Expected knowledge when starting med school

[dweji16]

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Had a quick question as to what med schools generally expect you to know when you start classes. I have not taken a science class in many many years (nor am I a science major) and worry that I will walk into my first day and be expected to already know certain things which I wont.

For example, should we at least be remembering the bio stuff for the MCAT? I feel that all that flew out of my head the minute I finished that exam... I think the only knowledge I have retained is FLATPIG and CUT Pye...

 

[FSU2013]

They teach you everything you need to know. Don't sweat it.

 

[Iso4ane]

They teach you everything you need to know. Don't sweat it.

As long as you can read and learn quickly, you'll be fine.

 

[Guero]

They teach you everything you need to know. Don't sweat it.

As long as you can read and learn quickly, you'll be fine.

This. Enjoy what little time you (we) have left.

 

[Dwindlin]

Was a music major with the bare minimum to check-off pre-recs. You'll get everything you need in med school.

 

[earf]

Can't speak from firsthand experience, but I assume they would want you to know one thing: when you don't know something, you find a way to figure it out.

 

[yehhhboiii]

Professors tend to breeze over some of the more basic topics. So you'll have to do some amount of self study to refresh information that you probably forgot by now. They know that there are non-trads in the class and most of them are more than happy to help students out. Don't worry too much about it. It wouldn't hurt to look over some basic biology and chemistry but it would probably be a waste of time.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Know how to look things up on wikipedia

 

[Ismet]

Know how to look things up on wikipedia

This x10000

 

[Dwindlin]

Know how to look things up on wikipedia

That's doctor wikipedia. Show some damn respect.

 

[MilkIsGood]

I'll be in clinic and the attendings are looking stuff up on wikipedia as well

 

[d12]

i'll be in clinic and the attendings are looking stuff up on wikipedia as well

+1

 

[Alejandro]

The only thing you need prior to starting med school is having a life. Enjoy your time before you start. Everything they teach you, and if you come in with knowledge already, they're going to change how you understand things anyway, so don't bother studying ahead. Plus, if your school is pass/fail, you're a complete idiot to be thinking about "what should i study in my summer before med school."

Enjoy your life while you can. You cannot put a price on youth.

 

[dweji16]

Awesome. Thank you everyone for the replies. Makes me feel a tad better. I do still remember the chemical formula for water and the difference between a prokaryote and a eukaryote. So not bad as far as basic knowledge retention is concerned.

 

[Jumoke]

How do i know if my school is pass/fail, is there a list of schools that are pass/fail?

 

[Guero]

Know how to look things up on wikipedia

This x10000

I'll be in clinic and the attendings are looking stuff up on wikipedia as well

The very same Sage wisdom that came from my MSTP mentor.

How do i know if my school is pass/fail, is there a list of schools that are pass/fail?

The MSAR will list each school's curriculum as well as the school websites themselves. It just takes a little bit of research. However, beware of the differences between P/F curricula: Most are not truly P/F. Yale is one of the only schools that is genuinely P/F. Most other schools still publish class rank or have another name for their ABCF system: Honors, High Pass, Pass, Fail.

The most common compromise is like GWU's system: Honors, Pass, Fail, and is supposedly not ranked.

Here's an old thread you may find useful.

 

[FSU2013]

I got my bachelors in physics and only met the minimum bio prereqs for admission. It made the first month of each semester first year a lot tougher, but it was totally doable.

The first unit in microanatomy, biochem and, to a lesser extent, physiology was easier for my classmates - when someone said "it's so nice to have a month of review so we can take it easy" I wanted to slap them - but it all evens out very quickly and you'll be on a level playing field.

And I would have failed anatomy without Wikipedia. Seriously, I know there was a lot less medicine to know 40 years ago, but I can't imagine not having the Internet and trying to learn this. The times, they are a changin'

 

[Guero]

I got my bachelors in physics and only met the minimum bio prereqs for admission. It made the first month of each semester first year a lot tougher, but it was totally doable.

The first unit in microanatomy, biochem and, to a lesser extent, physiology was easier for my classmates - when someone said "it's so nice to have a month of review so we can take it easy" I wanted to slap them - but it all evens out very quickly and you'll be on a level playing field.

And I would have failed anatomy without Wikipedia. Seriously, I know there was a lot less medicine to know 40 years ago, but I can't imagine not having the Internet and trying to learn this. The times, they are a changin'

This, good god, this! I can't imagine spending all that time in the library tracking down physical sources and waiting for interlibrary loan to get you the majority of what you need from some far off school in NYC, DC, or LA, let alone typing it all on a typewriter, even if it was a "Selectric" (if you were lucky). :shudder:

 

[Hotshy]

If you took the MCAT, and received a score that's good enough to earn you an acceptance. You have all the tools/knowledge you need to make it in Med school.

 

[survivordo]

No knowledge necessary just the ability to learn.

Survivor DO