being realistic whether one has the ability to make it

[macinici]

hi,

i'm a measly freshie in undergrad but in my spare time i'll sometimes glance over this forum and recently something has caught my attention. the overall concensus is that the amount of studying in med school is much greater than undergrad. a good deal of people then mentioned that they studied very little in undergrad - one two hours a day - and in med school maybe on an average day 3-4 hours. well i find myself studying so much more to actually suceed in my classes 6 hours (the 'recommended' amount) and this is causing me to kinda of panick a bit. if i dedicate 6 hours now and the work will be 10X more how in the hell will i survive later?

am i simply not equipped for med school?
are there others out there that dedicated a great amount to studying in undergrad and kinda of the same time in med school? there simply seems to be a lot of people for whom undergrad was breeze.

i'm trying to find some books on more efficient studying but at the same time i guess i study the amount of time recommended by universities in general for each credit hour taken!

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[braluk]

I wouldnt necessarily gauge how many hours it takes to study to do well in undergrad as an indicator of how hard or difficult studying will be in medical school. Many people have different ways of studying, some are more efficient, some spend more hours, etc..etc.. whether its one or the other, or another, their routine of studying will change with medical school to optimize studying time. Dont forget that you also tend to have a life in college, not so much with medical school, so 100% of your time will probably be devoted to studying. Just focus on your undergrad experience and studying now, and worry about how or if you will need to adapt when you matriculate into medical school

 

[Skills of House]

hi,

i'm a measly freshie in undergrad but in my spare time i'll sometimes glance over this forum and recently something has caught my attention. the overall concensus is that the amount of studying in med school is much greater than undergrad. a good deal of people then mentioned that they studied very little in undergrad - one two hours a day - and in med school maybe on an average day 3-4 hours. well i find myself studying so much more to actually suceed in my classes 6 hours (the 'recommended' amount) and this is causing me to kinda of panick a bit. if i dedicate 6 hours now and the work will be 10X more how in the hell will i survive later?

am i simply not equipped for med school?
are there others out there that dedicated a great amount to studying in undergrad and kinda of the same time in med school? there simply seems to be a lot of people for whom undergrad was breeze.

i'm trying to find some books on more efficient studying but at the same time i guess i study the amount of time recommended by universities in general for each credit hour taken!

If you're an undergrad freshman and you're already studying that much and taking the initiative to go into forums like this then, and not to sound condescending but, "you've got the goods kid!" Most med students agree that it's not that the work is hard, it's the volume of work in the alotted time. I can say that 1000 times over, but I promise you, you won't fully understand what I mean until you become a med student. I agree with the above post...enjoy life now! If you keep doing what you're doing, it'll pretty much be more of the same when you enter med school. If you're pretty confident that med school is what you want, I highly recommend the summer programs that many schools offer to aspiring med students. But don't stress (believe me, you'll have enough of that soon enough!)...you'll make it, no doubt!

 

[Law2Doc]

hi,

i'm a measly freshie in undergrad but in my spare time i'll sometimes glance over this forum and recently something has caught my attention. the overall concensus is that the amount of studying in med school is much greater than undergrad. a good deal of people then mentioned that they studied very little in undergrad - one two hours a day - and in med school maybe on an average day 3-4 hours. well i find myself studying so much more to actually suceed in my classes 6 hours (the 'recommended' amount) and this is causing me to kinda of panick a bit. if i dedicate 6 hours now and the work will be 10X more how in the hell will i survive later?

am i simply not equipped for med school?
are there others out there that dedicated a great amount to studying in undergrad and kinda of the same time in med school? there simply seems to be a lot of people for whom undergrad was breeze.

i'm trying to find some books on more efficient studying but at the same time i guess i study the amount of time recommended by universities in general for each credit hour taken!

If you get the grades and MCAT score to get into med school, and get accepted, then you have the ability to succeed at med school. Will you have to work long hard hours when you get there? Probably. But you will adjust, and make it through. No point stressing about it during freshman year of college -- most folks who are premed freshman year don't finish college still premeds anyhow. Expand your horizons and check out lots of areas of study, then if you still want medicine, your decision will have been better thought out.

 

[Antigunner]

OP: I obviously don't know you, but I can speak from experience that a lot of the people that are now in medical school probably started off their freshman year of undergrad by studying WWWAAAAYYYY more than they actually need to in order to do well in their classes. I think it's one of those personality type things. I would guess that as you progress, you will figure out what study methods work for you, and be able to spend a significant amount less time in study than you do now. Then when you start medical school you can start over from the beginning again.

To agree with the above posters - you've got plenty of time before you need to start worrying about study hours in medical school. For now just focus on making yourself a good applicant, and don't forget to have fun, too.

 

[dilated]

Very few people actually "study" 6 hours. I could never understand how people studied for these absurd periods of time until I found out that that six hours includes 15 minutes for coffee breaks here and there, some phone chat time, rubbing one out in a library carrel, surfing the net a little, etc. I study for 3 hours a day now, and every 1 of those 180 minutes is actually spent studying (I don't count any break time). It's not very hard if you don't waste time.

 

[indo]

You'll get better at learning as you go through college. You'll also get better at it again when you go through medical school.

 

[indo]

Also, dilated is right. If you can actually focus for 3 hours you can cover a huge amount of material.

 

[braluk]

Very few people actually "study" 6 hours. I could never understand how people studied for these absurd periods of time until I found out that that six hours includes 15 minutes for coffee breaks here and there, some phone chat time, rubbing one out in a library carrel, surfing the net a little, etc. I study for 3 hours a day now, and every 1 of those 180 minutes is actually spent studying (I don't count any break time). It's not very hard if you don't waste time.

or SDN

The only time ive sincerely say that ive studied straight for six or more hours was once medical physiology or biochemistry started breathing down my back. All the other "6 hours of studying" in college was interspersed with chatting, little breaks here and there that make my studying efficiency around 75% or less

 

[NonTradMed]

Very few people actually "study" 6 hours. I could never understand how people studied for these absurd periods of time until I found out that that six hours includes 15 minutes for coffee breaks here and there, some phone chat time, rubbing one out in a library carrel, surfing the net a little, etc. I study for 3 hours a day now, and every 1 of those 180 minutes is actually spent studying (I don't count any break time). It's not very hard if you don't waste time.

That's true. I used to set a timer to discipline myself to study X amt of hours a day. I'd stop the timer for bathrooms breaks, 15 minute internet breaks, lunch etc. It was amazing that I'd spend a whole day studying, exhuasted by the end of the day, and yet I'd see myself only doing four hours total. Most people are incredibly inefficient with their studying b/c their minds wander, they get up to do stuff, stretch. Most people's brains can't cram for too long before it gets tired and requires a short break. Your ability to study in med school will depend on how well your brain can handle alot of material and how efficient you are with your studying.

Also, undergrad experiences varies. People come in with varying degrees of academic experience---some were MIT EE majors and others went to some crap school with a degree in tennis or something. The adjustment to medical school will differ based on this experience.

The general census is that med school is work. Most students study more than the average Joe will ever study. However, your personal standards and experience may vary. Don't panic right now. College is a time to savor. Enjoy every minute of it and keep your grades up. Med school acceptances will come if you stay focused and maintain some sort of balance.

 

[braluk]

Most of the time, the cure to studying wandering is either going to a starbucks (or coffee shop), library or other location where its quiet and you are away from the computer and other friends (or if u study with friends, it has to be in a quiet location so loud talking is prohibited).

 

[gaikokujin]

I wouldnt necessarily gauge how many hours it takes to study to do well in undergrad as an indicator of how hard or difficult studying will be in medical school. Many people have different ways of studying, some are more efficient, some spend more hours, etc..etc.. whether its one or the other, or another, their routine of studying will change with medical school to optimize studying time. Dont forget that you also tend to have a life in college, not so much with medical school, so 100% of your time will probably be devoted to studying. Just focus on your undergrad experience and studying now, and worry about how or if you will need to adapt when you matriculate into medical school

you're gonna be going to Tulane right? you will be doing your share of partying here my friend . med school isn't 100% of your time studying. it's about managing your time (and not going to class helps). i spend at least 6-7 hours a day studying (and yes, i waste plenty of time) but i also spend most friday and saturday nights hanging out with my friends -- concerts, bars, movies, etc. i'm not at the top of my class, but i'm not at the bottom either.

in undergrad i did study a lot, certainly more than 2-3 hours a night. as another poster said, if you get decent grades on your MCAT and decent grades in college, this is a pretty clear indication that you will do fine in med school.

 

[braluk]

Haha cant wait, what year are you? (PM me- i want to add in as many T's to my connects as much as possible )

what i meant was, relative to college it will be 100% lol. I cant wait

 

[cfdavid]

Hey OP. Don't psych yourself out by getting all worked up about how some people "breezed" through undergrad and are getting "fire hosed" now in med school. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle for most of us. Medical school is not that much harder, it just takes more commitment. But, if you view it like a full time job (which you would undertake anyway, if you didn't go to grad school), you'll do fine.

It's great that you're interested in finding ways in which you can improve your study skills. Never stop learning about yourself and learning in general. But, don't take what you read on these threads too seriously. Much of the time people are writing to vent, or are having a difficult moment. Then, it gets reflected in a post like "would you rather die than do medical school over again??". lol Just hang in there, and listen to your heart. Be realistic, but if you really want it, then by all means. Good luck.

 

[lord_jeebus]

If you are able to get into a med school in the US, you almost certainly have what it takes to get through it. Dropping out is rare, and when it happens, often has nothing to do with inability to handle the coursework.

So focus on getting in, and don't worry about what comes next.

 

[macinici]

thanks guys,

i'm one of those people that always worry, but those close to me have no idea cause i keep all issues to myself. anyway i realize that i'm being nonsensical and trying to worry and question myself and my abilities is simply ridiculous, if i was idiotic i would not perform at the level i am performing; i'm really trying to change this aspect about myself or else i'll die by 30. i've come to the conclusion that i need to get off these boards and focus on what i'm doing now instead of how i'll handlle **** in 4 years. i need to stop questioning myself and just do it cause i sure as hell got the goods.

do i have the brains and abilities? hell yeah. no matter how cliche it's not me agains the world but me against myself.

i appreciate your input and i will now go and try to deactivate/not come to this board for a couple more years.

 

[pillowhead]

thanks guys,

i'm one of those people that always worry, but those close to me have no idea cause i keep all issues to myself. anyway i realize that i'm being nonsensical and trying to worry and question myself and my abilities is simply ridiculous, if i was idiotic i would not perform at the level i am performing; i'm really trying to change this aspect about myself or else i'll die by 30. i've come to the conclusion that i need to get off these boards and focus on what i'm doing now instead of how i'll handlle **** in 4 years. i need to stop questioning myself and just do it cause i sure as hell got the goods.

do i have the brains and abilities? hell yeah. no matter how cliche it's not me agains the world but me against myself.

i appreciate your input and i will now go and try to deactivate/not come to this board for a couple more years.

I think it's premature to worry about how you'll handle 4 years of medical school and the boards. You need to focus on getting in first. Honestly, even for the best and brightest, that is not an easy hurdle to get by. Generally speaking if you can get in, you will get through. So focus on getting in first.

 

[deleted89854]

Med school courses are the equivalent of taking two full semester courses in college and compressing them into one month blocks while requiring you to learn the same amount of information. It's not too bad, and you get used to it. I'm a big believer in the "two weeks off, two weeks on policy". Plenty of time to have fun (you'll realize how much free time you had once you enter your third year).

 

[turkleton]

If you do well in college you'll do well in med school. You don't need to be a genius to get into med school or to be a good doctor- far from it, it sometimes seems. Just like anything else in life, the ones who succeed here are the ones who adapt quickly. If you got the work ethic you'll be fine.

 

[Biscuit799]

You don't need to be a genius to get into med school or to be a good doctor- far from it, it sometimes seems.

Thank God!

 

[tulane06]

Very few people actually "study" 6 hours. I could never understand how people studied for these absurd periods of time until I found out that that six hours includes 15 minutes for coffee breaks here and there, some phone chat time, rubbing one out in a library carrel, surfing the net a little, etc. I study for 3 hours a day now, and every 1 of those 180 minutes is actually spent studying (I don't count any break time). It's not very hard if you don't waste time.

Damn, you're on to me.

 

[werd]

hi,

i'm a measly freshie in undergrad but in my spare time i'll sometimes glance over this forum and recently something has caught my attention. the overall concensus is that the amount of studying in med school is much greater than undergrad. a good deal of people then mentioned that they studied very little in undergrad - one two hours a day - and in med school maybe on an average day 3-4 hours. well i find myself studying so much more to actually suceed in my classes 6 hours (the 'recommended' amount) and this is causing me to kinda of panick a bit. if i dedicate 6 hours now and the work will be 10X more how in the hell will i survive later?

am i simply not equipped for med school?
are there others out there that dedicated a great amount to studying in undergrad and kinda of the same time in med school? there simply seems to be a lot of people for whom undergrad was breeze.

i'm trying to find some books on more efficient studying but at the same time i guess i study the amount of time recommended by universities in general for each credit hour taken!

i'd also say that it depends on your major. some majors get destroyed with work (e.g. mech or chem engineers) and 6hrs/day+ is appropriate, while some are far less intense. also you're still a freshman... see where you are in a year; you just might improve on the whole stuying/efficiency thing. i think it's a little early to project your current self onto med school and judge if you're ready.