Do you get any sort of review?

[mccarty7]

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So I will be starting M1 this fall, and I am starting to worry. I have never had an anatomy class... ever. I'm worried that med school will start off at an advanced level, and I won't really know where I am. Is there any sort of review material during the first few days of class, or is it all new material from day 1? Will I struggle since I have not previously studied anatomy/histology? Also, in biochem and such... do they assume that you have already been exposed to the material or do they start out fairly basic? I think I'm just getting cold feet. 😕

 

[adaptation1]

There's always some review, but how much is review depends on your background. And you know how important your background is? I'd say your knowledge base might give you an adge for a few classes initially--like biochem if were a bio major, or anatomy if you taken it before-- but as the classes progress, it's not nearly as important as your willingness to just do the work. I've known classmates who've taken anatomy in undergrad and still find the material overwhelming in volume and difficulty. Which is how everyone feels. If you bring your current anxiety to school, you'll be fine.

So I will be starting M1 this fall, and I am starting to worry. I have never had an anatomy class... ever. I'm worried that med school will start off at an advanced level, and I won't really know where I am. Is there any sort of review material during the first few days of class, or is it all new material from day 1? Will I struggle since I have not previously studied anatomy/histology? Also, in biochem and such... do they assume that you have already been exposed to the material or do they start out fairly basic? I think I'm just getting cold feet. 😕

 

[dude1344]

They teach anatomy like you've never seen it before. I'm pretty sure 90% of a med school class has never taken an anatomy course before. I know when I started I knew nothing.

Some biochem background helps but they should be teaching from the beginning for that as well.

 

[Mr hawkings]

I agree with all the above postings. You could also see if your school has some sort of pre-matric program. If its anything like the one at my school, it wont help that much but it would give your some sense of familiarity the structure of your curriculum when school starts.

 

[Ilovewater]

I never took histo or anatomy in undergrad and did very well in anatomy. I haven't taken histo yet. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about the materials being harder than undergrad. The main reason why med school is harder is because of the large volume of material. Most people don't have any problem learning the concepts.... Most just can't memorize every single minute detail in a 400-page syllabus. Professors will teach you everything you need to know! I had the same feeling of doom before I started med school, but after being in it, not so bad. =]

 

[silas2642]

So I will be starting M1 this fall, and I am starting to worry. I have never had an anatomy class... ever. I'm worried that med school will start off at an advanced level, and I won't really know where I am. Is there any sort of review material during the first few days of class, or is it all new material from day 1? Will I struggle since I have not previously studied anatomy/histology? Also, in biochem and such... do they assume that you have already been exposed to the material or do they start out fairly basic? I think I'm just getting cold feet. 😕

Don't sweat it. I had an anatomy class in undergrad, and it didn't help a bit; there is just so much information and so many details that there is no way any undergraduate course could touch it.

Anatomy in med school is a beast and the trick to slaying it is to learn how to study efficiently. Remember, they wouldn't have let you into med school if you couldn't succeed. The other thing to remember is that with the possible exception of the kid with a PhD in biochemistry, you're all in the same boat. Congratulations on your acceptance.

 

[mccarty7]

Thank you all so very much for your replies. I feel a lot better about this now. Good luck to all of you!

 

[bomgd3]

I know almost no biochem before I went to med school, and I did very well with it. OTOH I was pretty unprepared for anatomy. So it's sort of a crapshoot. Everyone enters med school with different strengths and weaknesses, no one is really uber-prepared except for maybe kids who did post-bacc programs.

 

[ZagDoc]

I thought the non-science majors in my class struggled a bit more with the basic sciences stuff during first year than those that that were bio/chem/biochem/pchem majors. Very few had anatomy prior to matriculation. That being said, nothing you see is the first two years of medical school is really "above anyone's head".

 

[ruiner]

Enjoy your last few months off, everyone starts from square 1. You will do fine, if they chose you they think you can do it.

 

[Belleza156]

I started med school without any Anatomy, Histology, and it had been over 5 years since Biochem.....and I struggled with Anatomy like no other. Histology was relatively simple, just read the book and learn it. Biochem they taught it to me how I had never been taught, and I was a Biochem major. I felt like all those years of Biochem were crunched into maybe one week, and then the rest was new material. My advice for you, get an Anatomy book, something light, and read it in the summer before med school. Like really spend 2 weeks at least reading it, so you won't be at a disadvantage in med school. 90% of my class had taken Anatomy & Physiology and had used the Moore book in undergrad as well. It was a sh&%#load of memorization, I wish I would have taken Anatomy before medical school.

 

[ArcGurren]

I tried the whole "flip through an Anatomy book" before coming to medical school and it didn't mean jack when the course started - yes I struggled at first, but it's not because the information is inherently hard, it's just a large volume of it. Look at the Moore book and yes it's a ton of info - but you also don't have to know ALL of it - just the stuff you're taught in class or told to learn.

Relax, enjoy your summer, and have fun. I've never heard of a med school where they don't start out assuming you don't know anything.