To quell your fears, this is what med school is REALLY like (i'm a first year)

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funkymunkytoes

funkymunkytoes

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Here it is, I'm laying it down:

First: YOU DON'T NEED TO USE ANY TEXTBOOKS TO PASS WITH HIGH SCORES

Guys, I went from a really ****ty undergrad where I took cake classes and got a 4.0, to a top 25 med school. I was so worried because I never really took a hard class, didn't develop any study strategy, and now i was entering a med school where half the class is from an ivy. Well, turns out, med schools pretty give you a consolidated syllabus of pretty much everything you need to know. I haven't opened a biochemistry book, a histology book, or a cell biology book, and I've gotten 95s on all my tests thus far. I stick to the supplied notes and the power point slides (JUST LIKE UNDERGRAD). The only book you really need is an anatomy atlas. Also, as far as anatomy goes. I'm almost done with it and I hardly know **** about anatomy! I was under the impression that we would have to know every little groove of every little bone and every nook and cranny of every muscle, etc. etc. NOT TRUE AT ALL. We learn only the stuff that is clinically relevant, that goes for muscles, vasculature, and even BONES!

Second: YOU WILL NOT BE STUDYING DAY IN AND DAY OUT
So far, I have hardly studied on the weekend, and average about 2 hours a day each weekday, outside of the 8-12 lecture. It's really not bad!

Third: YOU WILL HAVE TO CUT BACK ON THE PARTYING AND HOBBIES
Wrong, I still drink, I still smoke weed, and I still paint! The whole water fountain to fire hose analogy is total bull****. Guys, I'm telling you, for some ungodly reason everyone decided to perpetuate the notion that med school is CONSTANT studying, it really isn't! And I'm no genius, truuuuust me.

Plenty time to watch TV, plenty time socialize.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANYONE ON THIS FORUM TO GO INTO MED SCHOOL WITH ANY SELF DOUBT. I WENT FROM ALMOST NO RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, ALMOST NO SHADOWING EXPERIENCE, FROM A ****TY (980 SAT AVERAGE) UNDERGRAD, TO A GOOD MED SCHOOL AND I AM DOING JUST FINE!!!

Stay up,
funkymunkytoes
 
I'm DEAD serious. I wouldn't lie about this because man did it give me worries the summer before med school. I wish someone would have told me it's really not as difficult as everyone lets on. I have a girlfriend who's about 500 miles away, and we have met halfway several times. That's entire weekends and a few weekdays without studying. Yea, i get behind a bit when that happens, but i can still catch up by putting in an extra hour each day, nothing insane. To tell you the truth, after our last series of exams (they're all within the same week) i didn't study for a good 2 weeks. Also, my next exam week is a week before thanksgiving, and i'm planning on going to the Dylan Concert in D.C. on the 11th. Fun can be had! Don't shy away from medicine because you think you won't be able to hack it, you CAN DO IT!
 
I always had a feeling that this was the case. I hope it turns out the same way for me.
 
msb1190 said:
I always had a feeling that this was the case. I hope it turns out the same way for me.
Click to expand...

It will! I'm so not an A-type person, and it was daunting at first. People had such succinct methods of studying, while I had none. IN fact, i'll walk through the library and I'll see the same faces buried in the books. Some people make extensive outlines of each lecture, others rewrite entire lecture hand outs, word for word. I'll attend lecture, pay attention, then review the lecture notes (no flash cards, no outlines) a few times each day. It'll eventually stick, and I end up doing just fine! A few buddies of mine here have went to NASCAR, got blazed after our last series of exams, and still have time for a few beers each week.
 
funkymunkytoes said:
Here it is, I'm laying it down:

First: YOU DON'T NEED TO USE ANY TEXTBOOKS TO PASS WITH HIGH SCORES

Guys, I went from a really ****ty undergrad where I took cake classes and got a 4.0, to a top 25 med school. I was so worried because I never really took a hard class, didn't develop any study strategy, and now i was entering a med school where half the class is from an ivy. Well, turns out, med schools pretty give you a consolidated syllabus of pretty much everything you need to know. I haven't opened a biochemistry book, a histology book, or a cell biology book, and I've gotten 95s on all my tests thus far. I stick to the supplied notes and the power point slides (JUST LIKE UNDERGRAD). The only book you really need is an anatomy atlas. Also, as far as anatomy goes. I'm almost done with it and I hardly know **** about anatomy! I was under the impression that we would have to know every little groove of every little bone and every nook and cranny of every muscle, etc. etc. NOT TRUE AT ALL. We learn only the stuff that is clinically relevant, that goes for muscles, vasculature, and even BONES!

Second: YOU WILL NOT BE STUDYING DAY IN AND DAY OUT
So far, I have hardly studied on the weekend, and average about 2 hours a day each weekday, outside of the 8-12 lecture. It's really not bad!

Third: YOU WILL HAVE TO CUT BACK ON THE PARTYING AND HOBBIES
Wrong, I still drink, I still smoke weed, and I still paint! The whole water fountain to fire hose analogy is total bull****. Guys, I'm telling you, for some ungodly reason everyone decided to perpetuate the notion that med school is CONSTANT studying, it really isn't! And I'm no genius, truuuuust me.

Plenty time to watch TV, plenty time socialize.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANYONE ON THIS FORUM TO GO INTO MED SCHOOL WITH ANY SELF DOUBT. I WENT FROM ALMOST NO RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, ALMOST NO SHADOWING EXPERIENCE, FROM A ****TY (980 SAT AVERAGE) UNDERGRAD, TO A GOOD MED SCHOOL AND I AM DOING JUST FINE!!!

Stay up,
funkymunkytoes
Click to expand...

Which med school do you go to? Sign me up 😀

Is it UCLA?
 
Please people, heed my words and don't enter med school doubting ANYTHING regarding your own capabilities.🙂
 
Also, if you guys have ANY questions that you have been too afraid to ask, ASK ME!

I will answer as honestly as I can from my viewpoint and my experiences as a first year thus far.
 
All this sounds great, that you are passing classes and learning only the material your school wants, but it seems that you are not getting prepared for the USMLE Step 1? I mean, doesnt this test requires you to know in and outs of the connections of biochem, physio, anatomy, embryology etc?

I see it just as getting by in undergrad with easy professors, easy classes, but when MCAT comes, you wont know **** and thats where the real problem starts.

I might be wrong, but just a thought...
 
Yep, we have had one round of exams (3 in a week). We have had quizzes along the way, and our next series of exams (3 more in a week), is the week before Thanksgiving.

ANY OTHER Qs?
 
FYI, the first few months of first year are like summer camp compared with the rest of first year, and most second years I know, including myself, DO spend most of their time studying...once you get to path and pharm, if you DON'T know the ins and outs of material, you will definitely struggle.

But, have fun while you can!
 
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well it is the easiest year being an M1 and all. I'm sure it picks up later but its awesome to know people have more free time than most make it out to be on SDN. Several students hosts have told me about similar lifestyles like this one, so it definitely seems manageable (depending on the school and time in class, etc)
 
Bacchus said:
The majority of medical students don't have this experience.
Click to expand...

Man, I HATE to hear that. It's ok, a sad reality unfortunately. As far as Step 1 is concerned, NOBODY retains stuff they learned about the cori cycle for 2 years, when they have to learn so many more important things in second year (which is why first year material is tested less and less).

Why is everyone so recalcitrant towards what I'm saying. WHAT I'M SAYING IS A GOOD THING!!!

I need someone to translate what I'm saying into A-type personality language, because apparently what i'm saying ain't registering!
 
i think we would all like to know which school u go to,

im guessing emory?
 
Would it REALLY help if you guys know? I just volunteered some information that I kiiiiiiinda don't want anybody finding out. I'll tell you it's in Virginia. That is that!
 
pm me the school you go to! i seriously have the exact same study habits lol.
 
funkymunkytoes said:
Would it REALLY help if you guys know? I just volunteered some information that I kiiiiiiinda don't want anybody finding out. I'll tell you it's in Virginia. That is that!
Click to expand...

dude, that narrows it down to....one school.
 
Anyone who listens to this guy is an idiot.

I am an MS2. There is a lot of MEDICINE to learn in order to be a doctor. It takes a lot of time to learn the MEDICINE. You have to spend time STUDYING to learn and retain the material.

Can you do it? Of course you can.

But this thread is stupid.
 
Me too. I will being applying next year and hope to gain acceptance from your school. I don't understand most people on this forum; it is like they get pissed off knowing that other students have it easier. My question to those uptight med student is, "can we all just get along?"

ReptarBar said:
pm me the school you go to! i seriously have the exact same study habits lol.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, gotta hop on the "this is atypical" bandwagon where studying is concerned. Most people double or triple that amount of studying. I'm totally with you on the textbook thing, though. You can definitely get 90%+ of the material down with review. If you're going for high A's, you'll need to read the texts, but review books are where it's at as far I'm concerned.
 
It may not be every medical student's reality but I've had over half a dozen tests so far (in the middle of finals right now) and for the most part I agree with what the OP said. The only thing that I have found is that during test weeks 2 hours a day wont cut it....I average about 6 hrs/day during test weeks and do just fine. So far I haven't had to give up an hobbies and I go out on average once a week (i.e get drunk and go to a bar) although on a non-test week it might be 3 times a week and I might not go out at all on during a test week. The material is not hard AT ALL...it is just the amount that is overwhelming at times, which I am sure you have all heard before. It's not that bad, I still have a life the best part of all I'm happy and thoroughly enjoying myself...OK back to studying
 
FlowRate said:
Yeah, a friend says one of his good buddies did cheme undergrad and said med school was easier than having gone through a cheme curriculum.
Click to expand...
Med school isn't really very difficult in terms of what you learn. My sophomore-level physics classes blow it away. It's the volume that gets you. Drinking from a firehose and whatnot.
 
scurred09 said:
Me too. I will being applying next year and hope to gain acceptance from your school. I don't understand most people on this forum; it is like they get pissed off knowing that other students have it easier. My question to those uptight med student is, "can we all just get along?"
Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm just offering my experience because it's not often told! I sure never heard it when I was applying!
 
I agree, don't listen to this guy. I study this exact same way in undergrad, but only because I know what I'm learning has no relevance to the real world. This isn't the case in medical school...
 
vin5cent0 said:
I agree, don't listen to this guy. I study this exact same way in undergrad, but only because I know what I'm learning has no relevance to the real world. This isn't the case in medical school...
Click to expand...

Biochemistry in medical school isn't any more relevant than biochemistry in undergrad.

Cell biology in medical school isn't any more relevant than cell biology in undergrad.

Remember guys, I'm just talking about MY experience as a FIRST YEAR.
 
scurred09 said:
Me too. I will being applying next year and hope to gain acceptance from your school. I don't understand most people on this forum; it is like they get pissed off knowing that other students have it easier. My question to those uptight med student is, "can we all just get along?"
Click to expand...

No, we just want you to be aware that the OP's experience is atypical. His school may be somewhat atypical - or maybe mine is, who knows. His description of what anatomy ISN'T like at his school is a perfect description of what anatomy IS like at my school.

I'm also a bit unimpressed by
I'm almost done with it and I hardly know **** about anatomy!"
Click to expand...

Why is that something to be proud of?
 
when people say top 25, they really mean a school that's ranked higher than 25 but below 25.

this leaves 4.
MSSM, emory, UVa and Case Western

also, OP, it depends on the class rank you are going for. Are you going for top 1/3? I am around top 25% (I am guessing) and put in around 4 hours a day. In my understanding that's the lower end.
 
MSSM2013 said:
when people say top 25, they really mean a school that's ranked higher than 25 but below 25.

this leaves 4.
MSSM, emory, UVa and Case Western

also, OP, it depends on the class rank you are going for. Are you going for top 1/3? I am around top 25% (I am guessing) and put in around 4 hours a day. In my understanding that's the lower end.
Click to expand...

he already said it's a top 25 school in virginia....
 
We have some A-typers lurking! Let me explain myself. The school is pass/fail, so maybe that explains my atypical situation. Also, don't forget, I'M JUST SPEAKING MY EXPERIENCE. I'M NOT COMPARING SCHOOLS. You guys are putting on full body armor to attack an ice cream sundae. People, relax. My inquiry as to who and what perpetuates the idea that medical school is constant studying has been answered: it is gunner medical students like a lot of you premeds!

My situation COULD be atypical, but all I know is what I am experiencing.
 
This thread was doomed from the start.
 
Yes, and you shouldn't say things like "YOU WILL NOT BE STUDYING DAY IN AND DAY OUT" if you're only discussing your experiences. Nobody who hasn' been through med school knows what med school is like, so you're in a position of authority. When you speak in absolutes, your audience doesn't really have much option but to take you at face value. That's why the "Uh...no." response has been rather strong.
 
Crazy Cats!

My hope was to QUELL FEARS of undergraduates vying to get into med school by sharing MY experience. I guess it isn't allowed!

Whoops, sorry, and won't do it again!

Still stay up,
Funky
 
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