Got accepted and what to know what to study?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

ashasnarf

Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2000
Messages
55
Reaction score
0
Thank the Lord that I got in but I wanted to know what you all think one should study before med school? I have 8 months before most schools start and I am out of college, so other than taking a vacation which I already plan to do, what should I study. Would anyone reccomend studying for Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology etc. Which one? If so which books for which courses. Is is possible to study say all of Lippincott's Biochemistry and would this be enough to honor the course in medical school? Sorry if I sound really gung ho about medical school, but I screwed up so bad in undergraduate that I am trying to take some precautions before medical school. I want to do things well right from the start, because I am interested in doing something competitive such an Otolaryngology or Neurosurgery! Thank to anyone who responds.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Not to sound blunt, but for the love of God, don't study!!!! We'll have enough neuro, anatomy, physiology, you name it. Take a deep breath, relax, and try to enjoy the time before we're all preacing "BOHICA". That's what I plan to do. And if you're worried about your previous courses not being enough to prepare for med school, an admissions committee thought you were adequately prepared, so you should too. Enjoy your time off.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Relax...


From all the med students that have mentioned anything, they all say take a break between the time you got accepted to when you enter med school. Most say go on some trip where you've never been if you have the money. Relax and enjoy the time that you aren't in school, cuz before you know it you'll have your hair all pulled out.
 
See how many shots you can take without passing out...
 
Congrats on your acceptance. I am also going to be attending med school next year, and am very excited.

That being said....You'd have to bribe me to study before med school starts. For the love of God, for the next 4 years you're going to be studying your butt off. You're going to be wishing you had a break/vacation.....and you won't have one. Enjoy your time off while it lasts.
 
Thnaks to all of you who have replied. I agree 100%percent that taking time off before school starts is a priority. But I am not the kind of person who likes to just sit around, and certainly not for 8 MONTHS!! Certainly those of you who are out of school and who have not been in school for 2or3 years have some apprehension about going back? From the few people I have spoken to about this issue, they tell me to study biochem or something that doesn't require anything more than a text book. Also Ihave heard that what makes medical school difficult is not the material itself but the volume of material! With 8 months before school starts I certainly think I can learn all of biochem or something like that before school starts, and still be plenty refreshed and relaxed. Do you guys agree with this or what? Congrats toeveryone else who has gotten in, and good luck to those still waiting!!
 
If you really need to do something with your brain, take some fun humanities courses at a college near you. But for the love of god, don't take hard science courses!!! You will be burned out by the time august rolls around. I, myself, am going to get some part-time job at starbucks or something and chill with my girlfriend. hope that helps.
 
If you really are bored and antsy about getting prepared early, maybe take one core class like Anatomy and some fun side stuff like humanities because you'll probably never get to do that after med school.
 
Congrats Asha-

Where'd you get in??? I know you were waiting to hear from Temple and Hahnemann. Are we going to be classmates?
 
Okay, I'm going to be the lone voice with my opinion. Let me preface by saying that I was not a Biology major (was in engineering) and I too am not in school between now and August. I have decided to "leisurely" :D read through Moore's Anatomy and Netter's Atlas (okay, I'm also getting Guyton's physiology for Christmas :eek: ) My opinion is that the more you know ahead of time, the less stressful the transition will be to an already demanding curriculum. I'm not trying to memorize every detail, rather just wanting to familiarize myself with material that most Biology majors already know. Congratulations on getting in.
 
from your posts you seem a little intense...

why don't you do something that interests you in the 8months...you do have other interests in your life besides med school, right? If not, you might want to engage in a hobby, it might keep you sane through professional school. It wouldn't do any harm to leisurly look through some books, but why not also live life? You really should appreciate your time you have now and do something fun/interesting because I'm sure you won't have this much free time again for a LONG time.

It sounds like you need to chill out a bit :)
 
Well said Sacrament.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Ahh thank you - I hope to do the same and familarize myself with the matieral beforehand also.
 
there's nothing wrong with 'flipping through a biochem textbook' - even though i have never done it for kicks myself. BUT, do you really think that the most advantageous thing you can do to improve your medical school experience is STUDY? OHMYGOSH! do some awesome community service, teach classes somewhere, take other random classes you'll never be able to take again, get a neat job in a cool place and read lots of fun textbooks in your spare time!!!!

i am not one to judge, but in my opinion, it is not a good idea to try to be successful in medical school by knowing every detail cold and starting early. i would work on making yourself a complete person. they give you enough time to learn the material during the school term. it has worked for every other physician. do something that will actually improve your life.
 
From my own experiences in biochemistry-- anything you learn over the summer will immediately be forgotten.

Leisurely-looking over a biochem book will do nothing for you b/c biochem is rote memorization, and we all know how that works - in one ear, stays there long enough for the test, out the other.

Anatomy is prob. mostly the same but b/c of all the latin names, maybe it would be useful - also cutting up a corpse beforehand might take some of the stress off of the first time you have to do it in med. school.
 
I've actually read that it is better not to try to learn the core MS1 classes beforehand. Some schools recommend holding off on taking Gross in college. They say that it is not advisable to learn this subject matter in a different setting. I have a friend who failed Gross in her first year because she had felt confident about it and hadn't put the time in (she took it in college). My best recommendation for you is to keep reading--stimulate your mind. Don't read textbooks though. Try "The White Coat--Becoming a Doctor at Harvard Medical School" by Ellen Lerner Rothman. I've read it twice--it will prepare you for med school, and it talks about patient experiences. Congrats and good luck!
 
Originally posted by sacrament:


Certainly not the MOST advantageous thing to do, but one of them, yes. People are different. I know myself. And I trust that others who plan on studying a little before med school know themselves too, and know that they are people who benefit from self-learning. Why is "study" such a bad word on this forum? Study is good, study is fun, I'd like to be a student for the rest of my life. Just because the idea of learning some biochem over the summer makes your skin crawl, you shouldn't project onto others. ;) •••

Hey well said Sacrament. There's nothing wrong with studying. Anyone that thinks studying is such a bad thing should not go into medicine. I also got accepted to some great schools and would have 1oved to study some anatomy or biochem type stuff before med school; but unfortunately I'll be busy teaching and finishing up my masters in math. All I've taken is one course in freshman bio, and I'd like to supplement that with some studying if possible. I vote for studying; whose with me?

:)
 
There's nothing wrong w/learning. I want to learn for the rest of my life...I know once I go to professional school though, most of the learning I'll be doing will be textbook learning...so why not enjoy yourself beforehand? There are other things you can learn and learn about yourself, not through a textbook...why don't you live life a little? I know I don't want to have any regrets in life...I don't want to look back and think...hmm, what did I do before the madness of med/dental school started? OH YEAH! I studied then too :) I am not against studying (obviously), but there is also MORE to life than JUST books.

I don't know, I don't think I could be friends w/some of you people on this thread...hopefully whereever I go to school, it will more a laid-back atmosphere...I would never want to go to a competitive school, where all the students are trying to be ahead BEFORE school starts! I think its ok to look over some stuff just out of curiosity, but try and memorize stuff before school starts? Pleeeeze....get a life :p
 
Hey, I resemble that remark about memorizing just for the hell of it. I guess I was taught by too many memorization-happy nuns in grade school. We memorized everything and anything, I recall. Even the signs of the zodiac--don't know why that was assigned back in the third grade.

The moral is, the more you exercise that part of your brain, the easier it is to memorize in the future. And it takes so little brainpower to memorize stuff. You might as well do it. So I am learning all the medical mnemonics right now. It works out for me because I always have some kind of a mantra while I'm running. My latest is the famous "Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Virgin Girls' Vaginas And Hymens." How crazy is that! But it's an easy way to remember the 12 cranial nerves!

Maybe that's why I get so many funny looks when I'm out running...
 
Originally posted by simseema17:
•I don't know, I don't think I could be friends w/some of you people on this thread... •••


C'mon! give the kid a break. You're already contemplating not being friends with him/her just cause he/she would like to review some material before school. You sound like you're in freaking grade school for crying out loud. All the intensity seems to be emanating from your side of the fence. Relax; it's not that serious.
 
Oh please Original...

I am not judging this person only on this one post...but on all the posts they have started...

People like this make me not want to have friends that are pre-health...they just sound so neurotic, paranoid, and uptight. If they choose to be like this and it works for them, then fine...

All I'm saying is that, I probably wouldn't be friends with them...at least I'm being honest :)

Oh, this is the same person that started a thread like "deferring med school for a year to go to a top 20 school"...PLEEEEZE...people like this should learn to appreciate what they have... :p
 
Top