How to prepare for medical school

[alamo4]

I do not understand the "enjoy yourself, do something else" statements. I enjoy myself by learning new things about medicine, and my future patients deserve me spending time being a medicine geek more than they want me playing beer pong. Studying hard is a way of respecting your patients.

I did some pre-studying on stuff I enjoyed, and it was a great idea. It was that much less new material I had to learn later, and I realized the level of difficulty I was going to be facing by doing some step 1 practice exams. There was no way I was going to get to the level I needed just reading stuff on my own, but it put me on my way. The more you see something, the better you understand it and the less stressed out you are about it.

It's given me more time to spend time on research as well.

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[Renaissance Man]

I do not understand the "enjoy yourself, do something else" statements. I enjoy myself by learning new things about medicine, and my future patients deserve me spending time being a medicine geek more than they want me playing beer pong. Studying hard is a way of respecting your patients.

I did some pre-studying on stuff I enjoyed, and it was a great idea. It was that much less new material I had to learn later, and I realized the level of difficulty I was going to be facing by doing some step 1 practice exams.

Many doctors, after helping patients, contribute their success to pre-studying and step 1 practice exams completed before the start of medical school. Only the best doctors I might add.

 

[D elegans]

I do not understand the "enjoy yourself, do something else" statements. I enjoy myself by learning new things about medicine, and my future patients deserve me spending time being a medicine geek more than they want me playing beer pong. Studying hard is a way of respecting your patients.

I did some pre-studying on stuff I enjoyed, and it was a great idea. It was that much less new material I had to learn later, and I realized the level of difficulty I was going to be facing by doing some step 1 practice exams. There was no way I was going to get to the level I needed just reading stuff on my own, but it put me on my way. The more you see something, the better you understand it and the less stressed out you are about it.

It's given me more time to spend time on research as well.

lol

 

[fahimaz7]

I do not understand the "enjoy yourself, do something else" statements. I enjoy myself by learning new things about medicine, and my future patients deserve me spending time being a medicine geek more than they want me playing beer pong. Studying hard is a way of respecting your patients.

I did some pre-studying on stuff I enjoyed, and it was a great idea. It was that much less new material I had to learn later, and I realized the level of difficulty I was going to be facing by doing some step 1 practice exams. There was no way I was going to get to the level I needed just reading stuff on my own, but it put me on my way. The more you see something, the better you understand it and the less stressed out you are about it.

It's given me more time to spend time on research as well.

This is true. I think the only way to develop into a good physician is to hit the ground running. Get started during the freshman year of medical school and start taking step 1 practice tests. Buy something like USMLErx and start highlighting the important topics and concepts from Gen chem, Organic chem, Biochem, Physics, and that all important anthropology/psych/or sociology class. Pay attention to that one, it's super high yield.

If you do this, you'll be perfectly prepared to pre-study during the pre-matriculation period. You'll already have First Aid for step 1 and step 2 outlined and annotated and you will be sitting pretty to understand glycolysis and the name of bones during that first semester in medical school.

 

[KnuxNole]

Do people really think that "OMG I need to study every page for MAH PATIENTS" is real, or just an exaggeration? I dunno, if I heard that from someone, it would seem kinda tool-ish. Your future patients deserve that you know the material. It doesn't matter if you played beer pong over the summer before that, or if you spent 5 hours a day reading your class syllabus. As long as you know the material and able to apply that to the clinical setting when needed, it doesn't matter what you do for you free time.

It's awesome to study very hard. Noone in saying that enjoying the summer off means this isn't possible when school starts.

 

[ManBroDude]

First year here. Chiming in with what the majority of my classmates are telling me:

Buy a medical terminology textbook and go through it.
Take only the classes that interest you. Anatomy is not required but can help.
Don't buy every text book. There will be a lot of pdf book sharing as well as notes passing-on from your big sib.
Work on your humanistic side (clearly your science muscles have been flexed). Read some "soft" books. Try Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures or something like that.
Get in shape.
Learn to cook.
Lawyer up, delete facebook, and hit the gym (jk).

 

[ArcGurren]

Many doctors, after helping patients, contribute their success to pre-studying and step 1 practice exams completed before the start of medical school. Only the best doctors I might add.

Oh just shut up for christ's sake

 

[ArcGurren]

I do not understand the "enjoy yourself, do something else" statements. I enjoy myself by learning new things about medicine, and my future patients deserve me spending time being a medicine geek more than they want me playing beer pong. Studying hard is a way of respecting your patients.

I did some pre-studying on stuff I enjoyed, and it was a great idea. It was that much less new material I had to learn later, and I realized the level of difficulty I was going to be facing by doing some step 1 practice exams. There was no way I was going to get to the level I needed just reading stuff on my own, but it put me on my way. The more you see something, the better you understand it and the less stressed out you are about it.

It's given me more time to spend time on research as well.

So you can either be a total nerd devoted to medicine or you have to be a bro who spends all their time drinking and playing beer pong? Splitting much?

 

[Renaissance Man]

Oh just shut up for christ's sake

Internet is serious business for you I guess? Relax champ.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Trying to pre-study is not worth it.

Moving to pre-allo.

 

[Aerus]

Now that I'm a second year, the thought of studying before school started seems laughably absurd. What paltry handful of factoids I might have acquired with "studying" on the summer off would have been completely insignificant when stacked up with the massive amount of info that was dropped on me in the first week.

DO NOT DO IT; IT IS NOT GOING TO HELP

This.

While I'm not a medical student, my friend who are in medical school are strong advocates AGAINST pre-studying.

The sheer amount of information you are going to be blasted with the first few weeks will more than likely be more than what you pre-studied. Giving up the truly last free summer of your life just to get a week or two ahead isn't worth it.

The people who tell you that pre-studying is good either are trying to justify wasting their summer by somehow trying to make themselves feel better on an anonymous forum (AKA pre-studying failed for them but they don't want to feel dumb) or really really spent every waking moment locked up in their rooms during the summer.

You don't want either to happen to you, so don't pre-study. Period.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Why do like 20 people ask this every year....

 

[Redpancreas]

Why do like 20 people ask this every year....

Maybe they think if they spend less time studying in medical school they'll have more time to get girls.

 

[theherowedeserv]

naps

 

[ComfortCreature]

sex.

If I get accepted this cycle, this is the only advice I'm taking.

EDIT: Also probably going to try to get in shape, too.

 

[zoner]

Hi everyone

I have till next august to do something productive. I have a really good paying job right now that is low stress and gives me a lot of free time. I also have a pretty good balanced life right now with a workout routine, balanced/good diet, fun weekends and have a couple abroad trips planned before next august. I am also done with all my classes/school. I will be going to med school in south Florida and I don't speak a word of Spanish.

Can anyone recommend me some books that I can study before next august? I know everyone on here just seems to think that I should just have fun, but I already do plenty of that and I would like more balanced life with some productive studying in there. Should I start learning Spanish? Pick up Netter's Atlas? Lipp? Biochem review book?

Thanks in advance.

 

[niki9]

Hi everyone

I have till next august to do something productive. I have a really good paying job right now that is low stress and gives me a lot of free time. I also have a pretty good balanced life right now with a workout routine, balanced/good diet, fun weekends and have a couple abroad trips planned before next august. I am also done with all my classes/school. I will be going to med school in south Florida and I don't speak a word of Spanish.

Can anyone recommend me some books that I can study before next august? I know everyone on here just seems to think that I should just have fun, but I already do plenty of that and I would like more balanced life with some productive studying in there. Should I start learning Spanish? Pick up Netter's Atlas? Lipp? Biochem review book?

Thanks in advance.

I'm asking for a Rosetta stone for the holidays to start learning Spanish. I think this will be the only thing I plan do to prep for next year.

 

[zoner]

I'm asking for a Rosetta stone for the holidays to start learning Spanish. I think this will be the only thing I plan do to prep for next year.

Great idea

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using SDN Mobile

 

[princessbooty]

Be neurotic about everything

 

[alamo4]

Hi everyone

Can anyone recommend me some books that I can study before next august? I know everyone on here just seems to think that I should just have fun, but I already do plenty of that and I would like more balanced life with some productive studying in there. Should I start learning Spanish? Pick up Netter's Atlas? Lipp? Biochem review book?

Thanks in advance.

The Netter's Clinical Anatomy or Gosling Anatomy as they are more conversational and didactic. It's incredibly hard to learn the relationships and clinical associations from just trying to blast through an atlas. The Acland videos are awesome too.

Lippincott's Biochemistry is pretty good, easy to read and straightforward. Probably will have good overlap with your school curriculum.

 

[alamo4]

Hi everyone

Can anyone recommend me some books that I can study before next august? I know everyone on here just seems to think that I should just have fun, but I already do plenty of that and I would like more balanced life with some productive studying in there. Should I start learning Spanish? Pick up Netter's Atlas? Lipp? Biochem review book?

Thanks in advance.

Also maybe Sidman's Neuroanatomy to go through on your own as it is designed for self learning in the first place.

 

[VictorAlpha]

Check This...

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=95608