MS1s how are things going so far?

[chizledfrmstone]

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means first year for many of you is almost over. I've been wanting to make a thread to compile the experiences from first years.

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?

What are things you wish you had done differently?

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?

How was your adjustment to first year?

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?

I've found medical school to be an interesting affair. I find myself very strongly loving the material and experiences I'm learning. However I can honestly say that 4 months in I'm exhausted.

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?

Vacuuming. I think I've vacuumed like twice.

What are things you wish you had done differently?

I'd probably worry a bit less. The last 4 months were hard, but they were doable.

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?

There are ups and there are downs. You have material you're good at and material you're not. I'm completely awful at anatomy and if something isn't grouped physiologically or by some sort of biomechanical function then I'll probably forget it in 30 minutes. Likewise I find things clinically relevant or logical based to be very manageable, I found EKGs to be honestly a ton of fun because it's like a puzzle that you can analyze. Physiology is also interesting, though also disheartening because there are parts that are clearly ambiguous or worse irrelevant.

How was your adjustment to first year?

As a product of SDN I started my first course studying 3-4 hours a day. Plenty of my friends came close to failing the first two courses and had I been in similar circumstances I would have set myself up for an entire painful year of even worse anxiety. My recommendation is to never have a legitimate reason to be afraid of failing.

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?

Medical school is not a joke. You're learning something that will one day impact the life of another human being. If you approach medicine with respect then you'll find motivation to learn it. If you approach it as a hoop then you'll be a ****ty doctor and an even ****ter medical school student.

I'm going to add my own statement/question: Do you think it's worth it/ How much do you want it.

You're going to spend the first 2-3 months questioning whether you want to be a doctor. My recommendation is to be serious and dig deal to find strength within your motivation. My strongest motivator beyond the fact that it's imperative to saving lives, is how much I want what lays at the end of the tunnel.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means first year for many of you is almost over. I've been wanting to make a thread to compile the experiences from first years.

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?

What are things you wish you had done differently?

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?

How was your adjustment to first year?

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?

It's hard I started off pretty badly but I'm doing pretty good now. It was a bit depressing at times but it also fairly interesting. Manage your time well and you will be fine. Manage your time poorly and you got a world of hurt coming your way. Don't ever get behind. Also look at back tests and use resources from past students.

 

[Bea5T]

pick up anki and your life will be much easier

 

[Dr. Hopeful]

The one thing I've found is that I honestly feel like I'm going to fail before every single freaking exam. It's really, really annoying and stressful, and I ALWAYS end up doing quite well, I haven't even been close to below the class average once yet (except for 1 OMM exam, lol). I hate the discomfort of feeling like you're gonna fail every test, even if it does completely dissipate once you actually start taking the darn thing. So to sorta relate that to your questions, My advice to future students would be to not worry so much once you get here, as long as you're putting in the hours, you're probably going to be just fine! Don't panic so much, everyone is feeling the same way and typically like 90% of the class does just fine, the people that do poorly are the crammers (some) and the people who are falsely confident and don't study as hard as they should.

Also, I knew I wasn't going to be much of a "class-goer" coming into medical school, I did NOT realize that I'd avoid lecture like the plague. I thought I would possibly go to some classes here and there, maybe even just to socialize sometimes, but nope. Class is a COMPLETE waste of time. Anything not 100% mandatory usually = more sleep time. My typical day usually starts around noon - 1 pm (I get most of my studying done at night, past 5 pm).

 

[PKA<0]

I agree with everything above except anki, it's too user unfriendly and I personally think flash cards are a huge waste of time. I believe in the principle behind anki though. Spaced repetition is key. For me the golden number has been 4. I go through all the material 4x before an exam. The first time I absorb. The second I really try to understand. The third I begin memorizing. The fourth I memorize anything I didn't have memorized the time before. Med school is all about time management.

My advice to the 2020ers would be to use your time well. If you're in anatomy lab, be in anatomy lab. Same goes for OMM lab and clinical med etc. Even if anatomy lab is the day before a biochem exam. Use your time well and plan your schedule knowing you have 2 hours blocked off the day before an exam.

 

[kenjixshadow]

Also, I knew I wasn't going to be much of a "class-goer" coming into medical school, I did NOT realize that I'd avoid lecture like the plague. I thought I would possibly go to some classes here and there, maybe even just to socialize sometimes, but nope. Class is a COMPLETE waste of time. Anything not 100% mandatory usually = more sleep time. My typical day usually starts around noon - 1 pm (I get most of my studying done at night, past 5 pm).

This x100!!! Ppl shouldn't be afraid of trying out something new that works for them. Moreover, class usually starts at 8 am to noon or whenever. If you're not a morning person like me, this will be a huge time wasting - you'll either fall asleep or don't pay attention. Next, you'll be even more tired after lecture to study effectively. I've seen ppl who study 8hrs+ outside of class to have the same grade as I do and I rarely ever study more than 4 hrs on weekdays -- if I have trouble with any block, I can always increase my study time. Furthermore, I'm less stress out than many of them and I have more sleep. Work smarter, not harder.

 

[docbsb2015]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
So far, medical school has actually been pretty fun. The people have been great and faculty really want you to succeed. Overall, I am happy I am here.
What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
Learning every bit of the material. Its impossible to learn everything. Start big and work your way down. Also, take a minute to step back from what you are learning and ask why its important and how it could relate to you when you are in the clinic in 10 years. It makes learning a bit more enjoyable and gives you a little more motivation to study.
What are things you wish you had done differently?
Be open to changing your study habits. Initially, I was resistant to change how I had been studying. I used to always go to class/take notes. Eventually, I realized this was a huge waste of time (for me personally). Now, I essentially watch the lecture and go over it as many times as possible before the test. I have found that medical school is all about repetition, and the more times I see something before an exam, the greater likelihood I remember it on test day... its as simple as that. Notes just slowed me down and I realized that I never retained the information simply because I wrote it down. Also, please do not procrastinate. If you wait until a week before an exam (our exams are 5-6 weeks of material) to start studying, RIP.
Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
Depends on who you talk to. By SDN standards? No lol, its not. But, I think it was a good thing that I went in thinking I had to study all the time. Go into medical school thinking you have to study a ton and when you need to, scale back. Most likely you will find its just like a full time job if you are militant about your studying.
How was your adjustment to first year?
Surprisingly smooth. Like I said before, I thought I was going to have to study all of the time and that my life was essentially over. No more friends, family, etc. That is not true at all. Will you see your friends and family as frequently? No. Will you be able to see them? Yes. I have time to work out ~4 times a week, watch some netflix/sports, and go out sometimes on the weekend (and browse SDN too much).
What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
If you are accepted into medical school, YOU DO BELONG!! Don't ever let your mind tell you differently. There will be times you will be tempted to think, "oh look at all these smart people, I dont belong with them". Thats BS and an excuse for you not to do your best. You want to get all A's/Honors/become a ped neurosurgeon/whatever? Go do it. Nothing is holding you back but you. You are adequate, and if you made it this far, have some confidence. Also, branch out. Get a physician mentor. Make connections. Become friends with second years (they are awesome). If you are struggling, talk to your professors. Join some clubs and do some fun stuff. You can't do this alone.

 

[polylux]

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
Going to class. Man, what a waste of time. I spend every lecture with my headphones in and reading.

What are things you wish you had done differently?
I wish I gone to the gym more and ate better before OMM started. I'm not even fat but sitting in a room with everyone in your class half naked is not great for the body image self-esteem.

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
Yes and no. It's hard because they throw a bunch of **** at you and it's easy to let yourself get overwhelmed, to fall into your insecurities and become paralyzed with fear of failure. But if you just make yourself a schedule and stick to it, do what works for you, ignore everyone who is freaking out next to you -- it is completely manageable. A positive attitude goes a long way.

How was your adjustment to first year?
I'm not doing as well as I would have liked, but I'm consistently above average and I'm okay with that. I've never crammed hardcore to get the top tier grades some of my friends are getting, but I still come away with a good foundational understanding, and I spend a little time on Firecracker every night to maintain my knowledge base. My philosophy: slow and steady. Marathon, not sprint.

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
Spend some time this summer researching various study methods and available resources. Everyone is going to tell you to relax and if you're anything like me (and you probs are since you're on SDN), you'll be like okaaaayyyy but still feel like you should be doing something. So look up resources now so that when the time comes, you can pull it out and start using it immediately. Just knowing about things like Sketchy helped me a lot when we started doing Micro and having a giant collection of PDFs I had already collected for practice questions helped immensely so I didn't have to waste time searching for it. Otherwise, my only advice: when you get to a tough spot, take a deep breath, go watch stupid YouTube cat videos, and then come back and keep working. No one ever said it would be easy, but thousands of us do this every year, and you can too.

 

[asdf123g]

When you study, how well would you say you know the material? Well enough to recall the answer straight off the top of your head so you can ace a test that is completely free response? Or well enough that you'd be able to recognize the correct answer on a MC test?

 

[polylux]

When you study, how well would you say you know the material? Well enough to recall the answer straight off the top of your head so you can ace a test that is completely free response? Or well enough that you'd be able to recognize the correct answer on a MC test?

I probably know about 70% of the material well enough to answer off the top of my head, maybe more. And then like 15% for sure correct on MC. Another 10% kinda sure on MC. And the other 5%, no effin' clue even on MC.

 

[asdf123g]

I probably know about 70% of the material well enough to answer off the top of my head, maybe more. And then like 15% for sure correct on MC. Another 10% kinda sure on MC. And the other 5%, no effin' clue even on MC.

When you say 70% are you referring to 70% of all of the material or 70% of the "big picture?"

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

When you say 70% are you referring to 70% of all of the material or 70% of the "big picture?"

I'd imagine that if it's anything like me, I'd say 70% of the material in total. Honestly, a big part of medical school is learning to not bother spending 2 hours trying to get an extra 2-3 points when you can learn the big picture and get 5-10 more. But yes, honestly, you should enter a test knowing the big picture 100% mostly because the big picture is frequently enough not a complicated thing to get.

As he's alluded to before, medical school material is not conceptually hard. It's the fact that there's a lot that make it more difficult. Also because of the fact that during your time you might find distractions like OMM/PCM or school activities which can frequently take 3-5 hours out of your day ( I personally rarely study after a OMM competency day).

 

[dreee]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
So far, medical school has actually been pretty fun. The people have been great and faculty really want you to succeed. Overall, I am happy I am here.
What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
Learning every bit of the material. Its impossible to learn everything. Start big and work your way down. Also, take a minute to step back from what you are learning and ask why its important and how it could relate to you when you are in the clinic in 10 years. It makes learning a bit more enjoyable and gives you a little more motivation to study.
What are things you wish you had done differently?
Be open to changing your study habits. Initially, I was resistant to change how I had been studying. I used to always go to class/take notes. Eventually, I realized this was a huge waste of time (for me personally). Now, I essentially watch the lecture and go over it as many times as possible before the test. I have found that medical school is all about repetition, and the more times I see something before an exam, the greater likelihood I remember it on test day... its as simple as that. Notes just slowed me down and I realized that I never retained the information simply because I wrote it down. Also, please do not procrastinate. If you wait until a week before an exam (our exams are 5-6 weeks of material) to start studying, RIP.
Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
Depends on who you talk to. By SDN standards? No lol, its not. But, I think it was a good thing that I went in thinking I had to study all the time. Go into medical school thinking you have to study a ton and when you need to, scale back. Most likely you will find its just like a full time job if you are militant about your studying.
How was your adjustment to first year?
Surprisingly smooth. Like I said before, I thought I was going to have to study all of the time and that my life was essentially over. No more friends, family, etc. That is not true at all. Will you see your friends and family as frequently? No. Will you be able to see them? Yes. I have time to work out ~4 times a week, watch some netflix/sports, and go out sometimes on the weekend (and browse SDN too much).
What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
If you are accepted into medical school, YOU DO BELONG!! Don't ever let your mind tell you differently. There will be times you will be tempted to think, "oh look at all these smart people, I dont belong with them". Thats BS and an excuse for you not to do your best. You want to get all A's/Honors/become a ped neurosurgeon/whatever? Go do it. Nothing is holding you back but you. You are adequate, and if you made it this far, have some confidence. Also, branch out. Get a physician mentor. Make connections. Become friends with second years (they are awesome). If you are struggling, talk to your professors. Join some clubs and do some fun stuff. You can't do this alone.

For some reason, this almost brought tears to my eyes. Especially the whole "you do belong" thing. My entire life, I've been grouped at the "top" of the class, or been seen as "successful" and I don't necessarily see it. Not trying to humblebrag, but y'all smart people intimidate me! The biggest thing I have to do in med school is constantly remind myself "I do belong." Smarts NEVER outperforms hard work. If I work hard, I will be at the front with the super smart guy.

 

[Dr. Death]

What are things you wish you had done differently?
I wish I gone to the gym more and ate better before OMM started. I'm not even fat but sitting in a room with everyone in your class half naked is not great for the body image self-esteem.

Define half naked. I might need to get a jump start on insanity or p90x before next August

 

[sunealoneal]

Shirtless.

 

[polylux]

Shirtless with shorts for guys. Sports bra and shorts/yoga pants for girls.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Shirtless with shorts for guys. Sports bra and shorts/yoga pants for girls.

Depends on the school.

I don't think the guys at my school have ever been shirtless.

 

[ortnakas]

Ours is shorts and t-shirts, sports bras for the females. But you're not shirtless the whole time, only when it makes sense. We're doing cranial right now and I think I've left my sweat pants and hoodie on all month.

Depends on the school.

I don't think the guys at my school have ever been shirtless.

Honestly just curious-- how do you do things like diagnosis of thoracic spine and ribs with shirts on?

 

[Rekt]

Ours is shorts and t-shirts, sports bras for the females. But you're not shirtless the whole time, only when it makes sense. We're doing cranial right now and I think I've left my sweat pants and hoodie on all month.



Honestly just curious-- how do you do things like diagnosis of thoracic spine and ribs with shirts on?

By pretending, like most OMT.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

By pretending, like most OMT.

Literally....

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Ours is shorts and t-shirts, sports bras for the females. But you're not shirtless the whole time, only when it makes sense. We're doing cranial right now and I think I've left my sweat pants and hoodie on all month.



Honestly just curious-- how do you do things like diagnosis of thoracic spine and ribs with shirts on?

Fake it till we make it...or don't when we fail our OMM competency.

 

[Launcelot]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
Strangely enough, I still can't shake off feeling like a pre-med, especially because I know the cholesterol synthesis better than I know cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
I thought my UG coursework would help me in med school, which it did for only about the first week.

What are things you wish you had done differently?
Because class times and tests/quizzes vary so often, I wish I would've organized a calendar earlier so I wouldn't have been startled by a practical or two!

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
It matters who's asking. If you lived at your UG institution's library, its a smooth transition. If you didn't, get used to it as soon as you can, don't get blitzed by the first exam.

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
For those applying, it's not worth taking that "extra" biochemistry or physiology course just to prepare for medical school (unless you gave schools a reason to think you're an academic liability). It risks your GPA and isn't an accurate representation of medical school biochemistry or physiology. Anatomy on the other hand...

 

[Yadster101]

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
It matters who's asking. If you lived at your UG institution's library, its a smooth transition. If you didn't, get used to it as soon as you can, don't get blitzed by the first exam.
..

Ehh idk. Wouldn't you say that ppl in UG that only studied for a few hours a week are better off because they can simply just study for more hours in med school? Bio majors that lived at their UG's library now have the same amount of time (24 hour day) to cover wayyy more information. what do you think?

 

[asdf123g]

Ehh idk. Wouldn't you say that ppl in UG that only studied for a few hours a week are better off because they can simply just study for more hours in med school? Bio majors that lived at their UG's library now have the same amount of time (24 hour day) to cover wayyy more information. what do you think?

I took 1-2 hard classes a semester and ~3 easy ones a semester. I studied everyday for at least 2 hours. I have a feeling im going to get ****ed once i get to medschool....

 

[PKA<0]

I took 1-2 hard classes a semester and ~3 easy ones a semester. I studied everyday for at least 2 hours. I have a feeling im going to get ****ed once i get to medschool....

It's not as bad as you think as long as you are willing to adjust. Crammers need to build endurance and the people who study for hours on end have to become more efficient.

 

[asdf123g]

It's not as bad as you think as long as you are willing to adjust. Crammers need to build endurance and the people who study for hours on end have to become more efficient.

I wasn't a crammer and i was efficient...

 

[PKA<0]

I wasn't a crammer and i was efficient...

Right. Now you'll need to become medical school efficient which requires you to adapt to your schools pace. It's about repetition within a smaller amount of time. It is very manageable once you get the hang of it.

 

[pmarank]

I took 1-2 hard classes a semester and ~3 easy ones a semester. I studied everyday for at least 2 hours. I have a feeling im going to get ****ed once i get to medschool....

This is the exact reason why I probably won't go to med school. I have the grades but studied non stop to get them

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

This is the exact reason why I probably won't go to med school. I have the grades but studied non stop to get them

You adjust. Honestly, you don't need to study more than 4 hours a day to pass your classes.

 

[Launcelot]

Ehh idk. Wouldn't you say that ppl in UG that only studied for a few hours a week are better off because they can simply just study for more hours in med school? Bio majors that lived at their UG's library now have the same amount of time (24 hour day) to cover wayyy more information. what do you think?

In my opinion, building study endurance is harder than building study efficiency. You simply have to be used to putting in the time physically and mentally, and this is something that not even learning specialists or tutors can really help with (of which schools usually provide to students).

I think this is the most shocking part of medical school, especially if you have been getting away with only studying on the weekends for an hour or two.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

In my opinion, building study endurance is harder than building study efficiency. You simply have to be used to putting in the time physically and mentally, and this is something that not even learning specialists or tutors can really help with (of which schools usually provide to students).

I think this is the most shocking part of medical school, especially if you have been getting away with only studying on the weekends for an hour or two.

I'm 1/2 way into 2nd year and I'm still working on study endurance.

In UG I studied every 3rd day which really screwed me over.

 

[Launcelot]

I'm 1/2 way into 2nd year and I'm still working on study endurance.

In UG I studied every 3rd day which really screwed me over.

Yeah, I'm also speaking from personal experience and I'm happy to report that I'm still making some progress on that too.

 

[HuskyPride149]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
First year has been interesting and fun at the same time. I am someone who is straight from undergrad and one of the youngest students in my class. I looked forward to working with new people and meeting a bunch of other people with different backgrounds that can teach me a thing or two about life. First year is not bad and I can honestly say I am a more laid back type of person, in terms of I don't study everyday after lecture or stay in the library studying until midnight. Medical school is definitely fun and challenging, but not because it is hard. It's challenging because you have to manage and retain a ton of information in a short amount of time. For example we learned 52 muscles, origin/insertion, innervation as well as spinal levels, profusion, function and clinical correlates in the first 6 weeks. And that was just for anatomy, not including basic science like biochem, pathology, micro and OMM. But if you have the will and are truly interested in the material then you can do it. It's intimidating, but you gotta find out what works for you.

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
Studying everyday to stay on top of the material. Honestly there are some days where you feel like there is not enough hours in the day for you to study and stay caught up, but know your schedule, know yourself, how you study and it will be okay.

What are things you wish you had done differently?
As of right now nothing, currently looking back and don't think I would do anything differently. I am enjoying my current path

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
No! Absolutely not! In my opinion it's hard in terms of quantity of information. It can be hard for some people who learn differently than me but as long as you know your learning style and time management, you should be okay. Also talk to people who study similar to you and see what works for them and talk to people who study differently from you and maybe adopt their study style if yours isn't working.

How was your adjustment to first year?
I think I adjusted fine, then again I am straight from undergrad so I didn't have to relearn how to study. I am definitely not at the bottom of the class and not at the top but I am getting by somewhere with around a B or B+ average overall. Like the previous posters said, Don't be afraid to fail because remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
Go in with an open mind and a prepared mindset. Get through your first block and see how it goes and then adjust. Don't be afraid to spend time for yourself. I remember being on SDN all throughout the past summer reading threads about advice for incoming first years desperately thinking I am going to have a tough time and can use all the help I can get. Just remember - you are paying out of the butt to attend, so don't slack to the point you'll drop, but you don't have to be the best in your class either.
PM me if you have questions. GOOD LUCK!

 

[Rekt]

You adjust. Honestly, you don't need to study more than 4 hours a day to pass your classes.

This is often quoted as the amount "to pass", but you have to remember about all the other crap. Lecture can easily be 8-1 or longer. If you have labs (more-so first years)/OMM then you'll be there to 8-3/5. Throw in going to the gym (hopefully) plus dinner. Studying that four hours becomes a pain in the ass.

 

[yanks26dmb]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
First year so far has been pretty awesome. Yes it can be stressful as all hell, but if you stay on top of your stuff, you're going to be okay and not feel the serious stress I notice my classmates experience around exam time. Just make sure you're doing what you need to be doing every day.

I went into school expecting WAY worse, so my experience hasn't been bad at all. Yes, I study a crazy amount, probably more than I should...but for me, it's okay. I'm beyond grateful to be where I am (there were times in my past I never thought I'd be here), so I'm trying to make the most of it.

What are things you thought were important but turned out to be insignificant?
Having lots of upper division science classes.

What are things you wish you had done differently?
Nothing as of right now. I love the school I'm at, the professors are for the most part great, and the administration seems to care about the students.

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
I don't want to speak for everyone, especially considering I've had a friend drop out already....but NO. It is no where near as hard as I expected. The difficulty of material is honestly nothing worse than your run of the mill, state university undergrad bio course. What makes it hard...is you may have to memorize 220 drugs + 1,000 slides worth of material for one exam....which we just had to do as a matter of fact. If you put the hours in, there's (almost) no way you don't pass.

How was your adjustment to first year?
So far so good.

What advice would you give to c/o 2020?
Every day remind yourself how lucky you are to be where you are. I do this every day and it keeps me on track. I constantly think about what life will be like when I'm finally getting to do what I love. I think about being there to take care of people in their times of need. I think about maybe even getting to save a life or two. I'm fully committed to being the best physician I can be one day, so putting in 12 hour study days is completely worth it for me. Just be sure to always remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing....and I think it'll help stave off burn out...

 

[asdf123g]

For people in the c/o 2019 can you please share what you have thought of your first year?
For example we learned 52 muscles, origin/insertion, innervation as well as spinal levels, profusion, function and clinical correlates in the first 6 weeks. And that was just for anatomy, not including basic science like biochem, pathology, micro and OMM. But if you have the will and are truly interested in the material then you can do it. It's intimidating, but you gotta find out what works for you.
!

Is medical school really as hard as people make it out to be?
I don't want to speak for everyone, especially considering I've had a friend drop out already....but NO. It is no where near as hard as I expected. The difficulty of material is honestly nothing worse than your run of the mill, state university undergrad bio course. What makes it hard...is you may have to memorize 220 drugs + 1,000 slides worth of material for one exam....which we just had to do as a matter of fact. If you put the hours in, there's (almost) no way you don't pass.

i dont see how this is humanly possible....

 

[QueenJames]

So... like O-chem amount of memorization... for every exam...

 

[asdf123g]

So... like O-chem amount of memorization... for every exam...

O-Chem wasnt even as bad as the above sounds! ...my school used the david klein book (like a lot of schools). I memorized the **** out of that...but that was ONE subject and certainly not that much material relative to the above.
Amazon product

 

[Launcelot]

This is often quoted as the amount "to pass", but you have to remember about all the other crap. Lecture can easily be 8-1 or longer. If you have labs (more-so first years)/OMM then you'll be there to 8-3/5. Throw in going to the gym (hopefully) plus dinner. Studying that four hours becomes a pain in the ass.

It's honestly not enough to "just pass" anyways. I mean, you'd ideally have a place in mind to practice, and you'd likely have to do more than the minimum to get where you want to be for residency.

 

[yanks26dmb]

So... like O-chem amount of memorization... for every exam...

I aced both O chems, but only because I studied them hard.......the amount of memorization isn't comparable in the tiniest smallest most minuscule way.

The thing is though, we may have 1000 slides worth of material in a 2.5 week period, not all of it is high yield. You learn what's important, what isn't and use a program like anki to ram home the details. I also spend 35-40 hours a week studying so that may be the reason I don't feel overwhelmed.

But it's certainly possible if you can commit the time.

 

[HuskyPride149]

Just remember to not focus on the numbers. It seems intimidating because we put the amount of work done in quantity form but if you learn part of these materials like 10 muscles (and its associated stuff) a week and you are constantly "quizzed" on them then you'll remember it easier and its do-able. You definitely have to invest time to studying whether its everyday after class and less on the weekends or less daily and more on the weekends. Everyone can make if they are able to adjust and know when they have to get down to business.

 

[Dr.Jekyll75]

Not gonna lie December 18th can't come fast enough

 

[FutureDO08]

How was everyone's semester? If you're busy it's cool! This is just a cool thread I'm interested in before I start next year

 

[docbsb2015]

Tiring. However, idk about anyone else but I can't believe first year is halfway over already...

 

[bobaoversoda]

My first year has been going well. It's kind of cool thinking about how many facts you learned (even if you no longer remember the details). We're on the trimester system and just started our biochem part, so big change from last term which was mostly anatomy and histology with some embryo and radiology sprinkled in

 

[HuskyPride149]

I'll let you know in a week and a half. Block week is going to be killer!

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

By pretending, like most OMT.

Are you saying you can't feel someone's spine???

 

[Rekt]

Are you saying you can't feel someone's spine???

"Most". Sure, I can feel a SP or even a TP if I try hard enough, but feeling cranial expansion or rotation of fused bones? Lets get real here.

 

[surfguy84]

First semester went by fast. Can't complain about current classes, but I'm slowly getting obsessively concerned about my inability to retain information long-term.

Does anyone else feel like they've forgotten loads of stuff from earlier in the semester?