How to study before medical school (not trolling)

[Bumbl3b33]

I know I'm going to get flamed because this is such a taboo thing on SDN but, I have TONS of free time on my hand because I scaled back the hours at my job, so....

I want to know what the best way to go about pre-studying would be from those of you that have done it. I have already downloaded the Kaplan USMLE videos as well as Dr. Najeebs lectures and I will be buying all the review books in January/February. I was thinking of watching Dr. Najeeb's videos before school starts and looking over first aid while watching the videos since people say Najeeb is detailed---thoughts?

Thanks!

PS:
I guess I'll nip it in the bud right now and say, don't bother discouraging me. I've been out of school for a few years now and am aching to study. I have already traveled extensively and learned how to play the guitar and 90% of all the things on my bucket list that I can do right now are done, with the other 9-10% being finished before school starts/in the free time I have now.

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[VivaLaVida]

Don't study...work more so you can take out less loans. Work out. Join a dating site or invest more time in your significant other. Shadow some doctors.

I ignored the advice on here and tried to pre-study with anatomy cards. HAHAHA, yeah no. Believe people here when they say not to pre-study. It's pointless, especially without a syllabus from your school. every school approaches material differently.

LOL.

Also first aid makes no sense until you have actually learned the material. It's a REVIEW book, not a learning book.

 

[tiedyeddog]

buy an atlas and just start memorizing the chest/arm. that is where many schools start. Know everything on those sections.

but here is a better tip: don't prestudy.

 

[evilbooyaa]

First aid would be the worst idea.

If you really want a leg up, grab Big Robbins and read it. Good luck understanding 25% of what it has to offer without any previous education. J/K, don't do that.

Okay, grab Netter's and read it cover to cover. How about grabbing Lippencott's biochemistry and reading it cover to cover.

Hell, how about picking up a book on organic chemistry and studying it cover to cover. You said you're itching to study... doesn't have to be med school stuff does it?


But in reality, here is following one option: I would recommend the whole work more at your job, so you can take less out in loans.

 

[projectlogic]

Start memorizing Harrison's.

OP kinda sounds like this guy: http://twitter.com/medskoolgunner

 

[MCAT guy]

Don't study...work more so you can take out less loans. Work out. Join a dating site or invest more time in your significant other. Shadow some doctors.

I ignored the advice on here and tried to pre-study with anatomy cards. HAHAHA, yeah no. Believe people here when they say not to pre-study. It's pointless, especially without a syllabus from your school. every school approaches material differently.

LOL.

OP. As long as you understand its not going to give you an advantage, you likely won't increase your step 1 score by more than 3 or 4 points, and you're likely not building any worthwhile foundation, go ahead and do want you want.

I understand no gunner will ever believe someone because of experience.

Its funny, the best medical students are prob the people who would never even ponder pre studying... they are smart and efficient. The pre study guy isn't efficient hence the desire to spend extra months on a job that requires less. Theres a guy who literally studied step 1 for a year in the usmle forum. 1 year! You know what he said, 90% of his score was up in 6 weeks... then he spent the next 7+ months gaining 10 or so points to his average. In other words, he took 9 months for a 6 week job. You are free to spend 2 years on a 1 year job. But all you are setting yourself up for is SLOW learning in a SLOW environment.

You're like an NFL qb who thinks he can get game experience by starting training camp early but the real test comes when 250 lbs guys that run 4.4's are chasing you... so yeah. Fiddle around however you'd like. We'll all be awaiting your post in 12 months... "do grades during M1 really matter?". Or "**** I failed an anatomy test, what now!?"

 

[projectlogic]

]
You're like an NFL qb who thinks he can get game experience by starting training camp early but the real test comes when 250 lbs guys that run 4.4's are chasing you... so yeah. Fiddle around however you'd like. We'll all be awaiting your post in 12 months... "do grades during M1 really matter?". Or "**** I failed an anatomy test, what now!?"

 

[MCAT guy]

Btw, guys don't discourage him.

I always enjoy when people ignore all the advice they get because they think they know better... only to fall on their face. Humility is a great quality.

 

[Smurfette]

Moving to PreAllo.

 

[Bangersandmash]

Since you won't have lecture notes, buy some medical textbooks that are common and read them and study as you would normally. You'll have no idea what to look for, but all the info you'll come across is there.

Good luck.

 

[image187]

don't be ridiculous now... definitely don't prestudy for anything. Also, First Aid is a stupid idea as it changes every year with what appears to be currently tested on the USMLE. The fact you would even try to start memorizing pathophysiology with multiple Step 1 resources right now because you think youll do better is hilarious.

 

[darkjedi]

spend time with your friends, because its the last you're going to be able to spend significant time with them.

you are literally wasting your time attempting to study this stuff by yourself now, but if you want to ignore the advice of everyone (even from people IN medical school), it's your own time to waste.

 

[theseeker4]

I know I'm going to get flamed because this is such a taboo thing on SDN but, I have TONS of free time on my hand because I scaled back the hours at my job, so....

I want to know what the best way to go about pre-studying would be from those of you that have done it. I have already downloaded the Kaplan USMLE videos as well as Dr. Najeebs lectures and I will be buying all the review books in January/February. I was thinking of watching Dr. Najeeb's videos before school starts and looking over first aid while watching the videos since people say Najeeb is detailed---thoughts?

Thanks!

PS:
I guess I'll nip it in the bud right now and say, don't bother discouraging me. I've been out of school for a few years now and am aching to study. I have already traveled extensively and learned how to play the guitar and 90% of all the things on my bucket list that I can do right now are done, with the other 9-10% being finished before school starts/in the free time I have now.

Aside from the already-addressed "don't study" advice...

Review books are pointless. Kind of like just reviewing for the MCAT before taking the courses, the review books are supposed to remind you of what you already learned, using them before you study the material in a course is incredibly low yield. What would probably help you first year if you insist on pre-studying:

Brush up on cell bio, people shaky in that had a rough first exam set when Histo was a lot of cell bio review as well as the first topics in histology.

Start running through OINA for all the muscles. Use an atlas to visualize the actual locations of the muscles as you do that. If you have a background and actually know what muscle is where going into anatomy, learning the minutiae will be easier/faster.

Make sure you have a good understanding of basic biochemistry. If you already understand protein synthesis, DNA/RNA synthesis, Citric Acid Cycle, basic metabolism, etc, you will be filling in the gaps during Biochem, rather than learning it from scratch.

Know basics of physiology. Having the basics down will make learning the specifics easier. The same goes for Genetics and Neurology.

Again, you are already ignoring the advice not to pre study, so IMO, the above would be the best way to prepare. Really though, don't over do it, you don't want to be on the threshold of burning out before you even step foot into a lab or lecture hall as an M1. And congrats on your acceptance!

 

[D elegans]

Study whatever you think is important, because it won't matter when you get to med school. You will be studying with everyone who killed your classes in undergrad; the level to which you will have to ascend will make any attempt at studying before school pointless.

I know you said you didn't want to hear this, but it's the truth, which is why everyone said it. Just read whatever you think will be useful (it won't be).

 

[NickNaylor]

Read Big Robbins (http://www.amazon.com/Robbins-Cotran-Pathologic-Basis-Disease/dp/1416031219). If you understand that you will have second year basically down.

 

[ChartaBona]

Aside from the already-addressed "don't study" advice...

Review books are pointless. Kind of like just reviewing for the MCAT before taking the courses, the review books are supposed to remind you of what you already learned, using them before you study the material in a course is incredibly low yield. What would probably help you first year if you insist on pre-studying:

Brush up on cell bio, people shaky in that had a rough first exam set when Histo was a lot of cell bio review as well as the first topics in histology.

Start running through OINA for all the muscles. Use an atlas to visualize the actual locations of the muscles as you do that. If you have a background and actually know what muscle is where going into anatomy, learning the minutiae will be easier/faster.

Make sure you have a good understanding of basic biochemistry. If you already understand protein synthesis, DNA/RNA synthesis, Citric Acid Cycle, basic metabolism, etc, you will be filling in the gaps during Biochem, rather than learning it from scratch.

Know basics of physiology. Having the basics down will make learning the specifics easier. The same goes for Genetics and Neurology.

Again, you are already ignoring the advice not to pre study, so IMO, the above would be the best way to prepare. Really though, don't over do it, you don't want to be on the threshold of burning out before you even step foot into a lab or lecture hall as an M1. And congrats on your acceptance!

I've been out of school almost 2 years, and some of that material is a little hazy. I'm not going out and buying medical school material, but it would be nice to brush up on the basics. I still have my old Gen. Bio book lying around (Campbell & Reece.) If I just reviewed the relevant chapters, I'd be all set?

BTW what is OINA?

 

[NickNaylor]

I've been out of school almost 2 years, and some of that material is a little hazy. I'm not going out and buying medical school material, but it would be nice to brush up on the basics. I still have my old Gen. Bio book lying around (Campbell & Reece.) If I just reviewed the relevant chapters, I'd be all set?

BTW what is OINA?

OINA = origin, insertion, nerve, action

Reviewing gen bio really isn't going to be at all helpful. Material that might be useful to review before starting would be biochem and physio. That's pretty much it.

 

[weezynation]

Before I started my SMP program this fall, I always wondered why med students said dont pre-study but now I get it. However if you've never taken Biochem before, Lippincott's is great for concepts. You will get a ridiculous amount of small details when you take the course, but an understanding of the concepts can be helpful. That being said, I was an English major, graduated in 2009, took a graduate biochem course (not even close to adequately preparing me for the monster that is medical biochem), and am doing very well in medical biochem right now, so you would do just fine. Hopefully you will change your mind and enjoy yourself before med school, but if not good luck and congrats on your acceptance.

 

[NickNaylor]

Before I started my SMP program this fall, I always wondered why med students said dont pre-study but now I get it. However if you've never taken Biochem before, Lippincott's is great for concepts. You will get a ridiculous amount of small details when you take the course, but an understanding of the concepts can be helpful. That being said, I was an English major, graduated in 2009, took a graduate biochem course (not even close to adequately preparing me for the monster that is medical biochem), and am doing very well in medical biochem right now, so you would do just fine. Hopefully you will change your mind and enjoy yourself before med school, but if not good luck and congrats on your acceptance.

You will continue to realize how true many things older students say but you are reluctant to accept. It's hard to just accept stuff, but you find that you have to a lot of the time.

 

[eagles22]

Get a Step 2 CK book and work on that. The test really takes 4 years of studying to even pass.

Seriously, this is an incredibly stupid idea and you're literally pissing away all the time you will spend studying. You have no idea what study as evidenced by mentioning starting with first aid (which is filled with errors and is a review book) and the fact you don't have the syllabi for your course. You're better of reading the classics and rounding yourself out as a person. It may give you something to talk about with a patient some day which is way more useful than trying to figure out what in Robbins is useful and what is background noise. People hate awkward silence, so why don't you try to gain some knowledge of different cultures, hobbies, etc so you just know enough to converse with a patient and build a rapport.

 

[weezynation]

You will continue to realize how true many things older students say but you are reluctant to accept. It's hard to just accept stuff, but you find that you have to a lot of the time.

Most definitely.

 

[Bumbl3b33]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

 

[BabyDoc86]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

There is really no point in being rude to those who are giving you their honest answers.

 

[darkjedi]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

I have a feeling you are going to be real popular in the wards

 

[yehhhboiii]

No one is flaming you for wanting to study. It makes sense to want to be productive. Many people go into medical school after a gap year or three and have been in your position but come back and say that pre-studying was a waste of time. Attacking your future colleagues, all of whom have more experience than you, is probably not a prudent action. When you start school you will look back with regret about the time you wasted because you will realize that you didn't know what to study, you didn't know how to study and you don't remember most of what you read. There's really no taboo. It's just that the material is rather dense and pretty soon you'll be studying more than you ever wanted to.

 

[Bangersandmash]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

ITT: OP acknowledges people will "flame" him and tell him not to study.

tl;dr - OP gets butthurt when that happens.

 

[487806]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

You think you're one smart guy, don't you? You said in your OP that you don't intend to start a flame war, but harshly condemned those who give you advice, just because you don't like it. Bad move! !

 

[KnuxNole]

5 bucks says the OP will pre-study.

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

Thank you, douche-canoes, I really appreciate your insight and lack of desire to read my whole post!

And a sincere thank you to the 1 person with a constructive answer

If you are not able to recognize that all us medical students have been in your exact place and thought your exact thoughts then I don't know what to tell you. We are honestly trying to help you. If a psych patient tells you he's contemplating suicide but wants your medical opinion of the best way to do it are you just going give him an Rx for one bullet in the mouth or are you going to try to talk him out of it?

 

[45408]

You will continue to realize how true many things older students say but you are reluctant to accept. It's hard to just accept stuff, but you find that you have to a lot of the time.

It's even better when I see the M4-->intern transition, as the lights really turn on. I won't name names, but I've been accused of "drinking the Koolaid" as a resident, only to see the same person grab a glass...

 

[Mako555]

to be fair to the OP, most of the responses here were pretty mean and not meant to be helpful in the slightest. This thread is certainly not SDN at its finest. Actually, its embarrassing, and threads like this are why i will never admit to posting here to someone in real life. Some of you think you are so much better/smarter/wiser than others.

I think its a valid question and if anyone else has some actual advice I would love to hear it. I'm sure OP would to.

 

[KnuxNole]

It is a "valid" question. The answers are saying not to pre-study. The way the OP presented themselves was bringing the jokes upon themselves. They can't actually play the victim lol

I know the OP is smart enough to understand that pre-studying will not help him, especially given the anecdotes presented. But, despite that, he dismissed all the people trying to put him in the right direction.

 

[weezynation]

to be fair to the OP, most of the responses here were pretty mean and not meant to be helpful in the slightest. This thread is certainly not SDN at its finest. Actually, its embarrassing, and threads like this are why i will never admit to posting here to someone in real life. Some of you think you are so much better/smarter/wiser than others.

I think its a valid question and if anyone else has some actual advice I would love to hear it. I'm sure OP would to.

I dont understand how people are not being helpful. Yes there were a couple mean responses, however most people are just speaking the truth from experience. I think it would be a disservice to OP to allow him/her to think pre-studying is going to help at all because it really won't. I, too, do not speak about SDN in public but just because someone doesn't always get the answer he/she wants does not mean it's not good advice. Sometimes you have to be humble, put your pride aside, and realize people are telling you their experience for a reason. Considering everyone...literally everyone...says not to pre-study then it should be something to consider. If I had been hard-headed, didn't listen, and pre-studied, I probably would have burned out in the middle of this semester. However, I am headed into my last exams cruising with energy to spare because I was humble and realized I had not experienced medical school courses therefore I should probably listen to those who know.

 

[circulus vitios]

to be fair to the OP, most of the responses here were pretty mean and not meant to be helpful in the slightest. This thread is certainly not SDN at its finest. Actually, its embarrassing, and threads like this are why i will never admit to posting here to someone in real life. Some of you think you are so much better/smarter/wiser than others.

I think its a valid question and if anyone else has some actual advice I would love to hear it. I'm sure OP would to.

This thread is keeping it real at its finest.

 

[eagles22]

to be fair to the OP, most of the responses here were pretty mean and not meant to be helpful in the slightest. This thread is certainly not SDN at its finest. Actually, its embarrassing, and threads like this are why i will never admit to posting here to someone in real life. Some of you think you are so much better/smarter/wiser than others.

I think its a valid question and if anyone else has some actual advice I would love to hear it. I'm sure OP would to.

Actual advice: Don't pre-study because its effing stupid to think you'll accomplish anything. This is the only helpful advice you'll get because it's the only thing that won't waste your time.

 

[NickNaylor]

to be fair to the OP, most of the responses here were pretty mean and not meant to be helpful in the slightest. This thread is certainly not SDN at its finest. Actually, its embarrassing, and threads like this are why i will never admit to posting here to someone in real life. Some of you think you are so much better/smarter/wiser than others.

I think its a valid question and if anyone else has some actual advice I would love to hear it. I'm sure OP would to.

Because it's hilarious that a pre-med is dismissing the advice and suggestions of people THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS because he/she doesn't like the answer. Of course, the OP and others think they're somehow different and that while everyone else didn't benefit from pre-studying, they will because they're "different." They will come to realize that that's not the case, and then they will have learned their lesson.

 

[EnergyDrink]

Because it's hilarious that a pre-med is dismissing the advice and suggestions of people THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS because he/she doesn't like the answer. Of course, the OP and others think they're somehow different and that while everyone else didn't benefit from pre-studying, they will because they're "different." They will come to realize that that's not the case, and then they will have learned their lesson.

By that logic, the same people who failed at pre-studying are the same people calling him a ***** for trying to pre-study, correct?

 

[487806]

By that logic, the same people who failed at pre-studying are the same people calling him a ***** for trying to pre-study, correct?

Wrong. Stop trying to fan the flames.

 

[D elegans]

By that logic, the same people who failed at pre-studying are the same people calling him a ***** for trying to pre-study, correct?

No.

 

[MedPR]

You will continue to realize how true many things older students say but you are reluctant to accept. It's hard to just accept stuff, but you find that you have to a lot of the time.

I started to skim BRS Physio and Pathoma earlier this week. Read about a page in each and then laughed at myself and put them back on the bookshelf (I live with an M3 for those of you who don't know).

 

[MedPR]

By that logic, the same people who failed at pre-studying are the same people calling him a ***** for trying to pre-study, correct?

Hi Pre-allo is much more difficult to troll than pre-osteo. You'll learn, young padawan.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

You should study the human anatomy of the opposite sex, preferably a live, consenting study partner.

 

[EnergyDrink]

Hi Pre-allo is much more difficult to troll than pre-osteo. You'll learn, young padawan.

Is that all it takes to be labelled a troll? Wow

 

[MedPR]

Is that all it takes to be labelled a troll? Wow

You haven't yet been honored with the title of troll. All in good time.

 

[MedPR]

Is that all it takes to be labelled a troll? Wow

You haven't yet been honored with the title of troll. All in due time though, don't you worry.

 

[EnergyDrink]

You haven't yet been honored with the title of troll. All in due time though, don't you worry.

 

[Irish Football]

here is just my opinion for whatever it's worth. OP was clearly looking for HOW he should pre-study, not IF, already knowing the lengthy discussions here on SDN regarding of the worth of pre-studying. I too have read many of these discussion, and while 90% of people here say you shouldn't do it, there are a few here and there that have expressed how it wasn't a complete waste of their time. Regardless, OP wasn't looking for the same old "don't pre-study" posts, because he has already read them. I don't see why anyone who wasn't interested in answering the OP's actual question would post here. Leave OP alone. Don't try and help in a way that obviously won't "help" at all. He's already read the "don't pre-study" posts, we don't need more.

 

[Irish Football]

Because it's hilarious that a pre-med is dismissing the advice and suggestions of people THAT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS because he/she doesn't like the answer. Of course, the OP and others think they're somehow different and that while everyone else didn't benefit from pre-studying, they will because they're "different." They will come to realize that that's not the case, and then they will have learned their lesson.

I don't see how it is hilarious that a person would want to give him/her a greater chance to succeed in school. If you are referring to the dismissal of experienced advice, they are not "dismissing" the advice of people that have been through an exact same situation, because no one is the same, no one has been through the same circumstances and there HAVE BEEN PEOPLE, EVEN HERE ON SDN, who have reported that pre-studying was NOT a waste of time. Yes, they aren't many, but if there have been some, then someone can choose to go this route, even after listening to the advice of the majority.

I'm not trying to be a stickler, and I like having fun on SDN at the expense of an OP as much as the next person, but this whole bashing-of-pre-studying business is one of my major pet peeves.

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't see how it is hilarious that a person would want to give him/her a greater chance to succeed in school. If you are referring to the dismissal of experienced advice, they are not "dismissing" the advice of people that have been through an exact same situation, because no one is the same, no one has been through the same circumstances and there HAVE BEEN PEOPLE, EVEN HERE ON SDN, who have reported that pre-studying was NOT a waste of time. Yes, they aren't many, but if there have been some, then someone can choose to go this route, even after listening to the advice of the majority.

I'm not trying to be a stickler, and I like having fun on SDN at the expense of an OP as much as the next person, but this whole pre-studying business is one of my major pet peeves.

Pre-studying isn't entirely useless. However, for 99% of people there are infinitely more useful things to do with that time - like spending time with friends and family, getting drunk, and/or getting laid. In other words, those things that you will have significantly less time to do for the better part of the next 7+ years.

You may not regret pre-studying, but I assure you that you will not regret NOT pre-studying. Again, I recognize that everyone thinks they're different and that they know what they're doing and they're going to get a 280+ on step 1 and yadda yadda - I was there before I started med school too (I brought Netter cards with me to the gym the summer before school started). That it is seldom that a current med student would recommend pre-studying is pretty telling.

 

[Irish Football]

Pre-studying isn't entirely useless. However, for 99% of people there are infinitely more useful things to do with that time - like spending time with friends and family, getting drunk, and/or getting laid. In other words, those things that you will have significantly less time to do for the better part of the next 7+ years.

You may not regret pre-studying, but I assure you that you will not regret NOT pre-studying. Again, I recognize that everyone thinks they're different and that they know what they're doing and they're going to get a 280+ on step 1 and yadda yadda - I was there before I started med school too (I brought Netter cards with me to the gym the summer before school started). That it is seldom that a current med student would recommend pre-studying is pretty telling.

I agree with all of that. I just don't like the negativity here on SDN directed to those who are excited for medical school and want to give themselves a better chance at doing well. Even if it's a 1% chance, someone has to be that 1%. I just feel like of all things to direct negativity towards, it shouldn't be at someone who is trying to do well. Will they learn a lesson that could have been avoided? Maybe. But if they've read the opinions of the majority and still want to follow the few that did it and didn't regret it, then let them. There are worse things in life.