Anybody else not finding med school that difficult/time consuming?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
P

Poit

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
294
Reaction score
604
The first week was a bit difficult, just because they seemed to throw a lot of stuff at you while you were trying to figure out what was going on. Now that we've settled into the system, it all seems very manageable. I don't think I'd compare it to "drinking from a firehouse". It's more like "undergrad on steroids". Anybody else feel the same way? Still time consuming, but very doable.
Members don't see this ad.
 
What med school?
I hope I applied there ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
It's obvious from the data that med school is not some great overwhelming experience that few can survive, in spite of all the hype. B students and mid 20's MCATs mostly get through med school just fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users
Members don't see this ad :)
efle said:
It's obvious from the data that med school is not some great overwhelming experience that few can survive, in spite of all the hype. B students and mid 20's MCATs mostly get through med school just fine.
Click to expand...

Sure. And then others feel like they're drowning. Just like a science UG.
 
efle said:
Well, except that the majority of premeds really do get weeded out in undergrad
Click to expand...

Dude so wait like.....our lab report was due yesterday?!?!?!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
This is the pre-med forum. I have no idea.

But I want to find out *cries internally*
 
  • Like
Reactions: 9 users
Would be awesome though if med school is actually, well, not a breeze but, just doable more or less like a tad harder UG.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm not in med school, but after gathering a decent idea of a typical week in med school.. I'd say that its not bad at all. I still waste a lot of time not studying/ not being productive, so there is so much room for improvement.

StudyLater said:
Would be awesome though if med school is actually, well, not a breeze but, just doable more or less like a tad harder UG.
Click to expand...

I've had some friends talk about how some courses in undergrad. were a lot harder than anything they had taken in med-school.:shrug:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
1) Many people don't feel this way. Every program is also different.
2) IF you are a first year it's been one month. Ask all physicians, residents etc what the hardest part of training was; and see how many will tell you "oh the first month was where it was brutal, if you get through that it's all downhill from there". From my experience(and I'm not a medical student this is just about having talked to many residents and doctors), not many.
3) Many people who complain about how hard it is still do extremely well. There is a difference between it being difficult, life sucking etc and being something so difficult that it causes you to flunk out. The latter only applies to 1-2% of the medical school population(the other 3-5% who drop out have other reasons for doing so often).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Poit said:
The first week was a bit difficult, just because they seemed to throw a lot of stuff at you while you were trying to figure out what was going on. Now that we've settled into the system, it all seems very manageable. I don't think I'd compare it to "drinking from a firehouse". It's more like "undergrad on steroids". Anybody else feel the same way? Still time consuming, but very doable.
Click to expand...

Should be in the Allopathic Forums. But from what i heard, there is a critical difference between difficulty in volume and difficulty in analysis. Preclinical years seem to focus more intensely in the former, although Step 1 (and obviously 2 and 3) and clinical years focus more intensely on the latter.

Still i doubt medical school is harder than, say, engineering and graduate physics programs, and this is from many guys going in engineering-to-medicine route.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
The volume of information is nuts. My school went easy on us at first, and it has gradually built up since. We're cramming the same volume we learned in three weeks into one week at this point, it's insane. And the pace compared to undergrad isn't even comparable- we cover what would likely be a full undergrad semester's worth of material every four to six weeks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
StudyLater said:
Would be awesome though if med school is actually, well, not a breeze but, just doable more or less like a tad harder UG.
Click to expand...

There are a significant number of people that find medical school easier than undergrad. Certainly not a majority, but it all depends on what you were doing in undergrad and how hard you were pushing yourself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Bingo. I have a good chunk of students who seem to breeze through the most difficult subjects without breaking a sweat.


mimelim said:
There are a significant number of people that find medical school easier than undergrad. Certainly not a majority, but it all depends on what you were doing in undergrad and how hard you were pushing yourself.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Poit said:
The first week was a bit difficult, just because they seemed to throw a lot of stuff at you while you were trying to figure out what was going on. Now that we've settled into the system, it all seems very manageable. I don't think I'd compare it to "drinking from a firehouse". It's more like "undergrad on steroids". Anybody else feel the same way? Still time consuming, but very doable.
Click to expand...

Medical school is just a huge volume of information, its not particularly difficult, its not Quantum Physics or Nuclear Engineering, that stuff is HARD.
 
I make it a rule to disregard all hype.
"In high school you won't be allowed to use a calculator," "in college your professors will never let you have extra time on an assignment," "it's going to be tough for you to graduate in 4 years," "get ready to get destroyed in ochem," "there are no jobs for graduates, have fun working at starbucks," etc etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Med school isn't a cake walk but if you budget your time appropriately it can be extremely manageable and still enjoyable. I'm about 1 month in and so far I've really liked it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
You'll find that there are things that you get more easily than others and then there are times where you may struggle.

Then you realize you're a second year and you have to remember everything....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
BamaNicole said:
You'll find that there are things that you get more easily than others and then there are times where you may struggle.

Then you realize you're a second year and you have to remember everything....
Click to expand...
I never got why second year was so soul crushing, but the bolded is pretty much it. There's so much endless repetition to get every last bit of info to stick... If you've got an excellent memory, it might be a cakewalk, but I've got an average memory in regard to bulk information, perhaps even below average- I'm more of a conceptual thinker than a details guy- so second year is crushing me. For some reason I still find it less stressful than first year, but it's definitely much more difficult.
 
Mad Jack said:
I never got why second year was so soul crushing, but the bolded is pretty much it. There's so much endless repetition to get every last bit of info to stick... If you've got an excellent memory, it might be a cakewalk, but I've got an average memory in regard to bulk information, perhaps even below average- I'm more of a conceptual thinker than a details guy- so second year is crushing me. For some reason I still find it less stressful than first year, but it's definitely much more difficult.
Click to expand...

Same for me. I'm more conceptual, big picture so I'm trying to improve my memory with spaced repetition. PM me for some pointers I got from a third year that I'm finding helpful if you want.

Second year is totally less stressful because you have your bearings.
 
It also depends on what your goal is for grades. Do you just want to pass/be around average or do you want straight A's. Generally speaking it's not overly difficult for most people to pass once they've got their feet under them. If you want to get A's or be in the top 10% it's a completely different ballgame. It's also (somewhat) dependent on the curriculum. I've talked to friends at other med schools and compared curriculums and most of the time they're shocked by our pace/what we cover.

Mad Jack said:
I never got why second year was so soul crushing, but the bolded is pretty much it. There's so much endless repetition to get every last bit of info to stick... If you've got an excellent memory, it might be a cakewalk, but I've got an average memory in regard to bulk information, perhaps even below average- I'm more of a conceptual thinker than a details guy- so second year is crushing me. For some reason I still find it less stressful than first year, but it's definitely much more difficult.
Click to expand...

Same, it also doesn't help that we started off second year with neuro, so that was super fun...
 
BamaNicole said:
Same for me. I'm more conceptual, big picture so I'm trying to improve my memory with spaced repetition. PM me for some pointers I got from a third year that I'm finding helpful if you want.

Second year is totally less stressful because you have your bearings.
Click to expand...
Sure, I'd love some pointers!
Stagg737 said:
It also depends on what your goal is for grades. Do you just want to pass/be around average or do you want straight A's. Generally speaking it's not overly difficult for most people to pass once they've got their feet under them. If you want to get A's or be in the top 10% it's a completely different ballgame. It's also (somewhat) dependent on the curriculum. I've talked to friends at other med schools and compared curriculums and most of the time they're shocked by our pace/what we cover.



Same, it also doesn't help that we started off second year with neuro, so that was super fun...
Click to expand...
Yeah, we started with neuroanatomy and it's been awful. Dat thalamus...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I find it much more time consuming than pre-med work, if not more difficult. 4 hours studying electromagnetism, or 12 hours studying synthesis reactions in o-chem would get me As on those tests. I spent 4 hours today studying, like, glycolysis - and not for the first time. Spent 12 hours the other day doing anatomy of the upper limbs. Wayyyyyy more time consuming. We have our first block exams in 3 weeks too, so I'm starting to freak out a little bit...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

Y
Anybody else regretting their earlier submissions?
Replies
7
Views
904
Moko
Moko
Meganerd2012
Struggling with finding shadowing
Replies
10
Views
219
LizzyM
LizzyM
O
Finding independent scholarships
Replies
3
Views
467
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
B
Generally speaking, how time consuming is research?
Replies
2
Views
629
Brooklyn-doc97
B
S
  • Question
SMP or something else after grad?- Anxious International Pre-med Senior
Replies
9
Views
855
gyngyn
gyngyn
Top