MS-0's, what are you the most apprehensive about going into medical school?

Get Your Med School Admissions Questions Answered!
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

What has your knickers in a twist about starting medical school?

  • Class from 8-5 (varies, obviously)

    Votes: 20 8.8%

  • Studying at least 2-3 hours per night

    Votes: 34 15.0%

  • Block exams

    Votes: 17 7.5%

  • Anatomy lab (dissection, etc)

    Votes: 13 5.8%

  • OMM Lab (applies only to pre-DO)

    Votes: 4 1.8%

  • Going into massive amounts of debt

    Votes: 67 29.6%

  • Being pimped by professors (...Fogel)

    Votes: 4 1.8%

  • Making new friends

    Votes: 6 2.7%

  • Not being able to sleep in

    Votes: 12 5.3%

  • Mandatory classes (dependent upon school policy)

    Votes: 8 3.5%

  • Relocating to an unfamiliar area

    Votes: 26 11.5%

  • Other (please write in..)

    Votes: 15 6.6%
  • Total voters
    226
MaximusD

MaximusD

Anatomically Incorrect
Verified Member
Air Force
Physician
15+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
5,187
Reaction score
403
Everyone has something that makes them a little uneasy about starting medical school... what will give you sleepless nights?
Members don't see this ad.
 
MaximusD said:
Everyone has something that makes them a little uneasy about starting medical school... what will give you sleepless nights?
Click to expand...


Commander William T. Riker here.

32+ hours study work-load outside of lectures is a definite concern.

Commander William T. Riker out.
 
Well, I'm in the habit of being here now, not futurizing, like I used to. As such, I don't worry as much any more. However, what I am thinking about right now is relocating to KC, MO. I am currently living in the East Coast, far from KC. I don't yet have a place to live there and don't know much about the area at all. I think I will feel more at ease once I have finally found a nice place there to settle into and become more familiar with the surroundings.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
My concerns are really with balancing family and school. I have always had my parents, my husband's parents, my aunt, sister-in-law, etc., here to help out if I needed someone to watch the kids. We don't have anyone in Tennessee.:scared: So, my concern is being able to figure out the timing of picking up and dropping off kids and who is watching them so that I can go to school. But, I am sure we will work it out. My other issue is leaving all that family behind because we will really miss them. :(

BUT, DCOM IS FABULOUS AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE WORK AND STARTING MED SCHOOL THERE!!!! :banana: :biglove:
 
CommanderRiker said:
Commander William T. Riker here.

32+ hours study work-load outside of lectures is a definite concern.

Commander William T. Riker out.
Click to expand...

Yes, you are going to have to cut back on the hours you spend watching Star Trek now....:rolleyes: :smuggrin: :laugh:
 
MaximusD said:
that's a BAD drmom! NO! (hits doctormom over the nose with a newspaper)

I don't want this to degrade... it should be an interesting poll :)
Click to expand...

OUCH!:smuggrin:

HA HA!!! Sorry, couldn't help myself.:laugh: :love:
 
I voted for relocation because I've always lived with my family, it's going to be so weird living on my own, but I think I'll get used to it eventually.
 
poormansdo said:
I voted for relocation because I've always lived with my family, it's going to be so weird living on my own, but I think I'll get used to it eventually.
Click to expand...

Do pardon my curiosity, but how many years have you lived with your family?
 
Hmmm..the relocation is exhausting, but exciting all at once...and I absolutely loved spending the day in and around Knoxville today and am looking forward to more of it...so that's not really it.

One concern is that I'm giving up a very good career, but one that I don't think I could do forever, so the only really scary thing is giving up the salary and cush lifestyle (time off when I want, comfortable living, etc).

I already do most of the things on that list in one form or another, but I do have some things I wonder about.

I'd put worries about whether:

1. I can actually do this...
2. Can we start a family while in school
and,
3. How will my wife adjust to again being the breadwinner and me being unavailable more than I ever have since we got married.

at the top of the list in no particular order.

Worries? Yes, but excited about a new adventure more than anything.

I'm just ready to get moved and begin the adjustment.

Spiced, if you have ANY questions at all about KC, please don't hesitate to ask...I've lived near/in KC all my life.
 
DoctorMom78 said:
Yes, you are going to have to cut back on the hours you spend watching Star Trek now....:rolleyes: :smuggrin: :laugh:
Click to expand...
He has to have something to do while the rest of you are actually in med school (and I'm in undergrad) :smuggrin:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
There're a few things that worry me. In no particular order:

Dissection, but I think I'll get over that quickly, just like I did when dissecting parts of animals when I was in high school and undergrad. Once I started it, I enjoyed it.

Being consistent about going to class. Always been weak in the whole actually going to class thing. This is the main reason my grades suffered as an undergrad, and I have to re-take some classes to strengthen my application.

Studying regularly: one of my main weaknesses is being consistent, and this shows most prominently in my study habits. However I'm constantly working to improve in this area, so I'm not overly worried.


I am looking forward to med school more than I am dreading it. It's been a *very* long time since I've been academically challenged by *anything.* (By challenged, I mean, working hard and studying and still finding it difficult to assimilate something.) I've gone from a "just get by" mentality to "I want to know everything about everything" mentality. I think that's the shift that's going to make the most difference this time around in school.
 
Block exams. you take a bunch of classes crammed into an impossibly short amount of time for all of them, then take all the exams for them in one week. Generally you get one or two days for "reading" then three days of exams. Exhausting. Nice 'cuz you only have exams every 5 weeks or so, but that one week is exhausting. Keep up on your learning and it's not so bad, but you gotta cram in the info from that last week.
 
I'd say my biggest concern will be the 10 pounds of **** in the 5 pound bag factor.

There will be so many lectures, so much outside studying, tack in the labs and everything else that needs to be done like getting food, doing laundry and all the stuff I haven't listed... it'll be more than a little condusive to a spontaneous head explosion.
 
we only have to study 2-3 hours per night!? We are geniuses!
 
I wish we could have picked more than one!!

It's partly the money, partly the classes, partly having to move to an area I am not that thrilled about, partly being a student that is old enough to be some of my classmates' mother, but a large part of it is leaving behind a career I have loved. That's really tough.
 
froggiepremed said:
we only have to study 2-3 hours per night!? We are geniuses!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. A more accurate range might be 4-6 hrs a night. After a full day of lecures, it will be though. Thats what scares me the most: work load (*wimper*).
 
I wanted to pick two, but since I could only pick 1 on the poll, I will list both of them here:

1. Work load!
2. Hugh amount of dept.
 
froggiepremed said:
we only have to study 2-3 hours per night!? We are geniuses!
Click to expand...

Well if you are like me, after you watch your Grey's, American Idol, Heroes, Real World/Road Rules, House, 24, Stargate SG1/Atlantis, and many other shows....you will only have 2 hrs to study. :D :D
 
Scared of not measuring up to the high goals I set for myself. Scared of the possiblity of struggling.
 
DO Sigma Nu guy said:
Well if you are like me, after you watch your Grey's, American Idol, Heroes, Real World/Road Rules, House, 24, Stargate SG1/Atlantis, and many other shows....you will only have 2 hrs to study. :D :D
Click to expand...
yeah, after Law & Order, Grey's, Survivor, Criminal Minds, CSI Miami & LV, I won't have time either! Luckily I have DVR...but some of these will be gone come August
 
I'm most definitely worried about the loans, I've never carried any debt before in my life (no, not a rich kid, just a saver).

Besides money I am also worried about how my husband will adjust to So Cal culture & also about having been out of school for a few years & getting back into the groove of things.

Even though I'm worried about all of this stuff I am SOOO excited to start.

Don't worry though, I'm already practicing adopting a wordly & cynical outlook so I can fit in with the other meddies!:laugh:
 
It is definitely the debt...i am actually quite excited about all the school stuff:)
 
Honestly, I am a little worried about my self-confidence going into medical school. I think it's taken a little beating with the amount of rejection letters that I got (not something I really had to deal with going into undergrad), and I am planning on spending the summer trying to re-evaluate and re-appreciate my abilities. Any advice on how to do so would be greatly appreciated! Am considering reading a few tough books as I have not had much time for reading in awhile (and won't in medical school) and maybe some of those difficult 3-D puzzles or something, just to get myself to believe in my ability to learn and adapt again. To be honest, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would not be attending medical school when I got my last ditch chance, so as thrilling as that all was for me, I definitely need a little healing.
 
GreenShirt said:
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought. A more accurate range might be 4-6 hrs a night. After a full day of lecures, it will be though. Thats what scares me the most: work load (*wimper*).
Click to expand...

You wont study 4-6hrs/night

I say 2hrs tops for most people. Those hard core folks will hit the 3hr mark.

You might hit 5 hours during exam week
 
JPHazelton said:
You wont study 4-6hrs/night

I say 2hrs tops for most people. Those hard core folks will hit the 3hr mark.

You might hit 5 hours during exam week
Click to expand...

Whew! Good to know! :) That was a worry of mine...
 
JPHazelton said:
You wont study 4-6hrs/night

I say 2hrs tops for most people. Those hard core folks will hit the 3hr mark.

You might hit 5 hours during exam week
Click to expand...

I have to say that was a worry of mine also! I'm glad to hear it from someone who has survived with flying colors. :)
 
ducqui said:
Honestly, I am a little worried about my self-confidence going into medical school. I think it's taken a little beating with the amount of rejection letters that I got (not something I really had to deal with going into undergrad), and I am planning on spending the summer trying to re-evaluate and re-appreciate my abilities. Any advice on how to do so would be greatly appreciated! Am considering reading a few tough books as I have not had much time for reading in awhile (and won't in medical school) and maybe some of those difficult 3-D puzzles or something, just to get myself to believe in my ability to learn and adapt again. To be honest, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would not be attending medical school when I got my last ditch chance, so as thrilling as that all was for me, I definitely need a little healing.
Click to expand...

Where did you get in? :)
 
ducqui-- just think you've made it this far... and even though yes, you wee rejected by other schools, obviously they weren't the right match/program for you. Keep your head up and you'll do fine! Maybe to boost your confidence in feeling like you have an edge, take courses in improving your memory, speed reading and comprehension due to the amount of workload you'll be going over (from what I hear). Best to you!!!

Well, my apprehensions:
1- Getting in... :rolleyes:
2- Being able to balance family with school (1 honey, 2 babies)
3- Residency locations... what if I have to relocate?! (my husband has a job he loves now, so relocating will be difficult)
4- Did I mention getting in?
 
I'm worried about 3 things mainly,

1. The fact that I might not get the grades that I am used to getting. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself.
2. The lack of sleep.
3. Not seeing my husband too much and possibly being snippy when I see him because I'm not getting enough sleep.

oh yeah, for anyone from the Philly area who might understand my love of Wawa, there will be no Wawa's in Erie for me to get my daily dose of Wawa Chai!!
 
Lfribble said:
I'm worried about 3 things mainly,

1. The fact that I might not get the grades that I am used to getting. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself.
2. The lack of sleep.
3. Not seeing my husband too much and possibly being snippy when I see him because I'm not getting enough sleep.
Click to expand...

LOL! I am already used to the last two. My poor husband.:smuggrin: :laugh:
 
lrobin15 said:
I have to say that was a worry of mine also! I'm glad to hear it from someone who has survived with fly colors. :)
Click to expand...

JPHazelton has fly colors? Would that be balck and green? Hmmm ...
 
Lfribble said:
I'm worried about 3 things mainly,

1. The fact that I might not get the grades that I am used to getting. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself.
2. The lack of sleep.
3. Not seeing my husband too much and possibly being snippy when I see him because I'm not getting enough sleep.

oh yeah, for anyone from the Philly area who might understand my love of Wawa, there will be no Wawa's in Erie for me to get my daily dose of Wawa Chai!!
Click to expand...

I've never had Wawa chai, but Oregon Chai is REALLY good! They have a website where you can order tons of variaties, but they also usually carry the regular latte and green tea chai latte at Wal-mart. Have you ever had Starbucks chai? Oregon is ten times better! lol

Can you tell I love chai? :p
 
BradenDO said:
I've never had Wawa chai, but Oregon Chai is REALLY good! They have a website where you can order tons of variaties, but they also usually carry the regular latte and green tea chai latte at Wal-mart. Have you ever had Starbucks chai? Oregon is ten times better! lol

Can you tell I love chai? :p
Click to expand...

Those are not real chais. I have had real chai and it tastes much better. If people are interested I can direct them to the appropriate places to get the real things. :)
 
BradenDO said:
I've never had Wawa chai, but Oregon Chai is REALLY good! They have a website where you can order tons of variaties, but they also usually carry the regular latte and green tea chai latte at Wal-mart. Have you ever had Starbucks chai? Oregon is ten times better! lol

Can you tell I love chai? :p
Click to expand...


Actually, Wawa is Oregon Chai, and I get the boxes, but it just tastes better from Wawa's machines!! And yeah, I don't like Starbucks either. Right there with you for loving Chai:D
 
Is Wawa better than Sheetz?

I remember I used to go to the Jersey shore when I was younger and I LOVED Wawa...

I haven't been to the beach in like 6 years in NJ so I'm wondering if the hype is really worth it. The new Sheetz model in central PA is pretty awesome and I:'m worried that Wawa will let me down.

sheetz-Altoona2.jpg


VS

wawa-l.jpg
 
OTHER - Leaving a job paying 90K a year and about to retire ( 10 years by the time I start MED School) with a wife and two kids... then earning $0 for 4 years and 35K for 4-5 years... not being able to select what schools I send my kids to and having to move to chase the residency I want... I'm glad my wife loves me...
 
Also I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to stay Reserves while at school... 4,500 a years in Tuition Asssitance and 600 a month to drill... plus 3-4K during the summer for 2 weeks of work... Just another one of my worries...
 
MaximusD said:
Is Wawa better than Sheetz?
Click to expand...

What about Turkey Hill?!?!?!

Wawa's got the coffee
Sheetz has got the best sandwiches &
Turkey Hill has the best ice cream and selection of baseball cards.

I know who my pick is!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

AlainDaniel
MS in Medical Education
Replies
5
Views
830
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
S
Which DO schools (that require Casper) weigh it the most?
Replies
5
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
H
Touro Middletown MS PostBacc 2024- 2025
Replies
0
Views
578
hailstone
H
BoneWizahd
Which DO schools are the most selective when sending out secondaries?
Replies
3
Views
1K
EArlyBirdGetsTheWorm
EArlyBirdGetsTheWorm
S
Have Most Interview Invites Been Sent Out? 2023-2024 DO
Replies
10
Views
2K
chpiib
C
Top