Ask the resident (previously ask the 4th year)

Med School Insiders
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Bacchus

Bacchus

Full Member
Moderator Emeritus
Verified Member
Physician
Verified Expert
15+ Year Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Messages
21,728
Reaction score
3,122
Members don't see this ad.
Hey everyone. I've got some free time on my hands and was hoping I could help you guys out now that I'm not so bogged down by rotations. Leave me questions and I'll answer the best I can. No WAMC, as I'll be no help. Same for AACOMAS, etc.

And, sorry if you've been seeing too many of these threads.
 
Bout time we got a DO one going.

Btw saw in Osteo you matched happily so congratulations 😀

I made some mistakes in undergrad, yadda yadda ya, fixed them and applying next cycle.

So I was wondering, looking back, is there any key advice you'd give you yourself as a little first year (or other soon to be first years)? Any mistakes most matriculants (or yourself) make/made early or later on?
 
Nah, we LOVE these!

What is the specialty were you wanting to go into upon entering med school. What specialty are you actually going into?

What is the gnarliest thing (gross, gruesome, awesome, scary, etc) thing you saw on rotations?
 
darklabel said:
Bout time we got a DO one going.

Btw saw in Osteo you matched happily so congratulations 😀

I made some mistakes in undergrad, yadda yadda ya, fixed them and applying next cycle.

So I was wondering, looking back, is there any key advice you'd give you yourself as a little first year (or other soon to be first years)? Any mistakes most matriculants (or yourself) make/made early or later on?
Click to expand...
Start off strong. Study to "excess" and then tailor the amount of time you need to study. Don't take your free time for granted and don't think you have more free time than you really do. Learn early on to do what's best for you and don't worry what your classmates are doing. At the same time, actually form a group of friends because you'll need/want them for the "hell" of the next four years.
 
How many weeks of vacation are you going to use this year?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
abolt18 said:
Nah, we LOVE these!

What is the specialty were you wanting to go into upon entering med school. What specialty are you actually going into?

What is the gnarliest thing (gross, gruesome, awesome, scary, etc) thing you saw on rotations?
Click to expand...
1. My specialties evolved as such: I came in thinking I wanted to do ER. I'm doing family medicine.

2. The scariest thing I saw was on medicine when a patient threw an embolus and cut off the entire posterior circulation of the brain. It was the saddest encounter I've had to date.
 
What were your expectations going into school? Were they met or exceeded? What surprised you the most, if anything? How confident do you feel in treating patients going into your intern year?
 
During the first two years, how much time did you use per week for class/labs/studying on avg? What has been your most rewarding experience ?
Thank you for this thread , 🙂
 
What has been your experience with OMM? Do you plan on using it in your practice?
 
Did you do a dual degree program?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile
 
NontradCA said:
What were your expectations going into school? Were they met or exceeded? What surprised you the most, if anything? How confident do you feel in treating patients going into your intern year?
Click to expand...

My expectations were that this journey was going to be hectic and difficult. These expectations were definitely met. I was surprised most by the amount of material. I did pretty well in undergrad but had the rug pulled out from under my feet fairly quickly. I do feel confident going into intern year that I have a solid knowledge base. However, it's a whole new chapter. You go from being a student to a physician and the only thing separating me from the former will be about 3 weeks since graduation. I'm nervous. Our preceptors tell us time and time again how well we're doing but you can't help but wonder how you'll compare to others in your class. Luckily, at least in FM, the residency family is very supportive and will help you if you stumble. I would say I might be a bit ahead of my peers not doing FM because I did quite a few rotations my 4th year. But of course, I'm going to be working with interns who wanted to do FM as well so that edge will be lost.
 
Thanks for doing this.



In your experience, and opinion, does the DO school you go to have a significant influence on how competitive you are for residency? feel free to expound if you'd like! 🙂
 
littlegreen88 said:
During the first two years, how much time did you use per week for class/labs/studying on avg? What has been your most rewarding experience ?
Thank you for this thread , 🙂
Click to expand...
I'll answer your first question this way: You'll still have time to go out once or twice a week if it's not close to a test. You'll be able to go home and visit family. You'll be able to work out if you want to. You will be able to spend time with a significant other.

My most rewarding experience, I'd have to say, wasn't saving a life or making a rare diagnosis. On a semi-recent rotation I was doing a prenatal check. Towards the end, mom-to-be asked how long I'd be around for because she would like me to be there for her baby's delivery. Unfortunately, the stars couldn't align and I was gone before her due date. As a student, you sometimes don't realize the impact you make. However, on average you're spending more time with the patient and, much to the displeasure of your team, talking to patients about what they think is important when it really isn't 😉. We're great sounding boards for patients.
 
Mattinthehat250 said:
What has been your experience with OMM? Do you plan on using it in your practice?
Click to expand...

I don't like the teaching of OMM from a specialist's point of view. It has to be done because standards in our education have to be met. Overall, I've had a positive experience with OMM and will use it in my practice. I really enjoy doing HVLA, but do have a few other techniques I have as well. I've seen it work on patients and I've had it done to me on a fairly regular basis.
 
What influenced you to choose family med? (I ask because that is the last thing I want to do, but my exposure is limited to about 45 hours of shadowing)
 
Hey, congrats on matching dude! Are you staying in Pennsylvania?

In a thread I was reading in pre-allo, a bunch of MS2's were comparing med school to "memorizing the phone book." Is it really that boring? And if so, how do you stay passionate about what you're going into despite the drudgery in the first two years?
 
Thank you for your time and congratulations on your match.

I'm a first year and I would appreciate any advice for board prep, rotations, etc. Would you have done anything differently?

Thanks again.
 
Bacchus said:
My expectations were that this journey was going to be hectic and difficult. These expectations were definitely met. I was surprised most by the amount of material. I did pretty well in undergrad but had the rug pulled out from under my feet fairly quickly. I do feel confident going into intern year that I have a solid knowledge base. However, it's a whole new chapter. You go from being a student to a physician and the only thing separating me from the former will be about 3 weeks since graduation. I'm nervous. Our preceptors tell us time and time again how well we're doing but you can't help but wonder how you'll compare to others in your class. Luckily, at least in FM, the residency family is very supportive and will help you if you stumble. I would say I might be a bit ahead of my peers not doing FM because I did quite a few rotations my 4th year. But of course, I'm going to be working with interns who wanted to do FM as well so that edge will be lost.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Speaking of your peers, what kinds of relationships have you built with them?
 
HalfListic said:
Thanks for doing this.



In your experience, and opinion, does the DO school you go to have a significant influence on how competitive you are for residency? feel free to expound if you'd like! 🙂
Click to expand...

I would say local programs are more receptive of you and know your abilities better so there is less bias. Of course, this isn't true for all programs. That doesn't mean you can't do residency across the country but it may be tougher if programs are more unfamiliar with DOs. Do well on your boards and the better off you will be. Coming from PCOM, we have a good track record and a significant OPTI of programs the 4th years go to.
 
Procyon said:
Hey, congrats on matching dude! Are you staying in Pennsylvania?

In a thread I was reading in pre-allo, a bunch of MS2's were comparing med school to "memorizing the phone book." Is it really that boring? And if so, how do you stay passionate about what you're going into despite the drudgery in the first two years?
Click to expand...

I'm only a first year but I'll chime in. It's hard to stay passionate and motivated all the time, especially when you have to memorize some minute details that will evaporate next day. However, if you focus on what's clinically relevant and keep building your foundation based on this, you can at least make things a little more palatable.
 
Bacchus said:
I would say local programs are more receptive of you and know your abilities better so there is less bias. Of course, this isn't true for all programs. That doesn't mean you can't do residency across the country but it may be tougher if programs are more unfamiliar with DOs. Do well on your boards and the better off you will be. Coming from PCOM, we have a good track record and a significant OPTI of programs the 4th years go to.
Click to expand...

thanks
 
abolt18 said:
What influenced you to choose family med? (I ask because that is the last thing I want to do, but my exposure is limited to about 45 hours of shadowing)
Click to expand...

Its funny because I had an FM trained mentor since undergrad and said mentor always saw me doing it despite my belief I wouldn't.

The field is so varied and has so many great aspects. I really enjoyed the idea of doing OB/gyn but didn't like the surgical side of the specialty. You can do OB/gyn as an FM and if you train at an ACGME/dually accredited program you're required to get a fair amount of deliveries and continuity patients under your belt. I really like that and wanted to be competent in the OB world in case I decide to pursue that after residency (either as an academic at a residency program or doing rural FM).

I'm also a big fan of continuity. I found myself wondering what was going on with my patients after my encounters with them. As an FM, you get a great deal of continuity and can making lasting impacts. I don't necessarily need instantaneous results and like seeing improvement over time. Its a real sense of accomplishment.

You can do a lot in FM if you feel comfortable. In-office procedures are a great way to get hands on (and make money).
 
Procyon said:
Hey, congrats on matching dude! Are you staying in Pennsylvania?

In a thread I was reading in pre-allo, a bunch of MS2's were comparing med school to "memorizing the phone book." Is it really that boring? And if so, how do you stay passionate about what you're going into despite the drudgery in the first two years?
Click to expand...

I am staying in PA. Med school can be boring. There will be a ton of stuff that isn't important and you won't need to know ever again. But, it has to be taught because there are standards that must be met. I found the most pleasure in our systems blocks (GI/cardio/OB/etc.) because it was practical to real world applications when the clinicians lectured us. Knowing there is an end point will get you through it. So will knowing that third year is coming because you'll finally get to start seeing what you'll be doing for the rest of your life.
 
LUCPM said:
I'm only a first year but I'll chime in. It's hard to stay passionate and motivated all the time, especially when you have to memorize some minute details that will evaporate next day. However, if you focus on what's clinically relevant and keep building your foundation based on this, you can at least make things a little more palatable.
Click to expand...

I second this as an MS1 also. You'll find some classes you hate, and some you enjoy more than others. It's hard to study everyday, but I enjoy the pancake analogy.

5 pancakes a day, not too bad right? Start to get sick of pancakes. Eat 4, then 3.. then weekend you gotta eat 10+. You get the idea.

I find that I generally enjoy all my classes and don't mind learning the material. It's just the time investment everyday that makes it less enjoyable to most.
 
LUCPM said:
Thank you for your time and congratulations on your match.

I'm a first year and I would appreciate any advice for board prep, rotations, etc. Would you have done anything differently?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I would have used a program for COMLEX I. I used one for COMLEX II and I was really happy with it. If you study effectively during 1st and 2nd year, preparing for boards will be less tedious if you don't have to reteach yourself everything.

Regarding rotations, try to rotate at places you're interested in. As a general rule, smaller sites will afford you a greater opportunity because there are less students and residents. However, you should be at academic centers as well to see what goes on in residency.

If I had to do anything differently, I would have realized I didn't have as much free time as I thought I did.
 
NontradCA said:
Thank you. Speaking of your peers, what kinds of relationships have you built with them?
Click to expand...

Lifelong friendships. I'll be going to weddings, visiting them when I have time off, etc. We help each other through extremely difficult times. I'm so happy I've met the people I've met over the past 4 years.
 
darklabel said:
Did you take the USMLE? If you did, did you take Steps 1 and 2? Also what year did you take them?
Click to expand...

I did not take the USMLE. If you want to do a competitive specialty you probably should. However, I don't know what the future climate will be now that we've started to merge the match and GME. I'd have to defer to the current 1st years on that when they begin applying in 2 years.
 
I have heard that supplementing classes with first aid and other board prep materials is a good way to understand your foundation required for boards. Do you find this to be true? Did you complete a graduate degree before starting medical school?
 
backsideattack1 said:
I have heard that supplementing classes with first aid and other board prep materials is a good way to understand your foundation required for boards. Do you find this to be true? Did you complete a graduate degree before starting medical school?
Click to expand...

I didn't do this method. I guess it couldn't hurt if you rely primarily on what's taught in class and don't rely on FA alone.

I started med school the fall after graduating college.
 
Thank you Bacchus for taking the time to do this.

Having decided to go into FM, what influenced your decision to go into an AOA program?
 
Are you married? If not, how many guys did you hook up with in med school and how often did you have sex.
 
Is it possible to find a future spouse in medical school? I know lots of people at that point are married before med school.
 
GypsyHummus said:
Is it possible to find a future spouse in medical school? I know lots of people at that point are married before med school.
Click to expand...

Several couples in my class met in 1st/2nd year and are now getting married. Definitely possible! Very stressful come match time, the couples match can be scary, but most end up making it work.
 
Bacchus,

First, congrats on matching into your field of choice! What a fantastic achievement.

1. Now that you have successfully matched into your field of choice, do you have plans to go to Disney World?

2. I was wondering if you could rank your rotations in order from most difficult to least difficult. Feel free to lump several into one level. Part deux: what made them difficult (or easier, relatively)?

3. Generally speaking, how difficult are rotations? What scares me the most now is getting to rotations and experiencing the inevitable feeling that I don't know squat. What is expected of you as far as patient care and outside reading, etc. in order to keep current and be the best M3/M4 I can be?

Thanks, and congrats again. Well done. 👍
 
You thought you liked EM, but decided on FM. So what specifically turned you off about EM?

Did you apply for FM programs through AOA, ACGME, or both?

What rotation did you dislike the most?

LeBron or Kobe?

Do you like me?

When is mine turn to mod?

Do you go into a Hulk rage when you see another DO vs. janitor/DPM/PA/NP thread? Does it make your jimmies slightly tingle?
 
113 said:
You thought you liked EM, but decided on FM. So what specifically turned you off about EM?

Did you apply for FM programs through AOA, ACGME, or both?

What rotation did you dislike the most?

LeBron or Kobe?

Do you like me?

When is mine turn to mod?

Do you go into a Hulk rage when you see another DO vs. janitor/DPM/PA/NP thread? Does it make your jimmies slightly tingle?
Click to expand...

SRS question? Neither Kobe is losing heart, and Lebron never had it.
 
113 said:
You thought you liked EM, but decided on FM. So what specifically turned you off about EM?

Did you apply for FM programs through AOA, ACGME, or both?

What rotation did you dislike the most?

LeBron or Kobe?

Do you like me?

When is mine turn to mod?

Do you go into a Hulk rage when you see another DO vs. janitor/DPM/PA/NP thread? Does it make your jimmies slightly tingle?
Click to expand...

Who is the skank in your avatar? Jk if that's you.

Lebron is on a completely different level, just fyi.
 
kgpremed11 said:
SRS question? Neither Kobe is losing heart, and Lebron never had it.
Click to expand...

Need to compare them at their primes obviously.

e.g., ****in clowntown Sasha Vujacic can probably ball up and down Jordan's old azz today. But 96, 97, 98 Jordan is untouchable.


MedPR said:
Who is the skank in your avatar? Jk if that's you.
Click to expand...

You sound thirsty. You should fix that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
  • Question Question
Any TCOM 3rd or 4th years?
Replies
0
Views
650
imoka
I
H
  • Locked
post poning your acceptance to the following year
Replies
6
Views
1K
Goro
Goro
Mr. Nevergiveup
  • Question Question
If your taken off of a waitlist right before school starts, Is it possible to ask to defer your A to the following year or deny and reapply next year?
Replies
16
Views
2K
Goro
Goro
R
RVU-MCOM, take the A?
Replies
4
Views
761
Ho0v-man
Ho0v-man
Mr.Smile12
The secret DO handshake???
Replies
1
Views
2K
Goro
Goro
Top