How much of this will you actually remember?

[MEG@COOL]

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This question is in regard to the information learned in your med school science classes. Do you actually think that youll remember most of it for a long time or the rest of your life?

 

[Syranope2]

This question is in regard to the information learned in your med school science classes. Do you actually think that youll remember most of it for a long time or the rest of your life?

very little. i'm a third year and i've already forgotten most of it. honestly 😳

 

[fun8stuff]

This question is in regard to the information learned in your med school science classes. Do you actually think that youll remember most of it for a long time or the rest of your life?

doesn't the quote go, "we'll forget more than most people will ever know"

 

[NonTradMed]

I don't remember half the stuff I learned in college already. 😀

However, I think the idea is to lay a foundation for whatever we want to do in medicine. One of the 4th years, who was TAing my gross anatomy class, mentioned that a lot of surgery hopefuls TAed for the class since they need to relearn some of the gross stuff for surgical resident, so while some people may never need the stuff we learn now, if we do need it in the future, it's easy to pick it up again. Ditto with stuff like algebra. Many will never need it, but it's amazing when and who ends up using the skills acquired in that class.


At least this is what I'm telling myself as I'm cramming gross tonight. 😳

 

[veenut]

i didn't remember any of my cell bio from college until i started biochem in med school. now i find that when i come across something familiar, it does kind of ring a bell somewhere in the back of my mind and that old knowledge i had forgotten about slowly comes back to me...

it's probably the same deal with med school. there's no way i'm going to remember the more minute details of anatomy, but it'll be that much easier to learn the clinical stuff with that background...

 

[cfdavid]

i didn't remember any of my cell bio from college until i started biochem in med school. now i find that when i come across something familiar, it does kind of ring a bell somewhere in the back of my mind and that old knowledge i had forgotten about slowly comes back to me...

it's probably the same deal with med school. there's no way i'm going to remember the more minute details of anatomy, but it'll be that much easier to learn the clinical stuff with that background...

I feel the same way. Sure, we'll forget a lot of this stuff. But, if you ever need to brush up, it'll come back pretty fast. Also, it's part of developing an "awareness" for the complexity of things. Although, one may not remember the details, at least you'll be more inclined to research something before making the decision that it's a "simple" problem.

 

[njbmd]

This question is in regard to the information learned in your med school science classes. Do you actually think that youll remember most of it for a long time or the rest of your life?

"How much you remember" from your medical school classes is not so much of an issue as "how much did you learn in the first place". Anything that you do not use regularly will become a part of distant memory as long as you learned it in the first place. Is this a problem? No, because if something is in your distant or long-term memory, you can recall it with review.

You are going to find that when you begin to review for USMLE Step I at the end of your second year, it is far easier to recall what you have LEARNED in the first place then to try to do a major learning feat at this time. This is why daily review and systematic mastery of your coursework makes REVIEW so much easier amd the last-minute "exam cram" is counter-productive and contributes more to test anxiety than actual mastery.

Things that you use daily, you tend to remember and recall easily. When you need to recall material from your first year coursework during second year, a brief review will help you accomplish this. When you need to recall the pathological principles of your patient's disease process, you may need to review some of your pathology notes or a pathology text during third year.

As a surgical intern reviewing for ABSITE (American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam), I found myself consulting some of my review books for Biochemistry and Pathology. The important thing was not so much that I could actually remember some of those little facts and factoids from my medical school classes but that I could reveiw, recall and enhance them with my knowledge acquired since taking those courses.

I had no difficulty walking into the Gross Anatomy lab on the day of my first lab practical and identifying the structures tagged by my instructors at the time. If I had to do the same thing today without a review, I would likely not do as well on that test. With a bit of review (would take less time than learning all of those structures in the first place), I would likely do better than my first lab practical because I now have the added experience of four years of surgical residency.

Bottom line: You will do something of a "data dump" at the end of each or your classes. This is not something to be too concerned about because you are going to get ample time to revisit your "dumped" subject matter when you review for boards. You are also going to continue to build upon your knowledge foundatation as you move through medical school, into residency and into practice. If you have diligently studied and learned your material in the first place, a review is all you are going to need for recall.

 

[D30417995]

"How much you remember" from your medical school classes is not so much of an issue as "how much did you learn in the first place". Anything that you do not use regularly will become a part of distant memory as long as you learned it in the first place. Is this a problem? No, because if something is in your distant or long-term memory, you can recall it with review.

You are going to find that when you begin to review for USMLE Step I at the end of your second year, it is far easier to recall what you have LEARNED in the first place then to try to do a major learning feat at this time. This is why daily review and systematic mastery of your coursework makes REVIEW so much easier amd the last-minute "exam cram" is counter-productive and contributes more to test anxiety than actual mastery.

Things that you use daily, you tend to remember and recall easily. When you need to recall material from your first year coursework during second year, a brief review will help you accomplish this. When you need to recall the pathological principles of your patient's disease process, you may need to review some of your pathology notes or a pathology text during third year.

As a surgical intern reviewing for ABSITE (American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam), I found myself consulting some of my review books for Biochemistry and Pathology. The important thing was not so much that I could actually remember some of those little facts and factoids from my medical school classes but that I could reveiw, recall and enhance them with my knowledge acquired since taking those courses.

I had no difficulty walking into the Gross Anatomy lab on the day of my first lab practical and identifying the structures tagged by my instructors at the time. If I had to do the same thing today without a review, I would likely not do as well on that test. With a bit of review (would take less time than learning all of those structures in the first place), I would likely do better than my first lab practical because I now have the added experience of four years of surgical residency.

Bottom line: You will do something of a "data dump" at the end of each or your classes. This is not something to be too concerned about because you are going to get ample time to revisit your "dumped" subject matter when you review for boards. You are also going to continue to build upon your knowledge foundatation as you move through medical school, into residency and into practice. If you have diligently studied and learned your material in the first place, a review is all you are going to need for recall.

very true 👍

 

[Shredder]

doesn't the quote go, "we'll forget more than most people will ever know"

That's a great line, going on my facebook. Irks me actually--I ponder if this is the most efficient way of learning and training docs. I would be in favor of more specialization early on. As a college econ major, it seems silly to learn all of this and use so little ultimately. I'm attaching a naivete clause though.

 

[Igor]

"half of everything we learned in med school wrong. Problem is we don't know which half."

The stuff that's important you remember, the rest just sits in your head until you need it.

I use most of the stuff I learned in physiology, path and biochem almost every day. I have no idea what the blood supply to the shoulder is.

My collegues in ortho could probably tell me every tendon and muscle's name, origin and insertion. When they explain stuff to me, I tend to understand without too much trouble.

You'd be suprised how much is actually in your head when you need it.

 

[ijcMD]

"half of everything we learned in med school wrong. Problem is we don't know which half."

The stuff that's important you remember, the rest just sits in your head until you need it.

I use most of the stuff I learned in physiology, path and biochem almost every day. I have no idea what the blood supply to the shoulder is.

My collegues in ortho could probably tell me every tendon and muscle's name, origin and insertion. When they explain stuff to me, I tend to understand without too much trouble.

You'd be suprised how much is actually in your head when you need it.

you stole my post... i was going to use that quote

 

[Igor]

Didn't steal it on purpose. Great minds think alike.

 

[45408]

A surgeon guest-lecturer on the hand/wrist was walking around our anatomy lab after he had lectured, and someone asked him something about the brachial plexus. He kinda laughed and said he pretty much forgot everything above the elbow. He's the chair of a department and all kinds of good stuff, but how likely is it that someone would pimp him on the cranial nerves? 😛

 

[Law2Doc]

I would be in favor of more specialization early on. As a college econ major, it seems silly to learn all of this and use so little ultimately. I'm attaching a naivete clause though.

How can you possibly specialize until you've seen anything? Basic science years are just foundation years -- you get negligible exposure to most specialties. So that just leaves 3rd year rotations to give you some overview of the possible specialties. It is the extremely rare person who knows what they want to go into when they start med school -- and rarer still if they end up being correct -- the vast majority of people will change their minds at least once in the course of their med school education. So no, earlier specialtization would be a really bad idea, and create a ton of people who are unhappy down the road. It would actually be nicer if there was time to do a few more rotations than most places currently are able to, before having to decide on a specialty and apply.

 

[Shredder]

Most ppl who choose what kind of docs to be based solely on 3rd yr end up regretting it anyway. It's one thing to do a rotation, it's another thing to make something a vocation. Even if your premise is true, they should provide an opt out clause for ppl who are willing to dive into something head first to avoid learning redundant things. At some point everyone has to make decisions on what to be, and that can be put off indefinitely even if there is a 3rd yr, 4th yr or whatever year during which ppl are supposed to be making that decision. Nothing eliminates the risk of regrets. Also, nothing is a one way street--ppl can always rewind and start down another path even if it does entail some short term loss

 

[Law2Doc]

Most ppl who choose what kind of docs to be based solely on 3rd yr end up regretting it anyway. It's one thing to do a rotation, it's another thing to make something a vocation. Even if your premise is true, they should provide an opt out clause for ppl who are willing to dive into something head first to avoid learning redundant things. At some point everyone has to make decisions on what to be, and that can be put off indefinitely even if there is a 3rd yr, 4th yr or whatever year during which ppl are supposed to be making that decision. Nothing eliminates the risk of regrets. Also, nothing is a one way street--ppl can always rewind and start down another path even if it does entail some short term loss

You get far more exposure to multiple fields during third year than in the prior two years. The VAST majority of people who come into med school thinking they know what they like change their minds and this most often occurs in 3rd year, when they actually are on the wards, seeing things and working with physicians in those fields. Sure every one has to make a decision at some point, but you will find you have fewer regrets about the decisions you make as you get older than the ones you made in your youth -- with age comes wisdom for many (or at least your decision making methodology gets better with experience, if you prefer). Hence the requirement to specialize should be pushed out at least as far as it is now.

 

[McMD]

i didn't remember any of my cell bio from college until i started biochem in med school. now i find that when i come across something familiar, it does kind of ring a bell somewhere in the back of my mind and that old knowledge i had forgotten about slowly comes back to me...

it's probably the same deal with med school. there's no way i'm going to remember the more minute details of anatomy, but it'll be that much easier to learn the clinical stuff with that background...

Ha...today my teacher forgot what LPS stood for in gram-negative bacteria...and for some reason, I remembered from sophmore-undergrad and blurted out "LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE"...my friend started laughing. So my remark was followed with "I love bacteria!"

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

Most ppl who choose what kind of docs to be based solely on 3rd yr end up regretting it anyway. It's one thing to do a rotation, it's another thing to make something a vocation. Even if your premise is true, they should provide an opt out clause for ppl who are willing to dive into something head first to avoid learning redundant things. At some point everyone has to make decisions on what to be, and that can be put off indefinitely even if there is a 3rd yr, 4th yr or whatever year during which ppl are supposed to be making that decision. Nothing eliminates the risk of regrets. Also, nothing is a one way street--ppl can always rewind and start down another path even if it does entail some short term loss

Disagree. What separates us from technicians in the various specialties is the fact that we've been exposed to different fields and so have the broad background to recognize problems and create plans that aren't standard.

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

"half of everything we learned in med school wrong. Problem is we don't know which half."

I remember hearing this quote in first year, and now that I'm a 3rd year, I can see that while this may be true, probably 90% of the stuff you learn in the first two years is right.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

You know, people say they forget most stuff and I think that is someone true. But you'd be suprised what a sort of global sense of physiology, anatomy, pathology, and pharmacology you can walk into 3rd year with. The best word is "gestalt."


Two examples:

Will you remember all of the histo and physio of the kidney? No.
But will you be suprise when someone with a high Creatinine also has high K+ and Phos? No.

Will you recall all the ins and outs of respiratory physiology and the diffusion of gases? No.
But will you be able to comprehend why inc FiO2 helps shrink a pneumothorax? Yep.


It's one of those things where you have to crawl before you can walk. If you don't believe me run a typical medicine or surgery morning rounds presentation by one of your non-medical friends.

 

[Callogician]

njbmd: Thanks for the advice. I will definitely take advantage of your experience.

 

[bjackrian]

You know, people say they forget most stuff and I think that is someone true. But you'd be suprised what a sort of global sense of physiology, anatomy, pathology, and pharmacology you can walk into 3rd year with. The best word is "gestalt."


Two examples:

Will you remember all of the histo and physio of the kidney? No.
But will you be suprise when someone with a high Creatinine also has high K+ and Phos? No.

Will you recall all the ins and outs of respiratory physiology and the diffusion of gases? No.
But will you be able to comprehend why inc FiO2 helps shrink a pneumothorax? Yep.


It's one of those things where you have to crawl before you can walk. If you don't believe me run a typical medicine or surgery morning rounds presentation by one of your non-medical friends.

Great description. 👍 👍