Feels Like I'm Not Doing Enough?

[boolin_1]

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I am an OMS1 on the eastern side of the US. Spring semester is halfway done and my grades are eh. Could be better but also could be worse. I'm staying afloat. Club elections and all that jazz have been going on, and I have decided to skip out on because I'm not exactly too passionate about it. I have noticed that when it comes to material, I get by using just lecture ppt's but everyone else uses other aids in conjunction. They seem to retain material much better than I do, and it reflects in their grades. My question is, am I doing enough?

It seems like everyone else is constantly busy and has something on their schedule. Whether it be officer meetings, faculty visits, local physician shadowing, or whatever. It's not like I'm just sitting down with a thumb up my ass and studying, because to be honest I don't study as much as I should. I just tend to take part of local town events, and play lots of sports, try new restaurants and bars, and travel to adjacent cities. Am I taking this too leisurely? Am I doing this wrong? It feels like everyone else is running at 1000 mph and I'm just on a jog.

 

[Goro]

At the minimum, you should always be self-assessing using whatever test banks you can get your hands on. Even googling, say, "cardiac physiology test questions" can net you something.

And read this:
Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2017 edition)

Also, you're IN med school now. You made it! Stop comparing yourself to others.

 

[Reveler]

Whether or not you’re doing enough is dependent on your idea of what “enough” really is. You’re passing, so that’s obviously a good thing. But to some folks, passing isn’t good enough. That doesn’t mean going balls to the wall is for everyone.

Do you want to do ophtho or ortho? If so, then you might think about stepping up your game. If you’re not sure, or maintaining a work-life balance is important enough to keep you sane and staying the current course, then by all means, continue what you’re doing.

I busted my ass 1st year because I was scared sh*tless. But I mellowed back out in 2nd year and started hiking and biking more and just generally chilling and I found that my grades stayed about the same. Find your groove and stick with it but don’t be afraid to alter your work habits occasionally to see if you can gain better efficiency or retention. Good luck.