You mentioned that your school has a primary care focus, so I'm curious- how much did they push research?
They don't push it per se, but our new dean's major selling point is to bring research dollars to our school. Basically, we get random emails from PIs who need research help and beyond that we go to various departments and can find research if we want to. It's not that hard. Productive research, otoh, is more difficult but that's how it is as I'm sure you know. I switched from a really productive research project this summer to a retrospective chart study because I wanted more free time to go to the pool for example.
Biggest surprises? Things you thought where going to be a big adjustment that wasn't and vice versa? Expectation going in vs what it end up being like?
Hmm this is a great question! For me, the big adjustment was getting back into a "college life" type routine. It's basically like college round 2 but like supercharged. You study alot more, there is less time, and when people go out they enjoy themselves (Which is different than my undergrad because we went out all the time just to do it). You eat what/when you can, you gym when you can, you laundry when you can....routines can be meaningless. But, people who have SOs have routines and seem to be happy. For me though, I've had alot of fun with friends, dating, etc ... but my weeks before the test were always hell.
I guess I thought our class would not be as cliquey and popularity based. I'm frickin 30 years old and in medical school -- we dissected cadavers and took histories on real patients this year; why do you have to ignore ppl in the hall or only invite certain people to your pregames? It was very surprising at how popularity based things are; and also that the popularity is not just based on how fun you are socially, it is also based on how 'smart' you are.
Like I said before, everyone's "nice" or whatever, but people are cut-throat and can definitely walk all over you if it will benefit them at all.
The other big things....is how hard it is. There is no getting around it. It's frickin' HARD. If anyone tells you its easy, they're lying. If anyone gets over an 80% on a test, they study their asses off don't listen when they tell you they don't study. If people say you can take the first few weeks easy, you can't. If anything, its better to study more the first few weeks than it is when the stress of the last weeks are upon you.
Expectation going in: I will have lots of fun, study a moderate amount, learn amazing things, and really enjoy every day of medical school.
What it ended up being like: I had quite alot of fun, along with quite alot of random dissapointment; I studied a large amount and
always worried I wasn't studying enough (and frankly, I wasn't, I barely scraped by a few tests); I did learn amazing things and have forgotten 40% of it, but it is rewarding to come up with a differential for something based on just a patient history and thinking about what I'd examine and what labs I'd order; I definitely did not enjoy every day of medical school. Many times I was lonely, I was often scared, I felt stupid, I felt unliked by certain people (which I am, and which you will be too), I felt uncool, I felt like I was missing out on things academically and socially.... but at the end of the day, I also had some amazing experiences...a decent dating life given I was in med school, I had a job and was able to pay for my housing while surviving M1 year, I have good friends and went on spring break with them, got to work out alot, and heck man, now I'm an M2 and no worse for the wear!
Lesson to impart: Everyone is your friend....except that no one is your friend. Med school is super hard, try to find some time to do the things you like.
How does testing work in your school? In undergrad, you have multiple tests per subject along with miscellaneous other things.
Is it just a final for each subject? How do the labs work as well?
Thanks!
We have a test week at the end of every block with 3-4 examinations including nuts and bolts, clinical reasoning, and patient care/physical exam stuff. I don't really get your question about labs. We have anatomy labs which are integrated into our overall curriculum.
