Harvard Med just went online for fall semester

[Flash99]

Definitely my worry as moving across the country to a very high rent area will be MUCH more expensive than remaining where I currently am and sharing rent with my SO... pushing back a lease signing if we don't have to be in the city for a lot of us will be much cheaper and I'd definitely like to know before I sign a lease soon.

Me too! I’m so glad I’m not the only one thinking this way!

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[EndTidalCO2]

There is a huge value in getting to meet other med students and forming a community before everyone goes off to rotations. Plus, some schools have required class or a greater value on people showing up for small groups or doctoring. For the price of tuition, virtual M1 is pretty $$$.

Do you know how much money and time you're losing by deferring your admissions just because you can't meet your classmates the first semester? Lol. Trust me, I only met like 10% of my class. No one has time to talk or hang out except maybe on the weekends. It's study, study, study. This isn't like when you first started college. Trust me, the cost-benefit ratio is unbelievably high if you defer.

 

[Flash99]

Good advice!

Okay, M2 here. I just read everyone’s comments on this post and I just have to put in my 2 cents. There is absolutely no good reason to defer your admission. I’m sorry for being so insensitive but that is such a stupid decision. 50-70% of the medical students at my school don’t even go to class. Pre-clinical is pretty much all at home anyways. You get up, do your Anki reviews, shower, eat breakfast, go to the gym, come back, go to the library or wherever you study, pop in some headphones and listen to the lectures. Do your cards. Move on. Maybe at home in bed you can do some Sketchy or some Pathoma. Then watch a TV show. Sleep. Repeat. There’s no “great doctor” made in pre-clinical years. The best you can do is accumulate as much medical knowledge you can, to your long-term memory, as an M1-2, and then real physicians are made during years 3/4. Deferring your admissions will just make you another year late to the game. You don’t want that, trust me. And the only thing I see being different from my experience is potentially online anatomy lab, instead of cadavers. I personally enjoyed being able to cut and hold the organs in my hand and analyzing tissues in 3D right before your eyes, but honestly, it was a waste precious Anki time most of the time (10 hours a week).

You’ll be fine. Don’t defer. You’ll regret it.


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[justaperson274939135]

Am I the only one hoping for online? There are so many benefits. Save money by staying at home and spend time with your family since the next few years will be very busy and parents won’t be around forever. Get the school and studying part down without all these other distractions like mandatory seminars or ECs and smoothly transition to getting involved and meeting people semester 2.

 

[Tennisgirl92]

Am I the only one hoping for online? There are so many benefits. Save money by staying at home and spend time with your family since the next few years will be very busy and parents won’t be around forever. Get the school and studying part down without all these other distractions like mandatory seminars or ECs and smoothly transition to getting involved and meeting people semester 2.

Nope, I am too. I am currently working from my mom’s beach house and have no problem continuing to work with a water view! And it would be nice to get some classes out of the way and then look forward to socializing in January.

what I don’t want to happen is a) having modified in person requirements in a way that reduces quality of experience or are ineffective or b) having the entire year online so we never truly tap into our school

 

[doodle4210]

Just want to chime in here and say that I hope my school considers hybrid learning at the very least. Having just completed half of my last semester of undergrad online, I personally do not think that I am well suited to online learning. I know people say that the majority of med students learn online anyway, but I need the structure of having somewhere to go every day. Getting out of bed, sitting in front of the computer, then getting back in bed just doesn't work for me.

That being said, I fully understand that public health needs far outweigh my personal preferences.

 

[Flash99]

Am I the only one hoping for online? There are so many benefits. Save money by staying at home and spend time with your family since the next few years will be very busy and parents won’t be around forever. Get the school and studying part down without all these other distractions like mandatory seminars or ECs and smoothly transition to getting involved and meeting people semester 2.

I’m hoping for online as well! Very good points you bring up!

 

[Pluto98]

Apparently they are doing anatomy virtually. Does that change the calculus on deferring?

 

[EndTidalCO2]

Just want to chime in here and say that I hope my school considers hybrid learning at the very least. Having just completed half of my last semester of undergrad online, I personally do not think that I am well suited to online learning. I know people say that the majority of med students learn online anyway, but I need the structure of having somewhere to go every day. Getting out of bed, sitting in front of the computer, then getting back in bed just doesn't work for me.

That being said, I fully understand that public health needs far outweigh my personal preferences.

I think this is the first valid point I've seen in this thread with regards to why people are wanting for their first semester of medical school to be somewhat in-person and not completely virtual. Previously, I was telling everyone why deferring isn't the best choice. But I think you bring up a very valid point. The pandemic hit during the third of my first year of my medical school spring semester and so even though I never went to class since August, I was used to a routine in which I woke up, went to the gym, got some coffee, went to the library and another academic building that was a little less quiet than the library and I'd put in like 3-4 hours of studying there, and then I'd go to the gym again or I'd go eat lunch, and then I'd go to another building, or somewhere else to study for the rest of the night until dinner. I eventually had to get used to being in my apartment and not being as mobile. It definitely impacted significantly my efficiency and my exam scores at the end of the semester. Either way, my point is that I agree with Doodle4210's comment. It's going to be very hard to START medical school in that condition. But I think that things will be less restrictive in the fall. Meaning, you'll probably be able to go to the library, to the Starbucks, etc. You just won't have large aggregations of classes of 100+ students in one room (for obvious reasons).

You'll be fine! Trust me, they will make it as easy as they can to transition you to the rigor and pace of medical school. Whether you hear their words in person or through Zoom/Webex, it won't make a difference.

But definitely don't defer. In medicine, you'll be faced with many difficult situations. You can't just click "remind me later." You have to face it. This is your first challenge and you'll come out victorious!

 

[doodle4210]

I think this is the first valid point I've seen in this thread with regards to why people are wanting for their first semester of medical school to be somewhat in-person and not completely virtual. Previously, I was telling everyone why deferring isn't the best choice. But I think you bring up a very valid point. The pandemic hit during the third of my first year of my medical school spring semester and so even though I never went to class since August, I was used to a routine in which I woke up, went to the gym, got some coffee, went to the library and another academic building that was a little less quiet than the library and I'd put in like 3-4 hours of studying there, and then I'd go to the gym again or I'd go eat lunch, and then I'd go to another building, or somewhere else to study for the rest of the night until dinner. I eventually had to get used to being in my apartment and not being as mobile. It definitely impacted significantly my efficiency and my exam scores at the end of the semester. Either way, my point is that I agree with Doodle4210's comment. It's going to be very hard to START medical school in that condition. But I think that things will be less restrictive in the fall. Meaning, you'll probably be able to go to the library, to the Starbucks, etc. You just won't have large aggregations of classes of 100+ students in one room (for obvious reasons).

You'll be fine! Trust me, they will make it as easy as they can to transition you to the rigor and pace of medical school. Whether you hear their words in person or through Zoom/Webex, it won't make a difference.

But definitely don't defer. In medicine, you'll be faced with many difficult situations. You can't just click "remind me later." You have to face it. This is your first challenge and you'll come out victorious!

Thanks for this! Happy to hear someone agrees with me. I have absolutely no intention of deferring - I've been excited about starting med school for years. I'm hoping it will be as close to what I expected as possible, but I'm prepared for that not to be the case.

 

[DrivingDoctor]

Psh, with the recent Wisconsin court ruling I'm wishing I didn't reject MCWs acceptance offer

 

[drducky.]

Most incoming med schools don't realize how good it is to have virtual classes and not have to waste time on pointless mandatory 1st and 2nd year stuff.

It's a blessing in disguise. Trust me on this.

 

[EndTidalCO2]

Thanks for this! Happy to hear someone agrees with me. I have absolutely no intention of deferring - I've been excited about starting med school for years. I'm hoping it will be as close to what I expected as possible, but I'm prepared for that not to be the case.

I'm glad to see your optimism! One thing I should make very clear though: when it comes to medical school, be ready to be in a constant battle with failing to see results you expected. You will have to adapt several times. Some people never have to change at all. Most, however, including me, have to go through a long and painful but highly enlightening "trial-and-error" journey until they arrive at the thing they've been wanting to figure out for so long: how do I study? It took me a whole fall semester and 6-7 extremely different, well-written, well-planned and well-organized "study routines" until I arrived at one that "works." That doesn't mean I was failing every exam until that point, but I wasn't thriving like I hoped I would first day of med school when I told myself "you're going to crush it like you crushed those last couple years in college!" and went in with a bright smile.

You're going to love every second of medical school but there are times you'll simultaneously hate it and wish that you didn't sign up. First semester might be one of those times because you're still adjusting. Sometimes adjusting will take 1 week, sometimes 1 semester, and sometimes, 1 year. But the point is: you will eventually get into a system that you love and one that works for you! If you're curious about my system, let me know. I can post a screenshot of my "study routine." But everyone is unique.

 

[mickmouse301!]

I'm glad to see your optimism! One thing I should make very clear though: when it comes to medical school, be ready to be in a constant battle with failing to see results you expected. You will have to adapt several times. Some people never have to change at all. Most, however, including me, have to go through a long and painful but highly enlightening "trial-and-error" journey until they arrive at the thing they've been wanting to figure out for so long: how do I study? It took me a whole fall semester and 6-7 extremely different, well-written, well-planned and well-organized "study routines" until I arrived at one that "works." That doesn't mean I was failing every exam until that point, but I wasn't thriving like I hoped I would first day of med school when I told myself "you're going to crush it like you crushed those last couple years in college!" and went in with a bright smile.

You're going to love every second of medical school but there are times you'll simultaneously hate it and wish that you didn't sign up. First semester might be one of those times because you're still adjusting. Sometimes adjusting will take 1 week, sometimes 1 semester, and sometimes, 1 year. But the point is: you will eventually get into a system that you love and one that works for you! If you're curious about my system, let me know. I can post a screenshot of my "study routine." But everyone is unique.

Please post it!

 

[EndTidalCO2]

There you go!

 

[openstage]

I think all colleges and universities (not just medical schools) are being very careful choosing their words for fall plans. Covid 19 has had a devastating financial effect, and schools don’t want to discourage or delay potential applicants. It’s a very fluid situation, changing by the week, by the states restrictions.

 

[justaperson274939135]

I think all colleges and universities (not just medical schools) are being very careful choosing their words for fall plans. Covid 19 has had a devastating financial effect, and schools don’t want to discourage or delay potential applicants. It’s a very fluid situation, changing by the week, by the states restrictions.

^ this. science should 100% drive the decision but $$$$$ is playing a factor too. harvard can do whatever the hell it wants bc for 99.99999% of people this is going to not going to be any kinda of deterrent. other schools are competing for applicants. med schools don’t have as much to loose as colleges, but they are still probably wanting to put off making a final decision until past CTE lol smh. i hope they get enough pressure from students who need to know about leases to make a final decision, but unfortunately I’m not holding my breath bc it’s really about what is most convenient for them

 

[FutureSurgical]

Will other schools follow suit soon? Students are signing leases, and I’d personally rather stay home with family than get locked into a lease in a new place where I don’t have any relationships established.

My school announced they’re doing this back in April

 

[Nugester]

Am I the only one hoping for online? There are so many benefits. Save money by staying at home and spend time with your family since the next few years will be very busy and parents won’t be around forever. Get the school and studying part down without all these other distractions like mandatory seminars or ECs and smoothly transition to getting involved and meeting people semester 2.

+4

 

[openstage]

Unless you live very close to your school, I don't think you can totally live at home. Many schools have discussed some kind of hybrid curriculum of flipped classroom and smaller or virtual labs. I'm sure there will be some in person requirements each month. But who knows, really?

 

[DrOngoGablogian]

For anything I don't absolutely have to be physically present for, don't make me be physically present IMO.

You waste SO much time getting ready to leave>driving>parking>waiting for class to start>waiting for breaks to end>waiting for questions to be answered that you may know the answer to>BSing with people after class>going back to car>driving again>etc. No thank you.