MS2 help...

[gbigdawg]

hey everyone...so i made it through my first year of medical school!! woo hoo!! however, I definately struggled at times and questioned my own academic abilities...something that I am not used to...i know that I worked hard...but not neccessarily smart...in other words...i tried a lot of different things to make it through first year and I felt like I was always changing strategies...I don't want to feel like a mess 2nd year and I want to really get things right from the start...is there anything that I should do the summer before in terms of prep for 2nd year? also how should I approach the material for second year in terms of classes like path? and lastly what do I need to be thinking about in terms of strategizing for the boards?...overall I know that I am a competent individual...and I've become quite accustomed to putting in the hrs neccessary for school...i just want to make sure I am doing everything that needs to be done and not feel like I am in the dark come the start of 2nd year...i know I sound like my thoughts are everywhere so i hope that its a sign of how serious I am about wanting to succeed in 2nd year...thanks for all your help!!

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[Zuwie]

First of all, congratulations! Finishing the first year of med school is a great achievement. I just finished my second year and have yet to take the boards.

You'll like the second year more than the first because it is more clinically relevant. I'm assuming your school will also teach you physical exams and diff. diagnosis, so you will start feeling more like a doctor. For pathology use BRS, for pharmacology use Lippincott's. Robbins is a very good path book, but it's way too detailed and comprehensive, you won't have time to read it all. Pharm will be the most challenging subject. Overall, though, M2 it's not as hard as M1.

Don't worry about studying for the boards during the summer because second year material is much more high yield than first year. Therefore, you should focus on studying well during your second year.