What can I start doing now? I was thinking of doing research and studying this summer as well for the boards. Any advice?
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Just get adjusted to first year first. Do well in your classes now. IF you were to do anything, get a review book, I suggest First Aid Step 1 and use it a guide to follow along during your studies. But really, just concentrate on learning the basics now, its sets up the foundation for your second year and board study. Good luck.fizzbot said:
sscooterguy
You can't study for your boards yet if you haven't learned the material that is covered in them. Don't focus on that at time time. Learn as much as you can during your first two years. You can always do research if that interests you (it'll help beef up your CV, plus you'll get elective course credit for it, which means free time at the end of senior year if all goes well). The problem with getting a board review book is that chances are, there will be a new edition by the time you take your boards. Take some time off between first and second year, even if it just a couple of weeks. You won't get another opportunity to take a break like that in a while.fizzbot said:
good luck finding time to study for your boards first year. you will have enough on your plate trying to figure out how to study for first year classes.
well, unless your a double super dooper certifiable genius like me....
well, unless your a double super dooper certifiable genius like me....
Hm, good question. I was wondering about that too. It's just so hard to stand idly by and wait for school to start knowing that right now, I have plenty of free time and I won't have any freetime once school starts----makes me want to start studying for the boards to help alleviate some of that time crunch for the coming two years.
Just try to do well in your first year classes. That will serve as a good foundation for your second year classes, which is where most of the material most useful for Step 1 is found. Studying things like First Aid in first year is probably premature (like trying to run before you know how to walk), although if you find BRS or other board oriented synopses of the courses useful for exam review, go for it.fizzbot said:
NonTradMed said:
If it takes 10,000 steps to build a good doc then Step 1 is about # 693 and you're on step 5. Go enjoy your oodles of free time and use it to relax. That way you'll be rested up for all the hard work over the next few years.
There's a time crunch to be sure, but once you get into the groove of studying you'll be much more efficient. "Reviewing" things you've never studied before is just a waste of your last few days without work to do.
The best advice I can give is to know your anatomy cold. You will need it for Step 1 and for life.
This is the biggest myth of med school. I've never had as much free time as I did during 1st and 2nd year. It helps to read at home instead of going to lecture, but even if you don't...med school isn't that bad.NonTradMed said:
It depends; MS I was rough on me especially 1st year since I was trying to adjust to classes and the competitive nature of fellow medstudents. MSII was easy adjustment wise but courses had a lot more stuff to know with boards lurking. I am just starting MSIII and its been quite an adjustment from first two years. But everyone is in the same boat so nothing to worry about.
To the OP,
I remember thinking the same thing with the desire to do something in the summer to aleviate stress. The thing is that your best prep for med school is to take a nice vacation. What you study now will not be remembered in 2 years after cramming thousands of facts into your brain. What you study will have no context or framework to help it stick which is the point of MS1. If you are this motivated now, then studying later will not be a problem for you. Research might help but honestly you will look back and regret not using the time to go somewhere you have never been, see an old friend, hang out with family, develop a nice tan that will last <2 weeks after you start. Med school is totally doable or they would not have given you admission. Admission into med school should be a big confidence booster to you as it means people believe that you can do it. Hope this helps.
I remember thinking the same thing with the desire to do something in the summer to aleviate stress. The thing is that your best prep for med school is to take a nice vacation. What you study now will not be remembered in 2 years after cramming thousands of facts into your brain. What you study will have no context or framework to help it stick which is the point of MS1. If you are this motivated now, then studying later will not be a problem for you. Research might help but honestly you will look back and regret not using the time to go somewhere you have never been, see an old friend, hang out with family, develop a nice tan that will last <2 weeks after you start. Med school is totally doable or they would not have given you admission. Admission into med school should be a big confidence booster to you as it means people believe that you can do it. Hope this helps.
You have gotten some very good advice from some really good USMLE testers here. Main issue most people have the first year is how effective is their studying and learning. I would say look at your reading speed. Get a book like Moore's Anatomy and set a kitchen timer for 15 minutes. Start reading chapter one - page one and when the buzzer goes off - stop count the pages and see how far you got. Figure the words per page. How did the material feel to you. What do you remember?fizzbot said:
Before school work on basic skills - reading speed - vocabulary - comprehension. Sure you will have plenty of time later to go back and do that?
Would also look at what top testers say about how they prepared for the test. Most say #1 - get it right the first time. Work on your stategy for class and the test. Relax and have fun.