Classes you wish you took before Medical School?

[MDdream777]

Hello all!

I start medical school in August, and plenty of my medical school friends have told me to start studying now to prepare for medical school. I'm getting a lot of "study anatomy" and "study embryology" and now I want to hear your opinions. If you had to choose one class that you wish you knew more about before medical school, what would it be?

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[Non sibi sed omnibus]

Not in medical school yet, but I've heard from multiple students, adcoms, and physicians that Histology and Biochem are extremely high yield. Buy a copy of "First Aid for USMLE" ASAP and start perusing that as well.

 

[circulus vitios]

Anatomy would have been helpful...but I hear undergrad anatomy classes are super watered down versions of med school anatomy, so who knows how helpful it would be.

 

[Slack3r]

Stats, biostats, research methodology.

 

[DermViser]

 

[sinombre]

Not in medical school yet, but I've heard from multiple students, adcoms, and physicians that Histology and Biochem are extremely high yield. Buy a copy of "First Aid for USMLE" ASAP and start perusing that as well.

First Aid is a review book. As in, it's almost useless to read unless you've finished the first year of medical school. There is no harm in buying a copy, but don't delude yourself (or others) into thinking reading it prior to finishing MS1 will make medical school any easier.

 

[maxxor]

Enjoy your days before starting medical school. You (and we) do not know how your curriculum will be set up, so trying to pre-study is silly. We could give you totally valid advice from our school and curricular experience, but have it not apply at all to your school.

The only classes I took that were moderately useful outside of standard premed were a couple upper level biology classes: Biology of Parasites and Evolution of the Immune System, both of which I took for fun.

 

[Mad Jack]

First Aid is a review book. As in, it's almost useless to read unless you've finished the first year of medical school. There is no harm in buying a copy, but don't delude yourself (or others) into thinking reading it prior to finishing MS1 will make medical school any easier.

First Aid is great for acronyms and the like, plus it's great for reviewing before exams. I'm also a big fan of Pathoma- anemia week was a breeze, and I killed inflammation like it was my job. First Aid will not get you through medical school, but it can help you clarify things your instructor sucks at teaching or you need to have presented to you in a different way.

 

[sinombre]

First Aid is great for acronyms and the like, plus it's great for reviewing before exams. I'm also a big fan of Pathoma- anemia week was a breeze, and I killed inflammation like it was my job. First Aid will not get you through medical school, but it can help you clarify things your instructor sucks at teaching or you need to have presented to you in a different way.

Good point, I guess it can be useful while learning the material for the first time (i.e. in conjunction with lecture material), but it is useless by itself. I think many pre-meds hear "First Aid" and think it is some kind of all-inclusive text book that they can use to read and get ahead.

 

[DermViser]

Good point, I guess it can be useful while learning the material for the first time (i.e. in conjunction with lecture material), but it is useless by itself. I think many pre-meds hear "First Aid" and think it is some kind of all-inclusive text book that they can use to read and get ahead.

It probably was back in 1991 when it first started. It's no longer the case bc the questions ask things beyond those directly stated in First Aid. I do agree, it's great for the mnemonics, ex. PTH = Phosphate Trashing Hormone, to remember that PTH increases the amount calcium reabsorption, but also increases phosphate excretion.

 

[PhillyMed777]

take JOKE classes. absolute joke classes. take it easy now. This career will forever challenge you after.

 

[Jabbed]

Biochemistry, neuroscience/neuroanatomy, and immunology. Biochem is useful so that you can hit the ground running in med school. Neuroscience and immuno is useful because imo you don't learn enough of either in med school.

If you're undergrad anatomy/physiology isn't a joke class (mine was), take that as well.

Interesting how none of these classes are pre-med requirements though...

 

[DermViser]

take JOKE classes. absolute joke classes. take it easy now. This career will forever challenge you after.

I would take classes that are helpful - cooking classes, weightlifting/exercise courses, stress/relaxation courses, etc.

Part of the problem for the OP is that we don't know what school he/she goes to, whether they use textbooks or course packs, the order in which the courses are approached, traditional vs. organ system based, grading system, etc. So what would have been great advice for our specific school would be completely useless for another school as different schools approach the information differently.

My guess is OP will likely study regardless of what we say due to nerves, so if you go to a school that does Anatomy first, I would get the Netter's app with the pins and just test yourself on the pins on your iPhone.

 

[Jabbed]

It probably was back in 1991 when it first started. It's no longer the case bc the questions ask things beyond those directly stated in First Aid. I do agree, it's great for the mnemonics, ex. PTH = Phosphate Trashing Hormone, to remember that PTH increases the amount calcium reabsorption, but also increases phosphate excretion.

Maybe I'm still too close to the basic science material, but I always thought that most of the FA mnemonics were lame or exceedingly common knowledge (Some Lovers Try Positions..). Except for SNOW DROP, which I need any time someone mentions any blotting tests. Even that is pointless though once you've taken the step.

 

[radkat101]

I have a really really hard time believing that "plenty" of your medical student friends told you to study. I don't know a single person who would recommend this. The best thing you can do is save your energy, and feel refreshed on day 1 of med school.

If I HAD to pick one class, then probably some kind of advanced anatomy course.

 

[DermViser]

Maybe I'm still too close to the basic science material, but I always thought that most of the FA mnemonics were lame or exceedingly common knowledge (Some Lovers Try Positions..). Except for SNOW DROP, which I need any time someone mentions any blotting tests. Even that is pointless though once you've taken the step.

They aren't all good, but some are great. I liked the Krebs cycle one -- Cindy Is Kinky So She Fornicates More Often, to remember the intermediates of the Krebs Cycle on class exams.

 

[Jabbed]

I have a really really hard time believing that "plenty" of your medical student friends told you to study. I don't know a single person who would recommend this. The best thing you can do is save your energy, and feel refreshed on day 1 of med school.

If I HAD to pick one class, then probably some kind of advanced anatomy course.

I never understood American higher education: "DON'T study anything in undergrad that's related to what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. Here, take this intro sociology course instead."

 

[DermViser]

I never understood American higher education: "DON'T study anything in undergrad that's related to what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. Here, take this intro sociology course instead."

Mainly bc you'll never get to explore more well rounded classes again in med school. It will be all med school science in the first 2 years. If you enjoy sociology then take it. If you don't, then don't take it. But don't think that somehow you'll be at some huge advantage come Day 1 of med school bc you read Moore and Dalley cover to cover.

 

[maxxor]

I never understood American higher education: "DON'T study anything in undergrad that's related to what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. Here, take this intro sociology course instead."

Medical schools all have different curricula. Undergraduate material is not taught by clinical professors and will not be clinically relevant to your future medical interests. My undergrad science courses were very geared toward pre-PhD students. Pre-meds were looked down upon as "sell-outs". Undergrad is your last chance to take mind-broadening classes that won't be related to your eventual career life.

Edit: To expand on the courses I took earlier, the Parasite course was taught by a Veterinarian turned biology professor (which actually was clinically relevant, but I didn't know at the time). The Evolution of Immune System course ended up focusing on innate immunity, autophagy, toll-like-receptors, and the proteasome which ended up being many of my med school's sexy topics in Biochem, so by chance I had some familiarity with the material. I would have not taken either had I followed the "take anatomy and physio classes" which seems to be the default advice.

 

[radkat101]

I never understood American higher education: "DON'T study anything in undergrad that's related to what you'll be doing for the rest of your life. Here, take this intro sociology course instead."

Nobody said that.

 

[starstarie]

II agree with the above. I would have liked to have seen immunology before med school. Also stats would help too.

 

[DermViser]

Medical schools all have different curricula. Undergraduate material is not taught by clinical professors and will not be clinically relevant to your future medical interests. My undergrad science courses were very geared toward pre-PhD students. Pre-meds were looked down upon as "sell-outs". Undergrad is your last chance to take mind-broadening classes that won't be related to your eventual career life.

To be fair, MS-1 material is usually not taught by clinicians at most medical schools but PhD professors.

 

[maxxor]

To be fair, MS-1 material is usually not taught by clinicians at most medical schools but PhD professors.

But they know their audience is med students, not undifferentiated students that they may want to draw into PhD-land, like in undergrad. I saw a distinct difference in approach from my PhD profs. But then again, I went to a fantastic med school, so I should acknowledge that my experience may not and does not generalize.

 

[radkat101]

To be fair, MS-1 material is usually not taught by clinicians at most medical schools but PhD professors.

Many of our professors are PhDs, but I can tell that administration really presses them to gear their presentations toward clinical relevance. They've done a pretty good job so far.

Edit: We even have PhDs doing all the radiological anatomy.

 

[Jabbed]

Mainly bc you'll never get to explore more well rounded classes again in med school. It will be all med school science in the first 2 years. If you enjoy sociology then take it. If you don't, then don't take it. But don't think that somehow you'll be at some huge advantage come Day 1 of med school bc you read Moore and Dalley cover to cover.

If you really did read Moore's from cover to cover and properly studied, I don't see why that wouldn't be the case. All the curriculum sections that I've coasted through I largely attribute to my familiarity with the material before starting med school. Lectures are far easier and more comprehensible when they're filling in gaps in your knowledge and further developing your understanding rather than when they're used as a foundation.

Medical schools all have different curricula. Undergraduate material is not taught by clinical professors and will not be clinically relevant to your future medical interests. My undergrad science courses were very geared toward pre-PhD students. Pre-meds were looked down upon as "sell-outs". Undergrad is your last chance to take mind-broadening classes that won't be related to your eventual career life.

Med school isn't taught by clinical professors either. Nobody in college actually limits the number of mind-broadening classes that you can take, they just limit the number of mind-broadening classes that you can claim credit for; you're effectively free to sit in on whatever classes you want. I just think that it's BS that in the states you can graduate with a 4 year, six-figure degree and effectively have zero skills or knowledge to enter the workforce (or in our case, med school) with.

Nobody said that.

Nobody said it here, but that's been the bulk of advice that I've gotten throughout my career and I think that it's a commonly held sentiment. I'm a first generation immigrant and had no idea how the education system worked,. so when my pre-med advisor and multiple faculty/students advised me to do just that for the first few years of college, I listened.

 

[The Kraken]

1) Biochemistry (genetics coverage a plus)
2) A&P
3) Embryology or developmental bio
4) Immunology
5) Histology

Since most people take biochem and some A&P, embryology would be huge. Immunology would make things a little easier and histo is even less important.

 

[DermViser]

But they know their audience is med students, not undifferentiated students that they may want to draw into PhD-land, like in undergrad. I saw a distinct difference in approach from my PhD profs. But then again, I went to a fantastic med school, so I should acknowledge that my experience may not and does not generalize.

Yes, I would say your med school specifically is a definite exception. At most medical schools that doesn't happen as often due to a variety of factors: PhD professor doesn't have the experience to incorporate clinical material as he's a PhD not a clinician, professor doesn't care to change his lectures he's used for decades, etc. So students end up having a memorize and purge approach.

 

[Jabbed]

1) Biochemistry (genetics coverage a plus)
2) A&P
3) Embryology or developmental bio
4) Immunology
5) Histology

Since most people take biochem and some A&P, embryology would be huge. Immunology would make things a little easier and histo is even less important.

My god, undergrad histology would be the worst.

 

[DermViser]

Many of our professors are PhDs, but I can tell that administration really presses them to gear their presentations toward clinical relevance. They've done a pretty good job so far.

Edit: We even have PhDs doing all the radiological anatomy.

Yes, med school administrators definitely put pressure on basic science faculty, mainly bc med students put pressure on administrators, and all schools get an NBME score report for Step 1 on how their school did on different subjects. If a PhD professor is tenured, he could care less.

http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/O.S.L.E.R/historic.html

At Wash U, they have radiology residents teach med students on reading anatomy on imaging. So while the PhD may not have the knowledge base, at some med schools, they work to make sure that it happens.

 

[NYDO2014]

1. Physiology
2. Pharmacology
3. Anatomy
4. Neuroscience
5. Histology (not essential, but help you understand pathology)
6. Biochemistry
7. Biostat and Behavior Science

 

[DermViser]

If you really did read Moore's from cover to cover and properly studied, I don't see why that wouldn't be the case. All the curriculum sections that I've coasted through I largely attribute to my familiarity with the material before starting med school. Lectures are far easier and more comprehensible when they're filling in gaps in your knowledge and further developing your understanding rather than when they're used as a foundation.

You could truly read Moore and Dalley cover to cover and you won't be ahead overall in terms of retaining it all (you won't) for exams if your professor emphasizes something different. You definitely won't be ahead overall by the end of med school in terms of class rank or answering surgery pimp questions. You're just speculating that the familiarity would lend to you an immense advantage bc you're directly in it, and thus biased, when in reality that's not the case.

 

[Jabbed]

You could truly read Moore and Dalley cover to cover and you won't be ahead overall in terms of retaining it all (you won't) for exams if your professor emphasizes something different. You definitely won't be ahead overall by the end of med school in terms of class rank or answering surgery pimp questions. You're just speculating that the familiarity would lend to you an immense advantage bc you're directly in it, and thus biased, when in reality that's not the case.

I agree that I'm biased because I am right in the thick of it, but I would honestly be way more stressed out than I am if it weren't for the few subjects that I can effectively coast by on and still maintain my class standing. I had a four day vacation to Jamaica the week before my cardiorespiratory phys test and ended up with the highest grade. The week before my immunology exam was spent poring over the textbook and slides all day, but I ended up dropping a few spots anyway.

 

[Non sibi sed omnibus]

First Aid is a review book. As in, it's almost useless to read unless you've finished the first year of medical school. There is no harm in buying a copy, but don't delude yourself (or others) into thinking reading it prior to finishing MS1 will make medical school any easier.

Um ... to see what the content will be in the future ... and start preparing for it and/or taking classes that address some of those areas ...

 

[DermViser]

I agree that I'm biased because I am right in the thick of it, but I would honestly be way more stressed out than I am if it weren't for the few subjects that I can effectively coast by on and still maintain my class standing. I had a four day vacation to Jamaica the week before my cardiorespiratory phys test and ended up with the highest grade. The week before my immunology exam was spent poring over the textbook and slides all day, but I ended up dropping a few spots anyway.

Fine, then be honest and say it helps your stress level. But don't act like it gives you this major huge advantage in terms of overall class rank bc it doesn't, esp. with the major downside of being exhausted when you start, bc in the thick of MS-1 you'll have no choice but to study, and you'll regret studying your last semester of senior year of college bc you thought it would give you this amazing advantage.

 

[DermViser]

Um ... to see what the content will be in the future ... and start preparing for it and/or taking classes that address some of those areas ...

 

[MedWonk]

Not in medical school yet, but I've heard from multiple students, adcoms, and physicians that Histology and Biochem are extremely high yield. Buy a copy of "First Aid for USMLE" ASAP and start perusing that as well.

TBH, I don't think anything I took in undergrad or my post-bacc has really helped me much. There's so much more you need to know versus what's covered in an undergrad course. Plus, the focus of courses in med school might not be the same as their undergrad analogue. There were things we covered in my undergrad biochem course that wasn't covered in the med school version and vice-versa.

If I were take something in undergrad, I would take classes in health policy or the business of healthcare. For some reason, a lot of med schools don't seem to really touch upon it. I'd probably also just take classes that are just plain interesting to me.

Also, reading First Aid is a waste of time before med school. Depending on which med school one goes to, it can be a waste of time for a significant portion of MS1, as well. Reading Costanzo, Robbins, Lippincott, Goljan, whatever ahead of time isn't going to give you the leg up you think it will. These books will be too dense and/or too advanced for you to get anything out of them prior to med school. A quick search will turn up at least 1000 other posts of pre-meds willfully ignoring the advice of med students who tell them not to pre-study. It isn't a good use of your time.

 

[radkat101]

First Aid is a review book. As in, it's almost useless to read unless you've finished the first year of medical school. There is no harm in buying a copy, but don't delude yourself (or others) into thinking reading it prior to finishing MS1 will make medical school any easier.

It might just be my school and the curriculum, but the questions that show up on our exams are VERY similar to the topics emphasized in FA. One of our exams could have at least been passed by knowing about 15 pages out of FA. I'm convinced that someone in admin sits there with a copy while choosing what questions to select for exams.

 

[DermViser]

It might just be my school and the curriculum, but the questions that show up on our exams are VERY similar to the topics emphasized in FA. One of our exams could have at least been passed by knowing about 15 pages out of FA. I'm convinced that someone in admin sits there with a copy while choosing what questions to select for exams.

This is usually not the case when it comes to school exams and First Aid being enough to pass, but I do think it's nice that your medical school basic science faculty actively try to tailor their lectures and exam questions to also include what is tested on the boards. There are med schools that are known to do this. Much better than the alternative.

 

[Ophthoseidon]

My undergrad histo and anatomy were harder than med school stuff for both. I think it really depends on the place. Physio and Histo helped me the most. I wish I wouldve take embryo. Biochem would be mildly helpful except you go through the entire biochem 1 and 2 sequence in like 1-2 weeks.

 

[radkat101]

This is usually not the case when it comes to school exams and First Aid being enough to pass, but I do think it's nice that your medical school basic science faculty actively try to tailor their lectures and exam questions to also include what is tested on the boards. There are med schools that are known to do this. Much better than the alternative.

Based on all the SDN complaints of students feeling like they are cramming useless info for exams, I agree this is definitely not the norm and I appreciate that my school keeps things relevant. What's also interesting, is that we have a chunk of review questions from old tests on every exam, and it NEVER fails that these are big FA topics. I also agree that reading FA won't get you ahead for med. school. A lot of the stuff in there only makes sense because I read a 100 slide ppt. over it beforehand.

 

[masaraksh]

Professionalism classes. Amirite?

 

[Laufcra]

Take classes that you find satisfying/fun. That being said, it helps if what you find to be fun is also functional material.Some of my favorite classes in undergrad were A&P, immunology, reproductive phys, endocrine, gene regulation, biochem, etc. If you find these subjects really enjoyable and take them in undergrad it can help to facilitate the transition into med school, but its really going to be the enjoyment of these subjects that will carry you in med school, rather than taking that undergrad class itself due to how superficial undergraduate coursework is (depends on the course actually, undergrad immunology was 10X more detailed than med school immuno for me). It can be fun to dip your feet into the sciences in undergrad, but it won't put you miles ahead of your classmates necessarily since many of them thought the same way that you do.

 

[DermViser]

Based on all the SDN complaints of students feeling like they are cramming useless info for exams, I agree this is definitely not the norm and I appreciate that my school keeps things relevant. What's also interesting, is that we have a chunk of review questions from old tests on every exam, and it NEVER fails that these are big FA topics. I also agree that reading FA won't get you ahead for med. school. A lot of the stuff in there only makes sense because I read a 100 slide ppt. over it beforehand.

First Aid is like an evergreen conifer tree without all the decorations and ornaments. Just having the bare tree without having the decorations and ornaments (which you amass thru med school) to make a Christmas tree doesn't work. I guess you could Wikipedia everything, but in your brain it would just be isolated factoids and unfortunately Step 1 is not a completely rote memorization test like it used to be decades ago.

That's why it makes me roll my eyes when people say all they needed was First Aid not realizing that much of what they learned and recalled wasn't in FA but was taught in class or in course packs. First Aid was just a good trigger to help you recall those things. I fully understand there are schools that just suck majorly in teaching basic science to med students much less what is on boards - so class and course packs might not even be helpful for them.

 

[Jabbed]

My undergrad histo and anatomy were harder than med school stuff for both. I think it really depends on the place. Physio and Histo helped me the most. I wish I wouldve take embryo. Biochem would be mildly helpful except you go through the entire biochem 1 and 2 sequence in like 1-2 weeks.

It's one of those things that I think is kind of helpful as you go in already knowing the basics of metabolism, but by and large the focus of med school biochem vs undergrad is not at all similar.

 

[DermViser]

My undergrad histo and anatomy were harder than med school stuff for both. I think it really depends on the place. Physio and Histo helped me the most. I wish I wouldve take embryo. Biochem would be mildly helpful except you go through the entire biochem 1 and 2 sequence in like 1-2 weeks.

In terms of boards - embryology is not important EXCEPT in which there is a pathology due to an embryologic defect - gastroschisis, omphalocele, Down syndrome and heart embryology defects, etc.

 

[Psai]

First Aid is like an evergreen conifer tree without all the decorations and ornaments. Just having the bare tree without having the decorations and ornaments (which you amass thru med school) to make a Christmas tree doesn't work. I guess you could Wikipedia everything, but in your brain it would just be isolated factoids and unfortunately Step 1 is not a completely rote memorization test like it used to be decades ago.

That's why it makes me roll my eyes when people say all they needed was First Aid not realizing that much of what they learned and recalled wasn't in FA but was taught in class or in course packs. First Aid was just a good trigger to help you recall those things. I fully understand there are schools that just suck majorly in teaching basic science to med students much less what is on boards - so class and course packs might not even be helpful for them.

It's very true. Having the facts and trying to keep them straight doesn't really help much. You need that foundation so that you can actually understand what's going on. Listening to things like pathoma and goljan really help you put the picture together

 

[radkat101]

First Aid is like an evergreen conifer tree without all the decorations and ornaments. Just having the bare tree without having the decorations and ornaments (which you amass thru med school) to make a Christmas tree doesn't work. I guess you could Wikipedia everything, but in your brain it would just be isolated factoids and unfortunately Step 1 is not a completely rote memorization test like it used to be decades ago.

That's why it makes me roll my eyes when people say all they needed was First Aid not realizing that much of what they learned and recalled wasn't in FA but was taught in class or in course packs. First Aid was just a good trigger to help you recall those things. I fully understand there are schools that just suck majorly in teaching basic science to med students much less what is on boards - so class and course packs might not even be helpful for them.

Agreed. It's mainly useful for knowing what topics will probably be emphasized on exams so I can go back to the slides and fill in the details. It would have been more accurate to say a pass would have been possible by understanding the topics in those 15 pages rather than just memorizing 15 pages of FA.

 

[Meh.meh]

Hello all!

I start medical school in August, and plenty of my medical school friends have told me to start studying now to prepare for medical school. I'm getting a lot of "study anatomy" and "study embryology" and now I want to hear your opinions. If you had to choose one class that you wish you knew more about before medical school, what would it be?

Your friends are idiots.
Please don't do this.

Take classes you're interested in.
If you really must take something to prepare, I'd suggest a histology course (only because it's pretty poorly taught in medical school, at least here).

Alternatively, buy a copy of guyton hall and read through the cardio/respiratory/endocrine/renal chapters. Having an introduction to those should make physio slightly easier, and it's much higher yield than biochem/anatomy/histology.

 

[Bamfu]

As a MS-2, I wish I had taken biochem/cell bio, immunology, embyrology (if available), and stats/biostats. I was a music major though, so I took the bare minimum. Of those 4, I think embryology and biochem would have been the most beneficial. I really took to immunology in med school, though, so results may vary.

Things that I found helpful that I did take: genetics, and A&P. I forgot all the anatomy, but the physiology stuck pretty well and has been a great, very broad starting point for every organ block. It helps to have an inkling of how things work before you start trying to learn the nitty gritty. We had a few easy genetics lectures mixed in with biochem, but it just comes up here or there at this point. I guess it's nice to know a little about that.

In the end, though, it doesn't really matter. Once things started rolling, even people with doctoral degrees in my class were not much better off than the rest of us. It's like if you've taken a class before, if might save you the work of 1/20 lectures (usually the intro lecture) on an exam.

 

[xffan624]

They aren't all good, but some are great. I liked the Krebs cycle one -- Cindy Is Kinky So She Fornicates More Often, to remember the intermediates of the Krebs Cycle on class exams.

Hmm... FA's is a little more vanilla. Citrate Is Krebs Substance Substrate For Making Oxaloacetelate.