How many hours are you in class during the first 2 years of med school

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PsychStudent

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I'm just curious whether it's more like college where you have a signif amount of study/free time or like high school where you're in class for most of the day. Thanks!
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I haven't been to class in 3 months
 
hadn't been to class in bout a month and half. it depends on your style, if going to class works for you than your going to be in class, if your more independent granted that you don't waste time than screw class and study during the day so you can have your nights pretty much free.
 
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Agree with the above. They make me show up sometimes. Other than that, classes do more to interfere with my studying, sleep, work, and recreational pursuits.
 
Pretty much 0 hours.

With the responses so far my guess is that people who actually go to class never get on SDN.
 
The only way med school resembles high school is the petty dramas and gossip that will captivate the interest of a good portion of your class. Word to the wise: steer clear of this at all costs.
 
Wow. Pretty shocked, gotta say. I am planning on attending class on a regular basis.
 
hilseb said:
Wow. Pretty shocked, gotta say. I am planning on attending class on a regular basis.
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Ahh yes, the doe-eyed undergrad! I started out that way too

By the end of second year I was mad I had to show up for "mandatory" lectures on curriculum concerns or group meetings.
 
hilseb said:
Wow. Pretty shocked, gotta say. I am planning on attending class on a regular basis.
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Yeah, that's what they all say... until about one month in, when you realize that going to class is just hurting your exam scores.
 
I'll just throw in 2 cents here. I went to about 40-50% of lectures first year which was fine, but my 2nd-year attendance has been about 90%. I don't want everyone to get the impression that not going to class is the norm. It really just comes down to your personal preference. If you're wondering how many hours of class are scheduled per day, in my first year it was about 2-3 hours, and this year it's 4 hours typically. It varies by day.
 
I compulsively attend class. Sometimes I fall asleep, most of the times I wish I hadn't gone, but if I miss a class, it means I'll have to listen to it online. The only class I ever regularly ditched was our Medical Information Management.

M1 year we had class in the morning and afternoon. M2, basically just the morning. I'd rather have lecture though than the stupid required small groups and pbl.
 
Anka said:
Yeah, that's what they all say... until about one month in, when you realize that going to class is just hurting your exam scores.
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Hey now, they don't ALL say that... I knew I'd be a homeschooler before school ever started, and I have stayed true to my aspirations for two years now ;)
 
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In the first and second year I attended classes only when we had midterms and finals (2-3 days for each course). The rest of the time, I had my roommate pick up the class notes for me and I studied on my own. I ended up going into clinicals with a 3.9 GPA.

Everyone is comfortable with a different mode of learning. I think It's best to go with what works best for you (as I did) and not worry about what all the others are doing.
 
my grade have increase exponentially as I stopped going to class more and more. 1st block 1st year, went to every class, passed all my exams but the numbers weren't too pretty. 2nd block, stopped going to everything but anatomy lecture/dissection, exam scores shot up. 3rd block, stopped going to everything except dissection (mandatory attendance), exam scores shot up again.

4th block . . . new courses so started going to everything, stopped going to biochem and neuro after 2 days but kept going to physio because I felt that I was learning (oh the evil ways your mind can decieve you), 4th block exam, marvelous in biochem and anatomy, failed physio . . .lol. stopped going to physio too and now did well in all three on the last exam.

When I am forced to go to class, either because of mandatory attendance or because I'm the notetaker, I've noticed that the majority of my classmates are not there (when I'm a notetaker at least), and the majority of those who are are not paying attention. One kid plays an online pool game every day, my good friend falls asleep in every single lecture (its actually my first memory of her, when she slept through orientation).

There are a few who genuinely benefit from classgoing, so give it a go if you have learned from a lecture in previous experiences. But acknowledge that everything changes at this volume and that your learning style may have to change too. If you find that you aren't retaining as much as you would had you been studying on your own for that hour, then stop going to class.
 
If you attended everything my school intends for you to, I estimate that it would come to ~30 hrs/wk first year. 2nd year is different - probably 15 hours a week with lots of structured self-study as well.

At the beginning of first year I went to EVERYTHING. That gradually tapered off and my grades improved. Now that I'm most of the way through 2nd year I only attend things I am required to attend and generally try to make good use of that time by being prepared for small group and being an active participant. So far, so good!
 
SoCuteMD said:
At the beginning of first year I went to EVERYTHING. That gradually tapered off and my grades improved. Now that I'm most of the way through 2nd year I only attend things I am required to attend and generally try to make good use of that time by being prepared for small group and being an active participant. So far, so good!
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This is basically my experience as well.
 
PsychStudent said:
I'm just curious whether it's more like college where you have a signif amount of study/free time or like high school where you're in class for most of the day. Thanks!
Click to expand...

It is very far removed from college or high school. As others have indicated, the amount of mandatory time is fairly low at most schools during the first two years. But the amount of material you are responsible for is absurdly high, so if you aren't in lecture, you are spending the time learning that material some other way, so I wouldn't call it "free time". Expect to treat it like a long houred, full time job (including working at least some of every weekend, if not all), and you will get the picture. So no, it isn't like high school where you attend from 9-5 and then have an hour of homework, nor is it really like college where the workload isn't that high and keeping up on the material daily isn't as critical.
You won't have a good picture of what med school is like until you start. You will adapt, and become assimilated.
 
We have 3-5 hours of class on most days. Almost always 9-12, and then sometimes afternoon sessions. Almost none of it is mandatory except some small group stuff, clinical sessions and of course exams. That being said, in my class around 70% of the people are always there and attend almost all lectures. Another 20% attend moderately (maybe half the classes) and the remaining 10% are sporadic, ranging from people who go like 2 days a week to a couple of people I only see on exam days.

I started first year going militantly to all my lectures. Everything...and I did really, really well. Then I started sleeping in like 2/3 into my first semester and missing 9am class (sometimes half of my 10am), while watching lectures later in the evening. I commute like an hour and a half each way and getting up that early is annoying. Towards the end of the first semester I basically started going only to anatomy dissection and skipping most of the lectures. My resulting grades were not as good.

This semester I've been homeschooling a lot and I find my grades have dipped significantly and aren't nearly as hot. I'm going to try going to class compulsively like I used to and see how that works out.

In summary, it all depends on your learning style. I find I learn best when I am actively paying attention in class. I focus more and for me that first exposure to the material is critical in making stuff stick. The second sweep through studying on my own glues it all into my memory banks.
 
I had about 4 mandatory hours of class time this week. Other than that there is no reason to go to class.
 
Hurricane95 said:
We have 3-5 hours of class on most days. Almost always 9-12, and then sometimes afternoon sessions. Almost none of it is mandatory except some small group stuff, clinical sessions and of course exams. That being said, in my class around 70% of the people are always there and attend almost all lectures. Another 20% attend moderately (maybe half the classes) and the remaining 10% are sporadic, ranging from people who go like 2 days a week to a couple of people I only see on exam days.

I started first year going militantly to all my lectures. Everything...and I did really, really well. Then I started sleeping in like 2/3 into my first semester and missing 9am class (sometimes half of my 10am), while watching lectures later in the evening. I commute like an hour and a half each way and getting up that early is annoying. Towards the end of the first semester I basically started going only to anatomy dissection and skipping most of the lectures. My resulting grades were not as good.

This semester I've been homeschooling a lot and I find my grades have dipped significantly and aren't nearly as hot. I'm going to try going to class compulsively like I used to and see how that works out.

In summary, it all depends on your learning style. I find I learn best when I am actively paying attention in class. I focus more and for me that first exposure to the material is critical in making stuff stick. The second sweep through studying on my own glues it all into my memory banks.
Click to expand...

If you were the girl in your avatar, I'd go to class every day. :thumbup:
 
I'm an M2. I haven't been to class at all since January (except for required stuff). The first half of M2 I went to maybe 40% of lectures. My quality of life has improved dramatically since I quit going to class. I basically have used all that time in lecture to sleep, watch TV, read, golf, and just relax. I literally probably spend 30-40% less time total on school related activities now and I'm learning everything just as well as if I were in class every day!

First year it depended on the block. Block I when I was gung-ho about class I was there every time. Second block I went to just the anatomy lectures and dissection. The last block I went to Behavioral Science (I was about the only person there it seemed like) and never went to neuroscience lecture.

Basically, you need to do what you're confortable with. Don't worry about missing class. That's what I struggled with....I was afraid I was going to miss something important that was left out of the notepack. Don't feel bad about skipping class as longas you're disciplined enough to stay caught up on the material.

If your school uploads lecture audio onto the website DO NOT GO! Instead take those lectures and play them at 1.5-2X speed. You'll hear every word, and you can do it in your boxers.
 
For those that claim "0 hours," are you saying that you only show up at the medical school a couple times a month to take exams? Nothing else? Damn. I have mandatory attendance for something at least 4 days a week.
 
TheMightyAngus said:
For those that claim "0 hours," are you saying that you only show up at the medical school a couple times a month to take exams? Nothing else? Damn. I have mandatory attendance for something at least 4 days a week.
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I have about 4'ish hours of mandatory classtime a month. Thats all I go to aside from exams.
 
It wouldd have been nice (since we're on an "honor code") if they had let us take our exams from home.
 
soeagerun2or said:
It wouldd have been nice (since we're on an "honor code") if they had let us take our exams from home.
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Some places with true honor codes allow this, but the 'honor codes' in most places are a joke.
 
Tired Pigeon said:
Some places with true honor codes allow this, but the 'honor codes' in most places are a joke.
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Yeah a friend of mine went to Harvey Mudd (sp?) and they took all their tests at home. Timed and everything - I thought that was pretty weird.
 
alwaysaangel said:
Yeah a friend of mine went to Harvey Mudd (sp?) and they took all their tests at home. Timed and everything - I thought that was pretty weird.
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I think Mizzou does this as well. (University of Missouri SOM) Maybe they have to take their test in the library or on a school computer, but they do it when they want to, rather than in a testing center.
 
alwaysaangel said:
Yeah a friend of mine went to Harvey Mudd (sp?) and they took all their tests at home. Timed and everything - I thought that was pretty weird.
Click to expand...

At my undergrad we took many timed, closed-book, take home exams. If anyone even considered cheating, they never spoke of it. I :biglove: strong honor codes, but I think it really has to be in the right environment - my med school has an "honor code" but it's only mentioned once (during orientation) and I don't even think there's an Honor Committee/Council to back it up.
 
Tired Pigeon said:
Some places with true honor codes allow this, but the 'honor codes' in most places are a joke.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they've gotten antsy at my school when too many of us go to the bathroom at once or once over bringing water bottles into the test, lol. I can just picture them letting us take it at home ;)
 
TheMightyAngus said:
For those that claim "0 hours," are you saying that you only show up at the medical school a couple times a month to take exams? Nothing else? Damn. I have mandatory attendance for something at least 4 days a week.
Click to expand...

Wow, that sucks.


At my school, you usually have to go once a week for our clinical medicine class -- this is either class in the afternoon or a weekly preceptorship with a local doctor. However, you can do overnight hospital rotations in exchange for the preceptorship, giving you weeks of no PCM. Other than that, we usually just have maybe 8 mandatory attendance sessions a test block (3 test blocks a semester). Unfortunately, those mandatory sessions are all scheduled in the weeks right before exams. :( We also had this lame evidence based medicine class that only lasted one test block but had 6 required sessions where we had to do work in teams. That's sort of a one time thing, though.

I don't know about second year, but I know it's nothing like 4 times a week. :eek:
 
Ashers said:
I compulsively attend class. Sometimes I fall asleep, most of the times I wish I hadn't gone, but if I miss a class, it means I'll have to listen to it online. The only class I ever regularly ditched was our Medical Information Management.

M1 year we had class in the morning and afternoon. M2, basically just the morning. I'd rather have lecture though than the stupid required small groups and pbl.
Click to expand...

Same here. I'm a class addict.
 
I couldn't have said it better...unfortunately i need that first (auditory) exposure. and we go to class from 8-3 most days. : (
 
Hurricane95 said:
We have 3-5 hours of class on most days. Almost always 9-12, and then sometimes afternoon sessions. Almost none of it is mandatory except some small group stuff, clinical sessions and of course exams. That being said, in my class around 70% of the people are always there and attend almost all lectures. Another 20% attend moderately (maybe half the classes) and the remaining 10% are sporadic, ranging from people who go like 2 days a week to a couple of people I only see on exam days.

I started first year going militantly to all my lectures. Everything...and I did really, really well. Then I started sleeping in like 2/3 into my first semester and missing 9am class (sometimes half of my 10am), while watching lectures later in the evening. I commute like an hour and a half each way and getting up that early is annoying. Towards the end of the first semester I basically started going only to anatomy dissection and skipping most of the lectures. My resulting grades were not as good.

This semester I've been homeschooling a lot and I find my grades have dipped significantly and aren't nearly as hot. I'm going to try going to class compulsively like I used to and see how that works out.

In summary, it all depends on your learning style. I find I learn best when I am actively paying attention in class. I focus more and for me that first exposure to the material is critical in making stuff stick. The second sweep through studying on my own glues it all into my memory banks.
Click to expand...


I couldn't have said it better...unfortunately i need that first (auditory) exposure. and we go to class from 8-3 most days. : (
 
we go to class 8-5 for 5 days in a week. pretty boring. i just go to school to just sleep and go back home to study... how ironic could that get?!
 
hilseb said:
Wow. Pretty shocked, gotta say. I am planning on attending class on a regular basis.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I started out doing that, but when you start falling asleep in one lecture after another and then feel the need to take a nap in the afternoon because you're dozing off in your textbooks, you start changing stuff. I skipped all the Monday lectures, went to the physiology lab (optional, but most people go), I went to two of our three classes today, and all I plan to attend tomorrow is our small group PBL. I still come to school 5-7 days a week, but I skip a lot of classes.
 
Some of you are a bit arrogant saying there’s no reason to attend class
 
sacallaco said:
Some of you are a bit arrogant saying there’s no reason to attend class
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:rolleyes: It's pretty much assumed that they mean "FOR ME, there is no reason to attend class." At my school, every lecture is recorded as an MP3 and posted online along with the Powerpoint used for that lecture, our co-op takes notes for every class (and I have the co-ops for the last 4 years on CD, because a lot of profs give the same presentation each year), and we get complete notesets for each class. Furthermore, our physiology class follows the textbook VERY closely, so you can just read that for concept clarification.
 
sacallaco said:
Some of you are a bit arrogant saying there’s no reason to attend class
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Who are you to call me arrogant for skipping class? Sounds pretty arrogant.

Anka
 
Anka said:
Who are you to call me arrogant for skipping class? Sounds pretty arrogant.

Anka
Click to expand...

I didn’t point out anybody, Anka. And did I say skip class once in a while? No. It’s the “there’s no reason to attend class” attitude.
 
similar to prowler there is no reason to attend to class, unless you truly feel you learn better that way. All of our intereactive learning is in small groups which are mandatory & all of the lectures are videoed & uploaded online with the ppt so you can watch at your leisure. I loved the flexiility of not having ot be in class & it was much more efficient to watch at home.
 
sacallaco said:
I didn’t point out anybody, Anka. And did I say skip class once in a while? No. It’s the “there’s no reason to attend class” attitude.
Click to expand...

I do not believe there is any reason to attend class. Therefore, I will represent [however arrogantly] that "attitude". So, once again, WHO ARE YOU to tell me it's arrogant? Who are you to tell me how I should learn?

Anka
 
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