horrible start in med school

[shreypete]

hey guys, today was just horrible...i attended anatomy class for the first time (i missed 4 days coz of registration n stuff) and didn't understand pretty much anything. Infact the worst part was that the prof. could hardly speak any english and even if she did, it was with a heavy czech accent. So after i got back home, i tried reading the textbook (moore) and i didn't know what to read coz everything was so detailed and we only did bits and pieces in the class....what am i supposed to do? any advice?

and the worst part is that i see everyone making friends so fast and no one comes and even talks to me......this is just quite depressing...especially in a foreign country....where you don't have any family or friends...

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[Medicina]

I know exactly what you´re talking about.

I study medicine in Estonia and it was really hard at first to understand the professors because of the accent but you get used to it. Don´t worry. It takes time to get used to your new surroundings.

As for the no friends thing, have you been in contact with the local exchange student network. Their events and parties are really good way to meet new people that are in the same situation that you are in and to meet locals who are cabable of speaking decent english and fun to hang with.

 

[SalseraDoctora]

I promise you almost everyone feels this way! You are definitely not alone. If people don't talk to you it is probably because they are so stressed out and worried that they just can't think about anything else. I would definitely ask the professor for tips on how to focus your studying, ask your administration for study group info and email random 2nd years and ask for their advice too. I am sure most 2nd years would be completely happy to tell you all the dirt. I hope things get better for you soon!

 

[bkpa2med]

To the OP:

I have 3 weeks of anatomy left. We use Snell but I go to the library and use Moore. I think it's a really good book. You should get BRS Gross Anatomy, it will work wonders. I swear by that book.

 

[BerkeleyMD]

To the OP:

I have 3 weeks of anatomy left. We use Snell but I go to the library and use Moore. I think it's a really good book. You should get BRS Gross Anatomy, it will work wonders. I swear by that book.

BRS and Moore are great references.

But you really can't get through gross without a netter's.

 

[sprinkibrio]

grey's anatomy for students has almost exactly the detail my school has to know. you might try that.

 

[cobaltgreen]

sounds like a really rough start--but you are going to be ok...i would recommend approaching the two issues (school and social life) separately.

social life will get better--and it will take a little time and effort to get to know each other. it helps me to realize i am probably not the only one who makes friends at a slower rate than everyone else...and i have all year to find people to hang out with.

school is the priority now. getting behind means you not only have to battle through the pile of work--but also battle those feelings of being overwhelmed.

i would get help from the professor now. make an appointment ASAP. tell her/him that 1. you are behind and ask what she recommends to quickly catch up. 2. be honest (and extremely nice) and tell her that you are having a harder time with the accent and that you are adjusting to it--in the meanwhile--maybe she can give you the powerpoints-or allow you to record the lectures (in my school--we get powerpoints and recordings of everything except anatomy!)

i also read something here on SDN that worked for me. if you get behind--then jump ahead to where the class is and keep up. learn the lectures you missed along with your studying--that way you aren't behind the entire term.

really helped for me when i missed a few lectures due to illness.

hang in there...good luck!

 

[shreypete]

hey guys, thanks a lot for all your constructive replies...sure is helpful. I actually asked a lot of students what I missed and they said that I didn't miss much...just the basics. Anyways I've started studying finally and it's quite confusing. I mean the last seminar I attended was quite different as compared to what I read in the text (Moore). The textbook is so detailed that it takes ages to read something. Any tips on how to study anatomy would be greatly appreciated...thanks again guys...

 

[45408]

where are you from? what language are the classes in?

 

[shreypete]

hey...well i'm from india (but grew up in the US all my life)...and i'm doing medicine in the Charles First Faculty of Medicine, Prague, CZ. And the program's in english, but we need to learn czech (until the third year) for clinicals......so we have introductory czech as well as medical latin/greek terminology for some reaon....

 

[GliuKoZe]

Now we are studying bones, so I have made my own summary about them. It takes much time to make a good summary, but it really helps to understand and to remember much things In summury I have sticket many different pictures of the bones, titled all parts I need to know and now I'm trying to remember everything.. I also go to the lab to study using real bones (not pictures). Thats all.. Many pictures, many bones, many titles in lithuanian and in latin, much studying..

p.s. sorry for my english. It's a foreign language for me..

 

[shreypete]

Hey Gliukoze, I'm doing something similar (taking my own notes) and it's kinda helping. I guess I'll start practising pictures (coz it's useful for the exams) and i guess I should start going to the library to check out the bones (we're doing the same topic btw)

 

[GliuKoZe]

Yeah.. it's very dificult to study anatomy without pictures..