chemical study aids

[swaamedic]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm just curious what medical students are using for chemical study aids to help themselves get through the mounds of material and long nights. coffee, no-doze, marshmellow and honey sandwich, ritalin, ephedrine, exercise, more coffee? And has anyone heard or seen of some outlandish substances being used and or abused? Just curious.

 

[maysqrd]

It is funny that you bring this up because I was having a conversation last night about this. A VERY good friend of mine actually used "speed" during undergrad to study. This person worked full-time and went to school full-time and would use the drug on nights before exams or when term-papers needed to be finished. This person maintained a 3.95 gpa thru undergrad and then after graduation stopped using the drug.

This was just for UNDERGRAD, and I curious about the speculation that med students would use this course of action to help "keep awake" to be able to study. Has anyone ever heard or seen this in med school? A more touchy debate would be, should med schools do drug testing to make sure that future doctors are not developing dependancies?

 

[tkim]

Just coffee for me, thanks.

I have tried Ritalin before, all it does is make me jittery and crave cigaretttes.

I have sinus problems from time to time, and when I take pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), I do find myself more alert and awake.

- Tae

 

[LukeWhite]

I've heard that amphetamines were the big thing with med students in the 70's....absolutely pandemic. They're still used in the Air Force for similar purposes.

Personally, I'm intrigued by modafinil . It's another big military darling (the French used it in the Gulf War). It was FDA approved only in 1999, I think.

Apparently it's able to keep one awake for upwards of 60 hours in regular doses with no side effects. Unlike the usual suspects, it's awareness promiting rather than awareness-inducing, which is nice since it doesn't "force" one to stay awake. There are no known side effects and no physiological addictions.

The downside is that it's $5 a pill. But only $1 in Canada! @ 8 hrs/pill, that's $6 for 48 hours of alertness. Not bad.

A.T. Still is rolling in his grave, y'know.

 

[phil413ru]

I run. Nothning like an awesome hour long run to drill anatomy and physiology into the mind. Stream of consciousness, fresh air, stong muscles. beutiful nature. Can't beat that.

Running rules!


I also like coffe and chai tea.

~Melinda

 

[spunk11]

I agree with the above poster....running is the best!!! I also am a big fan of chai tea! and the funny thing is my name is also Melinda... LOL 😀

 

[BrooklynDO]

running , schmunning...PUSHUPS YEA!!!!!
😛
seriously , sometimes i use lil "powernaps" and sometimes a lil pushups (I dont have to elave the library to do those) and sometimes the coffee , although thats more of a distractor than anything... I use it for the sugar, the caffiene receptors have been severely downregulated for me.

FOr the EXTRA BOOORING material : (eg histo) I do it RIGHT before bed... and look, no insomnia!

 

[hossofadoc]

I mostly use coffee depending on how long I need/want to be awake. If it's going to be a long night I'll drink a few red eyes and they seem to do the trick. I also have found that eating ice is a good way to stay awake. For med school I'm investing in a IV drip, so I can have a constant stream of coffee flowing in my body.

 

[DrMom]

I figure that if the worst thing I come out of med school with is a caffeine addiction, I'm in pretty good shape! That said, I drink way too much Diet Pepsi.

 

[T.A.M]

I find that sleep is the best late night study aid. Late night cramming doesn't help me learn anything new and it leads to stupid mistakes on exams of things I should have known.

 

[DrSmiles]

Green tea does it for me. I find it is more stimulating than coffee and gives me less of the jitters. 😱 😱

 

[SawBones]

Just kidding... just kidding. I couldn't resist. 😀