Help!- I'm struggling

[Vgirl]

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I'm an MS1 at downstate.

I HATE the school. reasons? Well, i feel like the faculty doesn't care about the students, i think the curriculum is terrible in terms of the way it is organized, socially everyone at downstate is cliquey and I have no life.

I did not expect to come to downstate scoring high grades all the timebut I also did not expect myself to have no social life (because ppl at my school don't hang out very often) and barely pass all of the blocks that we've had so far. I guess i'm venting because I'm really frustrated at not being able to figure out how to study for the exams and what exactly i need to do. I've been to academic development, have tried their methods and it hasn't worked for me. They told me there was nothing else they could do to help me..... so basically if I don't use their method of studying, i'm screwed...

And socially- ppl at my school are friendly but way to cliquish. For some reason all of the ethnic groups hang out together and no one really makes an effort to get to know ppl outside of their little groups.

Does anyone have any advice? Its frustrating to be barely passing when I study like crazy and end up 10-15 points below the class average. I guess I would cope better with this stuff if ppl at my school weren't so weird.

 

[neutropeniaboy]

Vgirl,

What you're describing is universal at every medical school. Every medical school has cliques: the hot chicks, the hot guys, the gunners, the ethnic groups, the potheads, dweebs, sportos, etc. That's just something that exists in a high school-like culture. (And what is medical school but high school all over again -- just that the subjects are actually tough.)

No one thinks that the cirriculum is designed very well. No one feels the faculty is out to help them. But, believe it or not, you're not in the first medical school class, and people do graduate to become doctors -- sometimes even successful doctors. Your professors have done this before. We all felt that way and when we reflect on the past, we see how silly we were. Guess what: we do it again in residency. None of my attendings cares or takes any interest in my training...

Lastly, let me tell you that medical school is tough. Being a doctor is tough. It takes dedication and a GREAT deal of sacrifice. Some people seem get it with minimal time input; others take a longer time. If you want to succeed in medical school, you'll first have to realize that you don't know what it takes to become a doctor; you have to trust that your faculty and senior medical students do. Secondly, the more you come to accept that the next 7-9 years of your life (i.e., the best parts of your life) will be spent reading, rounding, and being pimped, you'll start to understand the way the game is played.

My advice: take a deep breath. You will succeed. Almost everyone does.

I'm an MS1 at downstate.

I HATE the school. reasons? Well, i feel like the faculty doesn't care about the students, i think the curriculum is terrible in terms of the way it is organized, socially everyone at downstate is cliquey and I have no life.

I did not expect to come to downstate scoring high grades all the timebut I also did not expect myself to have no social life (because ppl at my school don't hang out very often) and barely pass all of the blocks that we've had so far. I guess i'm venting because I'm really frustrated at not being able to figure out how to study for the exams and what exactly i need to do. I've been to academic development, have tried their methods and it hasn't worked for me. They told me there was nothing else they could do to help me..... so basically if I don't use their method of studying, i'm screwed...

And socially- ppl at my school are friendly but way to cliquish. For some reason all of the ethnic groups hang out together and no one really makes an effort to get to know ppl outside of their little groups.

Does anyone have any advice? Its frustrating to be barely passing when I study like crazy and end up 10-15 points below the class average. I guess I would cope better with this stuff if ppl at my school weren't so weird.

 

[phoenixsupra]

I guess I would cope better with this stuff if ppl at my school weren't so weird.

I don't doubt it for a second. Really the weirdness of the people is the hardest part of medschool. Don't think for a second that your study problems and your general discomfort aren't linked. 😉People just don't soak up information well when they're miserable. Medical culture is ******ed in some respects . The best way to survive is to not fight it. Accept it for what it is. Go native. Once you get used to it it's a whole lot better. Hold on to at least one nonmedical interest and cultivate friendships OUTSIDE medicine. Good luck. 🙂

 

[VentdependenT]

As Neutropenia stated, its a life long ordeal. Just buckle in and find ways to keep your sanity. Thats what'll keep you going. You'll find positives, but not during the first two years. At least I didn't. Clinicals get better as you can commiserate with other like minds and actually accomplish something tangible.

This month I'm a medical vampire who admits night after night whilst getting slaughtered by cross cover. The only way I keep going is by lifting weights for an hour every other day, growing a beard which I shave every saturday morning to celebrate my day off (yes I think its strange too but I enjoy symbolisim), and meditating in the shower for a half an hour before setting foot in the hospital. Red Bull and blasting music in the car are palliative as well.

Saturday nights I morph into somebody else and paint the town bloody red. Then back to normal on Sunday nights.

 

[Paws]

so, I come home just now from our final exam for this block, hoping that I have passed anatomy and maybe with a little breathing room (please?). I find that I have barely passed psychiatry but did ok in our other course. any honors? no, of course not.

I'm thinking: should I post on SDN and let people know that I feel like a failure because I work my freakin' tuckus off and I am just passing my courses. Do I want my peeps on this website to know, that hey! Paws is having a WAY hard time just keeping my head above water. Do I have any pride left? do I care what other people (who don't even really know me) think of me???

and then I read your post first of all ... 🙂

Dude, my classmates are way weird too, alot of them. Cliques and real junior high ****. Some girl was eating an apple next to me in an exam the other day. 😕 I'm thinking: could you wait an hour to eat that thing? do you really have to eat that RIGHT now?

I am working on keeping up my outside medical school budds and interests and to be really careful in who I am friends with in the class. It's hard too, because we really are all competing against each other and it is not even polite competition. I honestly can't tell from day to day who is someone to talk to and who isn't. I just try and roll with the general flow and float on top of the waves.

So, my friend, you are NOT alone, and I am really glad that you posted what you did.

 

[medic170]

Vgirl,

What you're describing is universal at every medical school. Every medical school has cliques: the hot chicks, the hot guys, the gunners, the ethnic groups, the potheads, dweebs, sportos, etc. That's just something that exists in a high school-like culture..

Are there really potheads at your school or are you just being sarcastic?

 

[sparky5]

I with you all, . I struggled through first block and now biochem and physio are kicking my butt. I hear things like you just need to buckle down for the next 7-9 yrs.. and you know what that puts me 1 foot out the door. I want a family, I want a relationship, I want to keep climbing, skiing, road biking etc. But really I am not seeing how my life all fits together. Of course I don't see any clear alternatives, but right now I question why I am here every freakin day, and almost every day I think of walking into the dean's office and asking for a leave of absence.....

 

[dancinjenn]

Sparky...I understand your pain. I too struggled thru the 1st block (anat & histo/embryo)...I passed but with not a lot of room to spare.

I have my first set of biochem and physio next week and I cannot seem to buckle down to the material. I have tried to study @ school, @ home, @ the library..and I just can seem to focus!!! I sit down and get 1/2 way thru 1 lecture and find myself drifting. I have been writing out my TCA, glycolysis, and a.a.'s but it just doesn't seem to stick.

I really feel that I am depressed. I know this is what I want to do. I couldn't even imagine doing anything else, but I feel like I don't know how to keep up the pace. I am sitting here reading this right now and I just keep saying...yep, that is me.... The past couple of days I have had complete breakdowns and started crying because everything just seems so chaotic. I know that x-mas break will really help to rejuvinate my spirits, but I don't know how I am going to make it thru these next tests.

 

[phoenixsupra]

Sparky...I understand your pain. I too struggled thru the 1st block (anat & histo/embryo)...I passed but with not a lot of room to spare.

I have my first set of biochem and physio next week and I cannot seem to buckle down to the material. I have tried to study @ school, @ home, @ the library..and I just can seem to focus!!! I sit down and get 1/2 way thru 1 lecture and find myself drifting. I have been writing out my TCA, glycolysis, and a.a.'s but it just doesn't seem to stick.

I really feel that I am depressed. I know this is what I want to do. I couldn't even imagine doing anything else, but I feel like I don't know how to keep up the pace. I am sitting here reading this right now and I just keep saying...yep, that is me.... The past couple of days I have had complete breakdowns and started crying because everything just seems so chaotic. I know that x-mas break will really help to rejuvinate my spirits, but I don't know how I am going to make it thru these next tests.

You'll make it Jenn. Here's a tip. Medschool and medicine are not the same thing. Medschool is nasty as hell. Medicine is fascinating. Take time out to face and think about what's going on in medschool and alter your behaviour/strategy accordingly. Also take separate time out to think about what you are actually studying. And keep these TWO topics very separate in your mind.

You cannot study effectively if your mind is tied up with medschool bs. You gotta face that stuff and resolve it. Also, you study much more effectively if you engage your mind. That's where the reflecting on the stuff you're learning comes in. Try it. 😉

There is much mojo in medschool. Learning to deal with it is a difficult but very learnable skill. Good luck. 🙂

 

[dancinjenn]

You'll make it Jenn. Here's a tip. Medschool and medicine are not the same thing. Medschool is nasty as hell. Medicine is fascinating. Take time out to face and think about what's going on in medschool and alter your behaviour/strategy accordingly. Also take separate time out to think about what you are actually studying. And keep these TWO topics very separate in your mind.

You cannot study effectively if your mind is tied up with medschool bs. You gotta face that stuff and resolve it. Also, you study much more effectively if you engage your mind. That's where the reflecting on the stuff you're learning comes in. Try it. 😉

There is much mojo in medschool. Learning to deal with it is a difficult but very learnable skill. Good luck. 🙂

Medicine is fascinating..I find that I remember most all of the clinical correlates and neat tricks to help in diagnosis but I forget which aa residue is switched to produce one of the 11 hemoglobin mutations that we are supposed to know. And unfortunately the amount of minute detail that we are supposed to know is represented more in the tests than the clinical information. I think that I probably have the capacity to know all of the minutia (sp?), I just don't know how to make it stick. Thanks for the boost. 🙂

 

[phoenixsupra]

Medicine is fascinating..I find that I remember most all of the clinical correlates and neat tricks to help in diagnosis but I forget which aa residue is switched to produce one of the 11 hemoglobin mutations that we are supposed to know. And unfortunately the amount of minute detail that we are supposed to know is represented more in the tests than the clinical information. I think that I probably have the capacity to know all of the minutia (sp?), I just don't know how to make it stick. Thanks for the boost. 🙂

You cant make that stuff STICK. And you NEVER get to know it very solidly either. Ever dip a spoon into a jar of honey and sort of write on the surface with the dripping goo. Well what you 'write' stays for a second and then sinks into nothing. It's the same with that biochem stuff. But if you keep writing in a circle over and over it stays for a tiny bit longer. Your goal with biochem is to go over and over it again and again untill you have it in your mind just clear enough for you to be able to see it a few hours later in the exam next morning. Later that day it's already gone. That's it. Pointless but doable. 😉

BTW writing the stuff over and over is better than just looking at it.

 

[roja]

Wow... I am VERY glad med school was not consistently like this for me. Granted, I had a little more motivation. I had just had my heart broken into a million pieces a month into med school so I used very cleverly disguised denial mechanisms to drive me to study in the library so I didn't have to deal. By the time I was recovering, I had gotten the hang of studying for med school. I had also made some friends (I was at a school where I had no friends and no family).

Hang in there. Honestly. It gets better.

Phoenix gives great advice. Sitting and reading (staring) at lectures is a terrible way to try adn learn. It keeps you from actively learnign and fosters driftage. Rewrite and organize your lecture notes.

and start doing some stuff outside of school. Your in brooklyn, hop on the red line and get the heck out of where you are. Come into the city. Hang out in Williamsburg or Parkslope. There are great coffee shops you can study in in both places. 🙂

Join an interest group...... med school can be very very stinky. just figure out ways that allow you ot cope.

You'll pull through.

 

[BrowneyedGrrl]

Don't worry vgirl, as hard as it seems you WILL be a doctor and it WILL be worth it. I know, I know-easier said than done right? But I really believe it's true. It it makes you feel better (hopefully it should, this really is a riot) I am a first year student at a CARRIBEAN med school (haha-I know, wrong forum but bear with me) . But St. Georges is actually a very good school, and it's kicking my ass. I just took finals in Neuro, Physio, and Immuno, and flunked all three. I'm probably going to end up repeating Physio and Immuno. During my Physio exam, I actually kept FALLING ASLEEP during a 94 question test, and ended up randomly guessing on about half of the test. Just to put everything into persepective-that's REALLY BAD. I mean, REALLY REALLY BAD. And the consequence of too many all nighters unfortunately. To be honest, I'd be THRILLED if I passed right now. But I do have my doubts.

And it's not like I haven't studied. Before today, I hadn't really had a conversation with anyone in weeks. I've spend sooo much time holed up in my room studying my butt off. It's not like I've had a social life, or really, any life at all. Such is the way of med school I guess.

Granted, our situation was different this term (we survived a hurricane, temporarily relocated to the US), all kinds of crazy stuff. But still-med school is med school wherever you go.

Point of story-I did all of this ****, flunked everything beyond belief, have been a freaking hermit, feel like I don't have any friends anymore, and am at a CARRIBEAN med school, yet I still genuinely, truly believe with all my heart that I'm going to be a doctor, and a damn good one too. And so will you! 🙂 So please keep your head high, and chin up. For whatever it's worth, you can't possibly be doing as bad as me, and I AM going to be a doctor soon. 😛

Hope this helps, and hope you feel better about your situation. Keep on keeping on!

 

[phoenixsupra]

. Come into the city. Hang out in Williamsburg or Parkslope. There are great coffee shops you can study in in both places. 🙂.

I miss Williamsberg 🙁 The verb cafe was my favorite. But there was stuff opening ALL the time. I bet there's TONS more places by now. You might even wan't to live in Williamsburg and commute to downstate. It's a great neighborhood to live in. Really you'd actually find it hard NOT to meet interesting people and have fun. 😀

 

[roja]

I miss Williamsberg 🙁 The verb cafe was my favorite. But there was stuff opening ALL the time. I bet there's TONS more places by now. You might even wan't to live in Williamsburg and commute to downstate. It's a great neighborhood to live in. Really you'd actually find it hard NOT to meet interesting people and have fun. 😀

I'm a big fan of the Read. However, they have changed thier chai tea blend and I am less enthused. but its still a fantastic place to hang out. The only problem with that commute is dealing with the L line. Its not a bad commute to just hop on the manhatten bound L, get off adn transfer to the red line... it take about 40 minutes but its easy.. you could study, etc on the train.

 

[phoenixsupra]

I'm a big fan of the Read. However, they have changed thier chai tea blend and I am less enthused. but its still a fantastic place to hang out. The only problem with that commute is dealing with the L line. Its not a bad commute to just hop on the manhatten bound L, get off adn transfer to the red line... it take about 40 minutes but its easy.. you could study, etc on the train.

Yeah, the read is good too. The L cafe is also ok. The L train is ok if you just use it as a shuttle into manhatten. Does that old bag lady still troll it with the smelly cheese in her backpack? She walks through the carriages claiming to have gangrene or something. It's really just a ball of rotting cheese in her backpack. That's a good tip about studying on the train. I learned most of my spanish on the subway. 😉

Vgirl - you might even want to think of actually moving to park slope or Williamsberg and doing the unthinkable for NYC - actually buying a car for the commute. Don't know a ton about park slope but it seems sort of like williamsberg and williamsberg is a really fun place to live. 😉

 

[roja]

Yeah, the read is good too. The L cafe is also ok. The L train is ok if you just use it as a shuttle into manhatten. Does that old bag lady still troll it with the smelly cheese in her backpack? She walks through the carriages claiming to have gangrene or something. It's really just a ball of rotting cheese in her backpack. That's a good tip about studying on the train. I learned most of my spanish on the subway. 😉

Vgirl - you might even want to think of actually moving to park slope or Williamsberg and doing the unthinkable for NYC - actually buying a car for the commute. Don't know a ton about park slope but it seems sort of like williamsberg and williamsberg is a really fun place to live. 😉

I haven't utilized the L in a while since I am now on the UWS. When I did a month of EM at downstate I was living in bushwick of the L so utilized it a bunch to go into manhatten and williamsburg. Park slope is very nice as well. Its a little closer to downstate and about a 5 minute drive. Lots of great places to eat, hang out and shop and unlike williamsburg is right near a beautiful park.

I memorized ATLS etc on the subway.

 

[phoenixsupra]

UWS is nice too, but way older demographic. I lived on 77th and Broadway for a while years ago. Don't froget that Williamsberg has an "unofficial" beautiful park - the waterfront. The best view of manhatten in the city, and the ONLY place to be for the New year's firework display. 😉

 

[Rendar5]

ok, now that we went through Brooklyn places to go to, how about Bronx? Please! I feel trapped here sometimes even with my car. the only place I know to run away to is Bay Plaza (big sprawled out shopping center with lots of huge stores) or my gamecube in my room)

I only know the nearby beach, which is obviously too cold right now. (the one right near city island, which I need to visit sometime. orchard beach I think?)

 

[roja]

ok, now that we went through Brooklyn places to go to, how about Bronx? Please! I feel trapped here sometimes even with my car. the only place I know to run away to is Bay Plaza (big sprawled out shopping center with lots of huge stores) or my gamecube in my room)

I only know the nearby beach, which is obviously too cold right now. (the one right near city island, which I need to visit sometime. orchard beach I think?)

Run right here baby. You know where to find me. 😛

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

I was having tough times in college and had to meet with the Dean and he told me "sometimes you have to be your own best band". best advice I ever got from somenone. I hope you find an outlet for your frustration.

Williamsburg is so expensive to live in now i think it's best to come to hang out here. I've been living here for 6 years now and it has changed from having just 3 restaurants off the bedford stop to actually being a destination for those from manhattan. I love it because when you go out at night there is no door policy BS and high quality yet inexpensive food.

Greenpoint is still reasonably priced and very nice.

 

[Rendar5]

Run right here baby. You know where to find me. 😛

wow, an invitation from the redhead goddess herself🙂

*runs into the door, calls an ambulance, and tries to convince them to drive him to St. Luke's instead of Jacobi*

I will definitely have to visit sometime soon.

 

[roja]

Finally, the appropriate appreciation. 😀 I'l be at luke's tomm, I'm sure it will be exciting.

 

[phoenixsupra]

Wow. That's the internet at it's very best. Hope you guys have fun. 😀

 

[SaltySqueegee]

This whole process of medical school cannot be done very well alone, or without emotional support.

A lot of the remarks I have heard from people echoing Vgirl's response are saying that they study 'alone' in the library, or 'alone' here, or 'alone' there. To me, that is the worst thing you can do.

Medical School is all about efficiency. You need at least one other person, no more than 3 others to study effectively.

Step 1--> Briefly read the material to get a big picture.
Step 2--> Get with friends later in the day, after the lectures and going to gym, to discuss the key points hit on in the lecture.
Step 3--> Review the key points of the lectures with your friends on the weekend days. Quiz each other. Make it into an interactive learning lesson.
Step 4--> Review the material again a week before the test with your friends, with an emphasis on remembering the fine details of each lecture.

Study Groups serve an important purpose:
1) They hold you accountable to a predetermined study time.
2) They keep you engaged, so that you don't fall asleep while studying.
3) Engaging in an interactive study style allows you to remember ~70% more than just plain reading, which is why reading should only be used for big picture in medical school... never read for the details or you will get lost.
4) Your study partners will act as a failsafe for any important detail that the lecturer emphasizes, that you may have missed in your notes.

And what you need to do for yourself:
1) Get plenty of sleep, even when you may be behind. When you are rested, you study more efficiently and will cover things in less time, plus you'll retain more!
2) Eat regular healty meals. Low glycemic index food, plenty of protein, veggies, etc.
3) At least try to go jogging 1-2 miles every other day. It will help balance your circadium rhythms.
4) When studying and tired, don't initially go for a cup of coffee, take a 45,min-1hour power nap, wake up then grab a cup and start your studying refreshed and renewed. Personally, I have broken my day into two parts. I sleep ~4-5 hours at night, wake up go to lecture, exercise, study for about 40 minutes, take a 3-4 hour nap, wake up meet with my study group, go till midnight or 1am, fall asleep and then repeat. In all I rest about 8 hours in a given 24 hour period, but I always make sure I study first thing when I wake up. That is when my mind is freshest.

Best of luck,

-Salty

P.S. Don't be afraid to ask for tutoring (usually from upperclassmen). It's kind of like the equivalent of a study group, but the person is more knowledgable than the average. 👍

 

[DireWolf]

Are there really potheads at your school or are you just being sarcastic?

it's time to emerge from your protective bubble.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

it's time to emerge from your protective bubble.

HAHAHA... so true.

When the med school admission's statement means to have a representative populace, I sometimes think they do TOO good a job. Hehe... 😉

 

[roja]

Wow. That's the internet at it's very best. Hope you guys have fun. 😀

Don't be jealous. I'm still anxiously awaiting your proposition. If you get me drunk, I'll let you braid my leg hairs. 😀

 

[Vgirl]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Everyone's input has put my small dilemma in prospective.

Just so everyone is aware, I am quite happy with my life outside of medical school. I have a fiancee that I am living with and My family is close by. I just sometimes feel quite guilty when I ignore them so I can study the week before an exam. I am originally from brooklyn but it has been years since
i've been back so making friends outside of medical school has been hard. It also would be nice to have a friend or two that knows what type of stresses that I am going through and simply talking to my family and fiancee does not cut it cuz they just don't understand. I still am unhappy with my social life at downstate but I guess its something that I have to accept and try to find another type of social outlet.

Thank you for your study tips saltysqueegee and also for your prospective on things browneyedgirl. Salty- I've tried study groups but ppl at my school don't really do them, i think I'll try going to the upperclassmen tutoring sessions though. I've also figured out that going to lecture doesn't work for me because I ended up doing a little bit better the last exam without going to lecture at all.

I guess I need to make more of an effort to try to balance things in my life and to make myself more time effecient because i have been doing thing like passive reading and getting distracted and such. If anyone has tips on trying to stay focused- please share! I always end up playing with my cat or getting distracted by something 10 minutes into prereading a lecture...

 

[Lindyhopper]

I still want to hear about that. It seems all so hard - straight-.

 

[phoenixsupra]

Don't be jealous. I'm still anxiously awaiting your proposition. If you get me drunk, I'll let you braid my leg hairs. 😀

Ah.. In some parallel universe where I wasn't already married I'd have already pitched my proposition. Perhaps in another lifetime Roja. 😉 😀

I guess I need to make more of an effort to try to balance things in my life and to make myself more time effecient because i have been doing thing like passive reading and getting distracted and such. If anyone has tips on trying to stay focused- please share! I always end up playing with my cat or getting distracted by something 10 minutes into prereading a lecture...

I think that if your mind wont focus that's because theres a lot of other stuff on your mind. You need to deal with it and talk it over before it will clear. Don't be so sure that your fiance won't understand what you're going through. I'm pretty sure my wife knows what I'm going through. It is DIFFICULT to explain, that's for sure, but it IS possible. Your mind sort of ranks things in importance all by itself. If you don't take the time to process it's priority issues then it'll never focus on what you want it to...like pre-reading lectures. So spend time thinking about what your mind "wanders to" , then find your motivation and THEN get active with your study. Rewrite your notes, go over them again and again. Test youself with the notes covered etc. I think everyone goes through what you're describing at some stage. You're gonna be just fine. Good luck. 🙂

 

[katrinadams9]

Medicine is fascinating..I find that I remember most all of the clinical correlates and neat tricks to help in diagnosis but I forget which aa residue is switched to produce one of the 11 hemoglobin mutations that we are supposed to know. And unfortunately the amount of minute detail that we are supposed to know is represented more in the tests than the clinical information. I think that I probably have the capacity to know all of the minutia (sp?), I just don't know how to make it stick. Thanks for the boost. 🙂

I know exactly how you feel Jenn. I too have been banging my head against a brick wall trying to remember all the hemoglobin defects and the fibrinogen pathway. 😱 I have made flashcards for the glycolysis/TCA pathway structures and I'm in the process of making a "big picture" diagram on some posterboard I got at CVS. I can't wait until this bull**** is all over and I can relax over Xmas break....

 

[roja]

Ah.. In some parallel universe where I wasn't already married I'd have already pitched my proposition. Perhaps in another lifetime Roja.

thats okay. We can do a little swapping. My hubby likes hairy women... is your wife hairy? 😀


Vgirl Also try and just remember that you don't have to get sucked into the all A thing. You do have to pass, but your clinical years can really put you over.

You definately want to have a social outlet out of school. and you will probably find that you will find more friends in your school once you have a better idea of what you want to do.

 

[phoenixsupra]

thats okay. We can do a little swapping. My hubby likes hairy women... is your wife hairy? 😀

Ha ha. Some swinging eh? My wife's not hairy but I can give her some rogaine if that's what you need. 😉

 

[Rendar5]

thats okay. We can do a little swapping. My hubby likes hairy women... is your wife hairy? 😀

Oh no! You didn't tell me that last night! hehe, I didn't know you had a hubby since I've never heard you speak of him before. How is your daughter doing, BTW? still an angel?

 

[roja]

of course! She's stunning.... i'll try and remember to post a new pic of the two of us soon...

 

[cather]

How are you all dealing with burnout?

I reached burnout and I am on leave from school. What are your tips for dealing with burnout? The kind of burnout that I experience is where you have trouble focusing and concentrating when studying. Basically, it's forced studying. You're forcing your brain to learn material and a week later, you don't even remember what you studied.

 

[phoenixsupra]

How are you all dealing with burnout?

I reached burnout and I am on leave from school. What are your tips for dealing with burnout? The kind of burnout that I experience is where you have trouble focusing and concentrating when studying. Basically, it's forced studying. You're forcing your brain to learn material and a week later, you don't even remember what you studied.

Leave of absence is the best for serious burnout. And connecting with things that you love doing to regain your confidence. Reading sdn posts is an awesome way to realize that you're not alone. That's not apparant in school where everyone maintains a bs facade. You cannot force your mind. It's like a cat, you can't force it to do squat. If you want it to do anything you need to learn it's ways and and sort of trick and cajole it to do what you want. Don't worry you'll get over burnout, and if you're lucky you'll get to understand it, so you'll learn to relight that fire at will. Good luck. 🙂

 

[cather]

thanks Phoenix. You're awesome. Burnout sucks, especially when all you want to do is learn medicine and become a doctor but it's like your brain just shuts down and doesn't want to take tests.

 

[8744]

Whoa.

There is no such thing as "barely passing." You are either passing or you are not. If you are passing then congratualtions. Quit worrying about it. Unless you are dead set to make AOA there is no functional difference between any grade or set of grades.

 

[Hoya11]

Being in the last 10% at my school earns you an LP, 5 LPS you repeat the year, it is kind of scary, the LP cutoff is usually 68. Do you think they would really make you repeat a year if you score in the upper 60s all the time?

 

[8744]

Medical School is all about efficiency. You need at least one other person, no more than 3 others to study effectively.

Step 1--> Briefly read the material to get a big picture.
Step 2--> Get with friends later in the day, after the lectures and going to gym, to discuss the key points hit on in the lecture.
Step 3--> Review the key points of the lectures with your friends on the weekend days. Quiz each other. Make it into an interactive learning lesson.
Step 4--> Review the material again a week before the test with your friends, with an emphasis on remembering the fine details of each lecture.

Study Groups serve an important purpose:
1) They hold you accountable to a predetermined study time.
2) They keep you engaged, so that you don't fall asleep while studying.
3) Engaging in an interactive study style allows you to remember ~70% more than just plain reading, which is why reading should only be used for big picture in medical school... never read for the details or you will get lost.
4) Your study partners will act as a failsafe for any important detail that the lecturer emphasizes, that you may have missed in your notes.

Jeezus H. Keerist. A perfect example of why I study alone. This seems like an awful lot of work when all anybody really has to do is sit down with the grid book (BRS) for the subject and read. Maybe look at the Powerpoints for the lectures on your computer or go over the NTS notes. I studied about four hours per day during first year. By the end of second year if I studied four hours in a week I considered myself a paragon of scholarly virtue.

Things I Did Not Do:

1. Go to anatomy lab "after hours." That's why God created the Rohan (sp?) photographic atlas.

2. Study in a group. Good Lord. Who wants to be on somebody else's schedule?

3. Highlight. If you are highlighting a review book then you are defeating the purpose of a review book. If you are reading a book that needs highlighting you are not studying efficiently.

4. Cram the night before an exam. What's the point? If you haven't retained the knowledge after four weeks of looking at it every day what makes you think that one more time is going to lock those synapses in the proper configuration.

5. Take notes. Why bother? At my school, the professors posted their powerpoint lectures on our web site and we had a Note Taking Service. Since 99.9% of test questions came from what was on the slides, what is to be gained by trying to listen and write at the same time. I didn't even bring a pen to lecture.

 

[phoenixsupra]

Jeezus H. Keerist. A perfect example of why I study alone. This seems like an awful lot of work when all anybody really has to do is sit down with the grid book (BRS) for the subject and read. Maybe look at the Powerpoints for the lectures on your computer or go over the NTS notes. I studied about four hours per day during first year. By the end of second year if I studied four hours in a week I considered myself a paragon of scholarly virtue.

Things I Did Not Do:

1. Go to anatomy lab "after hours." That's why God created the Rohan (sp?) photographic atlas.

2. Study in a group. Good Lord. Who wants to be on somebody else's schedule?

3. Highlight. If you are highlighting a review book then you are defeating the purpose of a review book. If you are reading a book that needs highlighting you are not studying efficiently.

4. Cram the night before an exam. What's the point? If you haven't retained the knowledge after four weeks of looking at it every day what makes you think that one more time is going to lock those synapses in the proper configuration.

5. Take notes. Why bother? At my school, the professors posted their powerpoint lectures on our web site and we had a Note Taking Service. Since 99.9% of test questions came from what was on the slides, what is to be gained by trying to listen and write at the same time. I didn't even bring a pen to lecture.

Yeah, that'll work when your goal, as you say, is to barely pass. That's fine. I'm more of a pick you battles kind of guy. I coast some and work hard on others. Your approach is only good for coasting. BTW the drawback with aiming to "barely pass" is the danger of "barely" failing. 😉

 

[8744]

Yeah, that'll work when your goal, as you say, is to barely pass. That's fine. I'm more of a pick you battles kind of guy. I coast some and work hard on others. Your approach is only good for coasting. BTW the drawback with aiming to "barely pass" is the danger of "barely" failing. 😉

Well, I admit that my method is not going to get you AOA, on the other hand I did fairly well on Step 1 and Step 2 (even if my class rank was pretty low) and have got eight interviews for a competative specialty. (Emergency Medicine)

My goal was not to "barely pass." It was to have a relatively low stress first and second year. There is no such thing as "barely passing." You either pass or you don't. Someone once accused me of struggling in medical school because I was just "barely passing. I was in no way struggling. I never failed a test, never stayed up late studying (except for the first test of first year before I calmed down), and I never got all wierded out.

I also think it's better to be consistent with studying, having the discipline to study every day, than to blow off a week or two after a big test only to struggle to catch up. I might only have studied three or four hours a day but I did this every day, even after a test.

 

[phoenixsupra]

Well, I admit that my method is not going to get you AOA, on the other hand I did fairly well on Step 1 and Step 2 (even if my class rank was pretty low) and have got eight interviews for a competative specialty. (Emergency Medicine)

My goal was not to "barely pass." It was to have a relatively low stress first and second year. There is no such thing as "barely passing." You either pass or you don't. Someone once accused me of struggling in medical school because I was just "barely passing. I was in no way struggling. I never failed a test, never stayed up late studying (except for the first test of first year before I calmed down), and I never got all wierded out.

I also think it's better to be consistent with studying, having the discipline to study every day, than to blow off a week or two after a big test only to struggle to catch up. I might only have studied three or four hours a day but I did this every day, even after a test.

Not too different from my approach except I did bust a gut on a few courses. On the other ones I definately made a choice to take it easy so I could enjoy a somewhat healthy llife. Good lluck with with EM

 

[ilim01]

I'm an MS1 at downstate.

I HATE the school. reasons? Well, i feel like the faculty doesn't care about the students, i think the curriculum is terrible in terms of the way it is organized, socially everyone at downstate is cliquey and I have no life.

I did not expect to come to downstate scoring high grades all the timebut I also did not expect myself to have no social life (because ppl at my school don't hang out very often) and barely pass all of the blocks that we've had so far. I guess i'm venting because I'm really frustrated at not being able to figure out how to study for the exams and what exactly i need to do. I've been to academic development, have tried their methods and it hasn't worked for me. They told me there was nothing else they could do to help me..... so basically if I don't use their method of studying, i'm screwed...

And socially- ppl at my school are friendly but way to cliquish. For some reason all of the ethnic groups hang out together and no one really makes an effort to get to know ppl outside of their little groups.

Does anyone have any advice? Its frustrating to be barely passing when I study like crazy and end up 10-15 points below the class average. I guess I would cope better with this stuff if ppl at my school weren't so weird.

Hi Vgirl, I'm in my 4th year pre med and have been accepted to Downstate, which is where I have decided to go, (other options being NYU and StonyBrook,) mainly because of the price.

Of the many problem you have described, how many do you think are particular to Downstate or (as some of the replies have pointed out) are inherent in any Medical School 1st year (from talking to Med students from other schools)?

your post has me alarmed because I thought my decision was pretty much set, your reply will be greatly appreciated. 🙂

 

[Elysium]

Hi Vgirl, I'm in my 4th year pre med and have been accepted to Downstate, which is where I have decided to go, (other options being NYU and StonyBrook,) mainly because of the price.

Of the many problem you have described, how many do you think are particular to Downstate or (as some of the replies have pointed out) are inherent in any Medical School 1st year (from talking to Med students from other schools)?

your post has me alarmed because I thought my decision was pretty much set, your reply will be greatly appreciated. 🙂

This probably isn't the best thread for pre-med angst about picking the right med school. The OP is suffering right now because med school is a giant pain in the ass, no matter where you are. Please leave questions about picking the right school in another thread and let the OP and others discuss the topic at hand.

Thanks.

 

[8744]

Bottom line: First year sucks. No way around it. Almost everybody likes second year more than first year if only because by then you will have gotten the hang of studying and have time for other things.

Third year is the hardest year in many ways but almost everybody prefers working as a (student) doctor to sitting in a lecture.

Fourth year is like a vacation.

Just gut it out through first year and you will look back at your present angst and cringe, wondering how you ever thought that Medical School wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread.

 

[MEG@COOL]

This whole process of medical school cannot be done very well alone, or without emotional support.

A lot of the remarks I have heard from people echoing Vgirl's response are saying that they study 'alone' in the library, or 'alone' here, or 'alone' there. To me, that is the worst thing you can do.

Medical School is all about efficiency. You need at least one other person, no more than 3 others to study effectively.

Step 1--> Briefly read the material to get a big picture.
Step 2--> Get with friends later in the day, after the lectures and going to gym, to discuss the key points hit on in the lecture.
Step 3--> Review the key points of the lectures with your friends on the weekend days. Quiz each other. Make it into an interactive learning lesson.
Step 4--> Review the material again a week before the test with your friends, with an emphasis on remembering the fine details of each lecture.

Study Groups serve an important purpose:
1) They hold you accountable to a predetermined study time.
2) They keep you engaged, so that you don't fall asleep while studying.
3) Engaging in an interactive study style allows you to remember ~70% more than just plain reading, which is why reading should only be used for big picture in medical school... never read for the details or you will get lost.
4) Your study partners will act as a failsafe for any important detail that the lecturer emphasizes, that you may have missed in your notes.

And what you need to do for yourself:
1) Get plenty of sleep, even when you may be behind. When you are rested, you study more efficiently and will cover things in less time, plus you'll retain more!
2) Eat regular healty meals. Low glycemic index food, plenty of protein, veggies, etc.
3) At least try to go jogging 1-2 miles every other day. It will help balance your circadium rhythms.
4) When studying and tired, don't initially go for a cup of coffee, take a 45,min-1hour power nap, wake up then grab a cup and start your studying refreshed and renewed. Personally, I have broken my day into two parts. I sleep ~4-5 hours at night, wake up go to lecture, exercise, study for about 40 minutes, take a 3-4 hour nap, wake up meet with my study group, go till midnight or 1am, fall asleep and then repeat. In all I rest about 8 hours in a given 24 hour period, but I always make sure I study first thing when I wake up. That is when my mind is freshest.

Best of luck,

-Salty

P.S. Don't be afraid to ask for tutoring (usually from upperclassmen). It's kind of like the equivalent of a study group, but the person is more knowledgable than the average. 👍

Dont you get burned out by working basically 16 hours a day?

 

[azzarah]

remember that a lot of people in your class probably study their a$$ off and still don't pass. Your glass is half full. You are at med school to become the best doctor you can be.
I started hanging out with some non-med students and my social life has been much better. I am not into that whole gossip/clique/highschool BS atmosphere of med school either. I just suck it up and count the days until I am outta here! 😀