Any current medical students want to inbox and message me? I just want to know

[Sofia Ahmed]

Hi guys.

I am just trying understand your different views about medical school. Do you have time to yourself? Anything you want to say that would be helpful for a future applicant.

Thank you so much!

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[abolt18]

Good luck. It's hard, not so much because the material is complex or difficult, but really just because there's so much of it. Learn to manage time wisely. Don't allow yourself to use social media during study times (I don't have Facebook on my phone or ipad and that's all I have with me all day. Only time I allow myself to waste time on it is when I'm home and done studying, then I'll get on the computer). You're paying a LOT of money for this education so take it seriously and prioritize carefully. Do your best to NEVER depend on a final to pass a class. I walked into my final last month knowing that I needed between 0 and 35% in each course on the final to pass the classes. It drops your stress amazingly.

 

[Sofia Ahmed]

Thank you for your reply! Appreciate it!

 

[abolt18]

Oh, and yes I still have plenty of free time that I devote to spending with my wife and kid(s).

 

[Sofia Ahmed]

One more concern for me and I always wonder is how do you retain all that information in your head? I mean what you learn in class bc not everything can be retained. like when you learn to diagnose patients and stuff.

 

[scoKraz4]

One more concern for me and I always wonder is how do you retain all that information in your head? I mean what you learn in class bc not everything can be retained. like when you learn to diagnose patients and stuff.

It is impossible to remember everything but as you study more and handle tons of information you just naturally get better at processing it. I studied for my first anatomy exam for like 3 weeks and still felt overwhelmed. I studied for the last one in 5 days and did very well on it just because I knew how to study it. You get to know how each class and each professor tests. The beginning is definitely difficult trying to find your groove but if you just keep studying you will be fine. I suggest using the program Firecracker from day 1. It will help ensure that you retain information over long-term..it is important because you will be responsible for all of the material when you take Step 1.

 

[Sofia Ahmed]

Thank you!

 

[abolt18]

One more concern for me and I always wonder is how do you retain all that information in your head? I mean what you learn in class bc not everything can be retained. like when you learn to diagnose patients and stuff.

1st mistake, I don't ever go to class. This allows me to utilize my time in a way that helps me succeed.
2ndly, my goal is to 'learn it right' the first time do a second time over it will take half the time then future reviews will be a quick skim. I start to associate things together so even if I don't know the exact answer, I can pretty easily narrow down my options and get things right. Can't even explain the difference in how efficiently my brain memorizes now in comparison to the start of school 6 months ago.

 

[Eshadle0812]

You'll be surprised about how much information you will retain and it really all depends on how much effort you put into learning the material. Some students will cram and dump for exams and not really remember much after. Others will study for hours for comprehension and retain more information for longer periods of time. You have to remember that come boards time you're going to need all that information again so taking the time to really understand the material the first time around will be most beneficial. To be realistic you will never remember everything. If you talk to 3rd and 4th years most will tend to say "you are going to need to review for your rotations but the review is more of just a refresher as opposed to relearning the material". Instead of taking an hour to learn a certain concept hopefully it will only take 5-10 mins to brush up on it. Always remember if you made it into medical school you have the capabilities do not doubt yourself. This isn't law school they weed out at the admission process not during

As for free time it really all depends on how good/quickly you can memorize the material. I am directly out of undergrad so a lot of the material is still fresh in my mind I also like to think I am extremely good at memorizing things so on average I typically have 4-5 hours of free time a day, I usually mentally "take off" the first 2 days after an exam and will do absolutely nothing but mindless video games, tv, gym etc. On the other hand I have a good friend who wakes up at 8am. and studies until 10p.m. so it varies from individual to individual.

Best of luck

 

[Sofia Ahmed]

Thank you everyone! For your inputs!

 

[Postictal Raiden]

Oh, and yes I still have plenty of free time that I devote to spending with my wife and kid(s).

I'm also married and have a kid, so your post is very relevant to me. Could you apporximate the number of hours you spend daily on your school work? Also how much time do you devote to your family on the weekends? In your other post you mentioned that you skip lectures, and that's something I'm also planning to do. I'm wondering, do you listen to the lecture and study at home or do you do it at the school's library?

 

[coolingglasses]

You'll be surprised about how much information you will retain and it really all depends on how much effort you put into learning the material.

This much became clear during the final.

 

[oingoboingo]

I'm also married and have a kid, so your post is very relevant to me. Could you apporximate the number of hours you spend daily on your school work? Also how much time do you devote to your family on the weekends? In your other post you mentioned that you skip lectures, and that's something I'm also planning to do. I'm wondering, do you listen to the lecture and study at home or do you do it at the school's library?

From another parent's perspective: To my children, during the school week, being in medical school is no different than if I worked any 9-5 job. I get up with them in the morning, get them ready for school/daycare, and send them off. After school, we always have dinner together and my husband and I split bedtime routine duties. I study for 2-3 hours after they are tucked in to bed. On the weekends, they have a few hours of dad-time while I study on Saturday mornings. Then it's family time for the rest of the weekend. Before a block week, I rely on my husband a little bit more to entertain the kids during the weekend.
I'm only a 2nd year, so things will probably look different during the clinical years when I lose all control over my time. But for the first 2 years, you should have absolutely no problem having adequate time to spend with your family while keeping up with schoolwork. Best of luck to you!