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swankydude

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I am applying to medical school this year for 2004. Other than working full-time, I have a lot of down time in the evenings that I feel a little guilty just sitting around watching Spice TV and playing video games (BTW, yes! I do go out but only on the weekends with my girl) and was wondering if anybody thinks it is a good idea to starting reading some USMLE prep books. I know that there are certain subjects like social and behavioral science, and selected physiology and biochemistry topics that I can review at an undergraduate level?

Can you recommend any good review books for the USMLE?s or science or medical books you wish you would have read to prepare you for medical school.

Thanks? I hope I will be joining you guys soon on this board as a medical student?

I am from Texas. Kill prop 12.
 
don't bother. preparing for step 1 before you need to will result in unnecessary stress. enjoy your time off; if you are bored I suggest a hobby like golf or stamp collecting.
 
There's a reason why these are called "review" books. They assume you've already learned (or attempted :laugh: to learn) the material once. It probably won't make much sense to read it now.

If you really want to read something worthwile, I'd get a jump-start on anatomy. A good, concise, medical terminology book could help too.

If you just want to read for curiosity, cool. But don't study for the usmle now. You will drive yourself nuts. Just do good when you actually get into school.
 
1) FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T START PREPARING FOR THE USMLE!!!!!
2) Hold off on the anatomy book or a book on any subject you may feel that you are less knowledgable about until the summer before you start(if you must).

Getting a "head start for med school" is nothing more than an exercise in futility and frustration.
Savor your free-time- it will go bye-bye reaaaaal soon.

Dr_Sax
 
wow.

the people on this board are even more obsessive-compulsive than I thought.

Swankydude-- the USMLE is meant to test material that you learned during the first two years of medical school. Since you haven't even started medical school I recommend holding off on the REVIEWING.

If you really have too much time on your hands and can't figure out ANTHING to do with it... ugh. How about learning a language or a musical instrument? Reading great works of literature? Exercising? Doing some volunteer work? These are all things you will probably wish you had more time for once you actually start med school.

MadC
 
Go for it! You have nothing to lose except a lot of wasted time. 🙂 And the cost of the books. 🙂 And your social life. 🙂
 
Go out and have a life, because this will be your last chance for years. Get some friends other than your girl.
 
Originally posted by madcadaver
wow.

the people on this board are even more obsessive-compulsive than I thought.

Swankydude-- the USMLE is meant to test material that you learned during the first two years of medical school. Since you haven't even started medical school I recommend holding off on the REVIEWING.

If you really have too much time on your hands and can't figure out ANTHING to do with it... ugh. How about learning a language or a musical instrument? Reading great works of literature? Exercising? Doing some volunteer work? These are all things you will probably wish you had more time for once you actually start med school.

MadC
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madcadaver:

1) I cab speak and write 3 in languages (fluently).

2) I used to be in a rook band in HS and college... we are all kinda busy right now?

3) I read only political magazines and watch TV debates... I hate fiction and "great works" of literature...

4) I run 30 mins 6 days/week...

5) My girlfriend and I volunteer about 6 hours a week at a local children's hospital...

Other than that... I think that there are certain social and behavioral science, biochemistry, and physiology topics that I think one can review/learn without being in medical school. Didn?t have them in undergrad???

Anyways, thanks for the advise... 🙄
 
I dont' think it'd be too useful. There's really nothing in second year that you should attempt learning now. As for the 1st year stuff, if you absolutely must, you could get BRS physiology... obviously don't try to learn all the details, you'll end up doing it later anyway. It's good for getting an overview of the different systems. Forget about biochem, anything you try to remember now will need to be repeated anyway and it's one of the least interesting subjects anyway.
 
Well, you've gotten the standard reply whenever anyone asks about studying ahead. Everyone jumps on your case and says forget about it. I've even heard 3rd year medical students tell this to 2nd year medical students who are thinking about boards early during 2nd year. This attitude seems ABSOLUTELY ridiculous to me.

Although I agree that you can't review what you never knew, I do think that you can at least profitably get a preview of some med school material. If you are determined to go this route, it would probably be best to focus on subjects which are more conceptual in nature like physiology and maybe some basic cell bio/molecular biology. By conceptual subjects, I mean stuff which you can think your way through and which are based on understanding. I'd stay away from detail and fact based material (like anatomy or hard core biochem). This stuff has such a short half-life that most students can't hold onto it for very long. And it is part of the reason that students always say "forget about it" when you ask them about studying far ahead.
 
maybe i would've forgotten most or all of the material, had i taken some science courses beyond the basics before med school...

but at least i would've recognized the material (to whatever extent), alleviating some of the panic when biochem, anatomy, and histology all come crashing down on me (right about now)

so i don't know about studying two years early for the boards...

but i second jed....conceptual understanding, even at a very basic level, probably alleviates anxiety, at the very least...
 
I didn't study for the boards before school, but I did go over some stuff I've already taken in undergrad like molecular bio, histo, bio chem and physio. It just makes me feel less overwhelmed then if I've never taken these things before.
 
waste of time!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I don't know if anyone else noted but the original poster said he is applying to med school. Would you recommend studying for boards to someone who doesn't yet know whether he is in or not?
 
I don't know if anyone else noted but the original poster said he is applying to med school. Would you recommend studying for boards to someone who doesn't yet know whether he is in or not?
 
with 3.9 science and 3.8 overall, 35R MCAT and graduated top of class at Rice U... life is pretty good.

🙄
 
Originally posted by swankydude

1) I cab speak and write 3 in languages (fluently).

2) I used to be in a rook band in HS and college

Anyways, thanks for the advise... 🙄
Click to expand...

Obviously English is not one of them.
 
Originally posted by amelie
but i second jed....conceptual understanding, even at a very basic level, probably alleviates anxiety, at the very least...
Click to expand...
I'm going to have to disagree...I'm great at conceptual understanding but it doesn't do s*** for things like boards.
 
Originally posted by jed2023
Well, you've gotten the standard reply whenever anyone asks about studying ahead. Everyone jumps on your case and says forget about it. I've even heard 3rd year medical students tell this to 2nd year medical students who are thinking about boards early during 2nd year. This attitude seems ABSOLUTELY ridiculous to me.

Although I agree that you can't review what you never knew, I do think that you can at least profitably get a preview of some med school material. If you are determined to go this route, it would probably be best to focus on subjects which are more conceptual in nature like physiology and maybe some basic cell bio/molecular biology. By conceptual subjects, I mean stuff which you can think your way through and which are based on understanding. I'd stay away from detail and fact based material (like anatomy or hard core biochem). This stuff has such a short half-life that most students can't hold onto it for very long. And it is part of the reason that students always say "forget about it" when you ask them about studying far ahead.
Click to expand...

that's where you're wrong. anything that means "conceptual understanding" is very easy to learn. anything that poses a challenge is more along the lines of memorization. both should wait.

as for behavioral science, once you begin studying for step-1 during 2nd year, you will see what type of questions they ask. the way to answer these is not to study 2 years ahead of time. Rather, you should do lots of qbank questions about 1-2 months prior to the exam. you need to get in the way of thinking of the exam writers. learning the minutiae of behavioral science is senseless, and learning the basic concepts is easy so why not wait until you start medical school.

I don't know about the other posters; but I suspect many are ms1 and ms2 students. I took step-1 a few months ago, and couldn't imagine retaining an iota of anything I'd have read prior to medical school. and I wouldn't have needed it anyway.

Please. Do what you can to enjoy your free time, or you'll feel like a fool a year from now.
 
Originally posted by doc05
Do what you can to enjoy your free time
Click to expand...
This is what I did and I am sooooo glad I didn't worry about anything till day 1. Everyday in med school you are thinking about when you will be studying later that day or how you should be studying. You revolve your life around it. I loved my year off where if I wanted to sit on the couch all day, I could, and still feel good about it.

Have you traveled? maybe get a job to save money to travel around this summer???

pm me at christmas, you can have my old syllabi then 😛 😉
 
*cough* gunner

Hmm, excuse me.

Dr_Sax
 
I agree. Every year there are people with stats that our similar to yours that don't get in. Probably not many, but there are some. Nothing is guaranteed in this crapshoot of a process that is medical school admission.

And ItsGavinC, your son is so cute! 🙂
 
Originally posted by Dr_sax
*cough* gunner

Hmm, excuse me.

Dr_Sax
Click to expand...

Real hardcore gunners have mcats>35, this person is just a wannabe soft-core gunner.😀
 
Yeah, maybe that is a self-portrait and he is a child dentist prodigy... :laugh: 😀
After all, twelve-year-olds are getting into med school. Dental school could be next. 😉
 
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