hey Dookter,
Since u are currently at Duke, why don't you tell us more about ur experience so far...basic stuffs... like how ur classmates r like. Is it super competitive or r ppl usually nice to each other and helpful...also about the housing??? since Duke doesn't have first year dorms...do all the students have cars? is it easy to get around without one. and also how do you guys usually divide your studytime during the first year given the tight schedule .
I know some of these are basic questions that were covered during interviews, but i think i was so focused on the interview, i didn;t really take much time to think about these things. so would you mind giving us the inside scoop? pretty much things that you wish someone told you before you started. I am sure all of us wud benefit from it. Thanks in advance
Well, my classmates are all mostly really cool. I think everyone comes into medical school a little worried about how their classmates will be since we have to spend 4 years with these people. I might have been a little more concerned than most b/c I came into med school engaged [which is logistically a little harder to work with when trying to make a lot of new friends] and I also am not from an Ivy or Ivy-esque undergrad school. My fears were completely unfounded, but at first I felt like if tons of the students went to super prestigious [and super expensive] undergrads that I might for some reason feel out of place. I was really glad that the class seemed to come together so fast and that everyone gets along so well. We had a ton of social events at the beginning of the year [and also a 3 day campout in the mountains of WV as a class] to get to know each other, so I think that helped. As for class competitiveness, I haven't really seen any. People always send out helpful stuff, we have a class run notes group, and everyone seems to work well together. I will say, however, that others might have a slightly different impression. I was just told yesterday that two of my classmates are super competitive. I had absolutely no idea, which goes to show that any competitiveness seems to be either limited to a few people in the class or is just something that hasn't affected me.
As for housing, we do not have med student dorms. Renting an apartment is easy and cheap [I'll qualify that by saying it's cheap to most people....it is actually more expensive than where I went to undergrad]. And having a car is essential.
As for dividing study time in the first year: I am not really sure what you mean with this question. It's sort of like undergrad really. You just go to class [if you want that is], go to lab [if you want...block 3-4 labs are mandatory though], study when you have time, etc. It really isn't much different than what you're already used to doing. I'd say the main difference is that amount of attention you give things in medical school compared to undergrad. In college, we might have a few lectures that corresponded to a chapter in the book for a class like physiology. I would attend the lectures, take notes, come home and organize my notes, read the book and mark the parts that were relevant to my understanding of the notes, etc etc etc. It was a long process that involved a lot of work and attention to detail. In medical school, I pay a LOT less attention to detail. I never even take my own notes. I am in the "notes group," so I have to take notes like once every 2 months or something crazy like that where I watch the video of the lecture and write down anything important on the slides and distribute it to the class. I also will ignore a reading assignment without a thought if it is either too long or not relevant. It's something that you figure out quickly. Some classes have really great books and really worthwhile reading assignments. Others, not so much. I hope this helps answer your question at least a little. Studying in medical school is not that much different than undergrad. I do not spend tons more time on things than I did in undergrad....like I said, as the volume of work increases, my attention to detail decreases. This approach has worked great all year b/c most of the time I spend my time focusing on what is actually important instead of working my butt off to not miss a single detail buried somewhere in a huge book so that I can get into a good med school....ha ha ha.
As for general advice, I'd say just come prepared to work hard. But also come prepared to have fun. I cannot emphasize that second point enough. Find a hobby that you can continue in med school. Find something to keep you happy and healthy. Wherever you go to school next year, remember that you're living your life right now, not sometime in the future. Maintain your hobbies. And if you come to Duke, RELAX in block 1!!!!! Make sure to pay attention and learn your stuff, but RELAX. It is easy, the tests are easy, etc etc etc. I worked 3 times too hard in block 1 and STILL chilled out a ton. Now I wish I would have chilled out 3 times more. Ha ha ha.
Duke's a cool place, and I'm glad that you guy/girls seem to like it to much. I'm REALLY happy I came here, and I know you'll find your niche here no matter what you want to do/be when this whole process is over.
