How important are old undergrad notes?

[rachmoninov3]

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So I'm finally getting around to packing, and I was wondering: how important are old undergrad notes in medical school? Stuff like Immunology, Virology, Enzymology, Advanced organic chem...the higher level stuff?

What does the seasoned medical student say? Chuck 'em or pack 'em?

 

[dancinjenn]

So I'm finally getting around to packing, and I was wondering: how important are old undergrad notes in medical school? Stuff like Immunology, Virology, Enzymology, Advanced organic chem...the higher level stuff?

What does the seasoned medical student say? Chuck 'em or pack 'em?

NOTES? I wouldn't keep just some hand written notes.

I personally might keep a Immuno reference BOOK, but the enzym, orgo, etc...just save a tree and recycle

 

[njbmd]

Pack all of that stuff in a box and send it to your parents. If you need something, let them send it to you or you can pick it up over vacation. I didn't use anything from undergraduate in medical school. I was able to destroy all of my undergraduate notes (other than the ones I gave away).

 

[Law2Doc]

So I'm finally getting around to packing, and I was wondering: how important are old undergrad notes in medical school? Stuff like Immunology, Virology, Enzymology, Advanced organic chem...the higher level stuff?

What does the seasoned medical student say? Chuck 'em or pack 'em?

Few people find much they used in undergrad useful in med school. Maybe if you wanted to keep stuff as secondary resources, but in general, you won't be using the same books (except maybe in biochem), your notes will shortly seem like a joke, it's just very different. For sure orgo books will be useless to you -- there is no orgo in med school. I would send em packing.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Invest in a shredder. 🙄

 

[rachmoninov3]

Hmmm...how about a bonfire with booze? It's been raining regulary up here in northern nm, we can risk the fire danger!

Burn baby burn!

 

[Hassler]

No! I'd say save the notes. If you win a Nobel Prize in Medicine in the future, your notes may be worth thousands of dollars!

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Hmmm...how about a bonfire with booze? It's been raining regulary up here in northern nm, we can risk the fire danger!

Burn baby burn!

👍

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Negative importance.

 

[Ashers]

I used my immunology text a lot. I think I referenced my undergrad biochem notes once at the very beginning of the year for some mnemonics I had written on them.

 

[somemaybedoc]

I can't really comment with authority since I haven't started yet, but I think they would be worse than worthless; they would hurt you. I'd imagine the emphasis is a bit different in medical school than undergrad and if you were to use your old notes they would dilute your focus on the salient facts and waste your time.

 

[leopanther]

Get rid of them. There won't be a shortage of material in med school.

 

[MSKalltheway]

I agree with everyone here. I had most of the clinically "important" undergrad notes, and maybe I referenced them twice for something I didnt understand as well. Granted, I could be confusing this from when I was studying at the same time I helped my girl with biochem and looked up my old notes...

You'll get no use from them. They may peripherally mention something you talked about more in undergrad that may help you understand a bigger picture, maybe. But you'll get nothing from them that will help answer any test questions. I also vote for the bonfire!

Now saving textbooks is a good look. Useful as references, but references only.

 

[Blade28]

You won't need 'em.

 

[Hurricane95]

I saved mine thinking they would be useful, and I now realize that was dumb. You will NEVER use them. Keep them only if you like saving your work for some reason, otherwise, ditch them.

 

[Slide]

Im about to enter and I just sold a lot of my undergrad books online. I figure that whatever I need to reference I can look up online or find it in the medical library, so I'd rather collect the cash on them. No point letting the books collect dust...

 

[AnthonyNY]

Im about to enter and I just sold a lot of my undergrad books online. I figure that whatever I need to reference I can look up online or find it in the medical library, so I'd rather collect the cash on them. No point letting the books collect dust...

i don't know if i can part with some of my old undergrad books... i feel closer to them than some of my relatives.😳 def taking my biochem text/notes etc.

 

[Flaxmoore]

I didn't use the notes during my classes, though the books periodically came in handy- parasitology and physiology in particular.

 

[pguin]

what the hell are notes??...i have pages with awesome little stick figures...but those will probably be pretty useless in med school.

Actually though I am keeping my MCAT notes...they're pretty in depth and I'm hoping to pawn some copies off to pre-meds for a few extra dollars!...people studying for MCAT's will buy anything if you tell them it will help!

 

[rachmoninov3]

Ah yes, my old MCAT stuff has gone to a nurse I work with who has decided to go to med. school. Everything else when into the "paper, cardboard, this was a tree and might be recyclable bin."

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I only take notes so as to focus my attention during lecture, ingrain that information into my head by the act of writing it down, and may (and I mean a big maybe) review it once before the test. I have never found the need or found it useful to review old notes. They make absolutely no sense to me months or years later. I'd rather just read a well-written review book that summarizes everything and refreshes my memory.

 

[Medica2010]

the only material i used from undergrad during my first year was my old biochem text...maybe ONCE when my notes weren't clear... i dont know what happened to my notes, but I never once thought of them. I like to save texts tho, just to expand my library. i also took some cool bio classes in college (ie plant taxonomy haha) that i wont see again in med school... holding on to the memories

 

[Ashers]

the only material i used from undergrad during my first year was my old biochem text...maybe ONCE when my notes weren't clear... i dont know what happened to my notes, but I never once thought of them. I like to save texts tho, just to expand my library. i also took some cool bio classes in college (ie plant taxonomy haha) that i wont see again in med school... holding on to the memories

Some non-science majors told me I was lucky to be a bio major for med school, except at my undergrad, General Bio was in the dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Bio, so it's like, "yeah, lucky if I ever need to know what kind of bugs live on different cacti or about naked mole rats." I got rid of those books, but kept my relevant elective books (immuno and endocrine phys), and some old exams and lab reports I was proud of the grade. I don't think I even referenced my cell bio book I kept.

 

[megadon]

I guess it depends on how bad your loan package is, if it's really bad, you can save in the winter by burning them.