Is anyone finding 2nd year easier than 1st year?

[Mithril]

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In first year I felt pretty overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge we had to learn and how much work we had to do. Being from a microbiology and immunology background, I had a good grasp on infections, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and the immune system, but I had a meagre understanding of physiology and anatomy. Now that first year is over and the first term of second year has also been completed, I feel as if things have been running smoother and concepts are easier to grasp and memorise. Perhaps this is due to being more accustomed to the work load and seeing certain things, like drugs or diseases, a second time, and how diseases can affect multiple systems and how multiple systems interact with each other in a human being. I assume that once I'm in a more strenuous and demanding clinical setting next year, the difficulty is kicked up a notch (or several).

 

[EndersRebutal]

In first year I felt pretty overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge we had to learn and how much work we had to do. Being from a microbiology and immunology background, I had a good grasp on infections, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and the immune system, but I had a meagre understanding of physiology and anatomy. Now that first year is over and the first term of second year has also been completed, I feel as if things have been running smoother and concepts are easier to grasp and memorise. Perhaps this is due to being more accustomed to the work load and seeing certain things, like drugs or diseases, a second time, and how diseases can affect multiple systems and how multiple systems interact with each other in a human being. I assume that once I'm in a more strenuous and demanding clinical setting next year, the difficulty is kicked up a notch (or several).

I'll let you know when I start my second year. 😀

 

[Mithril]

Had to make sure I posted in the right sub-forum. I'm not sure why pre-meds post in an allopathic board. 😕

 

[link2swim06]

In first year I felt pretty overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge we had to learn and how much work we had to do. Being from a microbiology and immunology background, I had a good grasp on infections, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and the immune system, but I had a meagre understanding of physiology and anatomy. Now that first year is over and the first term of second year has also been completed, I feel as if things have been running smoother and concepts are easier to grasp and memorise. Perhaps this is due to being more accustomed to the work load and seeing certain things, like drugs or diseases, a second time, and how diseases can affect multiple systems and how multiple systems interact with each other in a human being. I assume that once I'm in a more strenuous and demanding clinical setting next year, the difficulty is kicked up a notch (or several).

I think most are more prepared for second year than first. So it doesn't seem as bad.

Well...until board studying, that really really sucked.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

I don't know man. I feel like I'm working a lot harder during M2 year than I did during M1 year. There's definitely an increase in the volume of material. With that being said, I like M2 year so much more than M1 year, so that makes the studying more bearable.

 

[normtheniner]

I'm going to give the cliche answer:

It's harder, but more interesting.

There are times this year when I've thought I would have totally fallen apart if things would have been this hard earlier in my first year.

I think I've figured out that med school seems to get more and more difficult, but you just rise to each occasion every time and get a little better at the game.

 

[GalenAgas]

My school is systems based with 1st year Anatomy\Phys and 2nd year Pathology.

2nd year has been easier for me as well. I believe it's because I never recovered from 1st year burn out until the summer. Despite gaining the skills to learn the material by the 3rd block of the 1st quarter, I was always burned out so it seemed hard all the way through 1st year.

 

[Mithril]

My school is systems based with 1st year Anatomy\Phys and 2nd year Pathology.

2nd year has been easier for me as well. I believe it's because I never recovered from 1st year burn out until the summer. Despite gaining the skills to learn the material by the 3rd block of the 1st quarter, I was always burned out so it seemed hard all the way through 1st year.

That's a pretty interesting way to split the curriculum. We have anatomy, physiology, and pathology throughout the first two years.

Our curriculum for the first two years looks like this:

MS1:

MS2:

 

[GalenAgas]

Had to make sure I posted in the right sub-forum. I'm not sure why pre-meds post in an allopathic board. 😕

He's a MS0 and this is his way of bragging to someone he doesn't even know that he got into medical school.

 

[Wordead]

I thought 2nd year was way "easier" than 1st, in that we had far fewer tests. 1st year averaged 3 per month, 2nd year we had 5 total tests all year.

Then again you have pure systems, whereas we had basic sciences first year and systems 2nd year. I would really not like your system as my brain is not going to remember crap from M1.

 

[Kinis]

That's a pretty interesting way to split the curriculum. We have anatomy, physiology, and pathology throughout the first two years.

Our curriculum for the first two years looks like this:

Interesting, but what's up with the clinical dentistry stuff?

 

[Mithril]

That's for the dent students. They have the same basic sciences and systems classes as us, but have their own auxiliary classes (anatomy, pathology, PBL, clinical skills, and the DPAS class which deals with topics like epidemiology, ethics and law, sexual and physical assault, aboriginal health, legality of marijuana, how to run a practice, self-reflection and burnout prevention, etc.).

 

[NickNaylor]

As others said working harder than in first year, but I would agree that it's "easier." I also find the material infinitely more interesting than the typical first year material, which makes studying less of a chore and more enjoyable.

(sent from my phone)

 

[da8s0859q]

Was easier for me because I liked it way, way more than first year.

Liked second year a little more than a good chunk of M3 too.

But fourth year? This is the land of paradise where kegs of the finest imported beers line the streets and the ancient gods of undergraduate medical education descend through the skies and say, "Hey, no hard feelings."

 

[evilbooyaa]

I found M2 to be a little less stressful than M1 because it involved less testing/quizzes to ensure we were keeping up with the material. It's like the school trusted us to not completely fall on our face once we got through the first year.

 

[primadonna22274]

Much much easier for me. Largely because I am a PA who has been diagnosing and treating patients for 12 yr, so there are very few diseases (compared to a novice M2) that are new to me. I enjoy the ability to learn the pathophys deeper and in more detail. Still lots of tests.