Anyone else terrified to start medical school?

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Well, maybe not "terrified," but definitely nervous.

Although I'm excited to start school again, it's been a while since I really studied anything. Oh, sure, I do some reading here and there, and I work in a lab full-time, but I've become accustomed to not worrying about anything. I spend my nights going to the gym and watching movies. On the weekends I go out with friends and party excessively.

In other words, I've developed a lot of habits over the past year that I won't be able to continue when I start school. I was told to enjoy my last summer before school starts, but I've been enjoying the entire year, and I'm worried that it will be difficult to adjust to the rigors of school again.

Would it be a mistake to start reviewing material this summer before school starts?
 
My advice

Party Harder

No studying in the summer

Lots of time to spend studying in med school. Not lots of time to party hard in med school

Don't take it from me though, Im just a petty JD/MBA from Michigan who goes to Harvard med now.
 
firewall62 said:
Well, maybe not "terrified," but definitely nervous.

Although I'm excited to start school again, it's been a while since I really studied anything. Oh, sure, I do some reading here and there, and I work in a lab full-time, but I've become accustomed to not worrying about anything. I spend my nights going to the gym and watching movies. On the weekends I go out with friends and party excessively.

In other words, I've developed a lot of habits over the past year that I won't be able to continue when I start school. I was told to enjoy my last summer before school starts, but I've been enjoying the entire year, and I'm worried that it will be difficult to adjust to the rigors of school again.

Would it be a mistake to start reviewing material this summer before school starts?
Click to expand...

hahaha, I see that I am not the only one who feels this way... Everyone I've talked to told me it's a mistake to start studying before school starts... All I know is that I am going to have to start using flash cards for the first time in my life come August...
 
I'm in the exact same boat as you.
 
You may be terrified to start med school but I am terrified that I won't get in anywhere...lol
 
firewall62 said:
Well, maybe not "terrified," but definitely nervous.

Although I'm excited to start school again, it's been a while since I really studied anything. Oh, sure, I do some reading here and there, and I work in a lab full-time, but I've become accustomed to not worrying about anything. I spend my nights going to the gym and watching movies. On the weekends I go out with friends and party excessively.

In other words, I've developed a lot of habits over the past year that I won't be able to continue when I start school. I was told to enjoy my last summer before school starts, but I've been enjoying the entire year, and I'm worried that it will be difficult to adjust to the rigors of school again.

Would it be a mistake to start reviewing material this summer before school starts?
Click to expand...

I am doing everything the exact same as you!

I think the good thing about once school starts though is that since we're on a regular work-out routine, itll be easier to stay on that routine during school. Back during college, when I was busy, i just skipped my workouts. But now that it is regular, when things get busy, I should be able to still find time to workout.
 
Definitely just enjoy the summer. I've heard from a lot of people that the first year of med school is really not that bad, so the transition should be fairly easy for you. Just remember not to over think things and just live day to day. Good luck in your endeavors.
 
Shaking in my boots.

I'm just worried that whatever studying ability I had in undergrad has atrophied to the point of uselessness, and that I won't find a 'strategy' that works for me in time (I think our first test is a week or so in :scared:)
 
None of you guys forgot how to study. There will be an adjustment period (longer for some than others) as you orient yourselves to the sheer amount of material and the time/dedication/motivation you will need to put into school. Some relationships will fail, some of your favorite tv shows will go unwatched, your social schedule will dwindle and you'll find yourself studying on a Friday night.

BUT

It's not bad. Not bad at all. You'll make time for family and friends when you can, and have a blast during those rare periods of freedom/relaxation because you'll cherish them more and plan ahead. You might burn out a bit, but you'll learn to bounce back. As long as you put the time in, there's no reason to do poorly. Everyone's smart enough.

Enjoy the rest of your summer! Don't review, it would be a waste of time. You wouldn't really anything, and it won't help even if you did.
 
i'm glad that my friends from undergrad put up with my disappearance during the mcat and treated me like i never left the fold when all the crap was done

i'm also nervous as hell for med school, but i figure i'm just anxious to figure out how bad it really is
 
I've been working for 3 years...no exams to prepare for, tons of free time, and a pay check every week. Why am I doing this again?
 
Don't start stressing yourself out yet, and certainly don't start dreading your medical school experience based on what others have told you to expect.

Medical school is different for everyone - some people hate it, some love it, and most fall somewhere in the middle. Chances are that you will not meet many people who will share your exact medical school experience, and you will meet even fewer people who can give you good advice about how to deal with it. So, until you know where you are going to fall, all of that worry is unnecessary (and extra summer prep is certainly uncalled for). Just show up and get a feel for how you respond to medical school, and then adjust accordingly.
 
everyone is a little nervous in the beginning, but the faster you remember you are all in the same boat sinking together the better you will be 😀


I think confidence is half the battle. If you doubt yourself, you are setting yourself up to fail. So, enjoy your summer. Relax. And prepare for battle.

this-is-sparta-5.jpg
 
I will be having a gap year too (hopefully not more than one 😀). My parents and my adviser recommended me that while I shouldn't worry about medical school during that time, I should be working somewhere just to stay "sharp". I am in fact planning to be a part-time student, take some Bio classes and do research. I hope not to be carried away by the whole sense of freedom and relaxedness of the gap year.
 
SU1989 said:
I will be having a gap year too (hopefully not more than one 😀). My parents and my adviser recommended me that while I shouldn't worry about medical school during that time, I should be working somewhere just to stay "sharp". I am in fact planning to be a part-time student, take some Bio classes and do research. I hope not to be carried away by the whole sense of freedom and relaxedness of the gap year.
Click to expand...

I think the "staying sharp" thing is a load of crap that people (advisers, parents) will tell you just because they are afraid you will get lazy or stupid.

Unless you need to work on your GPA (if it is lower than 3.6), then I see no reason for taking extra bio classes just to stay sharp. Enjoy your free time. Regardless of what some people say, it is OKAY to relax!
 
I graduated from UG 7 years ago and already went back to school once for post-bac, after having spent a couple of years with tons of free time well spent (love 9 to 5!). I canceled cable (read: canceled the pretty much 24-hour stream of Law and Order reruns and new episodes) and was in class every night til 9 or 10 after work. You don't "lose" your study habits, in fact a lot of people do a lot better, cause they are more highly motivated than in undergrad. Med school will obviously be challenging in different ways, but I don't think it will be all that different for those of us who were not in school the year before starting, except that we'll be better rested!!
 
zwitter said:
My advice

Party Harder

No studying in the summer

Lots of time to spend studying in med school. Not lots of time to party hard in med school

Don't take it from me though, Im just a petty JD/MBA from Michigan who goes to Harvard med now.
Click to expand...

I'm sad that nobody else got this reference. Unless I'm an idiot and this isn't an Entourage reference?
 
phoenixsuns said:
I'm sad that nobody else got this reference. Unless I'm an idiot and this isn't an Entourage reference?
Click to expand...

I am a devout Entourage watcher, and I don't recognize those lines. I can't really think of any character that it would fit with.
 
TheProwler said:
lol, that's basically a lie they tell pre-meds. Most of my class strongly disagreed with that sentiment, although a few people felt that way.
Click to expand...

Yeah I can't think of anyone who would agree with that sentiment. The point of it seems to be that if you were capable of getting in you should be capable of getting through the process if you are willing to put the work in. But not so much that medschool will be easy in comparison. Granted the medschool application process is super stressful but so is taking the step exams and pretty much every medschool exam I've taken so far, and so is the entire process of third year until you get a feel for it. And judging by my recent months so this whole residency application process will be as well. Every time you get comfortable with the current mountain a higher peak seems to appear in the distance. You have to learn to enjoy the challenge and just have faith in yourself or this whole process will drive you nuts.
 
firewall62 said:
Well, maybe not "terrified," but definitely nervous.

Although I'm excited to start school again, it's been a while since I really studied anything. Oh, sure, I do some reading here and there, and I work in a lab full-time, but I've become accustomed to not worrying about anything. I spend my nights going to the gym and watching movies. On the weekends I go out with friends and party excessively.

In other words, I've developed a lot of habits over the past year that I won't be able to continue when I start school. I was told to enjoy my last summer before school starts, but I've been enjoying the entire year, and I'm worried that it will be difficult to adjust to the rigors of school again.

Would it be a mistake to start reviewing material this summer before school starts?
Click to expand...
Yes. Absolutely yes. I was wondering the same thing before I started (my school started June 1st) and there is just no way to prepare. All the info will be shoved down your throat and no prep will make that easier.

That said, it's totally do-able and really, really great 😀
 
WildcatS11 said:
Ha it's close to something Ari says early on in the series, I think. Not exact tho, obviously as he's not in any way a doctor or student of any kind.
Click to expand...

The exact quote is

Eric: and what are you, a f*#*ing Rhodes Scholar?
Ari: No, just a lowly Harvard grad, with a JD/MBA from Michigan. That's it

haha I've always loved that line
 
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