First year

[lady1]

Dear friends,

I just started my first year of medical school..I feel overwhelmed.

Few thoughts;
- I feel like everyone seems to do better than me...
- I doubt myself because I was never good in the hard sciences.

Did anyone have similair feelings in first year?
What did you tell yourself to keep going?
Can you tell me how you scheduled your time on a daily basis?

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[fldoctorgirl]

Current first year who feels exactly the same. I don't have advice, but you're not alone.

 

[lady1]

Current first year who feels exactly the same. I don't have advice, but you're not alone.

Thank you..sending my support

 

[Osteosaur]

First-year myself. I think everyone, at least privately, feels they are giving it their all and barely scraping by. I sure do.

I notice there are a few loumouthed people who love to shout out the answers to clicker questions, or gripe about how their undergrad professor taught x/y/z aspect of physiology better, etc. and how they can explain it to you right... its hard not to let it get you down. Just remember some people have seen some of this material before. The biochemistry major may just have the leg-up on the Krebb's cycle, by virtue of having seen it thrice. I'm sure a lot of it is posturing too.

 

[Chibucks15]

Its definitely imposter syndrome. Hard not to feel like that as a non-trad, hell I do still into second year sometimes. Just remember that the outspoken ones (sometimes) don't have the highest grades that they portray. Also, the school would not have admitted you if they didn't think you could do it. They tend to have a pretty good eye for these things...go see the schools tutor center or whatever to go over testing strategies and ways to build confidence. Plus, unless you're trying to do surgery or crazy competitive things, in the grand scheme of things its a simple mantra of "Just Pass Baby!". Take a deep breath and you'll be alright

 

[lady1]

First-year myself. I think everyone, at least privately, feels they are giving it their all and barely scraping by. I sure do.

I notice there are a few loumouthed people who love to shout out the answers to clicker questions, or gripe about how their undergrad professor taught x/y/z aspect of physiology better, etc. and how they can explain it to you right... its hard not to let it get you down. Just remember some people have seen some of this material before. The biochemistry major may just have the leg-up on the Krebb's cycle, by virtue of having seen it thrice. I'm sure a lot of it is posturing too.

Thanks.. it does feels intimidating at times

 

[lady1]

Its definitely imposter syndrome. Hard not to feel like that as a non-trad, hell I do still into second year sometimes. Just remember that the outspoken ones (sometimes) don't have the highest grades that they portray. Also, the school would not have admitted you if they didn't think you could do it. They tend to have a pretty good eye for these things...go see the schools tutor center or whatever to go over testing strategies and ways to build confidence. Plus, unless you're trying to do surgery or crazy competitive things, in the grand scheme of things its a simple mantra of "Just Pass Baby!". Take a deep breath and you'll be alright

Thanks.. yep..I'm a non-trad with a law degree..
no I probably would like to do Gastroenterology, Dermatology...

 

[21Rush12]

The best advice I can give anyone is don’t pay any attention to what other people are doing. It will only make you unhappy, whether it’s now or in dedicated or on rotations.

Keep on keeping on, as others have alluded to you earned your place here and you have the ability to succeed in Med school. Struggling now in no way means you won’t do an excellent job on boards and in clinic. Use this year to learn how you study and learn most effectively and keep adjusting as you move forward.

 

[lady1]

The best advice I can give anyone is don’t pay any attention to what other people are doing. It will only make you unhappy, whether it’s now or in dedicated or on rotations.

Keep on keeping on, as others have alluded to you earned your place here and you have the ability to succeed in Med school. Struggling now in no way means you won’t do an excellent job on boards and in clinic. Use this year to learn how you study and learn most effectively and keep adjusting as you move forward.

Thank you
May I ask you how you study the most effectively?

 

[ArteryStudyPainting]

Dear friends,

I just started my first year of medical school..I feel overwhelmed.

Few thoughts;
- I feel like everyone seems to do better than me...
- I doubt myself because I was never good in the hard sciences.

Did anyone have similair feelings in first year?
What did you tell yourself to keep going?
Can you tell me how you scheduled your time on a daily basis?

Hello there,

Currently a first year too, and tbh, I'm doing so well! Everything is so easy.

...see how easy that was to tell you? How did you feel? I'm sure you didn't feel great at all.

The truth is I was lying; I've felt and feel the same way most of the time. And a lot of people around you feel the same way. You're not alone.

It's really easy to put on a façade, and it's really easy to lie, to say everything is great, and easy, and simple, and there's no challenge. I know these people, the ones who, for them, it's cake because it just so happens they researched everything in undergrad. While you can't change those people, you can change your mindset on things. Things can be great in the long run. Right now, you're thinking it seems like a lot.

And it is.

What's most important is to stop comparing yourself to the others around you. You decide what kind of doctor you want to be. It doesn't matter at this point what you researched, etc. Everyone has experiences in their "past lives" that you have, and continue to reflect on. You don't have to get a 600+ on step. That will come with work. Right now, just concentrate on yourself, stay mentally healthy, and remember to take a break from school once in a while. Do what you think will help you learn best. Nevermind what the others are doing. I had people in my class memorize the entire TCA and urea cycle because, "it was easier to remember the other things if I did the whole thing now". Fine!

Must you do better than anyone else to become the doctor you want to be?

The hard sciences are tough, but consider: how much of it will be used in practice? Study for the tests and then step. Then, the hard sciences fall away slightly to what matters. Mrs. Jones or someone sitting in front of you expecting a caring and compassionate friend who will try their best to heal them, to comfort them.

I have alternating lecture days, and I don't go. I spend my time preparing for the next day. Then when the recorded lectures come out, I Anki them. Then, on the next day, I review those cards all day (because that day has all its tasks done from the prior day)!

Please take care,

C

 

[lady1]

Hello there,

Currently a first year too, and tbh, I'm doing so well! Everything is so easy.

...see how easy that was to tell you? How did you feel? I'm sure you didn't feel great at all.

Please take care,

C

Guess you're right..Thanks take care..
I

 

[ArteryStudyPainting]

Guess you're right..Thanks take care..
I

I hope my whole message got to you and you understood that beginning was sarcasm lol

 

[lady1]

I hope my whole message got to you and you understood that beginning was sarcasm lol

Of course I understand.. Don't worry about it.. thanks

 

[Money Moniker]

Dear friends,



Few thoughts;
- I feel like everyone seems to do better than me...
- I doubt myself because I was never good in the hard sciences.

Whether or not you were good in the hard sciences is irrelevant. The hard sciences are 1 part memorization to 20 parts problem solving whereas medical school is the inverse of that.

 

[IMG69]

The key to surviving is making a good group of friends and actually getting out of the house. Taking your mind of medicine for at least an hour a day is very helpful for your mental state. Go bowling or have a few drinks just do something every weekend.

Your not alone, we're all scared and nervous for the future and about the pure amount of info we have to digest.

Take a step back take a deep breathe, you'll realise the workload is manageable and you'll have time for relaxation most days.

 

[NickNaylor]

I remember having those feelings in medical school. Our first course was anatomy, and I failed our first exam. Felt real bad after never really having any trouble academically in the past. It turned out my studying techniques were garbage, so I had to rethink how I worked and studied. I didn't have any trouble after that.

Medical school is challenging and a gauntlet. Very few people are true superstars, and for some reason - at least at my medical school - there was this bizarre culture of coming across as cool, collected, and doing a minimal amount of work despite the fact that I'm sure most people were quite stressed and working very hard. I think the feelings that you're having are completely normal and par for the course. Work hard, do things that keep you happy and enjoy, try and find a group of social support (friends), and you'll be fine.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Dear friends,

I just started my first year of medical school..I feel overwhelmed.

Few thoughts;
- I feel like everyone seems to do better than me...
- I doubt myself because I was never good in the hard sciences.

Did anyone have similair feelings in first year?
What did you tell yourself to keep going?
Can you tell me how you scheduled your time on a daily basis?

I think most people feel a similar way. I have done fine on every test so far and I still sit around in the anatomy lab every day wondering how everyone else in my class is so much smarter than I am, even knowing the average person is doing worse than I am. All you can do is put your head down, put in the work, and accomplish the goals you set for yourself while ignoring how everyone else is doing. People will always be the loudest at their best and the quietest at their worst, so much like social media, all you'll ever hear about is people rocking the last test while only studying an hour a day. Block out that noise and you'll find it's much easier to just focus on your own grind.

 

[Nucleophile1]

Find out what works for you and don't worry about what other people are doing. Everyone studies differently and you should focus on the methods that gets you the grades that you want.

You will notice that there are some people who study less then you and do better than you and there will be people who study more than you and do worse than you. If you focus on how long other people study and what they do, you'll wind up being frustrated.

 

[Goro]

Dear friends,

I just started my first year of medical school..I feel overwhelmed.

Few thoughts;
- I feel like everyone seems to do better than me...
- I doubt myself because I was never good in the hard sciences.

Did anyone have similair feelings in first year?
What did you tell yourself to keep going?
Can you tell me how you scheduled your time on a daily basis?

You're right on schedule.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Read this:
Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)