Before I started 1st year I wish I had...

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Slow said:
I'll be starting 1st year in August. I graduated last May with a mechanical engineering degree and have been working as an engineer for the year, which I'm really glad I did, and I've done some travel.

I have some time and energy (and a little money) before med school starts, so I'm curious if anyone had any "I wish I had..." suggestions for me. I'm mainly fishing for books to read, study/prep suggestions, life experiences, points to consider, and the like, but all suggestions might be helpful.

Thanks. (And sorry if this topic has been beat to death elsewhere - I couldn't find another thread)
Click to expand...
Won the lottery?
 
Just relax and do something fun that you have wanted to do for a while. Your time will be more constrained in school. There is no point in studying ahead of time. Don't buy (medical) books ahead of time either- use the school library until you get a feel for what you want/need.
 
I can empathize with Slow on this topic as I am also about to start my first year come August. After my first round of applications last year I was denied at several schools and wait-listed at best. To keep from being overcome with anxiety about potentially matriculating (which I didn't but I did this year Hooray!) I asked the same question to friends who had already begun school. They said to have fun, keep in touch with good friends who have moved away and if possible travel to spend time with them, and really make the effort to do things you really want to do.

Since recieving the advice I have visited friends and family, read several books I'd been collecting to read once I got free time to really settle into them, taken up mountain biking with new friends, and I'm getting married to the most amazing girl I've ever met in June. I am excited about the time I have for this summer before school starts. I wish the best to you, Slow, and that we both may begin medical school feeling secure and focused without feelings of regret for things we didn't do before medical school.
 
The thing is, I knew about all those types of advice that people gave when it came to the summer before medical school (enjoy, vacation, have fun). One thing that I hadn't heard about until I came to school is perhaps picking up something pretty unique as a hobby (such as brewing beer), because residency interviews WILL hone in on those hobbies (excellent talking points). One of my friends who is a matched fourth year in ortho mentioned on his app about his beer brewing habits- at least half the questions in the interview was about beer brewing and they got along extraordinarily well. Something to consider...
 
I went to Peru and spent 2 weeks in the Amazon. That wasn't half bad.
 
...thrown three going away parties instead of two??

there isn't a lot you can do to get ready.. the only thing I would've liked is more time hanging out back in my home town with my friends................ but I spent like every day chllin for 23 years; you can never have enough perfect days with people you love. the absolute worst thing about med school for me is the time away from friends, cause you can never have that back, everything else is fine. take advantage of everything you love about the place you're living.
 
Done a ton of illicit drugs. And I'm only half-kidding :laugh: Seriously it would have been nice to go to Amsterdam and get high out of my mind since you gotta be on the straight and narrow after you're in (well, I know some people have ignored that but personally I don't think it's a good idea).
 
spent like 10 hours a day on SDN!!! seriously, get outside and ride a bike. play some video games. sow some wild oats 😉
-durty
 
.. gotten my hands on the kaplan step 1 materials
 
Last edited:
Spent a few days to get my rent and utilities and immunizations and taxes and other logistical crap in order. The fewer things to think about, the better.

But before you do that, be as irresponsible as possible.
 
braluk said:
The thing is, I knew about all those types of advice that people gave when it came to the summer before medical school (enjoy, vacation, have fun). One thing that I hadn't heard about until I came to school is perhaps picking up something pretty unique as a hobby (such as brewing beer), because residency interviews WILL hone in on those hobbies (excellent talking points). One of my friends who is a matched fourth year in ortho mentioned on his app about his beer brewing habits- at least half the questions in the interview was about beer brewing and they got along extraordinarily well. Something to consider...
Click to expand...
I like this idea! Best one I've heard.

I went in to med school DIRECTLY from undergrad.... ie: I literally finished my BS degree 3 days before orientation. Do I regret anything? Nope... Med school is where I want to be. I can travel on breaks. . . It sounds like this big scary beast, but once you're in it you will realize that it is manageable. Yeah, there's times that you think you're going to die, but other times the load is pretty light (such as right after exams).

So don't feel like your life is going to end. It isn't. You're going to be making some amazing friends in med school and it can be the time of your life if you let it 🙂 good luck to ya

Edit: if you want to get high A's on every test though... yeah, your life is over.
 
I second catching up and visiting old friends and trying to make new friends in your new city. Also, risky activities are a nice touch. There is something about getting a real chance at a good future that makes everything risky seem dumb... including illegal activities, sky diving, etc.
 
I'm also in Slow's boat, starting in August, so this is a great thread to see.

So far, in summary, we have "do crazy things", "brew beer", "get married", "illegal activities", and "cross state/country lines".

This summer is going to be awesome!
 
Definitely get your affairs in order (jeez, that sounds morbid). Take the dog to the vet, get the oil changed in the car, go to the dentist, and get lots of groceries. You won't have time to do much of anything when school starts.

Definitely have fun. Chill with your friends, because you probably won't see much of them after August. Go to the beach/lake/mountains/whatever.

Okay, now here's what will likely be the unpopular portion of this post. I really wish I had done some reading the summer before school started. I graduated a LONG time ago (poster child for non-trad), and so my mind was really blown by some stuff. I feel like I would have benefited from some basic biochem reading. Yes, yes, I've heard it all before: "If you did well enough on the MCATs to get in , then you knew all of that well enough". Yeah, I get it. I'm just saying I wish that's what I'd done. But it's certainly not for everyone. If you've been out of the game for a while (we're talking 8 years in my case) then it's going to be a serious shock to your system when you get back in it.
 
Read Robbin's cover to cover twice. I only read it once before 1st year, more would 'stick' if you read it twice.
 
work+beach=my summer
 
I know one thing I'm doing this summer is a mini ballpark tour. In 5 days me and my friends are taking a road trip to Cinci, Pitt, Baltimore and Phillie for 4 baseball games. Baseball is my passion, so I figured its the best time to do it. I'm also in a softball league with my friends, and during the week in between games we practice a few times (not because we're ultra-serious about it, just because we have a ****load of fun).

I also plan on doing a lot of preparing, such as buying new **** such as a new comp and a new coat and bag and things like that, and shoring up my funds.

I'll drink with my friends and have some good times also, just because I know there won't be much time for that soon so I should soak it up.
 
And i hope that must work up in the right way.
 
Since I'm a cyclist, and I know I'm not going to have enough time to train once med school starts, I'm gonna race as much as possible.
 
Just take a vacation. It'll be way worth it.
 
Midnightcat said:
Definitely get your affairs in order (jeez, that sounds morbid). Take the dog to the vet, get the oil changed in the car, go to the dentist, and get lots of groceries. You won't have time to do much of anything when school starts.
Click to expand...

Comon dude, you have to admit - your post is pretty ridiculous. I really feel bad for you if it's true!

You don't have time for freakin' groceries or getting an oil change? You won't take your dog for routine visits to the vet? Did you buy groceries for the four years in advance? I'm not in medical school, but I have friends who are, and who also have time for a million other things like roadtrips, hanging out, vacations, etc... If you're serious, then you are definitely doing something wrong with your time management skills.

I can understand the fact that everyone's busy in medical school, but seriously...
 
To be honest, Midnight's not as far off the mark as you think. Although a lot of that depends on what you're willing to settle for in school, grade-wise.
 
I am going to take a vacation (caribbean cruise), work a special needs camp, keep watching the kids I nanny for and help the mom with c-section recovery but just 3 days a week (baby 4 is schedule to arrive on June 8th!)...

then the basics- packing, spending time with friends, maybe a trip to the beach or lakehouse
 
I'm going to learn to drive (yeaaaaah). Possibly get some sort of temporary job-type deal. Visit friends. Find housing (that's a pretty important step, I think).

I also hope to do a bit of leisure reading. Reading used to be my life's passion, once upon a time 🙁
 
Orthodoc40 said:
....changed my mind?
Click to expand...

:laugh: 👍

Vacation, family, and friends are the only things you should be considering for your summer before med school. Relax and lounge as much as possible. Guilt free relaxation is hard to come by once school starts. Even if you are goofing off (like I am right now on SDN instead of studying for finals/boards), you feel guilty as hell about it.
 
Jwax said:
:laugh: 👍

Vacation, family, and friends are the only things you should be considering for your summer before med school. Relax and lounge as much as possible. Guilt free relaxation is hard to come by once school starts. Even if you are goofing off (like I am right now on SDN instead of studying for finals/boards), you feel guilty as hell about it.
Click to expand...

Agreed x 100
 
^^Up above. It's not that bad in the first year and it's not all about settling for grades. Coming up around test time it gets busy, but otherwise I've found I have more than adequate free time. I have three dogs, a 15 year old cat that won't die, a needy fiance, and I've still managed to honor most of my classes, finish a first author ortho paper, and put ~150 miles on my road bike. Medical school is a lot of hard work, but if you can organize yourself a bit (and I'm not that great at it), you won't be bogged down to the point that you don't have a life. I think some people exagerate a little bit.
 
astrocreep96 said:
^^Up above. It's not that bad in the first year and it's not all about settling for grades. Coming up around test time it gets busy, but otherwise I've found I have more than adequate free time. I have three dogs, a 15 year old cat that won't die, a needy fiance, and I've still managed to honor most of my classes, finish a first author ortho paper, and put ~150 miles on my road bike. Medical school is a lot of hard work, but if you can organize yourself a bit (and I'm not that great at it), you won't be bogged down to the point that you don't have a life. I think some people exagerate a little bit.
Click to expand...



You also have to keep in mind that people are very different in their abilities to quickly assimilate information as well as their background in a variety of subjects. Anyone who tries to make any kind of generalization about the time spent studying in medical school is doing a disservice to a premed reading it (short of saying "it's a lot"). The volume of information greatly magnifies even the most subtle differences in abilities and efficiency (whether it's studying, test-taking, organizational skills, etc).

My experience has been that for every one person that exaggerates the amount of time they spend studying, there are 3 or 4 more who "under-exaggerate."
 
rogerwilco said:
You also have to keep in mind that people are very different in their abilities to quickly assimilate information. Anyone who tries to make any kind of generalization about the time spent studying in medical school is doing a disservice to a premed reading it. The volume of information greatly magnifies even the most subtle differences in studying ability and efficiency (whether it's studying, test-taking, organizational skills, etc).
Click to expand...

Oh I totally agree. Precisely why I made my statement. Not having time to do anything other than changing your oil and buying groceries isn't really representative of most students, from my perspective. Obviously it's a continuum, but I don't think it's quite as bad as some make it out to be.
 
astrocreep96 said:
Oh I totally agree. Precisely why I made my statement. Not having time to do anything other than changing your oil and buying groceries isn't really representative of most students, from my perspective. Obviously it's a continuum, but I don't think it's quite as bad as some make it out to be.
Click to expand...



Well sure, you don't, but others certainly do. Like you said, obviously a continuum. I guess this thread is about elucidating that continuum to see where people fall, really.

To be honest, I had a somewhat weaker science background in undergrad compared to the hardcore biochem majors and such, so although I've honored all my classes, I do feel like I tend to have to put in a little more time than some of my bio/biochem major peers sometimes. I have a friend who was a biochem and molecular biology major in undergrad who, in our biochem/genetics/molecular bio block, literally would take several days off at a time even leading up to an exam and still honored it. Whereas that was probably the class I found the most challenging in first year, simply because a lot of it was new to me (or might as well have been since it had been a looong time since I had seen it).
 
Slack3r said:
If you can't sacrifice an hour of your day for something as necessary to your existence as food, I'd say you're doing something horribly, horribly, HORRIBLY wrong. No "ifs", "ands", or "buts" about it.
Click to expand...



You heard it here folks, straight from the pre-dent's mouth.
 
Slack3r said:
With plenty of friends in medical school, not one of which doesn't have time for groceries. So either I'm sampling some future Einsteins, or you're full of ****. Take your pick.
Click to expand...



The "internet tough guy" routine only gets you so far, kid. Feel free to reply with the obligatory Panda-inspired one liner, then give it a rest.
 
Slack3r said:
Far enough to prove my point, apparently, since you side-stepped my response. So I'm assuming you'll concede you're full of **** then? Or a horribly inefficient studier? Let me guess, you were one of those guys who thought being a pre-med required "enormous sacrifices"?

You'll find plenty of people on these boards who echo my sentiment. Some that are even gunning for competitive specialties. Most of the people saying you won't have time for groceries are the same "woe-is-me" folks who make themselves out to be martyrs just because they're in med school.
Click to expand...





"People on these boards" are a piss-poor representation of the average medical student. Kudos to your friends for having more free time than they know what to do with. I know people who are the same way. One or two of them are just beyond brilliant and can hammer away A's with minimal studying. Realize that that is not typical, and not what a pre-med should expect. The rest are people who are content with B's and C's, and that's great if it works for them. Everyone's got their goals.


I'm not gonna play the Panda fanboy game. I get it, you like to play the slick internet gunslinger. I've been there, it's fun for a while, but it gets old.
 
Slack3r said:
So you only spend two hours per day in lecture, yet you can't find the time to give up an hour for groceries? You're telling me you study for the other 14 hours (assuming 8 hours for sleep)? I still stand by my original statement.
Click to expand...



Resorting to trying to dig up old posts. Wow, I really touched a nerve with you, and I'm not even the one who mentioned groceries. This is great.
 
Last edited:
I think people are getting too agitated. Yes, there is time for grocery shopping, but no one's been through an exam/finals season when you feel really loaded with work and don't want to leave the house/library because you feel super stressed?

I doubt anyone's implying that you NEVER have time to leave the house to do grocery shopping. It's just that sometimes things get super busy and even the little things in life, like cooking, grocery shopping seem to kick into your time.

That being said, yes, time management is key, but like come on, no one's felt stressed before exams?

Overall, I felt it's certainly not easy, but I've had more time to myself than undergrad.
 
rogerwilco said:
To be honest, Midnight's not as far off the mark as you think. Although a lot of that depends on what you're willing to settle for in school, grade-wise.
Click to expand...

I guess you're right. It's just frustrating for premeds like me who are starting medical school soon, and the only thing we hear from med students is gloom and doom, and that we're screwed, we won't have a life anymore, and there's nothing to look forward to. There has to be something we did right by getting into medical school.

Sorry, didn't mean to start an argument.
 
phospho said:
I guess you're right. It's just frustrating for premeds like me who are starting medical school soon, and the only thing we hear from med students is gloom and doom, and that we're screwed, we won't have a life anymore, and there's nothing to look forward to. There has to be something we did right by getting into medical school.

Sorry, didn't mean to start an argument.
Click to expand...



No problem. Like was stated earlier, there's a wide spectrum. And keep in mind that the closer one of us is to an exam, the more we focus on the idea that our free time seems limited.

A good take home point is that this topic is highly variable and is largely dependent on the individual. That's a good thing.
 
phospho said:
I guess you're right. It's just frustrating for premeds like me who are starting medical school soon, and the only thing we hear from med students is gloom and doom, and that we're screwed, we won't have a life anymore, and there's nothing to look forward to. There has to be something we did right by getting into medical school.

Sorry, didn't mean to start an argument.
Click to expand...

Trust me, this gloom doom talk is good for you. I was in your shoes a year ago, and med students like to make it sound sooo bad that your expectations about med school become so negative and bad that it actually ends up being better than you expect. So I expected my life to completely suck in med school, based on expectations, but in reality it doesn't suck so bad.
 
I'm going to save money and get Lasik eye surgery so I don't have to wear these glasses anymore. I also wanna start working out again so I can dunk like I used to be able to.
 
Everyone will find out after a month or so what it actually takes to achieve what ever grade level they want. I personally am happy being right around the bottom part of the top 1/3, so take what I'm saying for whatever you deem it worth.

I can let alot of you guys know that I have plenty of free time. Granted, there are times when I study a lot. These times are inevitable. More often then not though, I have what I consider a good amount of free time. I make all of my own meals (with live in GF, which also takes up my free time), go grocery shopping every week, get out on the town when its not an exam week, go out for a run every other day and even squeeze in a few hours of video games now and then.

Some people study all the time and some people only cram a couple days before exams. Most people will fall into the middle. The SDN distribution of med students pushes most of the sampling data to the 2 extremes. Alot of people on here try harder than average bear, but this doesn't nessesarily reflect the average med student. Perfect example of this is the "did you party as a freshman" thread in pre-allo(IMHO a very, very sad thread). Most med students party (gasp!), although you might be fooled if you read that thread.

Moral of story, don't believe the hype about studying amounts either way
 
Last edited:
umean2tellme said:
I'm going to save money and get Lasik eye surgery so I don't have to wear these glasses anymore. I also wanna start working out again so I can dunk like I used to be able to.
Click to expand...

That's funny, I'm trying to do the same thing. I'm only six foot but could throw it down one-handed. Got to get it back!!! Good luck man.
 
Am I the only one here who doesn't think the first two years are a gloom and doom type of situation? I think I can say that most students I know within my school and outside have time for simple things like groceries, and yes, oil changes (even though we might spend the time waiting for one to be done reviewing flashcards- and honestly, how often do you need oil changes where your studying is compromised by one?). The fact that people are posting here on SDN could be considered time that could be spent on other things (i.e. you have time that isn't studying to do stuff). This includes gym, groceries, movies, and so forth. In fact, I just purchased a puppy in the summer of taking Step 1 (yes, I am that good [j/k]). If you make time, you'll find it. I'm by no means at the top of my class but I get my stuff done. If it means a little bit of sleep sacrificed so be it. If you're aiming for number 1, then sure your time is probably a bit more constrained than most average student, but you certainly aren't representative of most students, and you definitely do not function without some sort of personal time. Don't fall into the trap that every medical student is only successful if they spent every minute of their waking hour studying, at the behest of better grades, but at the expense of everyday living. You find balance. The more I give up of personal time, the higher the diminishing gains I get out of studying. Point is...different strokes for different folks. Find out for yourself.
 
Last edited:
Slack3r said:
I can't study for more than an hour or two at a time anyway. How anyone can study for 12 hours is absolutely beyond me. Although I'm positive not all 12 hours are spent productively, I'm sure most people dick off for at least 60% of that so called "study time".
Click to expand...


Best thing to do is study productively for 50 minutes, take a 10 minute break. Repeat as necessary.

You will almost certainly have days (usually during an exam week) where you will spend 12 (or more) hours studying. And most of it will even be productive (and if they're not, your scores may reflect that).

In undergrad I was one of those "I can't study more than an hour straight" kind of people and couldn't even fathom spending more than 3 or 4 hours in a single day studying.

Then I got to med school, and did what I had to do. You'd be surprised at how you're able to just kick it into gear. A 12-15 hour study day leading up to an exam, while depressing in its own right, is more or less just another thing you learn to do.
 
FrickenhugeMD said:
Everyone will find out after a month or so what it actually takes to achieve what ever grade level they want. I personally am happy being right around the bottom part of the top 1/3, so take what I'm saying for whatever you deem it worth.

I can let alot of you guys know that I have plenty of free time. Granted, there are times when I study a lot. These times are inevitable. More often then not though, I have what I consider a good amount of free time. I make all of my own meals (with live in GF, which also takes up my free time), go grocery shopping every week, get out on the town when its not an exam week, go out for a run every other day and even squeeze in a few hours of video games now and then.

Some people study all the time and some people only cram a couple days before exams. Most people will fall into the middle. The SDN distribution of med students pushes most of the sampling data to the 2 extremes. Alot of people on here try harder than average bear, but this doesn't nessesarily reflect the average med student. Perfect example of this is the "did you party as a freshman" thread in pre-allo(IMHO a very, very sad thread). Most med students party (gasp!), although you might be fooled if you read that thread.

Moral of story, don't believe the hype about studying amounts either way
Click to expand...

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!👍
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MonsterGod
Should I be looking for research before med school even starts?
Replies
6
Views
891
Dr. Robb Bassett
Dr. Robb Bassett
Beta Zing
I
Replies
5
Views
2K
LucidSplash
LucidSplash
J
  • Locked
Am I insane do this?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Ascent23510
A
Future Dr. Hopefully
Anatomy before starting medical school
Replies
13
Views
2K
guytakingboards
G
Y
4 passes in 3rd year, including IM, am I screwed for academic IM?
Replies
3
Views
739
Dr.Freedman MedEdits
Dr.Freedman MedEdits
Top