is there a light at the end of the basic science tunnel?

[fijianpuppy]

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i'm a current 2nd year who already can't wait for the year to be over...the endless work, the neurotic classmates, its all beginning to irritate the **** out of me. in my mind, i'm looking forward to third year as a relief from seeing everyone, everyday in a highschool-esque setting and actually seeing clinical medicine beyond the textbooks and power points.

granted, i know every year has its hurdles--i'm sure third year has its share, shelf exams, getting yelled at, etc. but, is it better than the first two years??

also, a random Q about step1: i'm doing all right in my classes--people are crazy and study around the clock and i've found i just dont have the willpower to do that. i like my outside life and breathing time. but now, i'm beginning to worry if my "P's" are going to put me at a disadvantage since i'm not consistently honors or highpassing courses? can anyone speak to this?

 

[cpants]

also, a random Q about step1: i'm doing all right in my classes--people are crazy and study around the clock and i've found i just dont have the willpower to do that. i like my outside life and breathing time. but now, i'm beginning to worry if my "P's" are going to put me at a disadvantage since i'm not consistently honors or highpassing courses? can anyone speak to this?

Of course it will put you at a disadvantage compared to people that knew the stuff well enough to honor those classes. This may or may not matter to you, but if you want to get into something super-competitive, best to hit the books now. Average grades now will probably mean an average step 1 score, which could close a lot of doors for you.

 

[MrBurns10]

Basic science grades in and of themselves don't matter much to residencies. But insofar as they affect your step 1 score, they do matter. I definitely think it's important to maintain a balance in your life, and it's certainly possible to pass 2nd year courses and then do great on step 1 (provided you study a lot during your time off). But it may be better just to go ahead and start buckling down more now as it'll make studying for step 1 easier. So I hear, at least.

Also, 3rd year is definitely better than the basic science years. You're working longer hours but you're actually doing stuff, not sitting in a lecture hall for 6-8 hours/day. And you don't have quite as much of the high school stuff (though I've found intraclass drama never goes away).

 

[fijianpuppy]

yeah, i kind of figured that about step1. luckily i still have a few months left. any other comments about being and M3 vs. M1/2?

 

[LadyWolverine]

any other comments about being and M3 vs. M1/2?

Go read my latest comment in the U of Maryland c/o 2012 thread.

 

[BozoSparky]

i'm a current 2nd year who already can't wait for the year to be over...the endless work, the neurotic classmates, its all beginning to irritate the **** out of me. in my mind, i'm looking forward to third year as a relief from seeing everyone, everyday in a highschool-esque setting and actually seeing clinical medicine beyond the textbooks and power points.

granted, i know every year has its hurdles--i'm sure third year has its share, shelf exams, getting yelled at, etc. but, is it better than the first two years??

also, a random Q about step1: i'm doing all right in my classes--people are crazy and study around the clock and i've found i just dont have the willpower to do that. i like my outside life and breathing time. but now, i'm beginning to worry if my "P's" are going to put me at a disadvantage since i'm not consistently honors or highpassing courses? can anyone speak to this?

at times, it's fun & exciting...and then it's bad/scary other times...i found it to be such a roller coaster...third year reminds me of that movie, "the game"
the process will change you quite a bit.

definitely different from those first two years though. not sure i would call it better.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

The more important question is... what structures pass through the basic science tunnel? Where do they originate and insert? What is their cord of origin? What is their action?

 

[supernareg]

The more important question is... what structures pass through the basic science tunnel? Where do they originate and insert? What is their cord of origin? What is their action?

 

[GoLakers310]

dude, seriously, most things in life sucks. The Buddha, Siddhartha, wasn't kidding when he said life itself is suffering. Imagine what homeless and hobos in downtown are going through right now. How about the abused ones? Soldiers in Iraq? Newly hired teachers or admins trying to impress their bosses? (Seriously, just to save their jobs, many females have sex with their bosses)
Yes, the road to practicing medicine (and itself) can be tough sometimes, but compare to most other things out there, it is not really that bad...

 

[sexyman]

I love life and enjoy every day of it...

If you need to compare your life to a crack ****** to feel better about your life I think something is wrong.

 

[ella umbrella]

yeah something is definitely wrong if we have to compare ourselves to homeless people to make ourselves feel better. but it was a good point nonetheless.

I get sick of the workload and reviewing and reviewing without things sticking. Am I really this dumb?

I do like learning though. Spending all day learning about necrosis and inflammation makes me want to stab myself in the hand and just watch the whole process. But really I do like learning.

I'm also just tired of the neurotic classmates who study like they'll die the next day if don't study that night. My roommate doesn't even leave her room for a moment to say hi (after we haven't seen each other all day) because she's in the "zone." Seriously people can we get anymore selfish? I thought I'd be making life-long friends in med school, but I'm just realizing how surface my relationships with people who would sacrifice you for an A are.

Eh, who needs them. I love it - sometimes - anyway 🙂

 

[supernareg]

life long friends? not in med school, maybe in clinicals, most probably in residency.

i didnt come to med school to make friends. all my friends are back home 🙁 and i dont care enough to make new superficial friendships here

 

[cutekittypi]

dude, seriously, most things in life sucks. The Buddha, Siddhartha, wasn't kidding when he said life itself is suffering. Imagine what homeless and hobos in downtown are going through right now. How about the abused ones? Soldiers in Iraq? Newly hired teachers or admins trying to impress their bosses? (Seriously, just to save their jobs, many females have sex with their bosses)
Yes, the road to practicing medicine (and itself) can be tough sometimes, but compare to most other things out there, it is not really that bad...

I hope youre kidding about females getting busy with their bosses🙁

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

i'm a current 2nd year who already can't wait for the year to be over...the endless work, the neurotic classmates, its all beginning to irritate the **** out of me. in my mind, i'm looking forward to third year as a relief from seeing everyone, everyday in a highschool-esque setting and actually seeing clinical medicine beyond the textbooks and power points.

granted, i know every year has its hurdles--i'm sure third year has its share, shelf exams, getting yelled at, etc. but, is it better than the first two years??

also, a random Q about step1: i'm doing all right in my classes--people are crazy and study around the clock and i've found i just dont have the willpower to do that. i like my outside life and breathing time. but now, i'm beginning to worry if my "P's" are going to put me at a disadvantage since i'm not consistently honors or highpassing courses? can anyone speak to this?

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more discussion of this. You have figured-out what I didn't realize until after second year was over - the basic science years pretty much suck. I had a few laughs, but - looking back - I'm very, very glad that it's over.

You're probably not shooting for an ultra-competitive residency - so, start studying early, and shoot for that magic 215-220 or so number that puts you in the top half. It does require some considerable work.

Third year is far more exciting. The only thing I hate is constantly having to get out of bed hours before the sun ever comes up - and having your life on the line if you're late to something. It's a very abrupt change from the homeschooling I did second year. As much as I hated studying most of my waking hours, I miss those little breaks at home to play ball with dog or something like that - now, I'm just never home - period.

 

[fijianpuppy]

dude, seriously, most things in life sucks. The Buddha, Siddhartha, wasn't kidding when he said life itself is suffering. Imagine what homeless and hobos in downtown are going through right now. How about the abused ones? Soldiers in Iraq? Newly hired teachers or admins trying to impress their bosses? (Seriously, just to save their jobs, many females have sex with their bosses)
Yes, the road to practicing medicine (and itself) can be tough sometimes, but compare to most other things out there, it is not really that bad...

this is an interesting response--rather unsolicited though. i'm talking strictly about the medicine track and comparisons between years in med school; i dont think i was making statements about the broader sense of life. i'm well aware that this is an emotionally taxing path, but thanks for stating the obvious.

 

[fijianpuppy]

life long friends? not in med school, maybe in clinicals, most probably in residency.

i didnt come to med school to make friends. all my friends are back home 🙁 and i dont care enough to make new superficial friendships here

i totally get this same sense. i've always been pretty social and made close friends in highschool/college/etc, but i really feel like the majority of my relationships in med school are extremely superficial -- i didnt really expect this, i thought i'd meet people i was really on the same page with. but i dont see myself keeping in touch with too many of these people.

does anyone else feel this way?

 

[Dr Roboto]

i totally get this same sense. i've always been pretty social and made close friends in highschool/college/etc, but i really feel like the majority of my relationships in med school are extremely superficial -- i didnt really expect this, i thought i'd meet people i was really on the same page with. but i dont see myself keeping in touch with too many of these people.

does anyone else feel this way?

Definitely. But I see nothing wrong with that. I'm no social butterfly but I've made friends. Will we be BFFFs? I doubt it. Maybe with a few. Maybe not. But I'm OK with that. Some people will get to know everyone and that's their thing.

 

[dilated]

granted, i know every year has its hurdles--i'm sure third year has its share, shelf exams, getting yelled at, etc. but, is it better than the first two years??

It all depends on how much work you put into second year. My classmates who spent 10 hours at the med school a day plus weekends stressing about exams, grades and boards found third year to be an exciting and easy change. I can count the number of second year classes I attended on one hand, I worked on my binge drinking skills and I just crammed like a maniac for boards. So for me third year was a massive increase in work from the first 2 years.

It also depends on how much you like the rotations which are heavily weighed towards "core medicine". If you want to be a surgeon or something you're going to be bored out of your skull 8 of 12 months.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

i totally get this same sense. i've always been pretty social and made close friends in highschool/college/etc, but i really feel like the majority of my relationships in med school are extremely superficial -- i didnt really expect this, i thought i'd meet people i was really on the same page with. but i dont see myself keeping in touch with too many of these people.

does anyone else feel this way?

That's really a shame - do you not have a module system? My class had 162 people, but we were divided into groups of 16-18 in nine "modules" which is like homeroom, where you have a desk. We got a couch for our module and a fridge and a microwave - it was kind of one's "safe space" on campus. We also did most of our medical school socializing as a unit - dinners, our traditional drunken lunch after the last exam of block week, etc. I was surprised that I became close to my mod-mates, since I was a good 20 years older. We stayed together for the 2 years. I thought most schools did that.

I knew (and know) the non-traditionals who weren't in my mod, but I never had time to get to know very many other people not in my mod. But in my module we all became extremely close - since we were all suffering through the same stresses at the same time. My "mod-mates" are still my closest medical school friends and the people I go to when I need to vent about school or I need emotional support over a school issue.

My mod-mates were one of the bright spots in the rotten preclinical years. I wish you could have a similar experience.

 

[fijianpuppy]

That's really a shame - do you not have a module system? My class had 162 people, but we were divided into groups of 16-18 in nine "modules" which is like homeroom, where you have a desk. We got a couch for our module and a fridge and a microwave - it was kind of one's "safe space" on campus. We also did most of our medical school socializing as a unit - dinners, our traditional drunken lunch after the last exam of block week, etc. I was surprised that I became close to my mod-mates, since I was a good 20 years older. We stayed together for the 2 years. I thought most schools did that.

I knew (and know) the non-traditionals who weren't in my mod, but I never had time to get to know very many other people not in my mod. But in my module we all became extremely close - since we were all suffering through the same stresses at the same time. My "mod-mates" are still my closest medical school friends and the people I go to when I need to vent about school or I need emotional support over a school issue.

My mod-mates were one of the bright spots in the rotten preclinical years. I wish you could have a similar experience.

yeah, we dont really have that type of camaraderie. my class is very homogenous - not in a good way. anyway, im more looking forward to not having to see them everyday!

 

[GoLakers310]

yeah, we dont really have that type of camaraderie. my class is very homogenous - not in a good way. anyway, im more looking forward to not having to see them everyday!

Yeah, I get sick of looking at them all the time too! Only if all my classamtes were cute asian or hot blonde girls...

 

[GoLakers310]

I hope youre kidding about females getting busy with their bosses🙁

I was, haha... but I sure wouldn't mind getting busy with them 😉

 

[Pinkertinkle]

At least during preclinical years your grades depend on mostly objective criteria such as tests. In third year butt kissing ability becomes a good 40% of your grade.

 

[fijianpuppy]

At least during preclinical years your grades depend on mostly objective criteria such as tests. In third year butt kissing ability becomes a good 40% of your grade.

ah yes. i foresee that being a pretty big problem--i should work on my ass kissing skills