"If you could do it over, what would you do differently?"

[djsash]

Hey guys, I wanted to know if you could start medical school over what would you do differently?
thanks

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[Darth Vader]

Do NOT buy all of the required text books. I am a slow learner, so I kept buying all of the required books throughout first yr and second yr but half of them, I never touched and the other half, I probably read around a page or two in them. The universal books that all med students use are the only real books that you will need. These are some of the BRS, high yield books, first aid, netter, etc. People gave me the same advice when I started school but I was too stubborn to listen.

 

[lady in red]

Hey Darth
I am a bit sceptical about learning from condensed review guides or notes. I ALWAYS read textbooks (in college), I think you can learn a lot from them. I like our anatomy (moore 4th edition) book--it has text, clinical correlations and imaging stuff. I am also reading the Katzung pharmacology book just for the hell of it--its the most interesting stuff!! Maybe i am old-fashioned, but i think books enrich your education.
Of course, i haven't started school yet, so Darth probably knows better than me, but thats my opinion.

 

[CANES2006]

Lady in red, I am also a bit hesitant to buy these review books. I never learn from them because they assume you know the material already, and I always get lost. I usually learn from notes or regular textbooks. We'll see how it goes.

 

[DOtobe]

Don't try to cram for tests! Try to study a little bit every night. Try to keep up in your classes, because you can fall behind really fast.

 

[Darth Vader]

Originally posted by lady in red
Hey Darth
I am a bit sceptical about learning from condensed review guides or notes. I ALWAYS read textbooks (in college), I think you can learn a lot from them. I like our anatomy (moore 4th edition) book--it has text, clinical correlations and imaging stuff. I am also reading the Katzung pharmacology book just for the hell of it--its the most interesting stuff!! Maybe i am old-fashioned, but i think books enrich your education.
Of course, i haven't started school yet, so Darth probably knows better than me, but thats my opinion.

Actually, I used to think the same thing when I purchased my books. Something about taking the "academic high ground" and not just focusing on one test. My advice is to not do that. There's not enough time in med school to take the "academic high ground", whatever that means, there's just enough time for you to learn what you need to learn and do well on the boards. You will save yourself time and money, both very valuable assets in med school.

 

[Kenny]

Concentrate on medical study. I can't remember anything I did that can be count as worthwhile. I lost my life there, felt so ...... 'un-forgivable'.

 

[Zeffer]

I'm going to have to agree with Darth. You don't have time to read the texts. The lecture notes, class notes, and review books are enough. Text books are generally required so there is a gold stadard to use for the class so anyone who needs supplemental instruction on a topic may be assured they are studying the "correct" source. Most professors will tell you that their notes are what should be studied and if any dicrepancies between the text and the notes arises the notes take precedence. This clause tells you that your lecture notes are more important than the required text, and the text should be used for supplemental purposes only.

Now please remember that this usually applies to most classes. Talk to your upper classmen about which books to get and skip!!!!!!!! They are an invaluable source of info just as this web site is. Unfortunately here we can only give general guidance. Your upper classmen can tell you just about everything you need to know.

Good luck on your first year, and remember to enjoy it, don't just let it pass you by.

 

[Cobragirl]

I have to side with the folks saying that they'd skip the text books (most of them anyway). I was totally anal about buying EVERY textbook (required AND recommended) and reading EVERY page that was assigned. Well guess what? They NEVER asked questions out of the book, and although I'm sure I probably have a broader knowledge of the first year subjects than some of my classmates, I also have lower grades than most of them!!! I shot myself in the foot by trying to be "the good student" who followed all the instructors "suggestions", while many of my classmates pulled A's by doing nothing more than memorizing (word for word) the class notes. I often knew TONS more about the subjects we were studying, yet constantly found myself struggling to pass the tests! By the time I hit spring semester I had started to wise up...I was studying MUCH less and getting MUCH better grades.

I think I should have spent a whole lot less time trying to find a study partner as well...I still don't have one...but now I'm not worrying about it.

 

[Dr Rich]

Learn the notes, learn them really well, only use the text books if you don't understand something. Apart from anatomy you need text books for that.

 

[Nickel]

My school REQUIRES all freshmen students to purchase the required textbooks. $1000 down the tubes! And I hardly touch those books. I agree with all of the people who don't buy the textbooks. I hardly pick up the textbooks I was required to buy. The main books I use so far are my First Aid for USMLE Step I, my Stedman's dictionary, and my Netter's Atlas, none of which were required for purchase. Go fig.

I found that in anatomy lab, all you need to do is dissect and then read about clinical correlates (generally found in your notes.)

Another thing is, I never study on Saturdays. Take time to relax, and when you're not relaxing, work hard. And eat healthy and don't become a blob.

 

[racergirl]

Originally posted by lady in red
Hey Darth
I am a bit sceptical about learning from condensed review guides or notes. I ALWAYS read textbooks (in college), I think you can learn a lot from them. I like our anatomy (moore 4th edition) book--it has text, clinical correlations and imaging stuff. I am also reading the Katzung pharmacology book just for the hell of it--its the most interesting stuff!! Maybe i am old-fashioned, but i think books enrich your education.
Of course, i haven't started school yet, so Darth probably knows better than me, but thats my opinion.

Lady in Red, the last sentence of your post says it all! I've been in Med School for two weeks now, And it took me the first week to learn for myself what every upperclassman tells you--you don't have time to read!! For the first week I did ALL the readings in Moore & Dalley--great book, but so time consuming I had virtually no time to review structures or prepare for the next day's dissection. I realized my error last monday, and switched to STRAIGHT MEMORIZATION of structures in Netter's and reading ONLY the clinical correlations boxes out of Moore and Dalley. We had our first Anatomy test last Friday (both written and practical) and thanks ONLY to my altered study plan I think I BARELY passed it. So enjoy reading your Moore and Dalley now--when school starts, you wont have time to look at it any more!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

If I could repeat the last 2 weeks (), I would have bought the Rohen and Yokochi Color Atlas of Anatomy on the first day instead of last week. It's so much better than Netter's, although I use both...it has pics of real cadavers and the structures are listed on the bottom of the page so it's easy to test yourself. I highly recommend this book!

And thanks for the advice above Cobragirl.

I've been so exhausted from the first few weeks that I haven't had the time and energy to do the readings anyway....so now I'm just reading over the dissector, the online programs, and my notes. I wouldn't have time to read Moore even if I wanted to!

As far as relaxing goes, I take Fridays off to relax, go out, and have fun, and the weekend is for studying and errands/chores.

Next week's project is to start exercising....we'll see what happens.

p.s. go gators!

 

[Katie]

GREAT advice, guys! I can't emphasize enough what everyone else has said, not to waste money on unecessary textbooks. Some of the syllabi will be so chock-full of information and drawings that you will have NO time to read any kind of textbook (e.g. our Biochem and Physio syllabi essentially WERE textbooks).

As for life outside med school, make sure you have some kind of support system that you can count on for help. Have respect for yourself and don't think that you need to put up with garbage from classmates or so-called friends. I recently ended with a friendship with a girl who was abusive and disrespectful to me, and I should have done it earlier. I won't go into details here, but let's just say that when she started to make outrageously racist remarks about white people knowing that I am white (she is 1/2 white), and decided that it would be good for me to have a one-night stand with some dude in a bar when I was drunk, I decided to forget her. And I never participated in a one-night or ever would; what kind of friend wants to put their mentally ill, drunk "friend" in a situation where she could get a horrible disease or be raped? Some friend.. Anyway, I am much happier now and have a lot more self-respect and am starting to make friends with people that she alienated me from last year. It doesn't matter what other people think about where you went to undergrad or what grades you get; just be yourself and ignore people who are snooty and obnoxious.

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

As far as anatomy goes, I think reading our required textbook (Moore's) is a huge help. We have had one quiz so far and it is purely application and Moore's was a huge help. If I had simply memorized everything in Netter's I would have been screwed. Also, I can't go strictly by my notes because we do a lot of learning our own. (Gross only lasts 13 weeks and embryology is a part of it so that makes it impossible to lecture on everything.) I use Netter's atlas to find where things should be and then use Rohen's to practice on what it actually looks like.

Basically, I think the take home message here is that depends on your school. You are just going to have to take the first few weeks to figure out how things work.

 

[MustafaMond]

My advice, is.


1. Open Your Ears- you can learn almost all of it, if you just listen in class.

2. Relax- most people stress, cuz its hard at first, but it comes naturally after a while, and after you learn the terminology, etc.

3. Study a little every day- u wont have to cram then.

4. Read to Learn

5. Lots of MCQ training.