How you study?

[Avelox]

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I was just wondering, for first and second year of medical school, how do most people study? Is it mostly based on attending lectures? studying notes at home countless times? Reading the text?

For someone entering this upcoming fall, what would be recommended if you wanna just get ahead a little ... is there a way to look at online notes before hand?

 

[arsenewenger]

I was just wondering, for first and second year of medical school, how do most people study? Is it mostly based on attending lectures? studying notes at home countless times? Reading the text?

For someone entering this upcoming fall, what would be recommended if you wanna just get ahead a little ... is there a way to look at online notes before hand?

You can't get ahead by using someone else's studying technique/style;you've got to find your own niche. When you get to the bridge, you would know how to cross it. Just relax, get off SDN and you should be fine.

 

[Avelox]

You can't get ahead by using someone else's studying technique/style;you've got to find your own niche. When you get to the bridge, you would know how to cross it. Just relax, get off SDN and you should be fine.

Well I know everyone is different but I'm just talking in generalities. But more importantly, I'm just wondering do some people not even attend lecture and just study notes/text? Do people even read text or is it mostly just notes from lecture and such?

 

[dd128]

I see so many people on sdn wanting to "get ahead" for the upcoming first year of med school. From what I hear you're going to be studying like you never have before pretty soon, so maybe you should just enjoy these last few months of freedom? If you really need to do something academic I'd look into pre-matriculation programs. Personally I'll be working, sleeping in late on the weekends, and hanging out with my friends as I'm afraid I may not seem them for some time after august

 

[bodonid]

Well, I agree with the 'having fun before matriculation' bit, but a lot of people in our situation are working, and are already out of school, just wanting some book or website that we can read for an hour every other day to somehow try and tie ourselves to the fall; more to build self-confidence than to actually 'get ahead'. Most of us are groping around in the dark, and just want something broad and comprehensible to students who have not started medical school yet.

I have read a good bit of nonfiction about medical school and residency, and personally I'd like to read something academic that isn't JAMA or undergrad Biochemistry. (but I don't see myself busting out Robbins, either)

Get my drift?

 

[Slide]

Well, I agree with the 'having fun before matriculation' bit, but a lot of people in our situation are working, and are already out of school, just wanting some book or website that we can read for an hour every other day to somehow try and tie ourselves to the fall; more to build self-confidence than to actually 'get ahead'. Most of us are groping around in the dark, and just want something broad and comprehensible to students who have not started medical school yet.

I have read a good bit of nonfiction about medical school and residency, and personally I'd like to read something academic that isn't JAMA or undergrad Biochemistry. (but I don't see myself busting out Robbins, either)

Get my drift?

If you really want a good read of something, get a book on psychiatry or physiology that isn't very hard to read. But honestly, I wouldn't even bother. When school starts, you'll be regretting that time spent reading and wished you'd had spent it doing nothing. Once the intensity known as M1 year begins, it will rarely let up, and even when it does, you'll have that urging feeling to go study (and it's a terrible feeling).

I was just wondering, for first and second year of medical school, how do most people study? Is it mostly based on attending lectures? studying notes at home countless times? Reading the text?

For someone entering this upcoming fall, what would be recommended if you wanna just get ahead a little ... is there a way to look at online notes before hand?

If you want a general way of how people study M1 year, it involves lots of repitition, active learning, and keeping up every day. If you want something more than that, that goes into individual specifics and study strategies that you're better off figuring out once school does start. Don't start greying your hairs before school starts, you'll have two years to do so.

 

[Avelox]

Erm I know what you guys are saying and such but I do have a lot of downtime and would just like to see what I'm getting into in advance. I don't mean I'm gonna go study in the library for 5 hours before i enter school but I like to read at night anyway so I figure I have could just glance at what awaits me. I've been trying to get on like the class websites for med school, but most of them are password protected 👎.

More importantly tho, I get its a lot of repetition and all that jazz but I'm wonder what is it repetetion OF. Do some students just not bother with lecture entirely? Do people study with lecture notes or do people study primarily from books

 

[TRKATK]

I study primarily from the notes. IF the notes don't suffice you supplement with the text. The only "textbooks" I purchased were HY.

Repetition could be the same material presented in a different context.

The material to learn is not hard conceptually. It's the volume and application of the material.

If you want to get ahead make sure you get a lot of rest so you are not burned out half way in the year. You can't go wrong going over biochemistry.

 

[njbmd]

I was just wondering, for first and second year of medical school, how do most people study? Is it mostly based on attending lectures? studying notes at home countless times? Reading the text?

For someone entering this upcoming fall, what would be recommended if you wanna just get ahead a little ... is there a way to look at online notes before hand?

If you have been accepted to medical school and decided where you will be attending then chill out. Whatever got you into medical school will keep you there with some minor "tweaking" to take care of the volume of material that you must master.

There is no "get ahead" or "pre-studying" that is going to have any major significance on your grades once you start medical school. Being rested, relaxed and ready to deal with each task as it comes, will help you most in the long run.

People who find themselves in trouble often attempt to change or "fix" things that don't need fixing. The major reason that most people fail in medical school is that something (illness, procrastination, relationships and other things) keep them from putting in the study time that the curriculum demands.


Make your life as simple as possible (find a place to live, stockpile money).

Rest and relax because you won't have loads of time for this once school starts.

Get rid of your "pre-med" syndrome because it is counter to making a smooth transition into the professional school environment.

 

[Avelox]

I dont mean to be mean but you guys repeating the same lecture and I know you guys are WAY more experienced than I am and just trying to help but I'm just saying I do like to read at night and would like it to be something that might be somewhat beneficial for medical school. Even if it makes a 1/1000000000000000000 difference.. its not that I wanna get ahead that was a bad choice of words. I just would like to do it.

Also, that was just a secondary question, what I was really asking primarily was about how people study. Not individual or in a group or what not, but is studying MOSTLY based on notes and lectures? Can you not read the text for the most part? Stuff like that.

 

[Mariah246]

I dont mean to be mean but you guys repeating the same lecture and I know you guys are WAY more experienced than I am and just trying to help but I'm just saying I do like to read at night and would like it to be something that might be somewhat beneficial for medical school. Even if it makes a 1/1000000000000000000 difference.. its not that I wanna get ahead that was a bad choice of words. I just would like to do it.

Also, that was just a secondary question, what I was really asking primarily was about how people study. Not individual or in a group or what not, but is studying MOSTLY based on notes and lectures? Can you not read the text for the most part? Stuff like that.

Here's how I did it. It worked VERY well.

1) Went to every lecture.
2) Studied the syllabus material in the evening.
3) Studied the PPs in the evening.
4) Briefly studied ONE review text covering that day's lecture material. (Pick the briefest review book possible. Each school/student will have their own recommendations. Don't even consider using a textbook. Way too much garbage material)
5) Briefly studied the frontnotes/backnotes.
6) Went over the syllabus one more time before sleeping.
7) Went over the PP one more time before sleeping if I could.
8) Rinse, wash, and repeat for the next day.

In short, it's tedious. It's strenuous. It flat out stinks. Wait until school actually starts to get started. There is no need to torture yourself any earlier than you have to.

The reason why people are discouraging you from getting started any earlier? I have classmates who studied much harder than I did. (And I think the pathway I posted above is pretty nasty already) You can get started early and while it won't hurt, it won't give you any leg up. Everyone is going to be studying hard when med school starts and any advantage you have will be quickly gobbled up. I'm talking within the 1st week. If that.

 

[sirus_virus]

I was just wondering, for first and second year of medical school, how do most people study? Is it mostly based on attending lectures? studying notes at home countless times? Reading the text?

For someone entering this upcoming fall, what would be recommended if you wanna just get ahead a little ... is there a way to look at online notes before hand?

Spend this time reading about the non academic aspects of medicine. Legal stuff, financial stuff, politics of medicine, differences between specialties, debt management, people skills etc..
Some of those things you might never get the opportunity to learn for a long time.

 

[HEADintheCLOUDS]

Here's how I did it. It worked VERY well.

1) Went to every lecture.
2) Studied the syllabus material in the evening.
3) Studied the PPs in the evening.
4) Briefly studied ONE review text covering that day's lecture material. (Pick the briefest review book possible. Each school/student will have their own recommendations. Don't even consider using a textbook. Way too much garbage material)
5) Briefly studied the frontnotes/backnotes.
6) Went over the syllabus one more time before sleeping.
7) Went over the PP one more time before sleeping if I could.
8) Rinse, wash, and repeat for the next day.

In short, it's tedious. It's strenuous. It flat out stinks. Wait until school actually starts to get started. There is no need to torture yourself any earlier than you have to.

The reason why people are discouraging you from getting started any earlier? I have classmates who studied much harder than I did. (And I think the pathway I posted above is pretty nasty already) You can get started early and while it won't hurt, it won't give you any leg up. Everyone is going to be studying hard when med school starts and any advantage you have will be quickly gobbled up. I'm talking within the 1st week. If that.

Yeah take the time to have fun. I tried to study early before school started and ended up buring out within a week or two of school starting (orientation and 1st days etc really are tedious) and so I got behind like 3 weeks. Just start studying when school starts and keep with it.

I currently study like this:

1.read the next days lecture the night before (actuallt try to teach yourself)
2.go to lecture (should be a review since you learned it last night)
3.read that days lecture notes after lecture (to pick up what you didnt remmeber from the review/lecture)
4. pre-read the next days lecture
5. rinse and repeat

Weekends---SAT--Read the lecture notes all over once more
SUN--read it once more-- + pre-read mondays lecture notes!

Havent taken a test yet with this new schedule that I am using but I will let you know. I am taking a neuro-test this friday and Ill let you know how this schedule works out on the other side!

 

[TRKATK]

I currently study like this:

1.read the next days lecture the night before (actuallt try to teach yourself)
2.go to lecture (should be a review since you learned it last night)
3.read that days lecture notes after lecture (to pick up what you didnt remmeber from the review/lecture)
4. pre-read the next days lecture
5. rinse and repeat

Weekends---SAT--Read the lecture notes all over once more
SUN--read it once more-- + pre-read mondays lecture notes!

I always tell myself this block I am going to pre-read. Never seems to happen for me though. Hope it works out

 

[Slide]

I dont mean to be mean but you guys repeating the same lecture and I know you guys are WAY more experienced than I am and just trying to help but I'm just saying I do like to read at night and would like it to be something that might be somewhat beneficial for medical school. Even if it makes a 1/1000000000000000000 difference.. its not that I wanna get ahead that was a bad choice of words. I just would like to do it.

Also, that was just a secondary question, what I was really asking primarily was about how people study. Not individual or in a group or what not, but is studying MOSTLY based on notes and lectures? Can you not read the text for the most part? Stuff like that.

And you're gonna keep hearing the same answer over and over if you ask the same question. If you want reading, focus on the non-academic aspects, as one of the previous posters said. It's less about the insignificant advantage as much as getting quick burnout. One of the books I'm reading for psych, "Behavior and medicine", by Danny Wedding is pretty good for non-academic aspects.

If you want nitty-gritty details of how people study, do a search, this has been posted 1000s of times.

 

[MartianOddity]

I study with a lot of guts.

No, really, I just study my own way. I read the lectures, read my notes, read the literature I've bought for the subject, attend classes and listen to the lecturer...

There's not more into it.

 

[samenewme]

I dont mean to be mean but you guys repeating the same lecture and I know you guys are WAY more experienced than I am and just trying to help but I'm just saying I do like to read at night and would like it to be something that might be somewhat beneficial for medical school. Even if it makes a 1/1000000000000000000 difference.. its not that I wanna get ahead that was a bad choice of words. I just would like to do it.

Also, that was just a secondary question, what I was really asking primarily was about how people study. Not individual or in a group or what not, but is studying MOSTLY based on notes and lectures? Can you not read the text for the most part? Stuff like that.

If you want to read a textbook, Guyton and Hall for phys is kind of narrative and readable in parts.

I do study mostly on notes and lectures, except for some path lectures where the lectures sucked and the lecturer was rumored to write questions based on the text. I also use tutor notes from our school's large group tutoring sessions in cases where the tutor has proved to be reliable. They're often shorter, sweeter, and more organized, and knowing the tutor notes cold gets me as good a grasp and grade as I would have gotten from knowing a significant precentage of the lecture notes (I never have all the lecture notes down cold. Not gonna happen. I just ain't that smart or dedicated.)

My use of tutor notes varies by course and by tutor (duh). I used lecture notes and the text for physiology, for example, but I live and die by the pharm tutor notes.

Honestly, you'll have to to find your own way. Everybody I know studies a little (or a lot) differently.

 

[Chemguync]

When I showed up to a lecture, I usually ended up photoshopping the whole time. For me, the money was in studying at home w/ a good iPod playlist (too ADD for lyrics though). I had dozens of spent highlighters laying around my room by the end of 2nd year.

As so many have said though, you gotta do what works for you.

 

[HEADintheCLOUDS]

Yeah take the time to have fun. I tried to study early before school started and ended up buring out within a week or two of school starting (orientation and 1st days etc really are tedious) and so I got behind like 3 weeks. Just start studying when school starts and keep with it.

I currently study like this:

1.read the next days lecture the night before (actuallt try to teach yourself)
2.go to lecture (should be a review since you learned it last night)
3.read that days lecture notes after lecture (to pick up what you didnt remmeber from the review/lecture)
4. pre-read the next days lecture
5. rinse and repeat

Weekends---SAT--Read the lecture notes all over once more
SUN--read it once more-- + pre-read mondays lecture notes!

Havent taken a test yet with this new schedule that I am using but I will let you know. I am taking a neuro-test this friday and Ill let you know how this schedule works out on the other side!

well I just took my test today on Neuro and I got a 94%. I know it isnt perfect but it is an okay score. The stuff I missed was either stupid mistake or stuff I told myself would not be on the test (but it was). The stuff I studied for the scedule above I got 100% on those questions so it works.