im dreading starting M2!

[crystalgreen]

hey guys! i've had such a relaxing summer and the thought of going back to school is depressing me. long, lonely hours of studying, step 1, stupid PbL classes and being away from home just sound so unpleasant. maybe i'm not yet brave and strong enough to be on my own be content on my own. i have friends at school and stuff but i still feel the emptiness. it seems like the only time im happy is when im around my friends, but i cant always be with them and once im alone, i feel so empty! i hate the fact that im so dependent on my friends. i need to b ok on my own too. can u guys give me some tips as to how i can snap outta this? anybody feel the same way?

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[gman33]

I can't give any great tips, but I feel pretty similar. just started M2.
I worked for a dozen years before going back and it's been a whole new world. The past month, I pretty much just chilled out. I guess it's unfair to compare school with that, since that's not the "real" world.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot this week about whether I have the energy and motivation to continue down this path. I could always go back to my old career; I didn't love it, but it's not the worst by any means.

Mainly I'm just trying to gauge whether putting in all this effort over the next 6-7 years is going to be worth it.

One of the things I need to figure out is how to balance my life a little better. I haven't had much time with my wife etc, and that wears my down at times.

Another question, does it get any better 3rd year and beyond? Not it time, but in how you feel about what you are doing?

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[crystalgreen]

I can't give any great tips, but I feel pretty similar. just started M2.
I worked for a dozen years before going back and it's been a whole new world. The past month, I pretty much just chilled out. I guess it's unfair to compare school with that, since that's not the "real" world.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot this week about whether I have the energy and motivation to continue down this path. I could always go back to my old career; I didn't love it, but it's not the worst by any means.

Mainly I'm just trying to gauge whether putting in all this effort over the next 6-7 years is going to be worth it.

One of the things I need to figure out is how to balance my life a little better. I haven't had much time with my wife etc, and that wears my down at times.

Another question, does it get any better 3rd year and beyond? Not it time, but in how you feel about what you are doing?

Any insight would be appreciated.

im curious myself...im hoping that it does!

anyways, ur lucky that u have ur wife to support u! be happy about that! it's so much better than coming home to an empty room everyday like me.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

long hours of studying, rocking your exams, nailing the boards, ms2 is awesome. Think of the glooorrry.

 

[wryandwatchful]

To the OP: I'd suggest joining or creating a weekly study group with your classmates. Try to surround yourself with people who are passionate about the material that you're all stuck studying. It's a good way to meet and become close to new people, especially if you make seeing them part of a routine. Approach some friends or acquaintances and tell them you have an idea to start a reading group or a study group. I'm sure many will be receptive (especially with all the USMLE hype in the air). It doesn't mean you'll do all your studying with them, but rather meet once a week, split up some chapters from a good book, and teach one another.

I know of a few such groups at my school. More often than not, they turn into potlucks, outings, and trips together. Relationships interestingly sprout out of them as well. Could be a good way to foster some camaraderie.

 

[crystalgreen]

To the OP: I'd suggest joining or creating a weekly study group with your classmates. Try to surround yourself with people who are passionate about the material that you're all stuck studying. It's a good way to meet and become close to new people, especially if you make seeing them part of a routine. Approach some friends or acquaintances and tell them you have an idea to start a reading group or a study group. I'm sure many will be receptive (especially with all the USMLE hype in the air). It doesn't mean you'll do all your studying with them, but rather meet once a week, split up some chapters from a good book, and teach one another.

I know of a few such groups at my school. More often than not, they turn into potlucks, outings, and trips together. Relationships interestingly sprout out of them as well. Could be a good way to foster some camaraderie.

my problem is not the lack of relationships but my dependency on my friends. read my entire post.

 

[crystalgreen]

long hours of studying, rocking your exams, nailing the boards, ms2 is awesome. Think of the glooorrry.

haha! i like ur perspective!

 

[VincentAdultman]

hey guys! i've had such a relaxing summer and the thought of going back to school is depressing me. long, lonely hours of studying, step 1, stupid PbL classes and being away from home just sound so unpleasant. maybe i'm not yet brave and strong enough to be on my own be content on my own. i have friends at school and stuff but i still feel the emptiness. it seems like the only time im happy is when im around my friends, but i cant always be with them and once im alone, i feel so empty! i hate the fact that im so dependent on my friends. i need to b ok on my own too. can u guys give me some tips as to how i can snap outta this? anybody feel the same way?

Just drink more. That's what I'd do.

 

[MossPoh]

my problem is not the lack of relationships but my dependency on my friends. read my entire post.

Do you learn better around people or just like being around them? What to do depends on your learning style too. I know people that seem to learn great surrounded by people all the time. The other end of the spectrum is a person like me that can't focus at all with anyone around. Even if you study with friends in close proximity it can negate some of the loneliness. Take a short break, drink some coffee or whatever, joke around and get back to work.

 

[sindadel]

Can you move in with some housemates? Perhaps live in a dorm or on-campus grad student housing? Try to get yourself into a more social living situation so you can pop out into the lounge/living room for a little chat every so often while you are studying.

I don't think it's weird to want to be around people most of the time. I was that way until quite recently, and I would have been miserable living on my own and studying on my own before. Maybe you'll develop a love for solitude over your life and maybe you won't. NOT essential. 🙂

 

[GoLakers310]

I am surprised how no one mentioned SEX solves everything! 😀

 

[WellWornLad]

I'm in the exact opposite situation. My summer has been an absolute stress clusterf&^% and I can't wait to get back to waking up whenever I feel like it, learning about some interesting diseases, and enjoying weather that doesn't make me feel like I'm suffocating to death inside of a sponge baking in an oven.

Oh, and my favorite part of the day is when I get to be by myself and chill out for a few hours.

 

[Deferoxamine]

long hours of studying, rocking your exams, nailing the boards, ms2 is awesome. Think of the glooorrry.

Watching the classmates you looked up to in MS1 end up on SSRI's. Fallouts between former BFF's in your class. Having to study over Christmas break. Losing another 10 lbs. Calling your family once every 2 months and telling them you are quitting medical school, and this time you really really really do mean it.

2nd-year of medical school can kiss my ass.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Watching the classmates you looked up to in MS1 end up on SSRI's. Fallouts between former BFF's in your class. Having to study over Christmas break. Losing another 10 lbs. Calling your family once every 2 months and telling them you are quitting medical school, and this time you really really really do mean it.

2nd-year of medical school can kiss my ass.

Why anyone would have so much drama over preclinical classes that are either pass no pass or have little affect on residency matching is beyond my comprehension.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

Just drink more. That's what I'd do.

👍 Amen!

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

Watching the classmates you looked up to in MS1 end up on SSRI's. Fallouts between former BFF's in your class. Having to study over Christmas break. Losing another 10 lbs. Calling your family once every 2 months and telling them you are quitting medical school, and this time you really really really do mean it.

2nd-year of medical school can kiss my ass.

Yeah bro, sounds a little dramatic to me. If you really feel that way, you should probably talk to an administrator at your school about solving the underlying problem. Personally, I think M2 year's gonna be a lot more interesting than all the biochem bull**** we were forced to learn first year (and for those of you thinkin' ol' Ded's gotta relearn his biochem for boards, do me a favor and don't burst the bubble). I know the amount of studying gets ratched up a notch, but seriously, looking at the long road it take to become a doctor, M2 year is really the least of my worries.

 

[Tiger26]

M2 was easily the hardest year of med school--enjoy

 

[Deferoxamine]

Why anyone would have so much drama over preclinical classes that are either pass no pass or have little affect on residency matching is beyond my comprehension.

This is exactly my point. It's weird what that isolation crap feeling in MS2 can do to people's heads, mine included.

So glad I get to yap with patients, nurses, and doctors now, rather than sitting in the same stupid chair for 12 hours and only getting up to eat, sleep, poop, run, or get wasted.

Yeah bro, sounds a little dramatic to me. If you really feel that way, you should probably talk to an adminstrator at your school about solving the underlying problem. Personally, I think M2 year's gonna be a lot more interesting than all the biochem bull**** we were forced to learn first year. I know the amount of studying gets ratched up a notch, but seriously, looking at the long road it take to become a doctor, M2 year is really the least of my worries.

Read my signature before getting on a soapbox, k?

 

[koopa_troopa]

M2 was easily the hardest year of med school--enjoy

You are making me nervous.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

This is exactly my point. It's weird what that isolation crap feeling in MS2 can do to people's heads, mine included.

So glad I get to yap with patients, nurses, and doctors now, rather than sitting in the same stupid chair for 12 hours and only getting up to eat, sleep, poop, run, or get wasted.





Read my signature before getting on a soapbox, k?

Congrats, you're an M3...you want a cookie?

 

[Deferoxamine]

Congrats, you're an M3...you want a cookie?

Yes. Thank you.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

This is exactly my point. It's weird what that isolation crap feeling in MS2 can do to people's heads, mine included.

So glad I get to yap with patients, nurses, and doctors now, rather than sitting in the same stupid chair for 12 hours and only getting up to eat, sleep, poop, run, or get wasted.

You get to yap with patients but during MS3 as an MS2 you get to sit when you want, crap when you want, wake up after the sun is up, have grades that are determined by how much you study rather than how much you brown nose, get no where near needles sutures and various things that'll stick you, don't have that feeling of being useless and in the way because you are, and so on and so forth.

 

[MedMan25]

I am surprised how no one mentioned SEX solves everything! 😀

It solves everything for about 20 minutes.

 

[Deferoxamine]

get no where near needles sutures and various things that'll stick you

Okay, you win.

 

[GoLakers310]

It amuses me how those that didn't do well in or liked their first year classes, such as biochem, nuero, etc are never short of pointing out that the second year materials are going to be so much more interesting and that everything will turnaround for them. Things you learn the second year can be much more dry (ie microbiology and pharm) and definitely more fast-paced. Try memorizing what type of bacteria, which tests to run, concepts behind each test, how to classify different classes, etc can be boring as *beep*!

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Okay, you win.

Oh and the shelf exams are a good 15x harder than any preclinical test, and 3x harder than step I.

 

[RockstarMD]

Gonna start M2 in a few weeks and I think it's all about finding what makes you happy. Firstly, it's great that you know what your problem is and that you want to break out of it....next: how do you go about it?

If I were you, I'd find something else to do that would make me happy.....you can use the time you would otherwise spend with your friends to explore a hobby....do you like to play musical instruments? Write songs perhaps? Make something out of odds and ends? I am sure you can find something that interests you enough to give you that "happy" (or even better) feeling you experience when around friends. I'm not saying chilling out with your mates is bad, but sometimes you gotta have some "me" time....and as you occupy yourself with things that you love to do (and exercise your brain) with your time, you'll feel very satisfied that you cured yourself of this dependence issue.

However, if your hobbies are not applicable in the medschool environment eg: if you like kitesurfing🙄; you could explore other hobbies outside your own...who knows, you might surprise yourself into falling for one 🙂.

 

[ar2388]

It solves everything for about 20 minutes.

haha the 20 minutes are all worth it!! they make the next few hours pretty nice too😛

edit: at least they better be.

 

[45408]

Oh and the shelf exams are a good 15x harder than any preclinical test, and 3x harder than step I.

Um, no. The shelf exams were a lot easier for me than the M1/M2 exams. I beat the class average on every M3 shelf exam by a healthy margin, but there were plenty of M1/M2 exams that I was below average. I honored the medicine, OB/gyn and psych shelves, and I did pretty well on surgery and peds. They just make sense - if you can logically reason through a scenario, you can usually get the answers, IMO. In the M1/M2 exams, if you didn't remember the exact translocation, you were screwed. Also, because nobody knows exactly how a shelf is graded, I was never counting up all the questions I wasn't sure about, because it didn't matter. In an M1 exam, I would often go into it knowing exactly how many I could get wrong before I'd be down a grade or two.

And none of the shelves were harder than Step 1.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Um, no. The shelf exams were a lot easier for me than the M1/M2 exams. I beat the class average on every M3 shelf exam by a healthy margin, but there were plenty of M1/M2 exams that I was below average. I honored the medicine, OB/gyn and psych shelves, and I did pretty well on surgery and peds. They just make sense - if you can logically reason through a scenario, you can usually get the answers, IMO. In the M1/M2 exams, if you didn't remember the exact translocation, you were screwed. Also, because nobody knows exactly how a shelf is graded, I was never counting up all the questions I wasn't sure about, because it didn't matter. In an M1 exam, I would often go into it knowing exactly how many I could get wrong before I'd be down a grade or two.

And none of the shelves were harder than Step 1.

Uh, first of all by how much you beat the class average tells us nothing about the overall difficulty of the shelf exams. It is true that the grading for shelf's is rather lenient, since they are difficult for everyone. However in my experience third year shelf's are the only exams EVER where I've had to hustle to get through it. On step I i had a good 10-15 minutes left on each section without worrying about time, but for the shelf I would have to hurry through and still ended up with 5 left minutes tops. Those shelf questions are a good half page long each, and very very few 3 line gimme's like on step 1.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

Um, no. The shelf exams were a lot easier for me than the M1/M2 exams. I beat the class average on every M3 shelf exam by a healthy margin, but there were plenty of M1/M2 exams that I was below average. I honored the medicine, OB/gyn and psych shelves, and I did pretty well on surgery and peds. They just make sense - if you can logically reason through a scenario, you can usually get the answers, IMO. In the M1/M2 exams, if you didn't remember the exact translocation, you were screwed. Also, because nobody knows exactly how a shelf is graded, I was never counting up all the questions I wasn't sure about, because it didn't matter. In an M1 exam, I would often go into it knowing exactly how many I could get wrong before I'd be down a grade or two.

And none of the shelves were harder than Step 1.

Shelf exams are harder than MS1/2 exams in that they are more unpredictable, the knowledge being tested is much broader and unfortunately overlaps with other shelf exams (surg with med, psych with neuro, med with psych and neuro, etc.), and the questions are longer. On the other hand, MS1/2 exams you know that basically nothing that was not in the syllabus/slides/lectures could be on the exam - you know exactly what you need to study in order to (theoretically) nail every question on the exam.

Neither shelf exams nor MS1/2 exams can be compared with Step 1.

 

[VoiceofReason]

I want M2 to start just because im tired of waiting around for it to start, i dont like to be idle.

yea its gonna be harder but i dont expect it to give me mental health issues lets just get it over with.

 

[FractureFixer]

wait till third year, then you will really want to cry!🙁 (shelf exam in a couple of hrs)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Neither shelf exams nor MS1/2 exams can be compared with Step 1.

Step I is hard in that it is a whole day of testing. On an individual basis shelf questions are harder than step 1 questions. If you had to take 350 shelf questions in a row you would die.

 

[45408]

Uh, first of all by how much you beat the class average tells us nothing about the overall difficulty of the shelf exams. It is true that the grading for shelf's is rather lenient, since they are difficult for everyone. However in my experience third year shelf's are the only exams EVER where I've had to hustle to get through it. On step I i had a good 10-15 minutes left on each section without worrying about time, but for the shelf I would have to hurry through and still ended up with 5 left minutes tops. Those shelf questions are a good half page long each, and very very few 3 line gimme's like on step 1.

Since I didn't take any standardized tests as an M1/M2, I can't compare myself nationally during those years, so I compared myself to my class. And I did better on the shelf's than the M1/M2 exams. I also did better on Step 1 than the average of my class. Standardized exams are a good thing for me. I never ran out of time, but I was usually moving along at a good clip.

Shelf exams are harder than MS1/2 exams in that they are more unpredictable, the knowledge being tested is much broader and unfortunately overlaps with other shelf exams (surg with med, psych with neuro, med with psych and neuro, etc.), and the questions are longer. On the other hand, MS1/2 exams you know that basically nothing that was not in the syllabus/slides/lectures could be on the exam - you know exactly what you need to study in order to (theoretically) nail every question on the exam.

Neither shelf exams nor MS1/2 exams can be compared with Step 1.

Again, I disagree. Some professors randomly decided to emphasize something that is pretty unimportant in the scheme of things, and there was nothing I could do about it. I know the shelf is going to cover everything with a similar level of complexity. Besides, I don't have an adequate memory to just memorize everything in the notes, unless it's a quiz. I also retain things really well when I've actually seen them, so throughout the medicine, surgery and OB/gyn shelfs, I was just asking myself what I did when I had such a patient, and it was easy to remember.

Also, there are professionally written review books for each shelf, so you can get good stuff, rather than some crappy Powerpoint notes written by someone who thinks it's really important that a future surgeon can read an EEG.


Either way, I'm sure a shelf is harder than a department exam for some people, but they were good news for me, all the way down the line. They always helped my grade (except peds, but that was the school screwed me over).

 

[GeorgeMichael B]

Um, no. The shelf exams were a lot easier for me than the M1/M2 exams. I beat the class average on every M3 shelf exam by a healthy margin, but there were plenty of M1/M2 exams that I was below average. I honored the medicine, OB/gyn and psych shelves, and I did pretty well on surgery and peds. They just make sense - if you can logically reason through a scenario, you can usually get the answers, IMO. In the M1/M2 exams, if you didn't remember the exact translocation, you were screwed. Also, because nobody knows exactly how a shelf is graded, I was never counting up all the questions I wasn't sure about, because it didn't matter. In an M1 exam, I would often go into it knowing exactly how many I could get wrong before I'd be down a grade or two.

And none of the shelves were harder than Step 1.

I've only taken 1 shelf so far, but I have to say I thought it was pretty tough. I agree that the specifics of M1 M2 exams can really screw you over, but I also had some really wacky specifics on my shelf that could not be reasoned through whatsoever (particularly micro stuff). More importantly, timing is an issue....you have to be good at scanning through the sometimes massive paragraphs that she shelf exams have. Probably not that great at it since I only have taken 1 so far.

also, I would love to get a hold of whatever the people who think shleves are harder than step 1 is smoking.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

I've only taken the Neuro shelf so far, and quite honestly, it's the only test that I came very close to not finishing within the given time limit. Unlike our class exams, the question passages were monsterous and having to scan through all that material got quite difficult as I got closer to the end of the test (when my concentration started to go out the window). I ended up doing pretty well, but I'd never felt so drained after taking a test in medical school.

As a result, I was wondering how people who have taken Step I compare it to the NBME exams (I know there's been some discussion about this above; however, it seems like opinions are highly conflicting). I've taken a few practice Step I tests and the question passages don't seem nearly as long and cumbersome as the ones that were presented on the Neuro shelf.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

You get to yap with patients but during MS3 as an MS2 you get to sit when you want, crap when you want, wake up after the sun is up, have grades that are determined by how much you study rather than how much you brown nose, get no where near needles sutures and various things that'll stick you, don't have that feeling of being useless and in the way because you are, and so on and so forth.

👍 MS4 is gearing up to be favorite year year med school, but MS2 is in second place. MS3 is at the bottom, and I did well and like patients and all that stuff.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

As a result, I was wondering how people who have taken Step I compare it to the NBME exams (I know there's been some discussion about this above; however, it seems like opinions are highly conflicting). I've taken a few practice Step I tests and the question passages don't seem nearly as long and cumbersome as the ones that were presented on the Neuro shelf.

This is my experience having taken step 1 and all the third year shelf exams. Shelf questions are harder than step 1 questions, being generally longer and more time consuming. Step 1 is harder in that it's a longer exam, but I'd much rather do 100 step 1 questions than 100 NBME shelf questions.

I would appreciate it if those of you who disagree tell me why you disagree rather than speculate on what I'm smoking.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

👍 MS4 is gearing up to be favorite year year med school, but MS2 is in second place. MS3 is at the bottom, and I did well and like patients and all that stuff.

MS4 is awesome, my days consist of reminding people to write my letters of recommendation.

 

[sprinkibrio]

MS2 is awesome. The material is interesting and if you put the time in you will feel SO proud of yourself. You will never learn more in your life than you will learn second year. It's hard at first to adjust as always, but eventually you'll get into a rhythm. MS3... well, I'm still adjusting to it, but so far it's just... different.

 

[NRAI2001]

M2 year definitely sucks a lot...but atleast most of you guys are in the US and not a 3rd world country where you get food poisoning every 2 weeks and mould growing in your closests giving you major allergies..difficulty breadthing.

 

[womp]

M2 year definitely sucks a lot...but atleast most of you guys are in the US and not a 3rd world country where you get food poisoning every 2 weeks and mould growing in your closests giving you major allergies..difficulty breadthing.

This should be stickied in the Caribbean forum.

 

[HPSPpayissues]

This should be stickied in the Caribbean forum.

 

[crystalgreen]

ok guys, im going flying back to school tmr and this feeling of dread is making my stomach turn! what am i gonna do? i've been feeling so depressed the last couple of days! i seriously dont want to start school like this...help!

 

[VoiceofReason]

do you have an anxiety problem?

at this point addressing your question might involve giving medical advice which is against SDN's rules. You should seek the help of a professional if drinking heavily doesn't set you straight.

 

[crystalgreen]

do you have an anxiety problem?

at this point addressing your question might involve giving medical advice which is against SDN's rules. You should seek the help of a professional if drinking heavily doesn't set you straight.

i feel better after crying it out haha! i was just sad cuz im so attached to my family and friends here and the thought of leaving them for a whole year and driving into the bottomless pit of studying and school so far away is depressing. i didnt mean to make it sound so serious...and yes, i should be more independent.

 

[ninjapenguin]

I want M2 to start just because im tired of waiting around for it to start, i dont like to be idle.

yea its gonna be harder but i dont expect it to give me mental health issues lets just get it over with.

Haha me too.. I know the hurt is coming soon, I just want to get it over and done with!