DO Med School Preparation Advice

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Hi,

I wanted to start this thread because I'm starting medical school at Touro-NV in the fall, and have the summer to shore up any areas I'm lacking in. All of you current med students seem to be very helpful and knowledgable on this website and I was hoping to get some advice on preparation!
My background is: I graduated from Scripps Post-Baccalaureate Program in May 2005, have been working and going back and forth between Los Angeles and Cincinnati (to take care of an ill family member) since. I graduated in Psychology originally, and at the Post-Bac program I took the following courses:
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Vertebrate Physiology, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics.

I'm thinking of taking one or more of the following courses this summer:
Biochemistry, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Human Gross Anatomy, Microbiology, Medical Terminology, or Molecular Biology. I could possibly do research as well, if it would be beneficial as med-school preparation.

Current Touro-NV students have been extremely helpful in regards to preparing for the upcoming year, and many advise to just take it easy until school starts to avoid possible burnout. But, being a typical first year prospective student, I am nervous about the intense curriculum and want to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be for the upcoming year.

Any advice regarding classes to take, research to do, or any other general advice about first year med school preparation would be VERY helpful!

Thank you!
Brent
 
I think you should seriously relax and do all the things you know you won't really have time for in the coming years. The hardest part about med school is the tremendous volume of material, not the material itself. The following may seem a little odd, but hear me out:

In my opinion the only way you will get good at studying in med school is by learning the hard way about what works for you during your first semester. I point this out because if you, for example, took anatomy over the summer and made your 1st semester a little easier, you would only be prolonging the inevitable. I don't think you can simulate the med school atmosphere and the rapid pace that the material will come at you. You might as well learn really early on what you will need to do to become successful during your pre-clinical years. Obviously this varies from school to school and person to person, but most people will have to change their study habits drastically after the trial and error period at the beginning of first year.
 
Taus said:
I think you should seriously relax and do all the things you know you won't really have time for in the coming years. The hardest part about med school is the tremendous volume of material, not the material itself. The following may seem a little odd, but hear me out:

In my opinion the only way you will get good at studying in med school is by learning the hard way about what works for you during your first semester. I point this out because if you, for example, took anatomy over the summer and made your 1st semester a little easier, you would only be prolonging the inevitable. I don't think you can simulate the med school atmosphere and the rapid pace that the material will come at you. You might as well learn really early on what you will need to do to become successful during your pre-clinical years. Obviously this varies from school to school and person to person, but most people will have to change their study habits drastically after the trial and error period at the beginning of first year.
Click to expand...

Thanks Taus,

I haven't heard that viewpoint yet, but it honestly makes sense to me. The one thing that I'm a little uncertain of is the 'trial and error period at the beginning of the first year'. Is there really such a thing?
I guess the reason I'm worried is I finished my Post-Bac program in May 2005. So I feel like some material's not as fresh in my mind as it is for people going straight from college to med school.
 
You'll here this viewpoint a lot. Taus is a genius! Reflecting back, I was thinking about trying to do some stuff (like read old anatomy texts) prior to starting med school. I asked a similar question to yours last summer. Just enjoy yourself, hang with friends, go out, chill in the sun, etc. b/c med school is taxing and it would be extremely difficult to replicate such a crazy environment.

Billy

bblue said:
Thanks Taus,

I haven't heard that viewpoint yet, but it honestly makes sense to me. The one thing that I'm a little uncertain of is the 'trial and error period at the beginning of the first year'. Is there really such a thing?
I guess the reason I'm worried is I finished my Post-Bac program in May 2005. So I feel like some material's not as fresh in my mind as it is for people going straight from college to med school.
Click to expand...
 
What if you haven't taken *any* anatomy classes? I don't know anything about the human body except the name of the major organs so I'm thinking about taking it during the summer.

Medical Terminology also seems like it might be interesting since, again, I have a hard time even figuring out half of the short-hand for technical stuff on SDN.
 
bblue said:
Hi,

I wanted to start this thread because I'm starting medical school at Touro-NV in the fall, and have the summer to shore up any areas I'm lacking in. All of you current med students seem to be very helpful and knowledgable on this website and I was hoping to get some advice on preparation!
My background is: I graduated from Scripps Post-Baccalaureate Program in May 2005, have been working and going back and forth between Los Angeles and Cincinnati (to take care of an ill family member) since. I graduated in Psychology originally, and at the Post-Bac program I took the following courses:
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Vertebrate Physiology, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics.

I'm thinking of taking one or more of the following courses this summer:
Biochemistry, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Human Gross Anatomy, Microbiology, Medical Terminology, or Molecular Biology. I could possibly do research as well, if it would be beneficial as med-school preparation.

Current Touro-NV students have been extremely helpful in regards to preparing for the upcoming year, and many advise to just take it easy until school starts to avoid possible burnout. But, being a typical first year prospective student, I am nervous about the intense curriculum and want to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be for the upcoming year.

Any advice regarding classes to take, research to do, or any other general advice about first year med school preparation would be VERY helpful!

Thank you!
Brent
Click to expand...
You can teach yourself medical terminology. Just buy a book on ebay and read it over. Doing anything else is just an unneccessary waste of money, IMO. But what does a soon-to-be medical student this fall know?
 
UserNameNeeded said:
What if you haven't taken *any* anatomy classes? I don't know anything about the human body except the name of the major organs so I'm thinking about taking it during the summer.

Medical Terminology also seems like it might be interesting since, again, I have a hard time even figuring out half of the short-hand for technical stuff on SDN.
Click to expand...

I have similar concerns since the closest thing to anatomy i've taken is vertebrate physiology - although it was primarily focused on the human body -and I just don't want to start med school at a disadvantage.
Also, does anyone know how relevant 2nd semester reactions in OCHEM are to med school? i.e....acid anhydride plus Lithium Al. Hydride equals a primary alchohol? Does anything like that come up at ALL? (It sure seemed pointless at the time I learned it!)
 
FutureDocDO said:
You can teach yourself medical terminology. Just buy a book on ebay and read it over. Doing anything else is just an unneccessary waste of money, IMO. But what does a soon-to-be medical student this fall know?
Click to expand...

Good advice....can you recommend any med. terminology books?
Also, does anyone know of any good online courses in biochem?

~Brent
 
bblue said:
I guess the reason I'm worried is I finished my Post-Bac program in May 2005. So I feel like some material's not as fresh in my mind as it is for people going straight from college to med school.
Click to expand...
I took my last college courses over 3 years ago, and they were graduate courses, so not necessarily stuff I'd see in med school. I've never taken anat/phys. Don't worry. You won't be alone. 🙂
 
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Khenon said:
I took my last college courses over 3 years ago, and they were graduate courses, so not necessarily stuff I'd see in med school. I've never taken anat/phys. Don't worry. You won't be alone. 🙂
Click to expand...

HAHA! Brilliant quote at the bottom there....Good to hear there is someone in the same boat as me...You're going to COMP? I used to live 1 block away from there, so if you have any housing or general questions feel free to PM me.

~Brent
 
bblue said:
I have similar concerns since the closest thing to anatomy i've taken is vertebrate physiology - although it was primarily focused on the human body -and I just don't want to start med school at a disadvantage.
Also, does anyone know how relevant 2nd semester reactions in OCHEM are to med school? i.e....acid anhydride plus Lithium Al. Hydride equals a primary alchohol? Does anything like that come up at ALL? (It sure seemed pointless at the time I learned it!)
Click to expand...
feel free to flush all of that o-chem out of your brain...
 
burn it... I'm almost done w/ my first year and though we talked about the fenton reaction/reactive oxygen species with regard to several biological processes and briefly about the structure of drugs as they're introduced. ...you won't need any orgo to understand the depth required in med school for the biological processes you'll need to know...

seriously rest your brain (refer to my earlier post on this thread) and just come in ready to work your a$$ off.....you won't know how to efficiently study in med school until you are in med school....
 
Taus said:
burn it... I'm almost done w/ my first year and though we talked about the fenton reaction/reactive oxygen species with regard to several biological processes and briefly about the structure of drugs as they're introduced. ...you won't need any orgo to understand the depth required in med school for the biological processes you'll need to know...

seriously rest your brain (refer to my earlier post on this thread) and just come in ready to work your a$$ off.....you won't know how to efficiently study in med school until you are in med school....
Click to expand...


Ahhhhh....goodbye OCHEM book :meanie: ! Sweeeeet.....
I won't actually 'burn' the book, but it's good to know that I'm done with that stuff for the most part. So I guess I'll mostly rest my brain - except I think I'll look up that med. term. online course and do a little bit of biochemistry research. Thanks Taus!
Any idea what specialty you're going in to? What have you enjoyed the most about med school so far?

~Brent
 
1. most likely PM&R
2. being able to apply all the stuff I'm learning in school to clinical situations/probs involving friends and family...ie actually being able to explain things to them....basically the "ohhhh...so thats why that happens" factor
 
Taus said:
1. most likely PM&R
2. being able to apply all the stuff I'm learning in school to clinical situations/probs involving friends and family...ie actually being able to explain things to them....basically the "ohhhh...so thats why that happens" factor
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can't wait to be able to apply some of the stuff I've learned. Everything up to this point (pre-med) is just the preparation portion. I can't wait to actually have some tangible medical knowlege! Did you know you were going to do PM&R before you got to school, or did something there inspire you?

~Brent
 
all my prior interests have pretty much pointed me in that direction....and new experiences in med school have made it even clearer.....though most people aren't sure until after some rotations 3rd/4th year and its only right/fair to keep an open mind...so I can't say anything is 100%
 
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BBlue,

Taus and Dr. mom is right with their first answers. Just relax and don't do any reading or preparing for your first year. I went to Italy for the first month and then to Hawaii for two weeks after that. I spent the last few weeks just relaxing until the hell began. Good luck.
 
I'd agree with everything everyone has said. I start at OU-COM this August and my wife is working while I empty my brain to make room for the next 4 years. Here at OU, and maybe other places, they pair incoming first year's with soon-to-be 2nd year's. Mine told me to just chill b/c we'd have plenty of time to study all of the Biochem, Histo, etc during the year. I too was going to go back over my Biochem and Immunology but I don't think I will. Just 😴

:spam: To all of the Monty Python fans: I don't like Spam!!!
 
I've been out of school for the past three plus years, so I'm thinking of cracking some old books and notes to go over some of the marterial that will be covered in the first year...

... you know, to be a gunner... :meanie:

I think just getting my study habits back in order is the big thing for me
 
I was just like you. I wanted the booklists, even ordered the biochem book during the summer to do some prereading, yadda, yadda....

My advice: Get some sleep. Go grab some tacos and a few beers with some good friends or family at On The Border or whatever. Get some more sleep. Go fishing or enjoy a starry night with your significant other or find a significant other for the short term. Listen to some cool jams at high volume while sitting on the trunk of a car hanging out with friends. Get still more sleep.

Don't stress too early. Your time for acute onset hypertension will come soon enough. Especially when you realize that the first ten months of med. school are merely preparing you for pathology taught by clinicians.......

Also, don't buy any of the books until you know for sure you need them. One must have is Lippincott's Biochem Review and Netter's. A good physio book might help. Other than that, spend the money on good review books and start reviewing for your boards from day one......

Don't stress, the world's round, right? You'll get there, just keep walking....
 
DaveinDallas said:
I was just like you. I wanted the booklists, even ordered the biochem book during the summer to do some prereading, yadda, yadda....

My advice: Get some sleep. Go grab some tacos and a few beers with some good friends or family at On The Border or whatever. Get some more sleep. Go fishing or enjoy a starry night with your significant other or find a significant other for the short term. Listen to some cool jams at high volume while sitting on the trunk of a car hanging out with friends. Get still more sleep.

Don't stress too early. Your time for acute onset hypertension will come soon enough. Especially when you realize that the first ten months of med. school are merely preparing you for pathology taught by clinicians.......

Also, don't buy any of the books until you know for sure you need them. One must have is Lippincott's Biochem Review and Netter's. A good physio book might help. Other than that, spend the money on good review books and start reviewing for your boards from day one......

Don't stress, the world's round, right? You'll get there, just keep walking....
Click to expand...
good advice about the relaxing 😀

but, don't buy netters...you get a copy free if you join AMSA (you can join when you get to school if you want). we didn't use netters, we used Grays, and i think they might be changing the book again. so until you get the final word...don't buy any of the anatomy books. and so many of us 1st yrs have the netters CD, which is all you really need anyways. and so im sure you can find one to make a copy of.

but...enjoy your summer.
 
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