Is it possible to avoid textbook use in med school?
Started by DrFizition
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No, you need it for certain subjects, like physiology.
I literally never used a single textbook in preclinical. I may have read pages from a review book like BRS for clarification, but that was minimal.
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Never once cracked open a textbook. Been doing fine all this time. Lecture powerpoint slides + review books are enough.
Our school has conditioned us to not read. I think the fact that lecturers manage to cram 50-80 slides into a single PowerPoint has something to do with it.
As Entadus stated, you will need to get out of this habit as you progress in your education. Medicine is a field where one must constantly learn and around MS3-4 is when the powerpoints stop spoonfeeding you all the information you need to learn and you have to read/find it on your own.
"He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all." - William Osler
The first text book I opened was in my second semester of medical school. I stopped attending lecture, and teach myself from the books (i.e. Robbins) and board materials (pathoma, sketchy) only. Supplement with class handouts and podcasts. Been in the top 5-10% ever since (was right around the median before that). I also have much more free time from not spending 4 hours per day in lecture. My golf game has improved quite a bit.
The first text book I opened was in my second semester of medical school. I stopped attending lecture, and teach myself from the books (i.e. Robbins) and board materials (pathoma, sketchy) only. Supplement with class handouts and podcasts. Been in the top 5-10% ever since (was right around the median before that). I also have much more free time from not spending 4 hours per day in lecture. My golf game has improved quite a bit.
Sounds good. I enjoy reading. Got my stack of JAMAs to get through now we're on block break.
Not only possible, but necessary. The ratio of material you would actually have to know vs. the time it takes to read the textbook is just too bad to justify ever reading a textbook. If anything I would recommend using the textbook to clarify the stuff you don't understand from lecture.
I've honestly never touched a textbook in med school. M1 here, so far so good.
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