i'm romantically attracted to a sports car

[345keepthediaphragmalive]

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[Cath Up]

It sounds like your primary issue is a lack of interest/motivation. At least for me, when that creeps up, I have trouble covering materials in ways that I know are effective for me.

I will ignore the "are you sure medical school is right for you??" questioning, as I assume you still want to pursue medicine. If you don't, easiest solution is to quit before your debt racks up. There is also the conventional wisdom of reaching out to the resources your school has in place for people like you, be it 2nd year mentors, counselors, learning centers, or others.

How have you effectively covered material that was not interesting to you in the past? Try that.

I like Anki because it forces me to interact with the material after covering it, but it is always possible to zone-out and Anki, which is probably what you're doing. What I think would be most useful for you is to make sure you are actively learning/interacting with the material, not just watching it.

Some study methods that could help:
-Interact with the material immediately after reading/watching the lecture. Draw out the structures or pathways. Do questions from the book. Do not just watch the lecture or skim the reading again.
-Try a study buddy/small study group. Studying with others around can keep you focused.
-You probably know you should try to exercise at least a little and eat better. It helps me. Having to wholesale neglect your health for medical school is a myth.
-Pomodoro Method/timers are useful for some people.
-Leave your phone in the car.

I list these strategies because it is definitely difficult to discover interest in boring material. But you can tolerate learning it/thinking about it if you give yourself some balance and healthy habits, and eliminate distractions.

 

[345keepthediaphragmalive]

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[Medic741]

Serious question: Do you have a hobby that you could pursue to break up the studying?

 

[345keepthediaphragmalive]

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[madiso30]

Would playing video games between study sessions make me more productive when I’m studying?

I may get some hate for this but I think that it would help. One of my biggest reactions outside of the gym is to kick back and play video games. It could be for just 10-20 minutes. But it stimulates my brain and sort of wakes me up a bit.

Admittedly, on less stressful (aka not close to exam) days, I do find myself saying "Just one more game" far too often.

But I think anything that allows your mind to decompress is worth doing. Excluding alcohol and drug use.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I’m a first-year DO student at an established institution. (My entering stats were 3.7/506, if that’s relevant.)

So far, I’ve been very behind on all material; I’m >3 lectures behind in each subject, and I have a poor understanding of the lectures that I am caught up on. We’ve had a handful of tests, and I’ve scored in the bottom 10% of my class on every single one, passing by a hair. Prior to exams, I usually feel like I’m just catching up on a million things that I never learned. Essentially, I cram and then do poorly.

I study in a very inefficient, unfocused manner, and I do so for 10+ hours a day. I haven’t been going to lecture, but I’ve struggled to keep up with lecture videos. I try to get multiple passes through lecture slides, but I’m not able to remain focused or to retain most of the information I read. Also, I’ve been trying to use Anki, but I feel like I’ve been using it in an incredibly ineffective manner; on most days, I do zero reviews because I’m desperately trying to catch up on watching lectures and doing passes through slides.

Something that has hindered me is my total lack of interest in the material. I’ve noticed that some of my classmates are very intellectually curious about the stuff we’re learning about... but I can’t convince myself to share their mentality, and that may contribute to my lack of focus and time management skills.

I’m not aiming to be a straight-A student, nor am I looking to enter a competitive specialty. I just don’t like how it feels to constantly be on the cusp of failing, and I’m concerned about the long-term sustainability of my current habits. I don’t want to fail out of medical school. I want to just be an average student.

Do any current or former students have advice on this matter? Thank you.

The line of thinking in the red is your biggest issue. Medical school is very monotonous sometimes, and you just have to grind. Make yourself focus, you can do it. Force yourself through the material, you will find some parts of it interesting if you keep slugging thru it.

Medical school is work, treat it like work and just get it done. You can have fun later, but you got to do your job first. Also if you want to be average, you probably need to go for being above average first. Don't start with average as the goal, or you'll end up in the bottom of the class.

 

[Goro]

I’m a first-year DO student at an established institution. (My entering stats were 3.7/506, if that’s relevant.)

So far, I’ve been very behind on all material; I’m >3 lectures behind in each subject, and I have a poor understanding of the lectures that I am caught up on. We’ve had a handful of tests, and I’ve scored in the bottom 10% of my class on every single one, passing by a hair. Prior to exams, I usually feel like I’m just catching up on a million things that I never learned. Essentially, I cram and then do poorly.

I study in a very inefficient, unfocused manner, and I do so for 10+ hours a day. I haven’t been going to lecture, but I’ve struggled to keep up with lecture videos. I try to get multiple passes through lecture slides, but I’m not able to remain focused or to retain most of the information I read. Also, I’ve been trying to use Anki, but I feel like I’ve been using it in an incredibly ineffective manner; on most days, I do zero reviews because I’m desperately trying to catch up on watching lectures and doing passes through slides.

Something that has hindered me is my total lack of interest in the material. I’ve noticed that some of my classmates are very intellectually curious about the stuff we’re learning about... but I can’t convince myself to share their mentality, and that may contribute to my lack of focus and time management skills.

I’m not aiming to be a straight-A student, nor am I looking to enter a competitive specialty. I just don’t like how it feels to constantly be on the cusp of failing, and I’m concerned about the long-term sustainability of my current habits. I don’t want to fail out of medical school. I want to just be an average student.

Do any current or former students have advice on this matter? Thank you.

Read this:

• Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)

 

[Medic741]

Here's a few thoughts

-medicine is pretty mundane. Wake up, study and it's totally normal for that to feel uninteresting/boring because honestly it kind of is; it's ok to feel that way. This is totally normal.

-even in medical school you have to keep living your life or this is going to be a really long journey. Find the things that make you happy and get you up in the morning, something beyond video games that gets you really jazzed and excited. Something outdoors and active is ideal because it kills multiple birds with one stone. Running, cycling, rock climbing, kayaking, sailing, swimming, hiking, pickleball/tennis, basketball, soccer etc. can be good places to start. Build a routine of doing things you enjoy on a regular basis, making them social and active is really important too

-what keeps you going might be a long term goal. 3-4 day workweek? >250k income? Helping people and driving a BMW? Whatever it is identify some goals to keep you going.

-keep it all in perspective that this is just a phase in your life, a really ****ty one at that but it won't be forever. I've met way more unhappy medical students than I have attendings