How do you feel MS1's?

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businessguy

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Now that the first semester is over, how do you feel about your first taste of medical school?

Tough?
Overwhelming?
Enjoyable?
Was it was you thought it would be?
Any points that you would like to highlight for future students?

* I really don't want to fish around in each class thread, so I though I start a topic for the general public.
 
School is school. It is neither enjoyable nor miserable. It is neither hard nor easy.

If you put the time in, you will get the grades you desire, just like anything else.

Im sure you think im being facetious, but seriously, thats all there is to it.
 
It can be tough at times trying to manage family and school. At times I have asked myself "was it worth it." Sometimes it is just a lot of crap and not a lot of time to get it done.

Then I see the interview candidates touring our school trying to get in, into a place I gladly hold a seat; and then after reading on SDN how some with better stats than me struggle to get in and are often rejected it gives me a reality check and a sense of great satisfaction knowing that in a few short years I will be a physician. I am grateful!
 
Dies is not here at the moment, his brain has been liqufied by pharm. Please leave a message.

beep.
 
I was just thinking the other day about how happy I am to be where I am now. I hated the journey to get here and I think it was way too overrated but in the end this is definetly where I want to be.

While generally I dislike most traditional medical students I like most of the classmates I spend my time with and I really love he school I am at. I am sure it is the best place for me to end up.

I am far more bitter than most med students but I think eventually they will reach that bitter place I came to before I even arrived. It doesnt' really matter since I really like the course work, other than biochemistry.

Medicine is what it is. . .

There is that cartoon of the 12 types of medical students and as a premed student I laughed at it but now I know that it's actually fairly accurate. It isn't hard to be able label classmates as to where they belong on the list.
 
My easiest semester in college was tougher than my first semester at med school.
 
beastmaster said:
My easiest semester in college was tougher than my first semester at med school.
WOW!! 😱
 
beastmaster said:
My easiest semester in college was tougher than my first semester at med school.
😱


For everyone else: How did your first semester of medical school compared to undergrad? Is it comparable/manageable? Thanks.
 
FutureDocDO said:
😱


For everyone else: How did your first semester of medical school compared to undergrad? Is it comparable/manageable? Thanks.


Keep in mind, that poster is from NYCOM. They may in fact be telling the truth 😉

Really, it's not easy for anyone, anywhere. Anyone who says it is is full of (insert expletive).

You guys hang in there and keep on trucking. It gets worse before it gets better. 😉
 
Undergrad I was a biochem/neurobio double major. I thought the first semester of med school was easy in comparison - so easy that I couldn't bring myself to study. I passed - barely. Guess I should study next semester. 😉
 
Med school like everything else is what you make of it....there are definately tough times and times when you think that you dont have enough hours in the day to get everything done, its a matter of time management and priorities...whats more important an A or a B and spending time with your family...you go thru all the typical emotions.....
 
Well, I won't say that this past semester of med school was easier than undergrad, it wasn't. I don't think they are comparable (especially since I was a classics major and had three years of 5th century Greek to study).

Still, for all my stressing about first year, things are going extremely well. Then again, I seem to have an affinity for anatomy and I've got a great memory.
Other than medical genetics, things went along easily (genetics took much more effort than anything else). I'm sure everyone's heard this before, but if you study efficiently you'll get along much better. This means, no texts (for me at least), attending classes to get the material an extra time when I review (many ppl find it superfluous or unhelpful), and keeping your study time free from what you've found to be low-yield wastes of time. It's different for each person.
For example, the day before the exam, I'd be taking previous exams, understanding where I'm messing up, and fixing it. I would make sure that I understood the material in the context that it's presented for the exam. There were others who would read the textbook once more and run through the lectures. For me, the lectures and text were low-yield and the prior exams had the most relevant information. It's all about knowing how you learn best and how to maximize your time in that way. Then you're golden. 👍
 
sophiejane said:
Keep in mind, that poster is from NYCOM. They may in fact be telling the truth 😉

Uhhh, is there something about NYCOM that we should know about??
 
businessguy said:
Now that the first semester is over, how do you feel about your first taste of medical school?

Tough?
Overwhelming?
Enjoyable?
Was it was you thought it would be?
Any points that you would like to highlight for future students?

* I really don't want to fish around in each class thread, so I though I start a topic for the general public.


I thought it was miserable hard, but I am hanging tough. I am worried about the Neuroscience block when things start back up. I am lucky enough to have a good group of friends and we all support each other. To anyone thinking of doing this or will be starting next fall: just remember to work hard and get out from time to time. Oh and Dies Irae, yeah I hate pharm too.
 
beastmaster said:
My easiest semester in college was tougher than my first semester at med school.

dont listen to this guy. he's got issues.

:laugh: :meanie:
 
I have found that the people who don't have to study first year think second year is an absolute monster whereas those who study their asses off first year think second year is much more managable (depends on your background a bit I guess too).

if you're a scientist first year is easier, if you're a clinician second year is easier.

my thoughts (a clinician)

-J
 
Dies Irae said:
dont listen to this guy. he's got issues.

:laugh: :meanie:

I disagree but john you know I'm not lying! Besides, shouldn't you be practicing OMM today? hahaha :meanie: 👍
 
beastmaster said:
I disagree but john you know I'm not lying! Besides, shouldn't you be practicing OMM today? hahaha :meanie: 👍

It's bad etiquette to use people's names on forums, "Mr. I'm definately going to get upper 90s on this test."
 
Dies Irae said:
It's bad etiquette to use people's names on forums, "Mr. I'm definately going to get upper 90s on this test."

Well these people are certainly in the same class together, hehe.
 
Another NYCOM 2009er here. I'd say it wasn't easy but its also wasn't unbearably hard. They did a good job with the cirriculum so we aren't overwhelmed. It depends also, if you just want to pass or honor. Honoring takes much more effort. As long as you study, you pass. The tests are fair and unfair questions are thrown out. I expected worse but it's really not that bad. I still have time for friends and family so, all in all, I'm still going. Also, I realized, you really don't need to buy the textbooks. Oh yeah, and I agree, Pharm sux.
 
sophiejane said:
Really, it's not easy for anyone, anywhere. Anyone who says it is is full of (insert expletive).


That's a pretty broad generalization, no?


Either way, its not hard.
 
I think it's important to understand that every person learns differently and has and experiences a different reality when it comes to medical school or anything else.

I mean take organic chemistry in undergrad for instance. If you went to the same class of 200 people at a college and asked everyone what they thought, you would get a wide range of answers- it probably wouldn't even be a Bell curve. This is because everyone learns differently.

The same thing for med school I would imagine. People have all kinds of different skills (time management skills, study skills, stress relief skills, learning skills) that are going to influence their overall experience in a completely unique way.

I think that everyone can agree that- for most people- medical school is not easy. However, if you put the time in and get a solid study strategy, it is also not completely impossible and in fact doable.
 
I'm enjoying school more than I ever have. It is alot of work, but I can honestly so I am enjoying it. If anyone else isn't having as much fun as I am at WVSOM, here is some encouragement for you...

http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm

-Bill Brasky
"Fourth: Bill Brasky once gave me a videotape of him having sex with my wife, and it was the most beautiful damn thing I ever saw!

Second: I have that tape!

Guy At Bar: [ turning around ] So do I!

Third: To Bill Brasky! A ten-foot-tall, two-ton son of a bitch who could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast standing!

Together: Bill Brasky!!

Big Booming Voice: [ from extremely tall figure in upper camera angle ] Did someone say Bill Brasky?

Together: BILL BRASKY!!"
 
I hope to attend NYCOM this fall so this is very encouraging. The last couple of years it seems that most NYCOM students felt buried with work. Is yours the first class to finally feel like the curriculum is reasonable?



SuperFemDoc22 said:
Another NYCOM 2009er here. I'd say it wasn't easy but its also wasn't unbearably hard. They did a good job with the cirriculum so we aren't overwhelmed. It depends also, if you just want to pass or honor. Honoring takes much more effort. As long as you study, you pass. The tests are fair and unfair questions are thrown out. I expected worse but it's really not that bad. I still have time for friends and family so, all in all, I'm still going. Also, I realized, you really don't need to buy the textbooks. Oh yeah, and I agree, Pharm sux.
 
HunterGatherer said:
I hope to attend NYCOM this fall so this is very encouraging. The last couple of years it seems that most NYCOM students felt buried with work. Is yours the first class to finally feel like the curriculum is reasonable?

I can't speak for everyone, but the second years seemed to have had it a lot harder when they were first years. There was a lot of disorganization in the previous years which has been worked out and fixed for the most part.
 
HunterGatherer said:
I hope to attend NYCOM this fall so this is very encouraging. The last couple of years it seems that most NYCOM students felt buried with work. Is yours the first class to finally feel like the curriculum is reasonable?

The curriculum for us has been engineered so we get about the same level of difficulty throughout. This would be as opposed to a relatively painless first year followed by an avalanche of work the next.
 
SuperFemDoc22 said:
I can't speak for everyone, but the second years seemed to have had it a lot harder when they were first years. There was a lot of disorganization in the previous years which has been worked out and fixed for the most part.

But it is balanced out by the new disorganization that was created with the new cirruculum.
 
Dies Irae said:
But it is balanced out by the new disorganization that was created with the new cirruculum.

oh c'mon it's not that bad...
 
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