Incoming M1- Programs to get involved with

[Bballkid]

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Hi everyone!

I am an incoming M1 starting next month. I very excited but I had a few questions so that I can make the complete best of my opportunity right off the bat and through the four years.

I like research, but concerned I will not have enough time to work at a lab due to the extensive course work load. The dean told me if I really wanted try for 5-10 hrs a week, which I do not think is enough to get a great experience.

Additionally, I want to get clinical exposure right off the bat. All there is at my school are a few clinics that I can work at, but most want you to be M3 or M4 to join there.

I was hoping to get a part-time job as well to pay for my basic expenses like food and a bit of rent, but I think I will be too busy on my studies.

What do you suggest I should get involved with: Research, working at a clinic, part-time job? What would help to get into a good residency program?

 

[Ophthoseidon]

lol don't get a job.

Research is a great idea. Only work at a part time clinic if you enjoy it. But first make sure you can crush your classes. If you don't consistently do awesome, you should focus solely on that. Don't spread yourself too thin.

 

[Say]

Do all three man. Also have you memorized pathoma/FA yet? If not you will be behind before starting M1.

 

[kenjixshadow]

What you want to hear, but shouldn't do: memorize FA, get a job, work at clinic, do research, and whatever you want.
What you don't want to hear, but should follow: don't do anything, just focus in school.

 

[cbrons]

you do not need a part time job.

 

[cbrons]

Working at a clinic and a part time job are irrelevant for residency

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Bro, as someone who just finished 1st year, just focus on school. This is not gonna be like undergrad where you could juggle 5 balls. If you can do well in school while enjoying your time with friends and having a hobby, that's more than enough! Focus on research during the summer.

 

[TBV]

No job, do research during the summer, focus on school, chill with clinical experience... you likely don't know anything yet.

 

[Stagg737]

Only get a job if you can study while doing it, like working at your school's library or at a front desk. My school pays students to sit at the front desk of the study building and study themselves. They do 10 minutes of actual work in a 4-6 hour shift. Other than that don't bother.

 

[Merely]

Considering M1 year is the easiest, I feel like spending a few hours a week on research isn't the worst idea in the world....

 

[Stagg737]

Considering M1 year is the easiest, I feel like spending a few hours a week on research isn't the worst idea in the world....

Idk, I'm looking forward to spring of M4...

 

[YoungestBrother]

It all depends on how you adjust to the workload and on the opportunities available at your school. As far as earning a bit of extra cash, look for things you can do for you class/school that allow you to be in class or study. I got paid to take notes and record lectures. Not much, but it helped with expenses, and the only commitment it took was going to class, which I was going to do anyway. I also got involved with a few research projects here and there. Again, nothing major, but enough to make some connections and add a few lines to my CV. At my school, there are several research groups where an M1 can get plugged into an ongoing project, do a few hours work here and there, and get named on the project. I personally love spending time in the clinic, so I volunteered in the student-run free clinic as much as I could. It was a great experience, and I learned a bunch.

All that said, I felt pretty fried by the end of the school year. If I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I wouldn't have used some of that time to exercise more or spend more time in nature. I sacrificed personal time for these extra things. Do that if you want, but make sure you don't sacrifice your learning.

 

[pd1112]

Considering M1 year is the easiest, I feel like spending a few hours a week on research isn't the worst idea in the world....

Not until after the first block or so to allow time for the inevitable adjustment period.

 

[Dral]

As my Dean put it...undergrad is like drinking out of a water fountain...med school is like drinking out of a fire hydrant.

As someone else said...focus on studies first, then slowly add things in.

Hold on to your excitement now as it is fleeting. It starts to fade right around week two when you realize you're already a lecture behind in two of your courses and you have three sections to learn for Anatomy the next day.

 

[masaraksh]

To match derm in the US you'd need to discover something mind blowing- like how to turn brown skin white without any adverse effects. However, at that point it may be financially better to stay in India.

 

[sholamd]

One of the hardest things for me was accepting my financial situation in medical school. I also wanted to work part-time teaching the SAT/MCAT or something, but I had to accept my life of living on student loans. Holding a job is a nice thought, but totally impractical. **sigh**

Like other people have said, I would just focus on school first, then add other things once you get your feet under you.

 

[slopes23]

To match derm in the US you'd need to discover something mind blowing- like how to turn brown skin white without any adverse effects. However, at that point it may be financially better to stay in India.

Wrong thread bud.

 

[seminoma]

Considering M1 year is the easiest, I feel like spending a few hours a week on research isn't the worst idea in the world....

M1 is arguably more difficult than M2 depending on how well you transition.

 

[Psai]

M1 is arguably more difficult than M2 depending on how well you transition.

the transition sucked but there's no way m1 comes even close to m2

 

[CherryRedDracul]

You can get a job during med school if you want. I've done, other people did it. But if working at your job is negatively impacting your studies, drop it.

 

[seminoma]

the transition sucked but there's no way m1 comes even close to m2

I guess it depends how much extra stuff you do during M2. I did 2 qbanks, pathoma, goljan RR, and KLN pharm in addition to our required activities and lectures during M2 (versus only lectures and some KLN in M1). Initially my grades dropped a bit, but my M2 GPA ended up being the same as my M1 GPA in the end. All those extra resources made M2 harder for me, but in the end if I had just focused on school like most people do I'm pretty sure it would've been easier than M1.

 

[JimmyB123]

It all depends on how you adjust to the workload and on the opportunities available at your school. As far as earning a bit of extra cash, look for things you can do for you class/school that allow you to be in class or study. I got paid to take notes and record lectures. Not much, but it helped with expenses, and the only commitment it took was going to class, which I was going to do anyway. I also got involved with a few research projects here and there. Again, nothing major, but enough to make some connections and add a few lines to my CV. At my school, there are several research groups where an M1 can get plugged into an ongoing project, do a few hours work here and there, and get named on the project. I personally love spending time in the clinic, so I volunteered in the student-run free clinic as much as I could. It was a great experience, and I learned a bunch.

All that said, I felt pretty fried by the end of the school year. If I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I wouldn't have used some of that time to exercise more or spend more time in nature. I sacrificed personal time for these extra things. Do that if you want, but make sure you don't sacrifice your learning.

As an M1 you can do a few hours work here and there and get published? Whoa that sounds easy

 

[pd1112]

As an M1 you can do a few hours work here and there and get published? Whoa that sounds easy

 

[YoungestBrother]

As an M1 you can do a few hours work here and there and get published? Whoa that sounds easy

Not published necessarily, but named on a poster or a presentation. Publication definitely takes more work. Still, every line on the CV counts.

 

[PantsOnFire]

Hmmm, are you guys serious about not getting involved at the student run clinic? All the schools that interviewed at made it seem like an awesome opportunity, and I was actually looking forward to the chance of getting an early, low pressure experience.

 

[sunealoneal]

Hmmm, are you guys serious about not getting involved at the student run clinic? All the schools that interviewed at made it seem like an awesome opportunity, and I was actually looking forward to the chance of getting an early, low pressure experience.

If you want to participate in that, go ahead. Do it because you want to. Do it because you need it to get an appreciation for the material you're studying, or some other intrinsic factor.

 

[pd1112]

Hmmm, are you guys serious about not getting involved at the student run clinic? All the schools that interviewed at made it seem like an awesome opportunity, and I was actually looking forward to the chance of getting an early, low pressure experience.

I don't think anyone is saying to avoid it all together, just pump the breaks initially until you get your feet wet with classes.

The first 2-3 weeks of M1 usually go like this: classes/lectures won't seem awful (especially if you have a good biology background), free time will seem abundant & orgs/ECs will have fairs and free lunches daily to get M1s interested. You'll think everything is going well with classes, so why not get involved and pad the CV? After all, residencies will love to see all of this stuff! So you sign up for the free clinic one night per week, join 4 interest groups, email 3 attendings asking to shadow & 2 more to ask for research involvement. You'll have a meeting or some other EC 6 days/week before you know it. Two days before your first exam, you finally realize: oh $h*t, these topics are familiar, but now I have to know 3x the depth of detail as I did in UG & you end up cramming like hell for that test. You do okay on it, but eventually the cramming catches up to you, your grades slip, your sleep declines & you start dropping ECs, even the most enjoyable 1-2, because you now think the key to grades is studying 8 hours/day. By the end of MS1, you have next to zero meaningful EC experience, your grades are below your potential & expectations, you're burnt to a crisp & you're wishing you would've followed the advice ahead of time: take it slow & focus solely on classes for the first 1-2 months. Once you establish a routine & are happy with your grades, begin to titrate ECs that are meaningful to you (free clinic, shadowing, research or something outside of the box) & enjoyable (most important!). If it's not enjoyable, it will never be as meaningful as it could have been & you'll have a hard time conveying that it meant anything to you when including it in your CV & talking about it at interviews.

It's a similar story during the summer between MS1-2. Don't plan on doing 2 research projects, 4 weekly volunteering experiences & studying for step1. In December or January, decide the 1 thing that will be most meaningful & enjoyable during the upcoming summer. This will be your second priority, because the first is taking plenty of time off (more than you think you need) to let your mind regroup & your body relax. This is essential in order to start MS2 the way you started MS1: refreshed & ready to focus on classes. Otherwise it will be MS1 all over again, except the burnout will come faster & harder (hotter?) & you'll be anxious every day thinking about how you're going to spend 8-12 hr/day for 4-6 weeks studying for step1 coming up in a few months.

 

[trino]

I don't think anyone is saying to avoid it all together, just pump the breaks initially until you get your feet wet with classes.

The first 2-3 weeks of M1 usually go like this: classes/lectures won't seem awful (especially if you have a good biology background), free time will seem abundant & orgs/ECs will have fairs and free lunches daily to get M1s interested. You'll think everything is going well with classes, so why not get involved and pad the CV? After all, residencies will love to see all of this stuff! So you sign up for the free clinic one night per week, join 4 interest groups, email 3 attendings asking to shadow & 2 more to ask for research involvement. You'll have a meeting or some other EC 6 days/week before you know it. Two days before your first exam, you finally realize: oh $h*t, these topics are familiar, but now I have to know 3x the depth of detail as I did in UG & you end up cramming like hell for that test. You do okay on it, but eventually the cramming catches up to you, your grades slip, your sleep declines & you start dropping ECs, even the most enjoyable 1-2, because you now think the key to grades is studying 8 hours/day. By the end of MS1, you have next to zero meaningful EC experience, your grades are below your potential & expectations, you're burnt to a crisp & you're wishing you would've followed the advice of ahead of time: take it slow & focus solely on classes for the first 1-2 months. Once you establish a routine & are happy with your grades, begin to titrate ECs that are meaningful to you (free clinic, shadowing, research or something outside of the box) & enjoyable (most important!). If it's not enjoyable, it will never be as meaningful as it could have been & you'll have a hard time conveying that it meant anything to you when including it in your CV & talking about it at interviews.

It's a similar story during the summer between MS1-2. Don't plan on doing 2 research projects, 4 weekly volunteering experiences & studying for step1. In December or January, decide the 1 thing that will be most meaningful & enjoyable during the upcoming summer. This will be your second priority, because the first is taking plenty of time off (more than you think you need) to let your mind regroup & your body relax. This is essential in order to start MS2 the way you started MS1: refreshed & ready to focus on classes. Otherwise it will be MS1 all over again, except the burnout will come faster & harder (hotter?) & you'll be anxious every day thinking about how you're going to spend 8-12 hr/day for 4-6 weeks studying for step1 coming up in a few months.

This contains the answer to every thread accepted students have made over the past 3 months...except the "can I transfer to PA" one