M2 sucking harder than M1?

[Poit]

I was able to find free time during M1, but between the regular coursework and daily first aid and UWorld, I feel like I'm studying every waking hour just to keep afloat. I'm spending around 1 hr a day on UWorld and around 2 hours a day for FA (getting through FA is sluggish) Is this too much or about average?

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[Instatewaiter]

Yup.

After the first few weeks/months and getting into the groove, first year isnt bad. With the boards looming over your head, M2 is worse, with longer hours and more to risk.

Don't worry, it gets worse interms of free time third year...

 

[Rekt]

I was able to find free time during M1, but between the regular coursework and daily first aid and UWorld, I feel like I'm studying every waking hour just to keep afloat. I'm spending around 1 hr a day on UWorld and around 2 hours a day for FA (getting through FA is sluggish) Is this too much or about average?

I'm assuming you're covering more than your current course work in first aid if you're spending two hours on it. Also, it's generally not recommended to start UWorld this early? Why don't you switch to Rx and knock out the FA at the same time.

I'm about the same on the amount of free time I have so far. I know, for me personally, that it would not be beneficial to go hard on boards right now until near the end of this semester. I'm mainly focusing on classes, Rx, and a little of Bros.

 

[kmp0410]

M2 is worse but I think you are spending too much time with board materials.

 

[doyouhaveaflag]

I agree with what's posted above. M2, at least at my school, was way more dense and time consuming than M1. I didn't start U World until dedicated. I used Kaplan Q bank throughout the year, but only the few days before an exam when I felt like I had a gone over the organ system enough that doing questions on it was useful. If you're not using Pathoma yet, I would start that now and listen along with your courses. It actually helps with class exams, not just step 1 prep.

I used FA only very minimally during the year (maybe 1 hour per week), in order to review what we went over in class and to see what topics we didn't cover that might show up on step 1, so that I could make flashcards on that as well. I'm not sure what you're doing during those 2 hours every day, but that seems like maybe it's overboard. I think annotating FA is useless, but I know some people swear by it. I suggest this is the area where you could trim time the most.

I think it's great to supplement studying for your courses with some board prep material, but I'd say don't do so much that it's interfering with your ability to do well in classes. In my mind, prepping as well as you can for class exams = getting the foundation you need to do well on step 1. Not everyone feels that way though.

I'd say I averaged spending about 30 min to an hour extra per day with supplemental step 1 study materials throughout M2, though perhaps less during the first few months.

 

[Redpancreas]

I was able to find free time during M1, but between the regular coursework and daily first aid and UWorld, I feel like I'm studying every waking hour just to keep afloat. I'm spending around 1 hr a day on UWorld and around 2 hours a day for FA (getting through FA is sluggish) Is this too much or about average?

Wow...well it sounds like you're doing things right. Keep it up. It gets better socially after M2.


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[Goro]

You're right on schedule.

MS2s have to worry about their clases, Boards, rotations, spring fever, and the fatigue of being in med school for two solid years.

Only you can answer what is the right amount of review.

I was able to find free time during M1, but between the regular coursework and daily first aid and UWorld, I feel like I'm studying every waking hour just to keep afloat. I'm spending around 1 hr a day on UWorld and around 2 hours a day for FA (getting through FA is sluggish) Is this too much or about average?

 

[padfoot777]

Every year gets worse in terms of free time until spring of senior year

 

[Milotic]

I would argue some parts of third year have more free time than MS2 (Psych/peds/Family Med) while the other core rotations of 3rd year are WAY less time than MS2 (OBGYN/Surg/IM).

MS2 sounds like it sucks but its better because the material is better. Some people argue it sucks more than MS1 because of that quiz at the end of the year.

 

[Mad Jack]

I liked M2 way better than M1, but that's largely because there was substantially less mandatory stuff in M2, so I could use my time much more effectively.

 

[Mountaineer12]

MS2 was the worst year of my life. Spending all day studying alone in my apartment with my cat with Step 1 looming over my head was not good for my mental health. Now as an MS4 I'm super happy I went into medicine, but I wouldn't go back to MS2 if you gave me a million dollars. Just get through it and do your best. MS3 is mildly better, especially when on rotations you're interested in.


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[justin1390]

I was able to find free time during M1, but between the regular coursework and daily first aid and UWorld, I feel like I'm studying every waking hour just to keep afloat. I'm spending around 1 hr a day on UWorld and around 2 hours a day for FA (getting through FA is sluggish) Is this too much or about average?

Totally normal. I thought it was fairly well known that M2 year is busier than M1? There are some schools that are the exception, but I think this is typically the way it goes. However, I found the content M2 year to be more palatable.

Yup.

After the first few weeks/months and getting into the groove, first year isnt bad. With the boards looming over your head, M2 is worse, with longer hours and more to risk.

Don't worry, it gets worse interms of free time third year...

This is kind of true, but you get to see your peers more, and then there are those amazing rotations like Psych where you are home by 3-4 and there's nothing to do but relax. My senior year was terrible. I wanted a tough residency to get into, so I ended up doing two aways, a SubI, a regular medicine, ICU, Infectious Disease, and Nephrology all back-to-back. Up until May of senior I was busier than I had ever been in medical school. But that was my own fault.

 

[Raryn]

The second half of M2 was the worst time of my life. I'd rather repeat the beginning of intern year than do that over again. Or my M3 surgery rotation.

OK fine, maybe not my M3 surgery rotation. But that would be a close comparison.

 

[sloop]

I can't say I understand the hatred of second year. It's been my second favorite year after fourth year. I guess it's more work than first year because of studying for Step 1 on top of classes, but the material was interesting and the general suckiness paled in comparison to most of third year.

 

[Azete]

I think 3 hours per day for boards, in September, is a little too much. I think if you can keep that pace up then you'll probably end up crushing Step 1, but I can't find more than an hour a day on weekdays for boards without going insane. But we also have mandatory attendance.

 

[NWwildcat2013]

The second half of M2 was the worst time of my life. I'd rather repeat the beginning of intern year than do that over again. Or my M3 surgery rotation.

OK fine, maybe not my M3 surgery rotation. But that would be a close comparison.

It was the best time of my life. Controlled my schedule and felt like I was really learning. So far, I would rather repeat that than any of MS3.

 

[doyouhaveaflag]

..

 

[PhillyMed777]

It was the best time of my life

wouldn't go that far, but yes, my favorite part of med school as well... my schedule was my own. Best time of my life was college.

3rd year is a disaster.

 

[sloop]

3rd year is a disaster.

3rd year is the worst. It has its ups and downs but overall is just terrible. Some people evidently love 3rd year and I don't get it. I never again want to be fax bitch for 13 hours a day.

 

[PhillyMed777]

Some people evidently love 3rd year and I don't get it

These people are so strange and for some reason their optimism is quite annoying