Easy Med Schools?? No Way?!?!

[Wanna B a Doc]

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I have read posts from med students that say their school day is from 7:00am to 5:00pm+, then they have to study 5 hours a day, and all weekend just to get by. I have also read posts from med students that say their school day is from 8:00am to 3:00pm, and they only have to study 2 hours a day, with the weekends off to socialize. I know that this can partially be attributed to how smart the student is, but I'm sure the school plays a big part as well. Is there such a thing as an easier med school? And if so, what schools are they? I am exited about becoming a doctor, and am willing to put in the time and effort, but 40+ hours of studying every week with no social life is beginning to scare me. Any help or opinions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!! :wink:

 

[Ralph Wiggum]

I would be careful trying to find an "easy" med school to go to for your training. Each person needs to study for different amounts of time to learn the material. Eventually, everyone has to take Step 1, and you better know your stuff by then. Maybe an "easier" med school hours-wise would hurt in the long run if the school didn't effectively teach all the material it should have. 🙄

 

[tulanestudent]

First, never believe how many hours a person says they study. Most people are totally inaccurate, even when reporting to themselves how many hours they put in. There are people who say they never study, then you find them hiding in a back corner of the library secretly studying. Then there are people who say they study 12 hours a day and you find them in the library sleeping on top of their books all the time, or at the coffee shop talking to everyone who walks by while they have their books out in front of them, thinking they are studying the whole time. Each person is different and has their own habits, and you will have to find what works with you.

The cirruculums and difficulty is SO similar among US med schools, becuase it has to be if we all want to pass the USMLE exams.
What is different is the attitudes of students about having a real life. Pay attention on interviews to if student look happy and ask them what they do in their free time. Find a place that fits for what you want out of life.

I'll put in a plug for Tulane, while I'm at it. Everyone agrees that while we work hard, we also play hard when we have the time. Most students work out regularly(exept maybe the week of exams), and most students make time to do something fun at least one or two days a week - whether it's a movie, dinner, party, all-night bar-hopping-it IS in New Orleans(where bars are open 24hours and there are something like 300 festivals and fairs in this state every year). In the first two years, students are encouraged to participate in community service clubs, intramural sports, and the arts. Students sponsor art shows, play music in bands, run marathons, ect. Everyone gets stressed out at times, and no one would say our school is easy - far from it. But living a balanced life is the norm most of the time. And in the end, we get into very competetive residencies just like all the other good schools where students never have fun. In fact, we might get some better residencies because we are more than just bookish nerds who do nothing but research in our free time. Check us out. Good luck to you.

 

[PMPMD]

40+ hrs/wk studying scares me too, but I think that its just something I'll have to get used to next year. Even in engineering school, I've still been able to go out 3 nights a week or more on average, but I have a feeling this will go down to 1 night/week (or zero) next year. You can look in the Complete Book of Medical Schools, which is updated annually, for such stats as hours per week spent in lecture/lab. However, after talking to current students at some schools, I think the stats in there are a little off. You could also go to the school's website and find a schedule of classes, I don't know if all schools offer these, but I was able to find them for the schools I interviewed at. As for hours/week spent studying outside of class, you're just going to have to find some current students.

 

[Sonya]

****... no offense, i'm and undergrad and studying 60 hrs is low. 65 to 75 is typical. and, I still have time for ECs and hanging out. And, FYI, i keep a good record of the time I study and stuff adn do ECs and everything (keeping record helps me stay organized and disciplined etc.). Studying below 50 hrs, i'd really feel like i'm slacking.

 

[iowaboy]

I completely agree with you Tulane...

Don't believe people when they tell u how much they study. ESPECIALLY people who say they hardly study..(its my experience those are ones who study the most!)
USMLE exams are universal and uniform, everyone has to take them to be a certified MD in the US.
Therefore, most US medical school curriculums are designed so that their students pass Step 1. Therefore, most curriculums will be very similar.
Also understand that there are med schools which offer what is known as independent learning. For example, i know that Ohio State University has this, where you don't have to go to lecture, you learn on your own every day and then coordinate dates to take exams. This may explain some variations as to what you hear from students in terms of free time on weekends and going from 8-5 on weekdays for classes. Also know that some medical schools such as Case Western have classes and exams on Saturdays as well!!
But all in all, when it comes down to it, you will have to work hard in medical school, no doubt about it.
The thing is..the amount of time you put into it, will depend on what YOU want to get out of it. If you study 10 hours a week and you pass your classes...that might be good enough for you. OR, you can study 20 hours a week and get better than passing. OR study, like you said, 40 hours a week to get the top grade in your class.
Also, each person varies according how they learn. Some people will have to study 20 hours week JUST to squeak by, or 20 hours a week might be enough for another person to get all honors. That all depends on YOU.
So, bottom line, don't be afraid or scared, YES its true, medical school IS challenging no matter how you look at it, but if its something you TRULLY want to do..it will be worth it.

 

[drmoon]

I'm sure that there are schools that demand more and those that demand less. I feel that it's more of a function of how the student budgets his/her time and how they approach studying. If you go to a school in the U.S., count on it being very tough no matter what in the 1st two years (especially if you're not a science nerd). I think that a lot of students who study for obscene hours are not very good at concentrating and mostly spin their wheels.

 

[brentunc]

iowaboy - I'm not trying to be picky, but for those considering Case Western - 1st and 2nd years go to class an average of 4.5 hours per day, 5 days per week with no classes or tests on the weekends. (Saturday classes ended three years ago).

 

[iowaboy]

well then..there you go!! Don't believe everything you hear, right??? <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[Deepa]

Never Ever.....beleive what they say. <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
You dont have to study for 50-60 hours or a specific number of hours just because someone else is studying. 🙄 It all depends on YOU and the course WORK u need to get done.

I mean if u could cram up everythin in like a few hours.There u go.... the weekend's are all yours. 😀 .
Moreover there is nothing such as an easy medical school.Some schools may put you in more stress than other do but the bottomline is "IT ISN'T A BED OF ROSES <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> " All you gotta do is "WORK HARD, KEEP UR SPIRITS HIGH, LIL BIT OF LUCK".

 

[esongur]

I am a medical student in Turkey - in 3th year of my education-. And I can say that it is the sme for us. There are lot of people saying "oooo I cannot study nowadays. I can't finish till the exams" But they are usually someone who get the highest marks. I think there is no problem, if you can enjoy your study, have a good time while you are learning something and you think you can spent some time for only yourself.

 

[dr.evil]

I'm a 4th year med student and let me tell you this: Every single person will study a different amount and some people will feel like they've never studied enough b/c they missed one question on the exam! I personally am a big time crammer and continued to do this through med school with pretty good success. Believe it or not, you do not have to know every single detail.

Most schools will average about 30-40 hours of lecture per week (usually closer to 30). I considered it sinful to study on the weekends unless it was prior to exams. The first two years are difficult at exam time but usually not too bad otherwise.

Don't stress it! I was the same way prior to med school and found out that my life was a lot better than I had planned (until 3rd year). You study more than you did in college but if you were like me, I crammed pretty hard for a couple of days for exams in college. Old habits die hard. What works for you now will likely work for you in med school (unless you study 60 hours a week now, HOLY CRAP!).

There are no weak med schools in the U.S. We all must pass the USMLE.

 

[none]

I've heard from a lot of med students, while interviewing, that the first two years aren't any more difficult or time consuming than undergrad, especially if you were a natural science major.

 

[guardian]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by none:
•I've heard from a lot of med students, while interviewing, that the first two years aren't any more difficult or time consuming than undergrad, especially if you were a natural science major.•••••Haha I wish I could say that. For me an entire semester's worth of say undergraduate cell biology is equivalent to 3 weeks of med school.

 

[jimmybee]

In my opinion, all medical schools are as hard as you make them. If you want to be a gunner, medical school sucks. If you just want to pass, life is good.

--jimmybee

 

[deleted4401]

Here's another reason I think that medical school might give the illusion of being somewhat "easy" ...

You really don't have to go to class! In undergrad, where were going to get notes or handouts from, unless you friends in the class? What if stuff specifically from lecture was tested? In (my) med school, everything is from the notes and handouts, and you don't need someone to read it to you in a lecture hall. You can, and I'm sure it's helpful to go to class, but it's not time efficient for me. So here I am, waking up at 10 in the morning. And, there are fewer extra currics - a lot of med students were athletes and musicians and had jobs (I worked 25 hours a week senior year) and all these other obligations like fraternities and being an RA and whatever. In med school, you can have obligations like volunteering and maybe a little research, but you would probably never do it more than 10 hours a week.

Does that make sense?

Simul

 

[thegriffy]

I'm only in class from 8am to 1pm. I don't study every day and I've taken more naps in the past two years of medical school than I took in all four years of undergrad. There are times when I'm busy and times when I'm not. I think the curriculum of the school can have a great impact on how much you study.

 

[cardigan]

one word: yale!

learning medicine is time-consuming and challenging enough without having to waste time worrying about grades and competition. i think yale does a wonderful job of encouraging a humane medical education with minimal sacrifice.

 

[chef]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by cardigan:
•one word: yale!

learning medicine is time-consuming and challenging enough without having to waste time worrying about grades and competition. i think yale does a wonderful job of encouraging a humane medical education with minimal sacrifice.•••••I agree with you 100% about Yale, although it's too bad Yale happens to be located in New Haven, CT... 😀