I'm Getting Scared

[nightowl]

I have some friends that are already in medical school and they're online blogs are freaking me out! I think because I know how they normally are, the depression/anxiety/tiredness of being in medical school is more tangible... Is it really that bad? I don't want to go in completely freaked out... or is that just inevitable?

 

[OSUdoc08]

I have some friends that are already in medical school and they're online blogs are freaking me out! I think because I know how they normally are, the depression/anxiety/tiredness of being in medical school is more tangible... Is it really that bad? I don't want to go in completely freaked out... or is that just inevitable?

I've never heard of this except for the gunners in my class.

I have alot more free time than I did in college.

 

[Neogenesis]

I am finding that I have quite a bit of free time, which is a good thing because I have a wife and daughter. I have gotten to spend alot more time with them this past year than the previous few. However, don't let me fool you into thinking that it is all easy. You will have to work....some people harder than others. But enjoy as much time as possible and don't feel bad about taking personal time.

 

[fun8stuff]

I have some friends that are already in medical school and they're online blogs are freaking me out! I think because I know how they normally are, the depression/anxiety/tiredness of being in medical school is more tangible... Is it really that bad? I don't want to go in completely freaked out... or is that just inevitable?

Depends on what type of person you are. Don't go into medical school thinking you will never have to study- if you do this you will probably end up being depressed. Don't go into medical school thinking that you have to learn every single thing and do everything perfect. If you do, you will probably end up depressed.

Basically, I went into thinking I would be studying 24/7 & no breaks just to pass. I told myself I enjoy studying (ha ha) and that no matter what I would grit my teeth for 4-8 yrs and bear it. I was pleasantly surprised that it is not like this... at least I don't let it be like this. Get a feel for how things are after the first exam and find out how hard you have to work to do how well that you want to do. You will eventually become a more efficient studier and will only put fourth the amount of effort required to reach your goal. If you study 4hrs a day, everyday (Except fri night and sunday), and increase this (read: double this) amount before exams- you will probably do just fine. Make sure to take time everyday to do something that makes you happy!

Moral of the story: Expect the worst, and you won't be let down, and you might actually be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

If you study 4hrs a day, everyday (Except fri night and sunday), and increase this (read: double this) amount before exams- you will probably do just fine. Make sure to take time everyday to do something that makes you happy!

This is very true. As long as you do a good chunk of work everyday and don't let things slide, you'll mostly be okay.

 

[fun8stuff]

I have some friends that are already in medical school and they're online blogs are freaking me out! I think because I know how they normally are, the depression/anxiety/tiredness of being in medical school is more tangible... Is it really that bad? I don't want to go in completely freaked out... or is that just inevitable?

also, you have to take into account that a lot of people bitch in their blogs more than they talk about how easy or pleasant their day was. Some people use blogs to let out their emotions of how they are feeling at the time and these might not be indicative of their overall experience. In other words- they tend to leave out the good things.

also, a lot of medical students feel cool by saying how hard medical school is to non-medical school people. Boosts themselves up, etc. I'm not saying this is definately the case for the people you are talking about- but take it into account.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you study 4hrs a day, everyday (Except fri night and sunday), and increase this (read: double this) amount before exams- you will probably do just fine.

I think it's probably a mistake to try and give out generalized rules of thumb about studying. There are definitely people who spend a lot more than this and don't do fine. There are also folks who squeak by on less. And there are quite a few for whom doing "fine" means very different things. Better to let everyone figure out what works for them on their own.

 

[fun8stuff]

I think it's probably a mistake to try and give out generalized rules of thumb about studying. There are definitely people who spend a lot more than this and don't do fine. There are also folks who squeak by on less. And there are quite a few for whom doing "fine" means very different things. Better to let everyone figure out what works for them on their own.

true. probably should have stuck with what i first said. However, I think overall it is good advice to spread out the studying every day rather than try and cram like undergrad.

Someone just told me an analogy (or i read it somewhere) that med school is kind of like eating a whale. If you were to try and eat the whale all in one night you would probably kill yourself. However, if you eat small pieces of that whale over a month (or week or however long your periods are in between exams) then it wouldn't seem so bad.

 

[SigPi]

Someone just told me an analogy (or i read it somewhere) that med school is kind of like eating a whale. If you were to try and eat the whale all in one night you would probably kill yourself. However, if you eat small pieces of that whale over a month (or week or however long your periods are in between exams) then it wouldn't seem so bad.

Thats a good one! I've always been slightly intimidated by the analogy I heard at a admissions seminar my freshman year in college. "Learning in medical school is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant." However, this statement is slightly comforting in its own way -meaning no one expects you to learn everything about everything.

 

[tupac_don]

true. probably should have stuck with what i first said. However, I think overall it is good advice to spread out the studying every day rather than try and cram like undergrad.

Someone just told me an analogy (or i read it somewhere) that med school is kind of like eating a whale. If you were to try and eat the whale all in one night you would probably kill yourself. However, if you eat small pieces of that whale over a month (or week or however long your periods are in between exams) then it wouldn't seem so bad.

I totally agree with you man. If you study consistently everyday or nearly everyday, you will be pretty much set. Increasing your studying intesity couple of days before the test should do the trick. I am more of a proponent of studying 6-8 hrs daily, but light studying. Once you realize that you don't have to know everything and focus on some things, you will not only pass but honor too. Of course some people are better at it than others. But if you get out of lecture what to focus on and are consistent in your studying, I reckon it would be very tough to fail in med school.

 

[priu]

By light studying do you mean 'taking it easy' while studying? Sorry, just looking for more specifics... thank you.

 

[CANES2006]

Medical school is really not that difficult. You'll be fine.

 

[zeloc]

Depends on what type of person you are. Don't go into medical school thinking you will never have to study- if you do this you will probably end up being depressed. Don't go into medical school thinking that you have to learn every single thing and do everything perfect. If you do, you will probably end up depressed.

Basically, I went into thinking I would be studying 24/7 & no breaks just to pass. I told myself I enjoy studying (ha ha) and that no matter what I would grit my teeth for 4-8 yrs and bear it. I was pleasantly surprised that it is not like this... at least I don't let it be like this. Get a feel for how things are after the first exam and find out how hard you have to work to do how well that you want to do. You will eventually become a more efficient studier and will only put fourth the amount of effort required to reach your goal. If you study 4hrs a day, everyday (Except fri night and sunday), and increase this (read: double this) amount before exams- you will probably do just fine. Make sure to take time everyday to do something that makes you happy!

Moral of the story: Expect the worst, and you won't be let down, and you might actually be pleasantly surprised!

It really depends on what medical school you go to. At my institution, the number of lecture hours per week is ridiculous, and although most of them are not required, if you want to do well on the tests you will have to attend classes so you can memorize the idiosyncratic tendencies of the professors. When you get out of class only at 4 or 5 pm, and then have to study the rest of the day, it can get kind of depressing. I also go to a school where people spend huge amounts of time studying, and while I've come to appreciate that I don't need to study as much as these people do in order to do just as well, it can be a little stressful when you are doing non-med school activities while everyone else is going crazy because you wonder whether you should be studying more yourself. So I think that the stress level of the people around you makes a difference as well. If you're going to the same school as these people who are posting blogs, you can expect a similar experience unless you know these people to be high stress. But I don't study anywhere near 4 hours a day. In fact I haven't studied at all for over a week. I fully expect to do a lot of studying this week and this weekend, though.

 

[iatrosB]

It really depends on what medical school you go to. At my institution, the number of lecture hours per week is ridiculous, and although most of them are not required, if you want to do well on the tests you will have to attend classes so you can memorize the idiosyncratic tendencies of the professors. When you get out of class only at 4 or 5 pm, and then have to study the rest of the day, it can get kind of depressing. I also go to a school where people spend huge amounts of time studying, and while I've come to appreciate that I don't need to study as much as these people do in order to do just as well, it can be a little stressful when you are doing non-med school activities while everyone else is going crazy because you wonder whether you should be studying more yourself. So I think that the stress level of the people around you makes a difference as well. If you're going to the same school as these people who are posting blogs, you can expect a similar experience unless you know these people to be high stress. But I don't study anywhere near 4 hours a day. In fact I haven't studied at all for over a week. I fully expect to do a lot of studying this week and this weekend, though.

I know what you mean. Seeing other people study freaks me out. It is infectious, they run around like chicken little and you're like "well, maybe I should study more". It motivates me for an hour or two, then I'm done.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I know what you mean. Seeing other people study freaks me out. It is infectious, they run around like chicken little and you're like "well, maybe I should study more". It motivates me for an hour or two, then I'm done.

Yup, this is a problem for me now and I even remember it freaking me out in boarding school. It takes balls to know how much you need to study and to not get swept up into the frenzy

 

[ussdfiant]

Medical school is really not that difficult. You'll be fine.

Now that I have completed my last exam of medical school I have to agree with Canes. Medical school is just a long road, but it's not terribly difficult as long as you get used to reading something everyday (especially true in the final 2 years).

 

[stoic]

despite what all the cool cats are saying, med school can be quite stressful at times. we're just ending a difficult test block (last test tomorrow....) and yea, a lot of people are quite frazzled. i'm one of them.

most of the time it's ok, but there will be exam blocks that just feel like they are sucking the life out of you. and then they are over and you get back to living. it's important to study reguarly, because most people can't cram effectively when the volume of material is this large.

certainly there isn't really anything about the material that is difficult to understand, there's just a lot of it. and somtimes it just piles up and you really, really need a break but have to keep studying. but you just sort of do it and get it over with. and then get completely drunk. and then start studying again.

don't freak too much, just make sure that you keep a solid base of friends outside of med school and have something to take your mind off of things when need be (running, music, drugs, whatever).

ok, back to netters.

 

[tkdusb]

If you think you've got it bad, I'm gonna be screwed. I'm still finishing up college, and I study several hours every day. I have no idea how I'm going to cut it next year. I'm just not a fast learner. I probably study twice as much as my colleagues just to get similar results.

 

[blkkd]

This is what i would say...

If you want to get A's/Honor/Top 20 well then yes medical school is stressful. If you want anything below that its difficult but 1/2 the stress. The difference is really that large. As far as being depressed, I could see someone being depressed if they are used to being at the top of their class in high school/college then find themselves struggling to pass in their new setting but besides that nah....

 

[Ypo.]

If you think you've got it bad, I'm gonna be screwed. I'm still finishing up college, and I study several hours every day. I have no idea how I'm going to cut it next year. I'm just not a fast learner. I probably study twice as much as my colleagues just to get similar results.

You won't learn anything that is 'hard' in medical school. I have not taken one class that has challenged me more than physics. Conceptually it is not hard.

The problem is that there is so much of it-and its general. The benefit of this is that even the really smart people who 'get' everything right away have to work hard to cram it in-so that will put you on a more even keel with them if you study every day, work hard, and get help with a tutor if you need it. So don't worry. Oh, and you adjust. The craziest thing about it is the exam schedule-you constantly have to plan about how you will keep up and prepare-because the schedule changes.

For now, just worry about one step at a time.

I will say that taking biochemistry, cell physiology, genetics and immunology in undergrad will definitely help. Anatomy also helps, but not that much.

 

[tupac_don]

If you think you've got it bad, I'm gonna be screwed. I'm still finishing up college, and I study several hours every day. I have no idea how I'm going to cut it next year. I'm just not a fast learner. I probably study twice as much as my colleagues just to get similar results.

Don't worry med school is 15%, luck 15% skill, 5% pleasure 65% pain and 100% concentrated power of will!!!!!

 

[fun8stuff]

It really depends on what medical school you go to. At my institution, the number of lecture hours per week is ridiculous, and although most of them are not required, if you want to do well on the tests you will have to attend classes so you can memorize the idiosyncratic tendencies of the professors. When you get out of class only at 4 or 5 pm, and then have to study the rest of the day, it can get kind of depressing. I also go to a school where people spend huge amounts of time studying, and while I've come to appreciate that I don't need to study as much as these people do in order to do just as well, it can be a little stressful when you are doing non-med school activities while everyone else is going crazy because you wonder whether you should be studying more yourself. So I think that the stress level of the people around you makes a difference as well. If you're going to the same school as these people who are posting blogs, you can expect a similar experience unless you know these people to be high stress. But I don't study anywhere near 4 hours a day. In fact I haven't studied at all for over a week. I fully expect to do a lot of studying this week and this weekend, though.

...and this is why i love that my school has streaming lectures. I went to class for most of block 1 (anatomy, histology, and embryo) and i would say that i was more stressed then than i am now. i miss my friends... but i still try to see/hangout with them once or twice a week. the only downside to this is that i feel like a lump on the log some times. there have been many days where i sat on the couch all day and studied, played video games, ate, watched lectures, played video games, watched movie, studied and went to bed (in that order). if i were not living with my fiance... i would officially be a hermit (for most of the week)!

i would say pick a school where lecture is not required, they have lectures posted online (along with powerpoints and old exams), and where you do not have to take a bunch of classes at once (i.e. only take 2-3 classes at once). i think this has made a big difference to me (of course this will vary person to person, but this is my opinion).

 

[zeloc]

If you think you've got it bad, I'm gonna be screwed. I'm still finishing up college, and I study several hours every day. I have no idea how I'm going to cut it next year. I'm just not a fast learner. I probably study twice as much as my colleagues just to get similar results.

There were people in my undergraduate school who studied for several hours every day and who are now in medical school with me. They are doing just fine. One thing I recommend: Give yourself a certain amount of time to complete a particular amount of material and then stick to it no matter what. It should be slightly less than the amount of time to need to study. You will find your ability to memorize material more quickly increases. You can then decrease the amount of time even more. For me I was always forced into studying less because of other committments, but it should work even voluntarily.