M1 Super Tired & Stressed, Dreading First Anat Exam

[Piglet2020]

Hey everyone, MS1 here and started class two weeks ago. I dont think anything could have prepared me for the sheer amount of material in med school... I’m studying 6 hrs a day after lecture & lab and still feel I’m missing information. I dont have time for myself other than to eat, sleep, shower.

The first anatomy exam (which includes the practicals and written part) is a few weeks away but I’m already stressed. I feel like I’m going to get a bad grade. My school does A/B/C grading.

I have no aspirations of gunning a competitive specialty like ortho or derm but I would like to do something like internal med or radiology. I guess I just need some reassurance. How likely is it that a subpar student can match into a specialty at all? (Deathly afraid that after 4 long yrs, & hundreds of thousands in loans, wasted if I end up not matching)... or worse failing med school & myself

I’m sorry for being a bit neurotic — just cant stop feeling lost in this med school thing, it’s an overwhelming transition.

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[solitarius]

Welcome to med school. Buckle down.

6 hrs per day is nothing. Study hard and dial down when you have a good handle on your ability.

 

[7331poas]

 

[Lnsean]

Dance with us or move out of the way

 

[ortnakas]

You’ll match, but you’re worrying waaaaaaay too far ahead of the game, and you can’t focus on now if you’re too busy pre-worrying (it’s impossible I know from experience).

Focus on your exam.

And your mental health. (This means don’t give up entirely on sleeping. And eating. And study breaks)

Take it one step at a time.

Break your studying down into manageable chunks. Learning “everything” in a week sounds awful and terrifying, but you can definitely learn SOMETHING in the next hour. And something the hour after that. And so on.

Ask faculty and (even moreso) second years for advice and study strategies.

Even if you do get a bad grade, don’t let it spiral out of control in your head. A bad grade means you need to readjust, it doesn’t mean your medical career is dead. Even if it feels that way.

Take deep breaths.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Am I the only one who thought it said anal exam for a second?

 

[sunshinefl]

Am I the only one who thought it said anal exam for a second?

Haha I didn’t see that at all till you mentioned it. Then, when I scrolled back up I couldn’t not see it.

 

[WingedOx]

If it makes you feel any better... this will be one of those things you'll look back and barely remember in a year or two.

The interesting stuff is still yet to come.

 

[holdthemayo]

In a minute you'll look up and it will be next year. Keep working hard, take care of yourself, and you will be fine.

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone, MS1 here and started class two weeks ago. I dont think anything could have prepared me for the sheer amount of material in med school... I’m studying 6 hrs a day after lecture & lab and still feel I’m missing information. I dont have time for myself other than to eat, sleep, shower.

The first anatomy exam (which includes the practicals and written part) is a few weeks away but I’m already stressed. I feel like I’m going to get a bad grade. My school does A/B/C grading.

I have no aspirations of gunning a competitive specialty like ortho or derm but I would like to do something like internal med or radiology. I guess I just need some reassurance. How likely is it that a subpar student can match into a specialty at all? (Deathly afraid that after 4 long yrs, & hundreds of thousands in loans, wasted if I end up not matching)... or worse failing med school & myself

I’m sorry for being a bit neurotic — just cant stop feeling lost in this med school thing, it’s an overwhelming transition.

Read this:

• Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)

 

[kraskadva]

Hey everyone, MS1 here and started class two weeks ago. I dont think anything could have prepared me for the sheer amount of material in med school... I’m studying 6 hrs a day after lecture & lab and still feel I’m missing information. I dont have time for myself other than to eat, sleep, shower.

The first anatomy exam (which includes the practicals and written part) is a few weeks away but I’m already stressed. I feel like I’m going to get a bad grade. My school does A/B/C grading.

I have no aspirations of gunning a competitive specialty like ortho or derm but I would like to do something like internal med or radiology. I guess I just need some reassurance. How likely is it that a subpar student can match into a specialty at all? (Deathly afraid that after 4 long yrs, & hundreds of thousands in loans, wasted if I end up not matching)... or worse failing med school & myself

I’m sorry for being a bit neurotic — just cant stop feeling lost in this med school thing, it’s an overwhelming transition.

That sounds....100% normal. Youre just getting hit for the first time with the tidal wave that is med school. Ask your classmates - they definitely feel the same way.
Keep going and you'll figure out how to ride the wave most of the time.

Am I the only one who thought it said anal exam for a second?

Silly, anal exams don't start till second year

 

[Oncmudphud]

Dude. I sucked so incredibly hard at anatomy. The spatial aspect of it just killed me regardless of how hard I worked leading up to the practical. Sometimes there are just those subjects that are beyond our grasp. More than likely you won't fall into that camp. Most of my classmates did great. I'm just telling you this because, despite the fact that I was an anatomy dunce, I still graduated from medical school, matched to a good internal medicine program, and am in the process of applying for a competitive fellowship. It'll be okay. The start of medical school is a harsh adjustment for everyone. You'll adapt and do fine. Don't psych yourself out so soon. Good luck.

 

[NotYou20]

Dude. I sucked so incredibly hard at anatomy. The spatial aspect of it just killed me regardless of how hard I worked leading up to the practical. Sometimes there are just those subjects that are beyond our grasp. More than likely you won't fall into that camp. Most of my classmates did great. I'm just telling you this because, despite the fact that I was an anatomy dunce, I still graduated from medical school, matched to a good internal medicine program, and am in the process of applying for a competitive fellowship. It'll be okay. The start of medical school is a harsh adjustment for everyone. You'll adapt and do fine. Don't psych yourself out so soon. Good luck.

I had a similar experience. My spatial reasoning sucks hard. I failed more practicals than I passed despite studying a ton. Passing that class was the hardest part of the first two years. I did well on boards and didn't have to kill myself to do so. The point is this might be the hardest part of med school for you. You'll be fine.

 

[ololona]

Radiology is a competitive specialty, and 6 hours per night is a lot!

 

[mistafab]

Hey bruh-

Regardless of how you are going to do on this upcoming exam, I got some advice.

You are 2 weeks in and you sound burned out. Nip this in the bud now and 100% get your self-care patterns set up NOW.

You have 4 years + residency. Get this figured out now, it is the most important thing.

 

[ololona]

I just took my first block exam. I would say, I felt the same way in the beginning. However, by the time, the block week comes, you will figure things out.

 

[libertyyne]

Everyone feels overwhelmed the first few weeks. After a while you dont even bat an eye at the amount of information you are expected to retain for the exam.

1. Keep putting one step infront of the other. Just keep at it, and it will click. You might need to experiment to see what works for you.
2.Reach out to your classmates, they are experiencing the same thing, even if they will not admit it.
3. You made it this far, you can totally do this.
4. Only worry about what is ahead of you i.e the next exam.

 

[Piglet2020]

I had a similar experience. My spatial reasoning sucks hard. I failed more practicals than I passed despite studying a ton. Passing that class was the hardest part of the first two years. I did well on boards and didn't have to kill myself to do so. The point is this might be the hardest part of med school for you. You'll be fine.

Were you able to match despite the preclinical grades? In my head, I feel like those who didn’t pass were forced to drop out of med school. How did you keep your head up?

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

Be confident! If you tell yourself you cant do it, you definitely wont be able to. You were smart enough to get in med school, you can do it


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[raiderette]

I felt like such an imposter in the beginning. I wasn't smart enough. I am now MS-3, killed Step 1 and am get more honors than high passes in 3rd year. RELAX! I don't mean stop studying, but understand that it can take a year to understand what works for you. I am so far from the norm of SDN (1st Gen college student, non-science UG, low SES), but all the advice pans out. You can get where you need to go.

 

[Kr#36]

You may want to look into time management skills. If you’re only studying 6 hours I’m not sure what you’re doing with all your time. Assuming you’re sleeping 4-6 hours that leaves you a LOT of time unaccounted for.

 

[Kgizzle]

Am I the only one who thought it said anal exam for a second?

That's what I saw and it's the only reason I'm in this thread

 

[appalachian_man]

Welcome to med school. Buckle down.

6 hrs per day is nothing. Study hard and dial down when you have a good handle on your ability.

How is spending 6 hrs/day AFTER lecture and lab nothing? There's literally only so many hours in a day. No one is impressed by you acting like you legitimately study more than that with no breaks or distractions.

In fact, I would say if you're doing more studying than that then you don't know how to study.

 

[Newyawk]

I remember telling a premed friend a few years ago that med school studying is so insane that you have to just stuff as much of it in as you possibly can and even deliberately leave things out to make room for the higher yield stuff. I could tell he didnt believe me. Fast forward to last year when he started and sure enough he figured that out as well.

In short: just keep going.

 

[Broseiden]

6 hours a day seems really excessive. I focused on outlines for gross material and pathways, and have flash cards for the "in the weeds" facts and memorizable names. It took a quick sec to make all those, but part of the process was sifting out all the material I shouldn't stress about memorizing (high-yield bby).

But what worked for me may not work for you. You shouldn't send yourself into a spiral of anxiety, like thinking about changing specialties already lol. Just focus on the exam and what material you will actually need for it. You are already in the mindset that you are a subpar student, though you most certainly are not just by the fact you got into med school in the first place.

Nobody in last year's class failed the first block lol. Basically I think it is normal to be nervous. It is an emotion that drives us to do well, though too much is inhibitive. Consider taking up some campus resources to help find ways to manage your anxiety, it is more likely to hold you back than anything else.

 

[NotYou20]

Were you able to match despite the preclinical grades? In my head, I feel like those who didn’t pass were forced to drop out of med school. How did you keep your head up?

I'm a third year but there's no reason i wouldn't match well. I just recognized that while important, anatomy isn't the end all be all. The type of studying is y totally different than everything else, especially physio and path. I learned from my struggles and just had confidencein myself moving forward. In case I wasn't clear, I passed the class. All anyone will see is that I did pretty poorly but passed. The rest of my pre clinical grades were solid but not spectacular.

 

[solitarius]

How is spending 6 hrs/day AFTER lecture and lab nothing? There's literally only so many hours in a day. No one is impressed by you acting like you legitimately study more than that with no breaks or distractions.

In fact, I would say if you're doing more studying than that then you don't know how to study.

I have studied more than that. I'm sorry that you're struggling with stamina.

 

[7331poas]

How is spending 6 hrs/day AFTER lecture and lab nothing? There's literally only so many hours in a day. No one is impressed by you acting like you legitimately study more than that with no breaks or distractions.

In fact, I would say if you're doing more studying than that then you don't know how to study.

That is a standard workday.

This is why more med students should have to work before matriculation .

 

[libertyyne]

That is a standard workday.

This is why more med students should have to work before matriculation .

8 hours of lecture and 6 hours afterwards is not a standard work day in many if not most industries. 8 hour workdays are fairly stanrdard tho.

I have studied more than that. I'm sorry that you're struggling with stamina.

Although raw hours matter, its personal efficiency that matters more. We all know those med students who spend 14 hours in the library every day only to barely pass the exams.

 

[whatisthisstuff]

I think you need to look at studying more efficiently. Thats just too much which makes me think you aren't being effective with your time. Though I wouldn't worry, this is part of the process. I doubt anyone kept their same study strategy from beginning to end of medical school. That is way too much time studying imo. I only did 10-12 hours a day of real studying during a couple weeks of dedicated. I won't go into everything here but I'll throw out a couple of recommendations...1. Stay home and watch lectures on 2x speed. 2. Anki. 3. Active/Task based studying = as in you should never just be sitting there and reading. Either be making flash cards, drawing things out, doing questions, etc. Don't ever study for time, study for task completion. Also overall, I can't stress just overall consistency and not cramming highly enough. If you are consistent with your studying its manageable, if you try to cram its not (and you will be miserable).

Despite what some will have you believe Med School does not have to be an exercise in masochism. You should have time to enjoy your life (especially in 1st year). Just keep at it, don't be afraid to change things up, and know that you will take 1000x tests in your life so don't put too much stock in any of them.

 

[appalachian_man]

I have studied more than that. I'm sorry that you're struggling with stamina.

You have studied more than that or you regularly study more than that? If you are going to class/lab all day, and then going home and studying for 6 hours, you either aren't really studying or are on the left side of the bell curve. Don't worry about me, I'm doing just fine spending less than half that time lmao.

That is a standard workday.

This is why more med students should have to work before matriculation .

Don't know what bum school you went to, but a day with class and lab would start at 8am and go until 3pm-5pm where I go. Then throw 6 hours on top of that, for a 13-15 hour work day. You are completely wrong, that is not a standard work day. And I did work before med school, in fact I worked while getting my undergrad degree. Get this condescending, baby boomer mentality tf out of here.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Despite what some will have you believe Med School does not have to be an exercise in masochism. You should have time to enjoy your life (especially in 1st year). Just keep at it, don't be afraid to change things up, and know that you will take 1000x tests in your life so don't put too much stock in any of them.

I'm still trying to figure out how to not be miserable in school and enjoy my life. Between random mandatory classes/labs, and the incomprehensible amount of information piled on daily, I spend my entire day and most of my evening studying/making flashcards/going to the cadaver lab to try and make sense of things. I'm a month into school and already burnt out. This is with me trying to be efficient using flashcard programs and the like.. I just don't know how to not spend 12+ hours of my day doing school-related stuff when I'm constantly being dragged away from studying to do other mandatory garbage.

 

[ololona]

My class starts at 8 am and ends at 5:30 pm. I study for 2-3 hours per night and some nights, I don't study at all. I passed all my exams with flying colors.

 

[7331poas]

You have studied more than that or you regularly study more than that? If you are going to class/lab all day, and then going home and studying for 6 hours, you either aren't really studying or are on the left side of the bell curve. Don't worry about me, I'm doing just fine spending less than half that time lmao.


Don't know what bum school you went to, but a day with class and lab would start at 8am and go until 3pm-5pm where I go. Then throw 6 hours on top of that, for a 13-15 hour work day. You are completely wrong, that is not a standard work day. And I did work before med school, in fact I worked while getting my undergrad degree. Get this condescending, baby boomer mentality tf out of here.

My bum school lets me out at noon.

 

[Kr#36]

You have studied more than that or you regularly study more than that? If you are going to class/lab all day, and then going home and studying for 6 hours, you either aren't really studying or are on the left side of the bell curve. Don't worry about me, I'm doing just fine spending less than half that time lmao.


Don't know what bum school you went to, but a day with class and lab would start at 8am and go until 3pm-5pm where I go. Then throw 6 hours on top of that, for a 13-15 hour work day. You are completely wrong, that is not a standard work day. And I did work before med school, in fact I worked while getting my undergrad degree. Get this condescending, baby boomer mentality tf out of here.

I think if your school forces you to come to campus everyday, especially from 8-5, then your school might be the bum.

 

[BabyDaddy]

Silly, anal exams don't start till second year

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Get ready!
Seriously tho OP, you're only freaked out because you don't belong in medical school, and the admissions committee made a mistake when they accepted you (Is what nearly everybody thinks until after like 2nd year is over)!
I was so overwhelmed 1st semester, but I just worked harder. Eventually you'll learn to do more with less time, AND you'll learn to study for longer hours-build your stamina.
If you made it into med school, the odds are highly in your favor. All you have to do is stick it out. Seek out help from M2s, classmates who are good at anatomy. You'll do fine.
Good luck!

 

[BabyDaddy]

"You only study 15 hours a day?!?! My school makes me go to class/lab 15 hours a day! By the time I've re-threaded the flux capacitor into the bone saw in the anatomy lab, it's eleventyfour at night! Then I go home and study for 13 more hours, which makes a regular 28-hour work day, at least in my time zone. If you didn't already do that for at least 5 years before med school, you should go back to to undergrad and start over."
Yawns. Opens FB.