Ask an M1 anything

[mistafab]

Howdy yall,

Some of you might be thinking about applying in a few years. Some of you might have applied, and were later accepted (congrats). Maybe a few of you are wondering about what medical school is like. Are there any questions you'd like to ask a first year medical student? If so, just write something and I'll reply.

Mistafab

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[RunawayGrape]

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

 

[mistafab]

Because you only need a P, not an H, to feel you've done well.

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

 

[sliceofbread136]

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

I don't think this much of a factor to be honest. It's a zero sum game, if preclinical years don't actually count (which a lot of them secretly do with a hidden ranking system) then more weight shifts to your clinical grades for your quartile. In the end you'll just adjust to whatever system your school has in place

 

[Pablo94]

I have just been accepted to MSUCOM and have interviews at some competitive MD schools coming up. I have been volunteering and looking for a job as a medical scribe, but am having no luck because they won't waste time training me if I am going to work for less than a year. My dream school is Boston and I have an interview there in a week, should I keep searching for medically related jobs, or just enjoy the time I have left until school starts. My main concern is not having a medically related job by the time of my interview and whether or not it will affect my chances of acceptance (into BU).

 

[Pablo94]

I have just been accepted to MSUCOM and have interviews at some competitive MD schools coming up. I have been volunteering and looking for a job as a medical scribe, but am having no luck because they won't waste time training me if I am going to work for less than a year. My dream school is Boston and I have an interview there in a week, should I keep searching for medically related jobs, or just enjoy the time I have left until school starts. My main concern is not having a medically related job by the time of my interview and whether or not it will affect my chances of acceptance (into BU).

*boston interview is in a month not week lol

 

[kamakazi5]

Do you review your tests afterwards to see what you got wrong?

 

[mistafab]

Since you have an acceptance in your pocket already, the options are up to you. Do you want to have more fun, or more money? The decision is yours. One month is not going to change your application for better or worse either way.

I have just been accepted to MSUCOM and have interviews at some competitive MD schools coming up. I have been volunteering and looking for a job as a medical scribe, but am having no luck because they won't waste time training me if I am going to work for less than a year. My dream school is Boston and I have an interview there in a week, should I keep searching for medically related jobs, or just enjoy the time I have left until school starts. My main concern is not having a medically related job by the time of my interview and whether or not it will affect my chances of acceptance (into BU).

 

[mistafab]

In school, I never look back. I do not review mistakes. I usually know my mistakes by the time I am taking the tests.

For the MCAT, however, I did review my mistakes for the practice tests I took. MCAT is a different game then the tests in medical school.

Do you review your tests afterwards to see what you got wrong?

 

[Pablo94]

Since you have an acceptance in your pocket already, the options are up to you. Do you want to have more fun, or more money? The decision is yours. One month is not going to change your application for better or worse either way.

I am afraid Boston University will reject me because I haven't been doing anything really substantial for a couple months. Do you think I am overthinking it?

 

[mistafab]

You are definitely overthinking it.

They will like you during the interview, or they won't. The interview proves you were already good enough on paper. Sometimes the crapshoot doesn't work towards an acceptance anyway.

I am afraid Boston University will reject me because I haven't been doing anything really substantial for a couple months. Do you think I am overthinking it?

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

People will likely act like it matters, even if they say they know it doesn't. Would want to avoid that environment if possible.

 

[libertyyne]

People will likely act like it matters, even if they say they know it doesn't. Would want to avoid that environment if possible.

I assume it feels like you were being graded on an A /B/F scale instead of H/P/F scale.

 

[mcloaf]

I assume it feels like you were being graded on an A /B/F scale instead of H/P/F scale.

Honestly with the types of personalities medical school selects for most people view it as an A/Fail grading scheme.

 

[Lawpy]

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

Because you only need a P, not an H, to feel you've done well.

People will likely act like it matters, even if they say they know it doesn't. Would want to avoid that environment if possible.

I assume it feels like you were being graded on an A /B/F scale instead of H/P/F scale.

Honestly with the types of personalities medical school selects for most people view it as an A/Fail grading scheme.

I wish all medical schools made their preclinical years unranked P/F. It simply makes them a lot less stressful even though in the end, preclinical grades matter very little.

Secretly ranked P/F is deceptive.

 

[mcloaf]

I wish all medical schools made their preclinical years unranked P/F. It simply makes them a lot less stressful even though in the end, preclinical grades matter very little.

Secretly ranked P/F is deceptive.

Yeah I'm fortunate enough to have gone somewhere that was true unranked P/F and I gotta say it's the ****. If having AOA assigned based on subjective clinical grades is the price I have to pay for two years of not killing myself over an extra 2% on exams and spending that time on research/fun/boards then it was well worth it.

 

[mhagerman]

Howdy yall,

Some of you might be thinking about applying in a few years. Some of you might have applied, and were later accepted (congrats). Maybe a few of you are wondering about what medical school is like. Are there any questions you'd like to ask a first year medical student? If so, just write something and I'll reply.

Mistafab

How are you doing so far? Emotionally and academically speaking.

 

[deleted421268]

How many withdrawals did you have during undergrad? Do you live on campus or off campus apartment? Best way to prepare for mcat? Specific books?

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Is it okay for a med student to be a virgin?




Asking anonymously for a friend you don't know

 

[Lannister]

I wish all medical schools made their preclinical years unranked P/F. It simply makes them a lot less stressful even though in the end, preclinical grades matter very little.

Secretly ranked P/F is deceptive.

I go to a ranked P/F school and being ranked totally defeats the purpose of P/F. I'm constantly stressed about my rank (which is irrational, since I don't want to do anything competitive, but still) when I wish I could just be happy about passing.

 

[Lawpy]

I go to a ranked P/F school and being ranked totally defeats the purpose of P/F. I'm constantly stressed about my rank (which is irrational, since I don't want to do anything competitive, but still) when I wish I could just be happy about passing.

That is frustrating. Sorry to hear. I'll never understand why some schools support A/B/C/F preclinical years and others promote ranked P/F (and deceptively promoting as if it's unranked P/F). Why not just uniformly promote unranked P/F? As @Goro likes to say, medical students are adult learners so they are capable of learning by themselves the content needed to do well on exams and boards. Having graded preclinical years is simply irritating and stressful.

 

[Lannister]

That is frustrating. Sorry to hear. I'll never understand why some schools support A/B/C/F preclinical years and others promote ranked P/F (and deceptively promoting as if it's unranked P/F). Why not just uniformly promote unranked P/F? As @Goro likes to say, medical students are adult learners so they are capable of learning by themselves the content needed to do well on exams and boards. Having graded preclinical years is simply irritating and stressful.

I agree 100%. I honestly don't think I'd study any less if it was unranked P/F, I'd just be less stressed. Even though people constantly tell me that pre-clinical grades don't matter that much, it's hard to believe them

 

[Chelsea FC]

Howdy yall,

Some of you might be thinking about applying in a few years. Some of you might have applied, and were later accepted (congrats). Maybe a few of you are wondering about what medical school is like. Are there any questions you'd like to ask a first year medical student? If so, just write something and I'll reply.

Mistafab

How is the dating scene like ??

 

[SunsFun]

Yeah I'm fortunate enough to have gone somewhere that was true unranked P/F and I gotta say it's the ****. If having AOA assigned based on subjective clinical grades is the price I have to pay for two years of not killing myself over an extra 2% on exams and spending that time on research/fun/boards then it was well worth it.

That's one way to look at it. Having only one test score and luck of the draw with evaluators determine the rest of your professional life is another.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Mad Jack]

If preclinical grades don't matter, why is P/F so much better than an H/P/F preclinical grading scale?

AOA is determined by class rank, of which preclinical grades are a part. P/F thus takes the stress of excelling past your classmates out of the equation during preclinical and allows you to focus your energy on the boards or whatever. This only works at true P/F schools like Yale tho.

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

I agree 100%. I honestly don't think I'd study any less if it was unranked P/F, I'd just be less stressed. Even though people constantly tell me that pre-clinical grades don't matter that much, it's hard to believe them

Being less stressed ---> being more happy. Looking at my friends who were at graded joints for the first two years, unranked P/F is the way to go.

 

[Mad Jack]

How is the dating scene like ??

Pretty good. Plenty of couples come out of preclinical. But if you're weird, you're still gonna be weird, so don't expect med school to fix your dating woes.

 

[SpacemanSpifff]

AOA is determined by class rank, of which preclinical grades are a part. P/F thus takes the stress of excelling past your classmates out of the equation during preclinical and allows you to focus your energy on the boards or whatever. This only works at true P/F schools like Yale tho.

AOA determination is school specific. At my institution you simply have to meet a certain academic threshold (grades and Step scores) the rest is based off other accomplishments and metrics.

 

[Goro]

Do you at least get told what your exam grades are?

Because you only need a P, not an H, to feel you've done well.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Do you at least get told what your exam grades are?

At my school you see all your test grades, it's the transcript that shows only P/F

 

[Goro]

At my school you see all your test grades, it's the transcript that shows only P/F

Sounds good

 

[Chelsea FC]

Pretty good. Plenty of couples come out of preclinical. But if you're weird, you're still gonna be weird, so don't expect med school to fix your dating woes.

What if one doesnt want to date and just test the waters. I bet that would be troublesome with such a small class size and word would spread and then you would become "that guy". End of second year maybe when u wont be seeing the same group anymore ??? Asking a for a friend of course

 

[Mad Jack]

What if one doesnt want to date and just test the waters. I bet that would be troublesome with such a small class size and word would spread and then you would become "that guy". End of second year maybe when u wont be seeing the same group anymore ??? Asking a for a friend of course

Some people just do casual stuff too. They are typically the ones that run into drama tho...

 

[Mad Jack]

AOA determination is school specific. At my institution you simply have to meet a certain academic threshold (grades and Step scores) the rest is based off other accomplishments and metrics.

True, I should have said most schools require you to be above a certain class rank for AOA.

 

[SunsFun]

What if one doesnt want to date and just test the waters. I bet that would be troublesome with such a small class size and word would spread and then you would become "that guy". End of second year maybe when u wont be seeing the same group anymore ??? Asking a for a friend of course

In my experience the drama stops once the novelty wears off... that be by the beginning of MS2 tops. You just start doing you and not giving a damn about other people's personal business. I am still really friendly with everyone and usually can't get anything done in the library due to constant distractions, but the only reputation I care about is coming across too pushy with my emails getting the doc I work with to review our manuscript faster.

 

[Mad Jack]

In my experience the drama stops once the novelty wears off... that be by the beginning of MS2 tops. You just start doing you and not giving a damn about other people's personal business. I am still really friendly with everyone and usually can't get anything done in the library due to constant distractions, but the only reputation I care about is coming across too pushy with my emails getting the doc I work with to review our manuscript faster.

When the drama stops is really up to the individuals involved. Some people grow up, some people ANECDOTE DELETED BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH HILARIOUS, IT WOULD NOT BE FORUM APPROPRIATE.

 

[Mad Jack]

It's pretty easy to avoid drama though- just be honest with people. The ones who get in trouble are always the ones who aren't telling it like it is, thus creating a disconnect in expectations with their partner that's a recipe for bad news.

 

[libertyyne]

In my experience the drama stops once the novelty wears off... that be by the beginning of MS2 tops. You just start doing you and not giving a damn about other people's personal business. I am still really friendly with everyone and usually can't get anything done in the library due to constant distractions, but the only reputation I care about is coming across too pushy with my emails getting the doc I work with to review our manuscript faster.

Getting one's superiors to do something via email is a special circle of hell.

 

[libertyyne]

Howdy yall,

Some of you might be thinking about applying in a few years. Some of you might have applied, and were later accepted (congrats). Maybe a few of you are wondering about what medical school is like. Are there any questions you'd like to ask a first year medical student? If so, just write something and I'll reply.

Mistafab

Boxer's or Briefs? And why?

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Do you at least get told what your exam grades are?

We take our exams at home and then get the grade immediately when we submit, subject to some later change for broken questions etc. The course instructors never learn any individual's grade.

 

[libertyyne]

We take our exams at home and then get the grade immediately when we submit, subject to some later change for broken questions etc. The course instructors never learn any individual's grade.

O, thats nice. How would you even ask any of them for letter's just based on professional interaction?

 

[Moose A Moose]

In school, I never look back. I do not review mistakes. I usually know my mistakes by the time I am taking the tests.

For the MCAT, however, I did review my mistakes for the practice tests I took. MCAT is a different game then the tests in medical school.

 

[Pepe18]

.

 

[Lannister]

Pretty good. Plenty of couples come out of preclinical. But if you're weird, you're still gonna be weird, so don't expect med school to fix your dating woes.

That's unfortunate for me.

 

[Mad Jack]

That's unfortunate for me.

You'll be fiiiine. I think you're alright, that's at least one person.

 

[mistafab]

Emotionally I am doing well. Academically I am doing well.

Med school is lots of fun.

How are you doing so far? Emotionally and academically speaking.

 

[mistafab]

My school is true pass fail - we see our percentages, breakdown per subject & everything.

Do you at least get told what your exam grades are?

At my school you see all your test grades, it's the transcript that shows only P/F

 

[mistafab]

Everything I own is boxer briefs. Best of both worlds.

Boxers after a workout are like wet cloths dangling around down there. Pure briefs are for children and manly men, not for me.

Boxer's or Briefs? And why?

 

[mistafab]

One of my favorite reaction gifs of all time.

I should have written it better to not sound like a tool. Oh well - the GIF is gold.

 

[TheBiologist]

how many hours a day/week do you study?

do you think it's possible for a med student to have fridays and saturdays "off"