How good/bad is MS3 really?

[getunconcsious]

So I'm sure a lot of us near the end of MS2 would like to know...

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[lord_jeebus]

It's a blast

I never want to go through this again

 

[njbmd]

I was happy not sitting in class but no year was a great as MS-IV. After Match Day, there was nothing for me to do except show up and pick up my diploma. It was one long great vacation (my last) before residency. Year IV is what you come to medical school for.

 

[thewebthsp]

I think third year is like rushing a fraternity. "it's a great experience I never want to go through again"

 

[Pinner Doc]

The learning curve was extremely steep, but now I'm getting to the point where I'm sick of doing stuff just for the sake of being graded and for the sake of proving I can do it. I'm ready to be a sub-i. I'm ready to be a functional member of the team.

And on that note, I can't wait to get this year over with!

 

[getunconcsious]

I'm going into this expecting to be completely miserable! Good attitude to have starting out, I guess. I dread MS3 WAY more than Step 1. I'm good at knowing stuff, but not so much on showing up early, being nice, oh and I can't do an H&P worth $hit.

 

[mikedc813]

I actually am enjoying 3rd year. It's infinitely better than sitting in front of PowerPoint lectures on my laptop for 8 hours a day like I did during 1st/2nd year. It's all about how well do you interact with patients, how good of an H&P can you do, how well do you present (very very important, and once you get that hang of it it's pretty easy), whether you can show up on time, can you at least to pretend to be interested, and how well can you at least try to come up with an A&P? Sounds kinda complicated, but once you start you'll see it's really not too bad. I agree with previous posts that studying and pretending to be interested in areas that you really don't like sucks. But looking back, even though I didn't like some rotations now at least I know a little more about them which can only help in the future. I also found I liked some rotations much more than I ever thought going into them.

I'm going into this expecting to be completely miserable! Good attitude to have starting out, I guess. I dread MS3 WAY more than Step 1. I'm good at knowing stuff, but not so much on showing up early, being nice, oh and I can't do an H&P worth $hit.

So as for your specific concerns you will definitely have to work on showing up on time and your H&P. These are CRITICAL to doing well 3rd year. It's pretty much the basis for your grade so it's do or die. I couldn't do an H&P when I started 3rd year and I'm sure most people can't at that point in their training. You'll end up doing so many during 3rd year you'll be so sick of them. H&P competency will just come with time and repetition. You really don't have to be particularly nice either. You can't be a total ass, but some people just aren't bubbly and all nice all the time. You just have to be able to at least fake being pleasant with patients.

 

[Tired]

I'm going into this expecting to be completely miserable! Good attitude to have starting out, I guess. I dread MS3 WAY more than Step 1. I'm good at knowing stuff, but not so much on showing up early, being nice, oh and I can't do an H&P worth $hit.

Try to look forward to the rotations you are interested in. The hours suck and some of the residents might be jerks, but actually getting to practice in areas that you are interested in can be a real thrill, especially if you didn't get much clinical exposure in your first two years. In addition, having so many people looking over your shoulder, while annoying sometimes, also provides the security of knowing that none of your decisions will inadvertently kill someone.

I hated large chunks of 3rd year, and I'm not the most upbeat person you'll ever meet. However, I did feel like a lot of 3rd year solidified my decision to go into medicine. No one decides to be a doctor so that they can sit in a classroom and fill out paperwork. MS3 year is really your first full-time chance to do what you've been assuming you will enjoy doing with your life.

Finally, as one of my FP residents last year put it, 3rd year will probably be the only time in your life you get to practice in a lot of areas. You may never be an Ob/Gyn, but in your 3rd year you get to pretend to be one for 2 months. There is something to be said for that.

 

[Taciturngosamer]

I guess my advice would be this: find the crappy scut $h!t amusing. That way when you're plowing though something that completely doesn't interest you and the chief resident drops her 8month old on your lap to babysit for two hours you can at least file it away as a funny story.

For me third year has been about maximizing on opportunities, learning how to be semifunctional, and realizing that yes I DO have a sense of humor at 3am when someone askes me to clean up human poo. Relax, enjoy the ride and realize that is kinda a cool time in your life...which ya never have to do again.

Oh, and practice doing your HPIs. This is really what will be expected of you and how you can serve your team in a functional capacity. It may sound stupid but grab a classmate and just run through the set up a couple times. It sounds and IS cheesy but it helps.

 

[raidermedic]

I definately would not go back to MS1 or 2 but I do miss the days where all I had to do was crack open my notebook and leisurely study at the starbucks all day. Looking back MS1 and 2 was almost like a vacation.