All nighters in Medical School

[darkmatter]

Has anyone pulled all nighters studying? I know come people who do and they do well on their tests...

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[souljah1]

Nope. It would definitely work against me. Physically, I'd be drained. Mentally, I'd feel defeated for having to stay up all night in order to prepare. I am usually taking it fairly easy the night before an exam if I can. I definitely don't study past midnight.

 

[jbish]

I also take it easy the night before. However, I've always been of the mindset that all-nighters are completely unnecessary. If I study consistently during the term/unit I won't need to pull an all-nighter. And I do just fine on the tests without that trauma.

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

I don't pull all-nighters either. I usually stop studying around 8 or so the night before and relax before going to sleep. Then I get up an hour or two early (depending on how early the test is) and read back over the things I have the most trouble with. It has worked so far.

 

[::Seabass::]

I think people can survive through one all night, but a week of them is a different story.

 

[8744]

If you keep up there is no need to pull an all-nighter.

I don't see how missing the last eight hours of sleep before an exam is going to make up for blowing-off four weeks of studying.

 

[Bevo]

I dont think all nighters help you at all.

but what some people do is invert their schedule. they sleep in the afternoon, study all night take the test (usually 8 am or 1 pm here) then go home and sleep do it all over again over the night.

I kinda go the 9 am to 1-2am route during test time, like right now!

but I do take it easy the night before and usually stop preparing for a test an hour before the exam.

taking my final anatomy lab practical in 30 mins! w00p!

 

[skidmark]

I usually stop around 11:00 or midnight when I am studying hard. I never study past 11:00 the night before the test.
I get plenty of sleep the night before the test because our tests are scheduled in the afternoons.

 

[omarsaleh66]

i do all nighters all the time, sometimes, its true that its much better to study consistently, but its much better pulling an all nighter to learn some new stuff rather than to get sleep in my opinion.

There have been times where i have taught myself like 60 percent of the material the night before. Like i said, this is not the way to go, but sometimes looking over stuff 24 hours before the test can really help u out, because for classes like anratomy, u might have forgotten the stuff u learned 3 weeks before,

The main thing is to never panic the night before the test,
never panic during the test and think things through especially if ur low on sleep.

and coffee helps me alot, i drink it like water. even an hour of sleep before the exam can help tremendously

peace

Omar

 

[mfred]

I try to not to pull all nighters, cause they hurt. But I have occasionally (esp. on nights that we have 3 or 4 subject tests the next day) and it is really no big deal. I figure if someday I am going to have to sit through a 6 or 7 hr emergency surgery at the end of a 60 to 80 hr workweek on no sleep for the last 36 hrs, I can handle a few hours of multiple choice tests and go home and take a nap. Besides, studies have shown there is really no change in focused cognitive ability with lack of sleep over a 24 period. Go longer than that though and stuff really starts going downhill.

 

[omarsaleh66]

i do all nighters all the time, sometimes, its true that its much better to study consistently, but its much better pulling an all nighter to learn some new stuff rather than to get sleep in my opinion.

There have been times where i have taught myself like 60 percent of the material the night before. Like i said, this is not the way to go, but sometimes looking over stuff 24 hours before the test can really help u out, because for classes like anratomy, u might have forgotten the stuff u learned 3 weeks before,

The main thing is to never panic the night before the test,
never panic during the test and think things through especially if ur low on sleep.

and coffee helps me alot, i drink it like water. even an hour of sleep before the exam can help tremendously

peace

Omar

 

[periodista]

i've pulled a few all-nighters, but they had nothing to do with studying.

 

[CANES2006]

I have never had the need to pull an all nighter in medical school. I think this is generally a bad idea. In my case, I would be too exhausted to do the test least of all do well on it.

 

[scootad.]

I pulled late nights all the time before med school exams (but the latest I'd stay up until would be 3AM) but never full on all nighters. Then wake up at 6AM for last minute details. I always kept up with the material, so that wasnt the issue, it was just too much stuff to memorize. And I think the late nights helped me, in many cases I felt I would not have passed if I didnt stay up so late.

 

[PublicHealth]

Wouldn't it be cool if you could just pop a floppy disk into a slit in your brain and load all the material that you need to know for exams?

 

[sophRI]

I personally am a big fan of the long night, but not the all-night. I usually get about 2 hours of sleep the night before an exam. I don't go telling that to everyone in my class b/c most people equate all-nighter with last-minute, even though I keep up on my work. Personally, I study best late at night and function poorly on too much sleep - that's just my style of studying - we all have our own. If you have never pulled an all-nighter and are going for a first in med school I would suggest that, in this case, it's a bad time to try new things. If you were really an all night kind of person you probably would have figured it out by now. If you're not, and you need and love your sleep, then get it.

And a sidenote for all those who vaguely resent people who study all night before an exam and still do well, that's silly. We all put our hours in, so why should it matter when we do it?

ps. where can I get one of those floppy disks?

 

[Mirror Form]

While it's definitely true that all-nighter's can be detrimental on some tests, they can be very helpful on others. As aways, it's dependant on the situation. If the test is a physiology test that require lots of calculations and reasoning, you should definitely get a good nights sleep. If the test is a very particular anal multiple choice test, all nighters are great b/c the exact details and wording are fresh in your mind. Obviously some ephedrine/caffiene/etc is mandatory. And for you people who think all nighters are the plague, you should get used to it b/c once you start clinical rotations and intership, sleep deprivation is something you need to be able to handle. If you're the kind of person who never falls behind, all nighters might not be worth it. But for the majority of tests, I score better when I pull all nighters.

 

[Blade28]

For test purposes, no. In my OB/GYN and Surgery rotations, yes.

 

[divinemsm]

I foolishly pulled an all nighter in anatomy lab the night before a practical exam....it was my lowest grade ever.

 

[dobonedoc]

The All-nighter for study is necessary on occasion, but comes with a price. I hate the run down feeling I have the day after. If my schedule allows for a few hours of sleep after the test, then I don't hesitate.

It is easy to get flustered or in a panic while trying to race the clock to cram in as much info as possible. If I'm faced with needing to do it, I just study in my normal way, and worry less about trying to memorize all of the facts. I stop an hour or so before the test, get cleaned up, and eat some breakfast. I try not to look like I just sat at the table all night. I think the extra hours I have squeezed in have helped in the past.

 

[Sprockette]

Originally posted by sophRI

And a sidenote for all those who vaguely resent people who study all night before an exam and still do well, that's silly. We all put our hours in, so why should it matter when we do it?

Amen! I too am no stranger to all-nighters. Sometimes, I am just behind in my studying and need the extra time, but other times I know the material just fine, and would probably do well on the test the next day, but I PREFER to take the exta 8 or so hours to go over it again and as someone else said, have it fresh in my mind for the exam. And I am the kind of person who does not use coffee/other caffeine products/other stimulants to stay awake, because then you just feel kind of crappy the next day when you actually have to TAKE the test.

But I hate those people who get all self-righteous and try to condemn those of us who DO stay up all night. I don't understand what the big deal is....if it works for us, and we're learning the material, then who cares when that process takes place? Sheesh.

 

[ubiquitous]

I'm quite familiar with the all-nighter. I've pulled quite a few during medical school. Unfortunately, my time management skills (or lack thereof) get the best of me and I'm forced to stay up late to feel more comfortable with the material. For me, I'd much rather tough it out for one night than risk not doing well on an exam or go into an exam well-rested, but filled with anxiety. It's not something I'd recommend, especially in second year. The volume of material is much more than you see in first year, so an all-nighter is much less fruitful. I'm trying to get away from them, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

 

[jwin]

Originally posted by KyGrlDr2B
I don't pull all-nighters either. I usually stop studying around 8 or so the night before and relax before going to sleep. Then I get up an hour or two early (depending on how early the test is) and read back over the things I have the most trouble with. It has worked so far.

what the heck is this crap? i wanna go where you guys go to school. i do not know of a single person in my class who stops studying at 8 the night before an exam. are you on pass/fail or something?

 

[deleted29780]

i think this is one of the best threads i have ever come across on SDN.
I do not undertake all nighters before a test. Reason
# my body becomes very hot
# i tend to confuse my facts
# it reduces my reasoning ability

I THINK I AGREE WITH THE REST OF U . ALL NIGHTERS ARE BAD. LEARN CONSISTENTLY IN MED SCHOOL. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MEMORISING A BOOK TO PASS JUST AN EXAM. IT IS LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MEDICINE , SO AS TO SAVE LIVES.
BYE.

 

[lola]

Originally posted by jwin
what the heck is this crap? i wanna go where you guys go to school. i do not know of a single person in my class who stops studying at 8 the night before an exam. are you on pass/fail or something?

you don't?? i hear people in our class talk about how they stop at like 6 the night before. i have no idea how they can do this, but i guess they stay on top of the material or something.

i've never pulled an all-nighter in college, grad school, or med school. in college i used to do a lot of nights with 3-5 hrs/sleep, in grad school i never got less than 6 or 7, and in med school i've only once gotten less than 5 or 6. i usually try to stop studying around midnight the night before an exam. it is not that i feel like i know the material and that another run through of the material and a little less sleep won't help (believe me... it would help a lot). it is more that i am too lazy to do it!

i agree with whoever said that whether or not all-nighters are good depends on the subject matter. there are certain classes here where an all-nighter would greatly benefit me (e.g. histology -- multiple choice memorization exams), and other classes where an all-nighter would hurt me (e.g. physiology -- short answer thinking exams).

 

[jwin]

Originally posted by Akuffo
i think this is one of the best threads i have ever come across on SDN.
I do not undertake all nighters before a test. Reason
# my body becomes very hot
# i tend to confuse my facts
# it reduces my reasoning ability

I THINK I AGREE WITH THE REST OF U . ALL NIGHTERS ARE BAD. LEARN CONSISTENTLY IN MED SCHOOL. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MEMORISING A BOOK TO PASS JUST AN EXAM. IT IS LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MEDICINE , SO AS TO SAVE LIVES.
BYE.

your philosophy is touching and all, but sometimes it is just about passing an exam.

details can be crammed, so i will stay up to cram them. i learn consistently, but the attachments of the pharyngeal, soft palate, and tongue muscles do not stick with me as "basic principles"

 

[dobonedoc]

IS NOT A MATTER OF MEMORISING A BOOK . . .

Not a book, just sometimes the facts necessary, or maybe just how to spell "Memorizing . . ."

 

[jbish]

Memorise is the British spelling of memorize. Both are acceptable. Kind of like colour/color, grey/gray and other variants.

 

[CANES2006]

Originally posted by jwin
what the heck is this crap? i wanna go where you guys go to school. i do not know of a single person in my class who stops studying at 8 the night before an exam. are you on pass/fail or something?

I usually stop studying around 8 or so the night before too and just relax for the rest of the night. My school is supposedly pass/fail (bull$hit), but records your numerical score and class ranking for EACH class as well. I can stop studying the night before early on because at that point I already know the material pretty well. I'm so tired of reviewing the material that my brain is no longer understanding what it is reading. At that point what's the use in continuing to study?

 

[Street Philosopher]

the medical school curriculum is so full of useless bullsh*t trivia, the kind of thing that you'd forget in a second if you don't constantly hammer it into your head. personally i forget things very easily unless it is conceptual, and no one is going to ever convince me that medical school teaches concepts, so i will be cramming until i retire or die, whichever comes first.

 

[DireWolf]

I've pulled an all-nighter before every med school exam so far. This has worked out very well in most instances. This finals week we have seven exams in six days, so I will be pulling six all-nighters. It will all be worth it when I get to go home for break.

 

[GoodMonkey]

my body physically can't take it. good for you folks who can get the studying all done at high efficiency right up before the test. and good for you people who can just shave away at the material and go to sleep early before the exam. we all have to learn the material and put in the time - some people just put that time in at different rates and at different times during the week/weekend.

i'm somewhere in the middle. i do a bit each day, but towards the time when the exam nears, i put in extra hours. my nights are later (like midnight, 1am and getting up around 7am) but they're not all-nighters. seriously, i don't know how i'm going to survive rotations and residency, because my body totally poops out on me when i get worn down w/o enough sleep. i get a big headache, nauseated, dizzy, unable to focus, unable to think, etc.... and that is not conducive to me learning anything.

 

[Street Philosopher]

uhhh, my body gets like that too. i just drink a ton of coffee, take 15 minute power naps, and keep slaving away. the fear of failure does wonders. except for that one time.

 

[DrMom]

my norm is about 5 hrs of sleep. finals push that down to 4. I honestly have never pulled an all-nighter for a test.

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

Originally posted by jwin
what the heck is this crap? i wanna go where you guys go to school. i do not know of a single person in my class who stops studying at 8 the night before an exam. are you on pass/fail or something?

No, I'm not on pass/fail, but my school is on a block schedule and we get out of class at noon most days of the week. First year lasted from august until july with 5 weeks off. That was the trade-in for getting out of class so early everyday.

 

[Rod Farva]

I hadn't pulled anything close to an all-nighter before a few months ago... I actually did better on that exam than I thought I would, so it's turned into the norm for me... pulled multiple all-nighters in a row last block, and results ended up pretty good. Obviously I sleep all day afterward, though, so I suppose it's more like an inverted schedule than a true all-nighter w/o sleep the next day.

 

[jwin]

Originally posted by KyGrlDr2B
No, I'm not on pass/fail, but my school is on a block schedule and we get out of class at noon most days of the week. First year lasted from august until july with 5 weeks off. That was the trade-in for getting out of class so early everyday.

ahhh, well that explains it. we have staggered exams, which means we get one almost every week when the semester gets going and we are in class more or less 9-5 everyday.

 

[souljah1]

Originally posted by jwin
ahhh, well that explains it. we have staggered exams, which means we get one almost every week when the semester gets going and we are in class more or less 9-5 everyday.

That sounds awful. I don't understand why some schools continue to do these things. There are way more efficient ways to go about things. Why don't you and your students petition and try to engage in some sort of faculty-student meeting so that future med students don't have to deal with poorly organized preclinical curricula? There is no need to spend nearly eight hours a day in the classroom, nor is there a good reason to stagger exams. Integrate and consolidate...those are the magic words.

 

[DocRuth]

I have been reading this thread with horrified fascination as I start med school in Feb. I'm intrigued with the idea of pulling a complete all-nighter before an exam. I pulled PLENTY of all-nighters in undergrad, but only in order to finish assignments like lab reports or essays. I always found myself gazing into space during the test if I didn't get at least 4 hours the night before.

Quick question - do you guys find you sleep a lot more on weekends than weekdays? Do you go hard all week then catch up?

 

[Street Philosopher]

i sleep a lot more on weekdays, mainly because our exams are over the weekend. the amount of material we need to know is insane.

 

[Starflyr]

the only time that a med student should be pulling all nighters (IMHO), is if they're on call. For pity's sake, enjoy your 1st 2 years and get some sleep stored up for the times when you WISH you could sleep! (ex: around noon the day after you're on call...when you still have to stick around for another 6 hours...)

Star

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by souljah1
That sounds awful. I don't understand why some schools continue to do these things. There are way more efficient ways to go about things. Why don't you and your students petition and try to engage in some sort of faculty-student meeting so that future med students don't have to deal with poorly organized preclinical curricula? There is no need to spend nearly eight hours a day in the classroom, nor is there a good reason to stagger exams. Integrate and consolidate...those are the magic words.

i agree w/your assertion re: class time. i disagree with your opinion about staggered exams. i would shoot myself in the head if i had block exams. we don't have discreet classes here, but more of a systems-based, integrated curriculum, and we end up having an exam (like one practical and one final) every two to three weeks, with an over-the-weekend quiz spaced between the exams. that works great for me and was one of the drawing factors for me to umich, actually. i PREFER the staggered exams - this way i keep on top of things, everything seems more integrated, and i don't have to deal with the hell that is 4 exams in two days or something to that effect. to each their own.

 

[jwin]

Originally posted by GoodMonkey
i agree w/your assertion re: class time. i disagree with your opinion about staggered exams. i would shoot myself in the head if i had block exams. we don't have discreet classes here, but more of a systems-based, integrated curriculum, and we end up having an exam (like one practical and one final) every two to three weeks, with an over-the-weekend quiz spaced between the exams. that works great for me and was one of the drawing factors for me to umich, actually. i PREFER the staggered exams - this way i keep on top of things, everything seems more integrated, and i don't have to deal with the hell that is 4 exams in two days or something to that effect. to each their own.

i am not sure you understand what staggered exams means. for example, during november we had anatomy on a monday, cell bio the following monday, immunology the next monday, and biochem on the following wednesday. so basically one exam in a different subject each week. during that time you are still having class, but you never go over that material because you are studying for exams. so you are chronically behind, because you have to focus on each exam. it is a very silly system that makes for a crazy semester.

 

[GoodMonkey]

Originally posted by jwin
i am not sure you understand what staggered exams means. for example, during november we had anatomy on a monday, cell bio the following monday, immunology the next monday, and biochem on the following wednesday. so basically one exam in a different subject each week. during that time you are still having class, but you never go over that material because you are studying for exams. so you are chronically behind, because you have to focus on each exam. it is a very silly system that makes for a crazy semester.

i guess staggered means different things at different schools. but you're right - your system does, indeed, sound craptastic.

 

[TeinVII]

Originally posted by jwin
i am not sure you understand what staggered exams means. for example, during november we had anatomy on a monday, cell bio the following monday, immunology the next monday, and biochem on the following wednesday. so basically one exam in a different subject each week. during that time you are still having class, but you never go over that material because you are studying for exams. so you are chronically behind, because you have to focus on each exam. it is a very silly system that makes for a crazy semester.

holy sh1t that's some messed up schedule mang.
u should transfer out

 

[::Seabass::]

Originally posted by Akuffo
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF MEMORISING A BOOK TO PASS JUST AN EXAM. IT IS LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF MEDICINE , SO AS TO SAVE LIVES.
BYE.

are you in med school yet?

I have yet to come across a class that tests me on basic principles and have only had ones that care if you know the nit picky crap.

 

[8744]

"Save Lives" my ass.

I just want to pass my Medicine Shelf exam on Friday.

Not to that poster: You will not be saving too many lives as a medical student. You have been watching too much "ER."

 

[care bear]

Originally posted by jwin
i am not sure you understand what staggered exams means. for example, during november we had anatomy on a monday, cell bio the following monday, immunology the next monday, and biochem on the following wednesday. so basically one exam in a different subject each week. during that time you are still having class, but you never go over that material because you are studying for exams. so you are chronically behind, because you have to focus on each exam. it is a very silly system that makes for a crazy semester.

ahhh that is so the unc system!!
stuff like this, i didn't even think to ask about last year. . . i was just like 'oh, for a scholarship i'll go anywhere. . .'
of course i really can't blame unc for my present problems, i'm sure i would have done terribly anywhere. . .but still. staggered exams are a terrible idea imo!

 

[smugrinch]

CARE BEAR

 

[Lara]

Originally posted by Starflyr
the only time that a med student should be pulling all nighters (IMHO), is if they're on call. For pity's sake, enjoy your 1st 2 years and get some sleep stored up for the times when you WISH you could sleep! (ex: around noon the day after you're on call...when you still have to stick around for another 6 hours...)

You're kidding, they seriously make you stay till 6PM *post-call*? Assuming you came in at 6AM the previous day, that's 36 straight hours in the hospital. Please tell me that's not your typical q4...