Class Attendance in Medical School

[Dr.CCM]

So, I just completed How to Study in Medical School by Armin Kamyab.

in it, he notes that it takes anywhere from 4-8 hours a day to do thoroughly study the material. He also advocates skipping class if you feel you aren't getting anything out of attending and therefore could be spending that time studying.

My main concern with not attending class would be being considered a "slacker" by the professors and classmates.

If there is actually no attendance policy associated with a specific class and you ARE actually getting more out of studying on your own than being inside the classroom itself, is there any real detriment to NOT attending class in medical school?

Do you have to worry about NOT getting recommendations from your professors/dean for future internships/residency programs?

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[DrYoda]

You get LORs during your clinical years, so there really aren't any big disadvantages to skipping class.

 

[Rollo]

You will find that as time goes by, your classmates won't care if you don't attend classes.

BUT, your non-medical friends and family will have a hard time understanding how you aren't attending classes yet still are able to learn the material and do fine.

There is no real detriment to not attending classes!

 

[RapplixGmed]

I attended class religiously during first semester.

Then I realized, I wasn't getting anything out of class because I'd fall asleep and I could watch the lectures online in half the time... so after the 2nd week of 2nd semester, I never went to another class.

My grades improved, I work out more, I have time to do research and work on my hobbies. Life has never been better. Nobody else really cares.

 

[medking]

Yea, no need to go to lecture if it doesn't help. For the lectures I do listen to, I like to think while I listen to lectures so I like being able to pause and rewind the lecture at any time. Takes me longer the first time around, but reviewing becomes a lot easier and quicker.

 

[njbmd]

Unless your school has a class attendance policy, not attending class is fine. You have to do what works for you and not what is in or not in a "study hints" book. If your school has an attendance policy (some schools do), you have to follow it. Also be mindful that if you fail something, not attending class could have some repercussions.

 

[MadEvans]

Yea, no need to go to lecture if it doesn't help. For the lectures I do listen to, I like to think while I listen to lectures so I like being able to pause and rewind the lecture at any time. Takes me longer the first time around, but reviewing becomes a lot easier and quicker.

me too

 

[patel2]

I tend to learn better by not going to class in undergrad, so I will probably do the same in med school, especially if lectures are recorded online.

But do you guys think not going to class from the onset will be a detriment socially? Like if you skip from the start, will you not get the chance to meet people as much and form friendships? The last thing I would want is to be "that guy" who randomly shows up for exams, but whom no one in my class knows I go to the school ...

 

[MilkmanAl]

I didn't go to a single class this year beside the first day of each, and most of the ones we were required to attend, there's a chance that I may have signed in and then immediately left. Class is not my thing at all, and about 120 of my 140-ish classmates agree.

 

[silverhorse84]

The professors won't care if you attend lecture or not - they'll likely not notice that you personally don't attend lectures. We've actually had a couple of professors comment on how we have more people that attend lectures than they're used to - that just tells you how common it is to have so few students attend class.

 

[Perrotfish]

I was one of the last people in my class to go to class, manly because I realized when I didn't my days tended to start in the late afternoon. By the end of the semester most of my classes had less than 10 people in them, out of a class of 180, and of the people there at least half the people were like me and studying from textbooks with headphones.

 

[RySerr21]

So, I just completed How to Study in Medical School by Armin Kamyab.

in it, he notes that it takes anywhere from 4-8 hours a day to do thoroughly study the material. He also advocates skipping class if you feel you aren't getting anything out of attending and therefore could be spending that time studying.

My main concern with not attending class would be being considered a "slacker" by the professors and classmates.

If there is actually no attendance policy associated with a specific class and you ARE actually getting more out of studying on your own than being inside the classroom itself, is there any real detriment to NOT attending class in medical school?

Do you have to worry about NOT getting recommendations from your professors/dean for future internships/residency programs?

nobody cares if you go to class or not. If you learn better by reading at home, then do it. No ones gonna call you a slacker, especially not if you are doing well on the exams, which you will be if you study hard. The hardest part about first year is figuring out the best way that you can absorb the material, and everyone in your class is going to do it differently. The most obvious difference is that some will be class goers and some will not be. In the end, we all pass. Thats all that matters.

 

[drosenb3]

I tend to learn better by not going to class in undergrad, so I will probably do the same in med school, especially if lectures are recorded online.

But do you guys think not going to class from the onset will be a detriment socially? Like if you skip from the start, will you not get the chance to meet people as much and form friendships? The last thing I would want is to be "that guy" who randomly shows up for exams, but whom no one in my class knows I go to the school ...

You'll likely go to anatomy lab and make friends there with your lab group if your school uses cadavers. You'll also make friends during orientation. I wouldn't worry about the social aspect of missing class.

 

[RySerr21]

I tend to learn better by not going to class in undergrad, so I will probably do the same in med school, especially if lectures are recorded online.

But do you guys think not going to class from the onset will be a detriment socially? Like if you skip from the start, will you not get the chance to meet people as much and form friendships? The last thing I would want is to be "that guy" who randomly shows up for exams, but whom no one in my class knows I go to the school ...

at least at my school, there is always some social activity going on somewhere. I dont ever go to class, but I am very close with my classmate b/c I'm always at the social functions and sometimes am even the one organizing/getting it together.

 

[MossPoh]

What is this "class" you speak of?

 

[seelee]

Just to offer a contrasting viewpoint:

I DO go to class, but not because I get something out of lecture (I honestly have never met anyone who does). I read the syllabus during the lecture and condense it into 1-2 pages (cambridge-style). Doing this during the lectures means that I am "forced to get through the material quickly (else I get distracted by SDN, facebook, or the interwebz). This means I am done with the material by 2 or 3 pm leaving me with a few hours to skim my notes from that day again and my evenings relatively free (except when a test is comming up). I wondered if going through the material more quickly hurt my grades but it has actually improved my score because I am able to look at the big picture.

To echo what others have said, you have to find your own way, but this works very well for me.

 

[NTF]

Your professor's aren't going to care whether you come to class or not. And LORs are gonna come from attendings or department heads from your clinical years.

Do what works for you. Every school I've ever heard of either videotapes or audiorecords lectures. A lot of us listen to the lectures at home at high speed (depending on the lecturer I was up to 2.5x speed by the end of year). But some classes have such detailed syllabi that lectures aren't really necessary. Attendance wasn't even necessary for most labs (Histo, Brain&Behavior) because all the slides and materials were also available online.

I'd try to relax for the rest of the summer instead of stressing about studying, though. Everyone has to tinker with study methods until they find a system that works for them regardless of whatever prep they do. Worrying about med school before it starts = low-yield. Enjoying your summer and coming to school refreshed = high yield.

Get into a work-out routine. Learn how to cook. Get your financial house in order.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I went to one class religiously because we got 5 exam points on the final if we did.

The rest, I went to the first week, and then did the podcast thing at home. I also have a different situation than most MS1s where I had to work full-time also, but even if I didn't, I still probably wouldn't go to class.

To future students in my class, I would recommend attending all labs, though. They were very helpful to me.

 

[MossPoh]

I wouldn't say "professors don't care if you do". There are some profs that do care very much. They take it personally. It shouldn't be that way, but there are ones that do.

I don't go to lecture very often but I'm almost always IN the building. During the lecture time I am usually going over the exact same material. I cover it faster and without the distractions. If I have questions, I'll watch the lecture on double speed. I end up with solid notes after my second time through the notes. Rarely is it the first time. We don't get those detailed syllabi like a lot of schools.

 

[Mace1370]

I never go to class unless I have to. The vast majority of material you learn in MS1 is more or less straight up memorization. I memorize better on my own. If I need help understanding a concept (which is pretty rare), then I can turn to podcasts, my textbook, review books, etc.

Med school is all about being time efficient and classes are not time efficient for me.

 

[riceman04]

You will find that as time goes by, your classmates won't care if you don't attend classes.

BUT, your non-medical friends and family will have a hard time understanding how you aren't attending classes yet still are able to learn the material and do fine.

There is no real detriment to not attending classes!

bwahahahahaha

every time my mother calls and asks about class and I respond with "I did not go" the first thing she says, in her school administrator voice, is "J__________ WHY ARE YOU DITCHING?!?!?!?!?! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE IT UP?"

 

[gulnosh]

calling slack just damn matters...what if attendance is mandatory and the professors take roll call one by one..our school is awful in this regard..only guys with 75% attendence can take the final exams..

 

[xanthomondo]

I wouldn't say "professors don't care if you do". There are some profs that do care very much. They take it personally. It shouldn't be that way, but there are ones that do.

I don't go to lecture very often but I'm almost always IN the building. During the lecture time I am usually going over the exact same material. I cover it faster and without the distractions. If I have questions, I'll watch the lecture on double speed. I end up with solid notes after my second time through the notes. Rarely is it the first time. We don't get those detailed syllabi like a lot of schools.

The ones that would get bent out of shape the most (and give a 2 minute rant before every lecture) were usually the lecturers that were absolutely god awful.

 

[C5toC9]

Yeah I still haven't told my parents about this whole not going to class thing. I don't know how to break it to them.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

Yeah I still haven't told my parents about this whole not going to class thing. I don't know how to break it to them.

a) are they paying your tuition?

b) if so, did you pass?

I think the answers should be obvious as to what I'm trying to convey.

 

[RySerr21]

calling slack just damn matters...what if attendance is mandatory and the professors take roll call one by one..our school is awful in this regard..only guys with 75% attendence can take the final exams..

haha wtf...is it pbl or something? if not, that makes absolutely no sense. Its ridiculous that administration tries to dictate how the students learn best. Its as if you were to tell someone they have to use flash cards to study anatomy. Thats absurd. Some people will find flashcards useful, and some won't. Going or not going to class boils down to a difference in study technique. It shouldnt matter to anybody how you learn the material.

 

[PathMD2010]

I'm chiming in agreement with everyone else, bc it seems like most people posting would rather not/ or don't attend classes. I attended most (90+%) because
1. It was mandatory the first 6 months
2. I am a lecture goer. I'll listen to the audio too, but I find I skim too much if I don'g go
3. An odd sense of guilt if I did not go.

The third reason is a complete mistake; if you get something out of going, then go. If you have to go, go. Otherwise, no one SHOULD care. One of my pet peeves was when lecturers would complain for 2+ mins about the low class attendence. It was as if they did not realize that they were complaining TO the people that CAME. Those that stayed home are just going to fast forward through that crap. sigh. ..

But if you study best at home, then those guys won't be able to bother you anyway . And your classmates WONT care. They won't care if you do or don't show up until 3rd year when you are dividing up pts.

I don't even think the admin care if you attend class; if you end up failing a test/ course. You will have to remediate/ repeat/ be dismissed according to your academic track record - not whether you attended (non mandatory) classes.

 

[MossPoh]

The ones that would get bent out of shape the most (and give a 2 minute rant before every lecture) were usually the lecturers that were absolutely god awful.

Pretty much

 

[cubssox2000]

No one cares if you come to class, unless it's mandatory. The first day of physiology, nearly everyone was there. By the end of the first block, maybe three quarters. By the end of the third block, under 75 people out of 215.

If the teacher is terrible, people will not show up. Our fourth block teacher was great, and most of the class started coming again. With so many people skipping class, no one really cares who shows up.

On a side note, I know that there is at least one DO school that requires students to write an essay for each day that they miss class. It's possible some MD schools do this too, but I've never heard of it.

 

[abmd]

No one cares if you come to class, unless it's mandatory. The first day of physiology, nearly everyone was there. By the end of the first block, maybe three quarters. By the end of the third block, under 75 people out of 215.

If the teacher is terrible, people will not show up. Our fourth block teacher was great, and most of the class started coming again. With so many people skipping class, no one really cares who shows up.

On a side note, I know that there is at least one DO school that requires students to write an essay for each day that they miss class. It's possible some MD schools do this too, but I've never heard of it.

I would have written at least a novel by the end of first year.

 

[alphaholic06]

No one cares if you come to class, unless it's mandatory. The first day of physiology, nearly everyone was there. By the end of the first block, maybe three quarters. By the end of the third block, under 75 people out of 215.

If the teacher is terrible, people will not show up. Our fourth block teacher was great, and most of the class started coming again. With so many people skipping class, no one really cares who shows up.

On a side note, I know that there is at least one DO school that requires students to write an essay for each day that they miss class. It's possible some MD schools do this too, but I've never heard of it.

Damn! I'd probably still be writing essays.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

On a side note, I know that there is at least one DO school that requires students to write an essay for each day that they miss class. It's possible some MD schools do this too, but I've never heard of it.

I don't understand why people post these sorts of things without naming the school.

 

[psipsina]

We have a few professors that care and will call you out if they notice you weren't in class. There oldschool and take a ton of pride in the time the put into preparing our lectures. When I got "caught" once I explained that I'm not an auditory learner but that I'm still learning from them, I just like to read their words in our note-sets and powerpoints. I like to go through the material at my own pace, fast through stuff that's clicking easy and slow through stuff thats not. Though they still probably weren't pleased with me they no longer seemed hurt by it. My grades were strong and we don't get letters from preclinical professors so I'm ok with that.

 

[xanthomondo]

We have a few professors that care and will call you out if they notice you weren't in class. There oldschool and take a ton of pride in the time the put into preparing our lectures. When I got "caught" once I explained that I'm not an auditory learner but that I'm still learning from them, I just like to read their words in our note-sets and powerpoints. I like to go through the material at my own pace, fast through stuff that's clicking easy and slow through stuff thats not. Though they still probably weren't pleased with me they no longer seemed hurt by it. My grades were strong and we don't get letters from preclinical professors so I'm ok with that.

How small are you classes that professors know when you're there/not there?

Who would take the time to read up to 250 essays per day of class missed? That doesn't seem very practical. In the few mandatory classes that we did have getting attendance was a complete PITA. I couldn't imagine doing that every single day for two years.

I heard that there is a dress code (business attire) for the UMDNJ DO school's lectures. Not sure if attendance to their lectures are mandatory, though.

 

[MossPoh]

How small are you classes that professors know when you're there/not there?

Who would take the time to read up to 250 essays per day of class missed? That doesn't seem very practical. In the few mandatory classes that we did have getting attendance was a complete PITA. I couldn't imagine doing that every single day for two years.

I heard that there is a dress code (business attire) for the UMDNJ DO school's lectures. Not sure if attendance to their lectures are mandatory, though.

My class is only 118 and we have one prof for the vast majority of each class. We then have them later on and see them around quite often, so they know nearly all of us.

 

[PranBobbyJohnny]

bwahahahahaha

every time my mother calls and asks about class and I respond with "I did not go" the first thing she says, in her school administrator voice, is "J__________ WHY ARE YOU DITCHING?!?!?!?!?! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE IT UP?"

lol your mom says "ditching", that's awesome

 

[TTTrouble]

Never went to class in undergrad. Not planning on really going to class too much in med school, which has only been reinforced by this thread. I think I will go for the first part of the year, just to get to know my classmates and whatnot, but when tests start coming in, well, it would be crazy not to go with what works.

 

[cubssox2000]

I don't understand why people post these sorts of things without naming the school.

I didn't name the school because I didn't want to discourage students from applying to a school just because of the essays. The school is Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University. I know that this policy applied in the first semester, but it may have been more lax in the second.

 

[boaz]

I was one of the last people in my class to go to class, manly because I realized when I didn't my days tended to start in the late afternoon. By the end of the semester most of my classes had less than 10 people in them, out of a class of 180, and of the people there at least half the people were like me and studying from textbooks with headphones.

WOW. Prof must feel like a douche.

 

[hurdlepup]

WOW. Prof must feel like a douche.

Maybe, maybe not... Unfortunately, I don't think it is mandatory that these professors have ever taken a day of pedagogy class. Simply being an expert in your field does not mean you will automatically be able to convey your probably vast information to another group of human beings.

Teaching courses should be required on an annual or at least semi-annual basis for some of these folks.


p.s. nice nano cowboy!!

 

[cubssox2000]

Maybe, maybe not... Unfortunately, I don't think it is mandatory that these professors have ever taken a day of pedagogy class. Simply being an expert in your field does not mean you will automatically be able to convey your probably vast information to another group of human beings.

Teaching courses should be required on an annual or at least semi-annual basis for some of these folks.


p.s. nice nano cowboy!!

I could not agree more. If we are expected to know how to learn, I think that teachers should be expected to know how to teach.

 

[xanthomondo]

I could not agree more. If we are expected to know how to learn, I think that teachers should be expected to know how to teach.

I agree. We had a physician/professor admit that they need to "scrape the bottom of the barrel" in looking for someone to give a lecture on XYZ. In some departments she said it practically comes down to begging.

 

[boaz]

p.s. nice nano cowboy!!

Thanks

 

[MilkmanAl]

I didn't name the school because I didn't want to discourage students from applying to a school just because of the essays. The school is Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University. I know that this policy applied in the first semester, but it may have been more lax in the second.

I'd say required attendance (or pseudo-required, in this case) is more than enough reason to not apply to a particular school. Thanks for sharing. You probably saved at least a few people some cash and possibly a lot of essay writing.

By the way, that's not supposed to be sarcastic.

 

[lipomas]

Sure, it takes 4-8 hours a day of studying if you go to class and don't use your time wisely. A lot of people go to class and talk, sleep, or draw or get on facebook. If you use your class time efficiently, pay attention, and consolidate information your study time outside of class will be less than 4-8 hours a day. I used to go to all my lectures, spend an hour or two going over them again after they were finished, then I had the rest of the day to do whatever.

In my med school, I found that the people who consistently blew off class were always studying much more than the people who went and were organized with their time. My advice is to treat med school like a job. Lots of people want to treat it like college - they study in large bursts close to exam time, and spend the rest of the time staying up late, "studying in the library" and going to parties. This is generally not effective and you WILL feel overwhelmed.

Unfortunately what also cuts down on available time is the incessant small group sessions, ethics, and crap that you have to attend (which is, of course, mandatory).

 

[Mr hawkings]

sure, it takes 4-8 hours a day of studying if you go to class and don't use your time wisely. A lot of people go to class and talk, sleep, or draw or get on facebook. ).

guilty

 

[medking]

Sure, it takes 4-8 hours a day of studying if you go to class and don't use your time wisely. A lot of people go to class and talk, sleep, or draw or get on facebook. If you use your class time efficiently, pay attention, and consolidate information your study time outside of class will be less than 4-8 hours a day. I used to go to all my lectures, spend an hour or two going over them again after they were finished, then I had the rest of the day to do whatever.

In my med school, I found that the people who consistently blew off class were always studying much more than the people who went and were organized with their time. My advice is to treat med school like a job. Lots of people want to treat it like college - they study in large bursts close to exam time, and spend the rest of the time staying up late, "studying in the library" and going to parties. This is generally not effective and you WILL feel overwhelmed.

Unfortunately what also cuts down on available time is the incessant small group sessions, ethics, and crap that you have to attend (which is, of course, mandatory).

Being organized/efficient and not going to lectures are not mutually exclusive.

 

[alphaholic06]

Being organized/efficient and not going to lectures are not mutually exclusive.

Agreed

 

[Flaxmoore]

The ones that would get bent out of shape the most (and give a 2 minute rant before every lecture) were usually the lecturers that were absolutely god awful.

Got to agree. Our worst profs first and second year might have had 40/180 in attendance, and they'd always rant about those who didn't show. Gee... ranting about those who didn't show to those who did. Genius.

Labs are typically mandatory, and even if not, they're a good idea. At my school, anatomy was required, path was required with quizzes to back it up, and histo was not.

As for studying, do what works for you.

.In my experience, lectures are quite schizophrenic things. Some instructors, the lectures are immensely valuable. You’ll go to every single one, take copious notes, and that’s the most efficient way to study. However, those are rare. My general advice is to attend the first lecture for every single instructor, and base further attendance on that sampling. If it turns out, as it did in my case, that a certain professor is simply a poor lecturer, discontinuing attendance can be the best move. Similarly, if a given lecturer seems to think that summarizing the textbook passes for an enthralling lecture, feel free to simply review the material on your own. Lecturers tend to do a very poor job of summarizing, and those hours can be better used studying on one’s own. .

 

[xanthomondo]

Got to agree. Our worst profs first and second year might have had 40/180 in attendance, and they'd always rant about those who didn't show. Gee... ranting about those who didn't show to those who did. Genius.

Labs are typically mandatory, and even if not, they're a good idea. At my school, anatomy was required, path was required with quizzes to back it up, and histo was not.

As for studying, do what works for you.

.In my experience, lectures are quite schizophrenic things. Some instructors, the lectures are immensely valuable. You’ll go to every single one, take copious notes, and that’s the most efficient way to study. However, those are rare. My general advice is to attend the first lecture for every single instructor, and base further attendance on that sampling. If it turns out, as it did in my case, that a certain professor is simply a poor lecturer, discontinuing attendance can be the best move. Similarly, if a given lecturer seems to think that summarizing the textbook passes for an enthralling lecture, feel free to simply review the material on your own. Lecturers tend to do a very poor job of summarizing, and those hours can be better used studying on one’s own. .

Yeah, the only problem is we continually got exam questions that there was no way you'd have a shot if you didn't attend class (or watch online)

"Which of the following drugs made your professor bark like a dog"

Not even kidding.