50 Things I Learned During My 1st Year of Medical School

[DreamingDoc]

First off, a big congrats to everyone who will be starting their med school journey in the upcoming weeks. I recently put together a list of some of the things I learned during my first year of medical school on my blog, and I figured I would post here. From talking to other students in both MD and DO schools, I've found that we all seem to have similar experiences, so hopefully some of you will find it helpful: http://www.aspiringminoritydoctor.com/2015/07/50-things-i-learned-during-my-first.html

If you're a current student, feel free to add some more things below. I thought SDN would have a current list somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Enjoy!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Mind sharing your stats?

 

[deleted407021]

I've been following your blog. It's a nice look into your life as a student. Thanks for sharing!

 

[virtuos locust]

"3. Invest in a large desk and white board for your home."

This is probably something all students should invest in regardless of education level. In undergraduate, the white board has facilitated my learning experience tremendously I probably couldn't stress it enough (especially for math courses).

Thanks for sharing!

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

" There will probably come a time where you will cry. Sometimes for no reason at all, sometimes because of what you think was a bad exam, and other times because you’re so stressed you don’t know what else to do. Let it happen!"

The only time I cry is when I watch 9/11 videos.

 

[gothicfoxes]

"5. There will probably be an electronic version of every textbook you need."
Adding to this: with electronic textbooks you can utilize ctrl + F to find information much more quickly than using a paper book's index, especially for obscure or ubiquitous information. While I'm a sucker for pulp and ink, I worship ctrl f.

Thanks for sharing your blog post. Very insightful.

 

[DreamingDoc]

Mind sharing your stats?

I was one of the underdog applicants: undergrad GPA UNDER 2.5, four mcat retakes with the highest score being 22, and luckily, a graduate GPA of 3.7 along with a VERY well-rounded background that helped a lot. As for medical school stats, I happily ended my first year with well above passing grades (although imo, passing is the only thing that matters at this point. Future board scores will be more important).

 

[DreamingDoc]

I've been following your blog. It's a nice look into your life as a student. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for reading

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Great post, thanks for sharing

 

[mehc012]

"3. Invest in a large desk and white board for your home."

This is probably something all students should invest in regardless of education level. In undergraduate, the white board has facilitated my learning experience tremendously I probably couldn't stress it enough (especially for math courses).

Thanks for sharing!

Large desk + white paper + page protectors + tape = whiteboard desk!

 

[ANATOMYgirl22]

Also get a sweet set of at least 20 colored pens/markers. Great for anatomy doodling, drawing out diagrams, and color coding any sort of written notes

 

[22031 Alum]

#25 is great to learn as a medical student, but essential to learn by the time you're a resident. Maybe weekend requests will work out so you can go to your cousin's wedding or your great uncle's retirement party. But maybe they won't. You're going to have to miss stuff. It can be really tough when family members don't realize just how inflexible your schedule can be. Especially if they happen to be in the same town or very close to your school/residency.

 

[Horse Apiece]

In lieu of an expensive large white board, you can pickup 4 x 8 ft sheets of plastic panel from a hardware store to use as a dry erase board. Very cheap and worthwhile for a home study room.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

I was one of the underdog applicants: undergrad GPA UNDER 2.5, four mcat retakes with the highest score being 22, and luckily, a graduate GPA of 3.7 along with a VERY well-rounded background that helped a lot. As for medical school stats, I happily ended my first year with well above passing grades (although imo, passing is the only thing that matters at this point. Future board scores will be more important).

A truly deserving underdog. Thanks for sharing your stats

 

[charlie517]

Loving this! Thanks!

 

[DreamingDoc]

Appreciate you guys reading and adding in extra tips. Can't believe I forgot to mention highlighters. I go through those things like water! Lol And if someone could mass produce a whiteboard dry erase desk, I'm sure they would make a killing! I tried using plastic paneling and didn't like it as much, but I know a few of my classmates swear by it.

 

[mehc012]

Appreciate you guys reading and adding in extra tips. Can't believe I forgot to mention highlighters. I go through those things like water! Lol And if someone could mass produce a whiteboard dry erase desk, I'm sure they would make a killing! I tried using plastic paneling and didn't like it as much, but I know a few of my classmates swear by it.

I like transparencies because they're quick and (imo) cleaner than a regular whiteboard. I also hang them on my walls and slip my schedule, etc. inside for a dry-eraseable calendar. Plus, they're cheap enough that you can just replace individual panels if it gets messy.

My absolute favorite option, of course, stems from spending too much time in the lab when I was a kid (not my own lab, my mom's). White paper overlaid with a sheet of glass. Boom. Now you can use dry erase markers OR my favorite: Sharpies and rubbing alcohol (way less mess...only erases when you choose!)

 

[halcyonpage]

Pinterest should be bubbling over with DIY ideas for desks/whiteboards. I've made several Pin-spired objects with frames, fabric, and glass from thrift stores.

 

[ewax]

buy a slow cooker.

 

[DreamingDoc]

I still have yet to buy a slow cooker....would probably save me tons of time!

 

[DreamingDoc]

Just thought of another addition: invest in a very large external hard drive. Videos, books, board study materials, lecture files, etc add up. They're a lifesaver!

 

[md-2020]

Just thought of another addition: invest in a very large external hard drive. Videos, books, board study materials, lecture files, etc add up. They're a lifesaver!

How big are we talking here? I'd imagine the 1TB+possibly more SSD space drives on modern laptops would be sufficient, no?

 

[DreamingDoc]

How big are we talking here? I'd imagine the 1TB+possibly more SSD space drives on modern laptops would be sufficient, no?

Possibly. I still use a laptop I bought in 2012 (I'll upgrade when it dies lol). I have a 1TB external hard drive and I've already used over 300 Gb of space on it. That's not including the notes and board prep materials I will be handed down from the upperclassmen for this coming year.