Hi everyone. I've been out of school for three years now and I was just wondering how difficult it is to assimilate to medical school after a long time of not studying. Anyone had a similar experience? Should I study anything before school starts?
Gap years before medical school
- Thread starter Lolaaa
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It is difficult because of the sheer amount of material. Studying something before it shouldn't make a difference. In fact, general advice is to not study...especially if your goal is to get a jump on things...that's just not gonna happen (refer back to my first sentence).
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You’ll be fine. Med school is different from undergrad, so even the kids that go straight through from undergrad have an adjustment period at the beginning of med school. I wouldn’t worry about pre-studying. Just enjoy your time before the med school grind begins.
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I think a fresh perspective from being out of school for a couple years can be a plus. Less likely to burn out. Less like to hold on to old study habits that don't serve in medical school. I tell everyone to meet with an academic advisor as soon as they get to school and your case is no exception. They can help you get a handle on what strategies are effective - active learning like Feynman, practice questions or anki - and what may not fly in medical school - passive strategies like re-reading, highlighting and taking copious notes. Also can help with logistical things, for example I had never heard of the Pomodoro method before I talked to the learning specialist at my school! Wish I'd known about it during MCAT prep.
Don't pre-study. It's impossible to know the breadth of the content in medical school. You may study too in-depth or not in-depth enough. Neither will be valuable and you won't know the right amount until you get to school and see the content. Pre-studying also increases risk of burnout.
Don't pre-study. It's impossible to know the breadth of the content in medical school. You may study too in-depth or not in-depth enough. Neither will be valuable and you won't know the right amount until you get to school and see the content. Pre-studying also increases risk of burnout.
