Do med students ever have to cram or scramble to meet deadlines

[deleted877060]

Super dumb question, I know, but I wanted to ask anyway. I'm a second year ugrad and I admit I am very guilty of the habit of putting things off, then cram/write paper/do project last minute. I believe the reason for this is my perfectionism... Though up to this point I've been getting good grades it's stressful and I want to get rid of this habit.
Though, when I do start working ahead, it seems like no matter how much I study or work on a project beforehand I always get so anxious close to deadlines and still stress the same amount as if I didn't prepare.
Asking current med students: do you ever have to cram, or rush to get something done before deadline? (or is there so much material you have to be cramming all the time...)
Any advice on study habits are also appreciated!

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[LoveBeingHuman:)]

So you’re asking if procrastination is appropriate in a profession where lives are on the line?

I’m sure you know the answer to that.

 

[HomeSkool]

Oh hells yes they procrastinate and then cram. Bad habits don't die just because you started med school.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

MS1 and 2 were a constant cram for me. Not from procrastinating but just from the sheer volume of information I had to learn at least well enough to pass an exam.

 

[Anti-PD1]

Expert procrastinator here. My low was showing up to the med school for a 9 am exam at 4 am to read a week's worth of lectures for the first time. I think it was GI.

Don't recommend it.

 

[BigBoss]

You cram for everything in med school.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ciestar]

Agree with the rest...constantly.

Speaking of, I have an assignment due today I haven't even touched.

 

[deleted877060]

Oh wow! And I thought med school caliber students are perfect students without bad habits XD
I guess we all are students, huh?

 

[bananafish94]

Yes and no.

You have so much stuff to do in any given day that it certainly feels like you're cramming, even though you're actually doing it at an appropriate pace. There are also short bursts of actual cramming, like the day or two before a final exam or the morning of a quiz. But in that case you're trying to put as many little facts into your mind as possible, it's not the difference between failing and passing.

Then there are random little assignments and short papers for various things that I definitely procrastinate, but that's normal.

 

[deleted877060]

Yes and no.

You have so much stuff to do in any given day that it certainly feels like you're cramming, even though you're actually doing it at an appropriate pace. There are also short bursts of actual cramming, like the day or two before a final exam or the morning of a quiz. But in that case you're trying to put as many little facts into your mind as possible, it's not the difference between failing and passing.

Then there are random little assignments and short papers for various things that I definitely procrastinate, but that's normal.

I'm sure med school is a ton of info and cramming last minute leads to failing... I gotta improve my habit because I never study consistently everyday; my motivation fluctuates dramatically day by day depending on what goes on and what I have to do. Undergrad has not yet been difficult enough for me to be reviewing lectures/material on a regular basis.

 

[nymd22]

Super dumb question, I know, but I wanted to ask anyway. I'm a second year ugrad and I admit I am very guilty of the habit of putting things off, then cram/write paper/do project last minute. I believe the reason for this is my perfectionism... Though up to this point I've been getting good grades it's stressful and I want to get rid of this habit.
Though, when I do start working ahead, it seems like no matter how much I study or work on a project beforehand I always get so anxious close to deadlines and still stress the same amount as if I didn't prepare.
Asking current med students: do you ever have to cram, or rush to get something done before deadline? (or is there so much material you have to be cramming all the time...)
Any advice on study habits are also appreciated!

My boss is a cardiologist and even he does this. (With research. Not with patients)

 

[Cornfed101]

Well since you asked for advice here’s my two cents (and how I went from a 3.2 ugpa to a 4.0 post bacc gpa): pay attention in lecture, then leave the information for 24 hours. Make anki flash cards the next day for all the material covered in lecture. I haven’t needed to cram once since starting my post bacc. I realize med school is a lot more information, but there is a better way to do it than cramming (especially since you don’t retain anything cramming).

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Well since you asked for advice here’s my two cents (and how I went from a 3.2 ugpa to a 4.0 post bacc gpa): pay attention in lecture, then leave the information for 24 hours. Make anki flash cards the next day for all the material covered in lecture. I haven’t needed to cram once since starting my post bacc. I realize med school is a lot more information, but there is a better way to do it than cramming (especially since you don’t retain anything cramming).

Agreed. I went from a 3.0 uGPA before I took a break to a 3.6 when I graduated to a 4.0 postbacc. I actually made the jump to 4.0 when I stopped cramming and started studying every day. Makes a huge difference.

 

[bananafish94]

I'm sure med school is a ton of info and cramming last minute leads to failing... I gotta improve my habit because I never study consistently everyday; my motivation fluctuates dramatically day by day depending on what goes on and what I have to do. Undergrad has not yet been difficult enough for me to be reviewing lectures/material on a regular basis.

It's definitely important to keep up with the work...I've always thought the "pancake" analogy is pretty apt. I suspect that your first few medical school lectures will put the fear of God into you and you'll soon eat, sleep, and breathe studying.

 

[Goro]

Super dumb question, I know, but I wanted to ask anyway. I'm a second year ugrad and I admit I am very guilty of the habit of putting things off, then cram/write paper/do project last minute. I believe the reason for this is my perfectionism... Though up to this point I've been getting good grades it's stressful and I want to get rid of this habit.
Though, when I do start working ahead, it seems like no matter how much I study or work on a project beforehand I always get so anxious close to deadlines and still stress the same amount as if I didn't prepare.
Asking current med students: do you ever have to cram, or rush to get something done before deadline? (or is there so much material you have to be cramming all the time...)
Any advice on study habits are also appreciated!

With the firehouse of knowledge you have to absorb, there's no getting out of cramming. As much as we faculty don't want our students do this, it's inevitable until med school move to a five year curriculum...which will happen the same day dogs start talking.

 

[ciestar]

I'm sure med school is a ton of info and cramming last minute leads to failing... I gotta improve my habit because I never study consistently everyday; my motivation fluctuates dramatically day by day depending on what goes on and what I have to do. Undergrad has not yet been difficult enough for me to be reviewing lectures/material on a regular basis.

Yeahh, the won’t work in med school. Trust me.

 

[deleted877060]

Yeahh, the won’t work in med school. Trust me.

Yeah I need to change my ways. At least I’ve got time.

On a hindsight, I guess the thread should be titled “Do med students ever procrastinate and get away with it” since that’s closer to what I intended to ask.

 

[Froggy25]

With the firehouse of knowledge you have to absorb, there's no getting out of cramming. As much as we faculty don't want our students do this, it's inevitable until med school move to a five year curriculum...which will happen the same day dogs start talking.

Heck, a standard 4 semester pre-clinical curriculum would feel great right now. We do it in three, and the school up the road does it in 2 (although they don't have to take their Step 1 until after their core clerkships). Crazy.

 

[moisne]

I have this Mentored scholarly activity 15 page paper... due tonight at midnight. I had 3.5 years to work on it... I'm about 25% done. I'm on SDN.

Does that say enough? lol

UPDATE:
Deadline was 11:59 pm
I submitted my 15 page paper at 11:53 pm

lol

 

[longhaul3]

Every doctor was once a med student, and every med student was once a college student. So yes, they all procrastinate.

Sometimes it's relative though...med students can procrastinate 3-4 weeks for an exam, but an intern writing notes for a whole list before rounds can put it off for about 20 minutes

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

MS1 and 2 were a constant cram for me. Not from procrastinating but just from the sheer volume of information I had to learn at least well enough to pass an exam.

Pretty much this.

Expert procrastinator here. My low was showing up to the med school for a 9 am exam at 4 am to read a week's worth of lectures for the first time. I think it was GI.

Don't recommend it.

Also this lol, it happens to the best of us.

Do med students ever procrastinate and get away with it”

Not because I intentionally procrastinated but it was during finals week and with the heavy hitters of anatomy and physiology that week too I didn’t have time to look over any of our basic pharm material. Basically started at 12 the night before and got through 18 lectures one time before the exam at 8. I’ll never know how I pulled it off.

 

[el_duderino]

You cram and scramble to meet deadlines, but you do it all the time. You can't procrastinate for a week or two and then just catch up with a few cram sessions.

 

[ciestar]

Pretty much this.



Also this lol, it happens to the best of us.



Not because I intentionally procrastinated but it was during finals week and with the heavy hitters of anatomy and physiology that week too I didn’t have time to look over any of our basic pharm material. Basically started at 12 the night before and got through 18 lectures one time before the exam at 8. I’ll never know how I pulled it off.

Ive done that, too. My exam performance was more of a yikes thing, though. (Exception being it was pathophys and path...). I over focus in one subject and not enough in another.

 

[bahdahboom]

Expert procrastinator here. My low was showing up to the med school for a 9 am exam at 4 am to read a week's worth of lectures for the first time. I think it was GI.

Don't recommend it.

Jeez!! I would be terrified.

 

[ciestar]

Jeez!! I would be terrified.

GI, especially physio, can be difficult!

 

[Anti-PD1]

Jeez!! I would be terrified.

The fear feeds me. I don't recommend it. Also, there was this girl... I wasn't on the ball per se.

That's why you pre-MS1s should go chill before med school starts. Store up some happy memories. The first two years are a long haul. You want all your cylinders firing when you start.

 

[el_duderino]

Also, there was this girl... I wasn't on the ball per se.

Was she?

Sorry. I'll see myself out .

 

[Anti-PD1]

Was she?

Sorry. I'll see myself out .

She's becoming a urologist. I'm not kidding .

 

[SouthernGent]

May or may not have done all my reading for a research project meeting 2hrs before the morning of... Things don't change, but the potential blowback is pretty scary (i.e. don't try and learn it all 2 days before)

 

[neoexile]

Efficiency is the cornerstone of success so you DONT want to cram. You want to learn the material as fast as possible.

 

[bahdahboom]

Pretty much as everyone has said, you will be forced to cram as exam days get closer. But med school cramming isn’t the same as undergrad cramming. Undergrad I crammed because I hadn’t looked at material until right before test time. In medical school, even if I’ve kept up with material and reviewed it tons up time before tests, there’s always more details to learn that you could be asked! EVERYONE crams before test time...because there’s a disgustingly large amount of stuff you need to know

 

[de Ribas]

it's inevitable until med school move to a five year curriculum...

If they do, then they will think that med students have too much time and will add more courses.

 

[aldol16]

M1 and M2 years are super cram-mable. But you're not going to be happy cramming. It's much better to just take the time each day to review. You'll end up happier.

 

[Mister Significant]

M1 and M2 years are super cram-mable. But you're not going to be happy cramming. It's much better to just take the time each day to review. You'll end up happier.

I'm not in medical school, but I agree. Right now I'm running off of a couple hours of sleep for the past three nights, sipping on monsters cramming for my 9 am tommorrow. I'm definitely in hell right now.

 

[raiderette]

My curriculum was 1.5 years. My best advice is to set a schedule and stick to it. Cramming doesn't help if you don't have a good foundation

 

[Neutropix]

The fear feeds me. I don't recommend it. Also, there was this girl... I wasn't on the ball per se.

That's why you pre-MS1s should go chill before med school starts. Store up some happy memories. The first two years are a long haul. You want all your cylinders firing when you start.

I need more information about this this girl and your experiences.. For research purposes of course.

 

[Anti-PD1]

I need more information about this this girl and your experiences.. For research purposes of course.

I don't kiss and tell

 

[Neutropix]

I don't kiss and tell

Baller.

When women found out you were accepted did you notice a difference in attention received? Asking for a friend. Not to derail but stories will be appreciated.

 

[Anti-PD1]

Baller.

When women found out you were accepted did you notice a difference in attention received? Asking for a friend. Not to derail but stories will be appreciated.

Accepted to med school? Nope.

Matched to residency? Nope.

Women are smart. They know financial ruin when they see it.

I suspect when I rack up those ACDFs and laminectomies, my pursuits will be more fruitful.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Speaking of, I have an assignment due today I haven't even touched.

Guess that I had just assumed med school was mostly like UG science classes where you had like 5-8 grades over the semester consisting of 3 exams and a few quizzes. Is it common to have "homework"-like assignments in med school?

 

[Neutropix]

Accepted to med school? Nope.

Matched to residency? Nope.

Women are smart. They know financial ruin when they see it.

I suspect when I rack up those ACDFs and laminectomies, my pursuits will be more fruitful.

"Financial ruin." Lmao. Well I wish you many peaches and watermelons in the future

 

[ciestar]

Guess that I had just assumed med school was mostly like UG science classes where you had like 5-8 grades over the semester consisting of 3 exams and a few quizzes. Is it common to have "homework"-like assignments in med school?

I think it depends on your school. I’ve had a lot of “homework” like assignments and writing assignments.