daily schedule during 1st two years

[southbelle]

Do most of you have an idea of what your routine will be next year? I'm wondering if something like this is feasible:

9:00- wake up. lounge around for a few minutes. shower. eat light breakfast.

10:15-1245- study. swing by the anat or histo lab and look at slides/structures if needed.

1245-230- this is the time I like to eat lunch, read the newspaper, watch cnn, talk on the phone.

230-430- I like to take a nap during this time.

430-615- another study block.

615-745- go to the gym to do cardio and hang out there. it won't take me long to get there.

800-??- like to go out, hang out with friends, etc

1100-1200- usually during this period I like to watch tv.

1200-900- sleep

So with the two study periods that's 3 hours and 45 minutes set aside per day for studying. Is this most likely sufficient or will I have to shift some things around? I'm not interested in high board scores or AOA. I do want to know that I'm going to comfortably pass each class however. Should I add 30 more minutes of studying...or could I possibly remove thirty minutes?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[efex101]

Not for my future school..we start classes at 8:00 and do not get done until later in the afternoon like around 4:00 or so. I guess if you skip classes then you could have more time available.

 

[EM Junkie]

Is this a joke? My first year schedule went more like this:

6:00am: Wake up
7:00am: Leave for school (I commute)
8:00am-noon: Class
noon-1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm-4:30pm: Either Histology or Anatomy lab
5:00pm-6:30pm: Rest/Dinner
6:30pm-11:00pm: Study

Even if you don't go to class, most people need more time than a few hours a day to study. Haven't you heard the analogy that medical school is like trying to take a sip from a firehose? That's pretty much accurate!

Of course, everyone is different. You will find the most effective way for you to study soon enough!! Good luck!

Scott, MS2

 

[southbelle]

I don't plan on attending lecture. Ever. Maybe once or twice in each class to pick up the syllabus and make sure when the notes packets can be picked up and when the tests are. I'm sure that will cut out a lot of time, but I was afraid I may have to pick it up a bit. thanks guys

 

[japhy]

i went to class first block, but it didn't take long to realize what a waste of time it is. however, i did ened up spending countless hours in the anatomy lab doing dissection. most likely, you will end up on a team (3-6 people). i didn't want to leave all the dissection work for the rest of my team so i went to lab pretty regularly. histo lab you can skip and do whenever you want.

i dont know what scott's talking about, 3-4 hours of focused studying a day is plenty. of course, it ramps up right before an exam. i would study in the morning and ski in the afternoon. med school is great! i think people are just jealous that you can skip class, play all you want and still do really well in med school. take advantage of your first two years, you will never get to play that hard again.

 

[ZekeMD]

Don't feed the troll!

Also SouthBelle, you're a poor excuse for a troll. You post troll messages without the obvious arrogance associated with trolls. You need Dr. C's wit and SnS's balls!!! Then maybe you'd make an acceptable troll.

 

[Fumoffu]

11 hours of sleep a day?

I hope you're kidding or you're just being a really stupid troll.

 

[EM Junkie]

"Japhy": I COMPLETELY agree with you! 3-4 hours of study per day is plenty! However, the OP was including time in the gross lab as part of her study schedule, leaving her only 3-4 hours per day to fit in gross lab AND normal class. I don't see how that is possible. If you can do it, more power to you!

I never was able to skip class. I always felt like I was missing out on something. I'm not sure how wise it is to start out medical school not intending to attend ANY lectures. I think that you get a feel for what works for you as you go. I wouldn't base my entire plan of attack for medical school based on what a few current students tell you. Sometimes they are right on, more times they are completely misleading. Bottom line: find out what works for you.

Note: I have been talking about first semester of first year. Spring semester is the best! No more gross lab! Then the OP's study schedule will probably be adequate.

-Scott, MS2

 

[southbelle]

i went to class first block, but it didn't take long to realize what a waste of time it is. however, i did ened up spending countless hours in the anatomy lab doing dissection. most likely, you will end up on a team (3-6 people). i didn't want to leave all the dissection work for the rest of my team so i went to lab pretty regularly. histo lab you can skip and do whenever you want.

i dont know what scott's talking about, 3-4 hours of focused studying a day is plenty. of course, it ramps up right before an exam. i would study in the morning and ski in the afternoon. med school is great! i think people are just jealous that you can skip class, play all you want and still do really well in med school. take advantage of your first two years, you will never get to play that hard again.

Awesome. I'm hoping to be in a group that has two or three people who want to dissect all the fat away so I don't have to pull in there. I'd just like to pop in and view the specimens already ready for me. I'll try to pop in when the other people in my group are going over the cleared away structures so I won't have to spend a lot of time looking for them under fat and stuff.

You go to U of Utah? If so that's sweet....I'm hoping things work similarly at my state school.

 

[Jsscales05]

Want to hear my 40 hour work week schedule??
Monday: 11-1 cardio/workout, go to work from 1-9pm
Tuesday: Wake up at 4am, go to work at 5am-1pm
Wednesday: 11-1 workout, 1pm-9pm work
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday:Same as Tuesday

Needless to say I can't wait for med school this coming year. 8 hours of sleep solid would be a Godsend to me. At least I know I can condition myself for nights without too much sleep (Thank you work )

 

[Neuronix]

I don't plan on attending lecture. Ever.

Don't come here. We have required lecture and/or lab pretty much every day. Fortunately, today we don't, so here I sit

 

[southbelle]

I know what you mean. I simply don't operate on less than 8.5 hours of sleep at the minimum. I prefer nine with usually a good nap added on during the day. If I end up doing occupational med or pm&R, I'm going to have to be very careful about what transitiational years I apply for(you can do a TY with pm&R and occ med right?) A whole year of IM, eben at a benign place, would be pretty rough for me.

 

[japhy]

neuronix, i got the impression from talking to other Penn students that lectures weren't required. i take it this is not the case.

stw, i did start out going to lectures in med school. in fact, the first block i went to most lectures. but i soon found that my time was better spent studying on my own. by no means will this work for everyone, people need to figure out what works for them and stick with it. i just think that it is dumb for people to continue to stick with study methods and/or lecture if it is not working for them. i certainily think that for those whom class is valuable by all means attend lectures. bottom line, you have to find what works for you and stick with it.

 

[Neuronix]

neuronix, i got the impression from talking to other Penn students that lectures weren't required. i take it this is not the case.

You're right... Sections and labs are required. Some sections are indistinguishable from lectures in my mind. We have them almost every day for at least 2 hours. We're promised MWF afternoons off, but yet we still have things (often mandatory) scheduled semi-randomly for those afternoons, killing our abilities to plan anything like a weekly commitment or an extra class. The attendance policy ranges from very strict to draconian. For example, last block I had pneumonia and I was not excused. To make it up, I would have had to write a 2-3 page paper on the day's topic. I hope I didn't infect anyone!

 

[EM Junkie]

stw, i did start out going to lectures in med school. in fact, the first block i went to most lectures. but i soon found that my time was better spent studying on my own. by no means will this work for everyone, people need to figure out what works for them and stick with it. i just think that it is dumb for people to continue to stick with study methods and/or lecture if it is not working for them. i certainily think that for those whom class is valuable by all means attend lectures. bottom line, you have to find what works for you and stick with it.

I agree! My comment was directed more at the OP, who stated she doesn't plan on ever attending lectures. I think thats an awfully bold statement for a pre-MS1 to make, without even 1 day of medical school under her belt. I have met people who do great both ways, but it is kind of ridiculous for people to begin medical school with no intention of ever setting foot inside of a classroom. Obviously somebody told her that was the way to go, and I am not sure I trust anybody enough to make that decision for me!

Good luck to all of you pre-meds, though!

-Scott, MS2

 

[ImmunoANT]

Don't feed the troll!

Also SouthBelle, you're a poor excuse for a troll. You post troll messages without the obvious arrogance associated with trolls. You need Dr. C's wit and SnS's balls!!! Then maybe you'd make an acceptable troll.

speaking of which, where are Dr.C and SnS ??? I miss you two (or one ??) ...

 

[DrJ2B]

Not for my future school..we start classes at 8:00 and do not get done until later in the afternoon like around 4:00 or so. I guess if you skip classes then you could have more time available.

Hey efex!

Where have you decided to go? I plan on having 8 am classes too.

 

[TRUE]

Awesome. I'm hoping to be in a group that has two or three people who want to dissect all the fat away so I don't have to pull in there. I'd just like to pop in and view the specimens already ready for me. I'll try to pop in when the other people in my group are going over the cleared away structures so I won't have to spend a lot of time looking for them under fat and stuff.

Why are you even going to medical school? Why don't you just hire a personal assistant to do all the work for you and then you can steal their MD?

 

[beanbean]

This was a thread started by the OP on 3-2-2004:

any good experiences with lower ranked med schools?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been accepted to 7 different schools. Three in the top 10. Three more ranked between #11-20, and an unranked but cheap school, an instate school. I've just been informed that I've recieved a scholarship that will pay for almost 80% of my tutition over 4 years at this state school. That would mean I'd be paying about $2000 a year to go there in tuition. I'm not expecting a lot of free money from the top 10 private schools. I'm still waiting on 1 top 2 school, and if I get in there it won't be a decision.

Because of this, I'm considering going to my state school. There is little question that I would put up AOA numbers, score 250 or better on the boards, and get into a great residency from any of the 7 schools. The problem is that I don't know if I can spend 4 years with students who are at that level. It's not that I have to be around rhodes scholars, but I don't want my anatomy partner to have a 26 mcat. The whole atmosphere would be so unlike anything I've known in academics, including high school and college.

Is anyone here with really big numbers, and I'm not talking 3.8 and 35, considering going to a non top 20 school? Do you think you can handle the general atmopshere there?
____________________________________________________________

Don't waste your time responding to people like this!

 

[SunnyS81]

8am classes suck.

Having video streaming lectures rules (that you can watch at accellerated rates).

4 hours/day of studying including anatomy lab is nieve. Even the people who were all about anatomy would get ticked if people didn't show up because it means they will be there longer. Sounds like southbelle won't be making out of M1 year alive......

Outside of labs, 4 hours/day seems like a lot. Although learning each histo lab takes me about 2 hours (time required to prep for practicals and exams). Anatomy lab practicals on the other hand......maybe whole number multipliers should be used with the suggested study hours.....

Time to eat and hit up the library.....fun with ID....

 

[EM Junkie]

I see southbelle has made it into the "gunner" thread somebody started as well. That is awesome.

Thanks for the research on this OP beanbean, it was EXTREMELY insightful. Now I'm just gonna go study for my USMLE Step 1. I figure if I study for 2 hours a week, and sleep 14 hours a day, I should score in the 280 range. I scored a 48 on my MCAT, that test was easy.....

For those of you not keeping up with the discussion, I am kidding, of course.

Good luck to all you guys, and good luck on that cushy schedule southbelle!

Scott, MS2

 

[Gleevec]

Thanks for the detectivework beanbean, didnt realize southbelle was such a tool.

This was a thread started by the OP on 3-2-2004:

any good experiences with lower ranked med schools?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been accepted to 7 different schools. Three in the top 10. Three more ranked between #11-20, and an unranked but cheap school, an instate school. I've just been informed that I've recieved a scholarship that will pay for almost 80% of my tutition over 4 years at this state school. That would mean I'd be paying about $2000 a year to go there in tuition. I'm not expecting a lot of free money from the top 10 private schools. I'm still waiting on 1 top 2 school, and if I get in there it won't be a decision.

Because of this, I'm considering going to my state school. There is little question that I would put up AOA numbers, score 250 or better on the boards, and get into a great residency from any of the 7 schools. The problem is that I don't know if I can spend 4 years with students who are at that level. It's not that I have to be around rhodes scholars, but I don't want my anatomy partner to have a 26 mcat. The whole atmosphere would be so unlike anything I've known in academics, including high school and college.

Is anyone here with really big numbers, and I'm not talking 3.8 and 35, considering going to a non top 20 school? Do you think you can handle the general atmopshere there?
____________________________________________________________

Don't waste your time responding to people like this!

 

[efex101]

I think I am headed to Mayo but still not 100% sure...so it is btw Vandy and Mayo. What about you?

 

[DrJ2B]

I think I am headed to Mayo but still not 100% sure...so it is btw Vandy and Mayo. What about you?

I am going to Pitt unless I get off the waitlists at UPenn or Yale!

 

[personal jesus]

You know who SouthernBelle might be??? Princetonrocks. Remember that girl, she was another kinda boring troll.

 

[efex101]

Good luck on the waitlists!

 

[quideam]

I am going to Pitt unless I get off the waitlists at UPenn or Yale!

Haha, DrJ2B... I swear we could be the same freaking person

 

[jlee9531]

Why are you even going to medical school? Why don't you just hire a personal assistant to do all the work for you and then you can steal their MD?

seriously...

 

[dnister]

I see southbelle has made it into the "gunner" thread somebody started as well. That is awesome.

Thanks for the research on this OP beanbean, it was EXTREMELY insightful. Now I'm just gonna go study for my USMLE Step 1. I figure if I study for 2 hours a week, and sleep 14 hours a day, I should score in the 280 range. I scored a 48 on my MCAT, that test was easy.....

For those of you not keeping up with the discussion, I am kidding, of course.

Good luck to all you guys, and good luck on that cushy schedule southbelle!

Scott, MS2

 

[lotanna]

we have exams every monday and some weeks friday and then monday

or monday and then wednesday!!!

Only part about MSU that I dislike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[fullefect1]

This was a thread started by the OP on 3-2-2004:

any good experiences with lower ranked med schools?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been accepted to 7 different schools. Three in the top 10. Three more ranked between #11-20, and an unranked but cheap school, an instate school. I've just been informed that I've recieved a scholarship that will pay for almost 80% of my tutition over 4 years at this state school. That would mean I'd be paying about $2000 a year to go there in tuition. I'm not expecting a lot of free money from the top 10 private schools. I'm still waiting on 1 top 2 school, and if I get in there it won't be a decision.

Because of this, I'm considering going to my state school. There is little question that I would put up AOA numbers, score 250 or better on the boards, and get into a great residency from any of the 7 schools. The problem is that I don't know if I can spend 4 years with students who are at that level. It's not that I have to be around rhodes scholars, but I don't want my anatomy partner to have a 26 mcat. The whole atmosphere would be so unlike anything I've known in academics, including high school and college.

Is anyone here with really big numbers, and I'm not talking 3.8 and 35, considering going to a non top 20 school? Do you think you can handle the general atmopshere there?
____________________________________________________________

Don't waste your time responding to people like this!

Hahaha, I remember reading this a while ago and laughing at this dumb post. I no longer take anything the OP say seriously.