nothing to worry about.
If you're somewhere in between, then you'll look exactly like a majority of your classmates.

And it's more like 200 hours at most schools anyways.

 

[cryhavoc]

I was hoping more for "half my class was blushing the first week" and "yeah, some of my classmates were way too hairy looking" to make me feel better. but guess I'll settle for this.

Thanks . . . I would crawl naked through a hot bed of coals everyday if I had to to become a physician so I guess I'll survive.

 

[Roxas]

I was hoping more for "half my class was blushing the first week" and "yeah, some of my classmates were way too hairy looking" to make me feel better. but guess I'll settle for this.

Thanks . . .

This is true too, although I think people are far more judgy of weight than hairiness. I'm a fairly big dude and even then everything was fine. You just get over the whole self-consciousness thing after a while

I would crawl naked through a hot bed of coals everyday if I had to to become a physician so I guess I'll survive.

And keep this fire alive for as long as possible, cause there will be days where you will question ever decision you've ever made in your life that led you to that point. I wish I was just being dramatic, but I'm serious....

 

[Roxas]

Here's some supplementary reading:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/too-fat-for-omm.1052688/page-2

 

[deleted407021]

Haha, I think that you'll feel better with practice and as you become acclimated.

As for myself, I've performed in front of people for years, so I'm essentially immune to feeling weird. Kind of glad about that going into Let Strangers Touch Your Body 101.

 

[ortnakas]

I was hoping more for "half my class was blushing the first week" and "yeah, some of my classmates were way too hairy looking" to make me feel better. but guess I'll settle for this.

Thanks . . . I would crawl naked through a hot bed of coals everyday if I had to to become a physician so I guess I'll survive.

Half of us probably were blushing the first week, but none of us care anymore. Take that as a good sign.

None of us have paid attention to whether our classmates were particularly hairy or not. Take that as a good sign, too.

 

[Derivations]

Not sure about other schools but ours was t shirt and shorts for nearly every lab. Only for a few select treatments did we actually need to be "on skin", most could be done through clothing.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Wait what? You have to be naked for OMM?! Since when?! Oh no, hunty, I am a boiled chicken. Oh hell naw...

 

[moy505]

And keep this fire alive for as long as possible, cause there will be days where you will question ever decision you've ever made in your life that led you to that point. I wish I was just being dramatic, but I'm serious....

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

 

[Jinxapotato]

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

it's better in the sense that you get to do stuff, and see stuff that actually happen, and not memorize the textbook definition of a bunch of African diseases that you probably will never see in your career. BUT you will still work your ass off and be sleep deprived and generally have a horrible daily schedule (if you are in a ward rotation that is..)

 

[SLC]

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

Heck no, pre-clinical years were a breeze compared to the hell that years 3,4, and PGY-1 are. The stuff you do is fine, the hours you keep is what will break you. Im married and haven't had real consistent quality time with my family since 2013 if that tells you anything.

I'm reserving the right to add PGY-2 and 3 to that list when I experience them as well.

 

[NontradCA]

I grew up.

 

[Z-Qualizer]

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

Not sure what method/equipment you're using but...

THIS is an amazing product - I stand by it 100%: http://www.amazon.com/MANGROOMER-Ul...78493&sr=8-1&keywords=mangroomer+ultimate+pro
Amazon product

This one is garbage - don't waste your time/$:
Amazon product

Also, hit the gym/exercise and tighten-up your diet, if you're not already doing so.

Good luck & I hope this helps!

 

[DO2015CA]

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

Even if it is true... The 1st year alone is enough to make you rethink your choices and how foolish you were to think it would be fun

 

[Mad Jack]

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

I felt worse in 1st year than 2nd myself. 3rd year is generally referred to as a living nightmare. There were days I was so depressed and anxious during first year I literally couldn't function. Second year is fine, most days, because I just reached a point where something gave and I stopped giving a **** about anything, sort of "if I fail I fail, if I succeed, I succeed, either way, this'll be over" kind of mentality. But yeah, it's horrible. Like, legit "see your classmates crying because they can't take the stress and we've got an anatomy exam tomorrow and they don't feel like they studied enough" levels of horrible. You'll get over it though, and you'll be a stronger person for it, but it is not enjoyable, and it is, largely, not a fun process.

 

[Mbeas]

1) You're not going to be naked. You're probably not even going to be almost naked. Shorts and t-shirt are pretty standard, with shirts removed for some things (sports bras for females stay on, obviously). I've worn a lot less clothes at a beach/swimming pool or a 100-degree day than I do to OMM lab.

I agree with this.

If taking your shirt off scares you, how are you going to palpate people's pubic symphysis and perform techniques where your hand is almost up someone's crack?

 

[Mbeas]

Is it really that bad? I heard pre-clinicals, non-stop studying for 2 years sucks, but 3rd and 4th year are suppose to be much better...?

Everyone has a different opinion about which year is worst. My personal evaluation is 4>2>1>3.

 

[Goro]

Being in gym clothes is like being naked?

Osteopathic manipulation class is like 300 hours of being naked.

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

And I know I'm going to be scarlet for weeks. I have worked with patients who have been naked via volunteering. But that is them.

I'm modest. Even just wearing shorts and being touched seems so embarrassing to me.

I'm going to do it of course (no choice really) but I'm dreading it.

 

[Dr. Death]

Being in gym clothes is like being naked?

Makes it easier for people to undress me with their eyes . . .

 

[Oh_Gee]

Osteopathic manipulation class is like 300 hours of being naked.

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

And I know I'm going to be scarlet for weeks. I have worked with patients who have been naked via volunteering. But that is them.

I'm modest. Even just wearing shorts and being touched seems so embarrassing to me.

I'm going to do it of course (no choice really) but I'm dreading it.

start walking around in your underwear at your house like i do. that is my preferred outfit. t shirt and shorts is my secondary. if only that was considered "professional"

 

[OverlyRomantic]

start walking around in your underwear at your house like i do. that is my preferred outfit. t shirt and shorts is my secondary. if only that was considered "professional"

I got a one bedroom apartment for myself for medical school, and this will be my first time without any room mates. This is going to be my preferred outfit as well.

 

[ortnakas]

Makes it easier for people to undress me with their eyes . . .

Everyone will be too busy learning OMM or being subconscious themselves to undress you with their eyes. You're all gonna be okay.

 

[37Base]

What's everyone's experience with the temperature of the room?

I actually enjoy stripping down, but being cold is no bueno.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[MetalloBetalactamase]

To OPs question. Dress like a Jedi Night. Insist that it's demanded of you by your religion.

 

[Launcelot]

Osteopathic manipulation class is like 300 hours of being naked.

I'm already thinking of all the time I've going to have to spend shaving my own back so I don't scare all my classmates. It takes forever.

And I know I'm going to be scarlet for weeks. I have worked with patients who have been naked via volunteering. But that is them.

I'm modest. Even just wearing shorts and being touched seems so embarrassing to me.

I'm going to do it of course (no choice really) but I'm dreading it.

Don't shave your back, it will be even more obvious to everyone that you have a hairy back when you guys are doing the standing postural exam and your partner is going over the general inspection and says aloud "Lots of prickly dots all over the back". Plus it will be unpleasant to your partners when they have to do soft tissue techniques on your prickly back.

 

[Rekt]

I'm not sure what schools some of you guys go to, but it has been nearly gym shorts/t-shirt 95% of the time for OMM. I think I've shown more skin in our clinical skills classes than OMM.

 

[uworldrelay]

Ya, totally, I would just sign in and then leave to go study

 

[moy505]

I felt worse in 1st year than 2nd myself. 3rd year is generally referred to as a living nightmare. There were days I was so depressed and anxious during first year I literally couldn't function. Second year is fine, most days, because I just reached a point where something gave and I stopped giving a **** about anything, sort of "if I fail I fail, if I succeed, I succeed, either way, this'll be over" kind of mentality. But yeah, it's horrible. Like, legit "see your classmates crying because they can't take the stress and we've got an anatomy exam tomorrow and they don't feel like they studied enough" levels of horrible. You'll get over it though, and you'll be a stronger person for it, but it is not enjoyable, and it is, largely, not a fun process.

So are the regular shelf exams in 3rd year not as bad as exams in MS1/2?

 

[Mad Jack]

So are the regular shelf exams in 3rd year not as bad as exams in MS1/2?

I'm still finishing up second year. As I said, I don't know how I'll feel about third year. Shelf grades don't count for much here though, so even if they're awful it's nbd.

 

[Mbeas]

So are the regular shelf exams in 3rd year not as bad as exams in MS1/2?

They aren't terrible, but they're poorly written just like any other NBOME exam. You don't have to study as much for them because there is some overlap from Step 1 and you learn some of the stuff on your rotations. I think they were harder than my exams during M1/M2, but that's mostly due to the question style and content. There will be questions on the shelves that you will never know the answer to but the NBOME does.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[JustPlainBill]

As I've said elsewhere -- Tshirts and gym shorts were the uniform of the day --- most of your classmates are disgustingly normal with a few hotties sprinkled in but truly, after you've dug around in a dead cadaver and then spent hours with a stethoscope/opthalmoscope/otoscope and/or spent time learning to do a physical exam and are running on 6 hours of sleep thinking you've still got 500 ppts to get through before you can sleep, seeing that smokin' hot blonde -- you know the kind, so hot that her footprints are smokin' -- who's really nice and very handsy -- seeing her in yoga pants and a sports bra just really isn't that big of a deal anymore...

taking your shirt off in front of your peers is awkward the first time because you're not at the beach/pool/volleyball game/wrestling/whatever but in a classroom -- after that, so what, let's just get this over with so I can go home and hit the books.....

Studying becomes your focus and anything that takes away from that is just a waste of time....

The squeamishness/weirded-out feelings really stop once you've done a prostate and/or speculum exam on trained patients --- all bets are off after that ---

If anyone did stare/gawk, I usually just treated them to my interpretive dance maneuver known as the Big Belly Dance (loosely based on Lake' ManuMana's "I'm gonna get me some poi" dance from the film "Necessary Roughness") --- that usually took care of it......

 

[JustPlainBill]

So are the regular shelf exams in 3rd year not as bad as exams in MS1/2?

Our shelf exams were difficult but more clinical than MS1/MS2 exams -- TCOM used to curve them such that if you passed, it represented a passing grade on COMLEX 2 so they were used to be sure you had what you needed from the rotation to pass COMLEX 2.

You'll be fine...seriously, if you got into medical school, you're smart enough to graduate -- just don't quit on yourself and you'll be out practicing medicine in a few years....

 

[ortnakas]

They aren't terrible, but they're poorly written just like any other NBOME exam.

My school uses the NBME shelves instead of the NBOME shelves (except for the OPP one obviously), so the NBOME ones must be really terrible.

 

[SLC]

My school uses the NBME shelves instead of the NBOME shelves (except for the OPP one obviously), so the NBOME ones must be really terrible.

I honored every single one with zero studying. They were a joke.

 

[Dharma]

Heck no, pre-clinical years were a breeze compared to the hell that years 3,4, and PGY-1 are. The stuff you do is fine, the hours you keep is what will break you. Im married and haven't had real consistent quality time with my family since 2013 if that tells you anything.

I'm reserving the right to add PGY-2 and 3 to that list when I experience them as well.

Really? I hated my first 2 years of med school. They really sucked (and I did well). 3 and 4 were tough no doubt, but it was then I realized I was in the right field. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to those first 2 years. Also married, have a kid. Always made the time, although it's tough.

 

[Dharma]

OP if you're worried, take the next few months to get in shape! (You should do it anyway). 80% diet, 20% exercise. Now go hit the gym!

 

[SLC]

Really? I hated my first 2 years of med school. They really sucked (and I did well). 3 and 4 were tough no doubt, but it was then I realized I was in the right field. You couldn't pay me enough to go back to those first 2 years. Also married, have a kid. Always made the time, although it's tough.

I sailed through med school for the most part. Years 1-2 were easy, easier than undergrad in my opinion. Years 3 and 4 were fun, but the schedule just really put a strain on my family. I've got older kids though, so maybe that's the difference.

 

[Dharma]

I sailed through med school for the most part. Years 1-2 were easy, easier than undergrad in my opinion. Years 3 and 4 were fun, but the schedule just really put a strain on my family. I've got older kids though, so maybe that's the difference.

Probably is. My boy was born right before med school started, so there was some time when he wouldn't know if I was there or not. Academically, I did well those first 2 years... but I was not enjoying the experience at all. Constantly questioning what I had done (but it being too late to bail) which made it all the more difficult. Luckily that passed and while it hasn't gotten any easier, I got to admit it's getting better... a little better all the time.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

I grew up.

Oh come on man

 

[hallowmann]

So are the regular shelf exams in 3rd year not as bad as exams in MS1/2?

NBMEs aren't bad at all (no idea about the clinical NBOMEs). The difference is you're studying and exposed to the topics while on rotation just so you know what's going on day to day. That's half your shelf studying. The other half I end up doing like the week before the exam where my goal is to get home ASAP and get through as much UWorld as possible.

The thing that makes 3rd year hard is the schedule. Its fun, but the hours are painful. Been on multiple rotations that are >12hrs/day. Clinic rotations aren't bad, easy 6-8hr days, but I've only had like 2 with that schedule (my luck).

 

[Rekt]

Probably is. My boy was born right before med school started, so there was some time when he wouldn't know if I was there or not. Academically, I did well those first 2 years... but I was not enjoying the experience at all. Constantly questioning what I had done (but it being too late to bail) which made it all the more difficult. Luckily that passed and while it hasn't gotten any easier, I got to admit it's getting better... a little better all the time.

Same position here. Young family. Still an M1 though and it's the absolute worst. Doing very well in classes, but I keep trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel most days. I loved being in the hospital/clinic pre-med school.