Scarlet, I'm exactly not sure what a "conceptual science major" is, and I'm not really sure that I can give you the answers you are hoping for. Before matriculating, you should have been prepared with the knowledge that a lot of what we are expected to learn in medical school is regurgitation of facts - memorize these muscles, this biochemical pathway, this equation, etc. But, even behind all of the rote memorization, there are underlying concepts that will begin to materialize more and more as you progress. Yes, in that way, it does get more "conceptual" when you start synthesizing symptoms, signs, labs, etc with those regurgitated factoids that you learned in anatomy, genetics, biochem, etc., but the truth is that the first two years are very much about building a framework, and then filling it in. Which requires a lot of faith that this or that fact will one day make more sense, and fit into a bigger picture. And then it won't seem so much like trying to memorize fragmented bits of info. The beautiful thing about medical school is that the important stuff will be repeated, over and over again. Also, most of med school is nothing like anatomy. Stick it out. You'll probably look back on this post in a few weeks and laugh.
If you wanted to learn pure "conceptual science," you probably chose the wrong field. Medicine is applied biology/physiology/pharmacology/etc, and you simply don't have the time to explore all of the concepts relating to pathogenesis of E. coli, or the signal transduction cascades involved in cancer progression...I don't know if I am making sense. I sincerely hope that you came to this realization before matriculating. I think that a lot of premeds make this mistake, and then are stunned during MS1 because medical school isn't what they "thought it would be."
As for "hurting" or "helping" your chances - I think it's wise to refrain from speculating about one's chances for anything, especially this early in the game. I'm a firm believer in that, with a little preparation and a lot of committment, you can overcome just about anything negative in your past. You shouldn't be worried about residency right now - worry about passing anatomy, doing well in your courses, and learning it all NOW, so that when the end of MS2 rolls around, you'll be reviewing instead of learning new material. Stop worrying about your ranking in the class, and set goals for yourself (e.g. I want to get 80% or better on the next exam). I know that it must be depressing to feel like you're at the bottom of the class - probably for the first time in your life - but I think it's healthy to be a little humbled once in a while.
I secretly (ok, not-so-secretly) wish all premeds/med students would stop asking questions akin to, "Will this hurt my chances for ___________." Frankly, (and I am not saying this to upset or offend you, but because it's my pet peeve of SDN) because it sounds rather immature. Most of us can't offer you any more than the speculation you can come up with yourself. Furthermore, only YOU can decide if it will hurt your chances or not. There will be plenty of other opportunities to prove yourself, plump up your resume, ace that next exam, whatever is important to you. Stop asking what will happen, and make it happen.
As a fellow Wolverine (CMB major, c/o '01), I wish you the best of luck. Tough out anatomy (I hated it, too), and regroup during CMB and physiology. Try to find the conceptual stuff where you can, and enjoy it. But don't hold out hope thinking that "one day, it'll get better." Just do what you need to do to get it done.
