Need advice before starting school

[DrSwede]

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I am a non-traditional student who will be starting med school this summer. I graduated in December of 2004 and took some post-bacc classes that ended last spring.

My biggest concern is being mentally prepared for when school starts. (I know that sounds laughable due to the hell that ensues after starting school)

I'm soliciting advice on what you would recommend I do to get up to speed before school starts. Review my anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc...? Some people on here have said to take it easy, but I find it hard to just sit back and wait.

If you recommend reviewing stuff, do you suggest getting any new books or just reviewing material from college?

Thanks

 

[scpod]

Some people on here have said to take it easy, but I find it hard to just sit back and wait.

There is nothing that you can do that will prepare you for the amount of material you will cover. There is no amount of review that will help you; it would all be wasted because you will be going through enormous amounts of material every single day. You will not have this amount of free time again for a very long time. Use it to relax.

 

[DO Sigma Nu guy]

There is nothing that you can do that will prepare you for the amount of material you will cover. There is no amount of review that will help you; it would all be wasted because you will be going through enormous amounts of material every single day. You will not have this amount of free time again for a very long time. Use it to relax.

I 2nd that. Relax and TRAVEL!

 

[PlasticMan]

Bedpan, if you're looking for something to occupy your time without overstressing and still relax, pickup some netter's anatomy cards and/or a yukochi's. Start memorizing and drawing out structures. If your school is system based, this will help alot as each thread you'll already have a handle on the anatomy and it will help ease the information. Everyone always says relax, but I wish I had done something to ease the workload now.

 

[Ifellinapothole]

Bedpan, if you're looking for something to occupy your time without overstressing and still relax, pickup some netter's anatomy cards and/or a yukochi's. Start memorizing and drawing out structures. If your school is system based, this will help alot as each thread you'll already have a handle on the anatomy and it will help ease the information. Everyone always says relax, but I wish I had done something to ease the workload now.

totally disagree....

especially futile is rote anatamy memorization.

Relax....read some fiction you've always wanted to read. Watch movies, travel.

You can't prepare to the daily bombardment of info in med school. If you start trying to "get ahead," you will be studying stuff in isolation and out of context. Everything you will need to know will be covered in class. Don't worry, unlike undergrad no one is "out to get you" in med school. They actually want you to pass and do the best that you can do. (at least my impression).

Whereas in undergrad there is always some either lazy or ruthless tenured prick who loves phucking w/ pre-meds...

Just chill...med school is hard but fun

 

[tcom200901]

If you have been away from the grind of school for a while, I suggest you read, read and then read some more. I think it would be important just to get into the swing of things and dedicate 3-4 hours a night of disciplined reading. Even if it's just for fun, the reading time will help.

The big difference I noted about medical school isnt that the material is harder, it's just that there is Soooooo much of it, and it just keeps coming and coming, faster and faster. If you fall behind because your a slow reader, your screwed.

Time to get out War and Peace, and just read.

I note your from Houston. Where will you be going?
TCOM200901

 

[DrSwede]

Wow, I appreciate all the great responses and I must say I am a little surprised at how many of you say "sit back and relax". I understand why you say this though, especially after thinking about the workload and context of information presented.

However, what about keeping my mind sharp for med school? I feel I need to exercise my brain beyond reading for pleasure and sudoku puzzles 😀

 

[DrSwede]

If you have been away from the grind of school for a while, I suggest you read, read and then read some more. I think it would be important just to get into the swing of things and dedicate 3-4 hours a night of disciplined reading. Even if it's just for fun, the reading time will help.

The big difference I noted about medical school isnt that the material is harder, it's just that there is Soooooo much of it, and it just keeps coming and coming, faster and faster. If you fall behind because your a slow reader, your screwed.

Time to get out War and Peace, and just read.

I note your from Houston. Where will you be going?
TCOM200901

I agree with you. I have noticed that when I sit down to read, I don't read as fast as I used to. Good point, thanks for the suggestion.

More than likely I will be going to TCOM this summer, unless another school leaves a more positive impression than they did.

 

[tcom200901]

I'm at TCOM now, and it's a great school. They work us hard though. Take care.

TCOM200901

 

[snz12x]

go learn something you'll never have the time to learn again & spend some time with your family.

 

[JohnUC33]

I am a non-traditional student who will be starting med school this summer. I graduated in December of 2004 and took some post-bacc classes that ended last spring.

My biggest concern is being mentally prepared for when school starts. (I know that sounds laughable due to the hell that ensues after starting school)

I'm soliciting advice on what you would recommend I do to get up to speed before school starts. Review my anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc...? Some people on here have said to take it easy, but I find it hard to just sit back and wait.

If you recommend reviewing stuff, do you suggest getting any new books or just reviewing material from college?

Thanks

Visit that place you've always wanted to visit, do the things that you've always wanted to do...whatever you do, don't waste your time studying.

 

[Testy McAterson]

i wanted to do something somewhat useful (on top of relaxing and traveling) so i'm starting an online medical terminology course this month. it's pass/fail (low stress) and i figure it can't hurt. i'm also brushing up on my spanish, but i'm in arizona so that's pretty much required.

 

[ssj3tom]

I'm a non-trad too...my best advice would be to do some reading for fun and put away some extra $$ before you start...the student loan money is never quite enough.....especially if you run into some extra bills (I speak from experience as I just had a $1000 car repair over break)....get out to see some friends/family because time is short once classes start!! 😱

Best wishes!!

 

[JustPlainBill]

I agree with you. I have noticed that when I sit down to read, I don't read as fast as I used to. Good point, thanks for the suggestion.

More than likely I will be going to TCOM this summer, unless another school leaves a more positive impression than they did.

Get some sleep. Enjoy having a life. Follow the military grunt maxim---never stand in the sun when there's shade, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, never lie down w/o taking a nap.....Get all the sleep you can now....you'll need it......trust me on this one. On our winter break, I slept in until 10 every morning after getting to bed at 11:00 for the entire two weeks....and still hadn't caught up on my sleep loss for first semester. Remember, if you get more than 4 hours a night in med. school, you're not doing it right....

 

[ShyRem]

Relax. SLEEP. Do stuff you love to do - you will probably not have time when you start med school. Read. Relax. SLEEP. Get REALLY good at that one video game you haven't mastered yet. SLEEP. Visit your family (if you like). Or avoid them by traveling far away (if you like that better). Eat. WELL. You may be eating Ramen during the first year. Learn how to cook fast fabulous healthy meals. SLEEP.

Have I mentioned SLEEP?

 

[Buckeye4life]

I saw a book at Borders the other day called "MedSchool Confidential." It has a lot of good stuff about what to do before school, what to expect in school, and all about residencies. It also touched on premed stuff, but you're past that point it seems. It was written by med school graduates with various backgrounds, MDs and a DO student (which made me pick it up) While it won't take your mind completely off school, and I agree with the other posters suggestions, if you're like me and can't wait to begin classes, this book may be a good compromise of enjoying yourself and not "learning" about medicine yet.🙂 Good luck this fall.

 

[true_currency]

live everyday as if it is your last! It is in a sense the last days of freedom for quite some time. I'm telling you that once you start the grind, even the smallest of things you used to do will seem like a monumental task. For instance, sleeping in (oh how I wish I could do this), watching a much anticipated sunday afternoon football game, catching dinner with some friends, going for that run you always said you've been meaning to get to, etc. The list goes on and on and it will grow with alarming speed once you're in school because there will be more things you can add to your list of what you wish you could be doing instead of reading all about the electrophysiology of the heart. (I'm so burnt out on this cardiac crap right now....someone please put me out of my misery! I'm at KCOM and we're in the middle of suffering through our first quarter of Physiology.) Go have some fun and set your mind at ease for now because before you know it, you'll be trying to drink water out of a fire hydrant (best description of med school I have heard to date) and you'll be wondering how in the hell you're supposed to retain a single drop!!

 

[pineapple]

My plan is to get a puppy in the first week of May and start to train him 🙂

 

[DrSwede]

My plan is to get a puppy in the first week of May and start to train him 🙂

Wow, i was actually planning on getting one too lol!

Thanks for all of the advice btw. It has helped my anxiety a bit, but it's still hard for me to accept the fact that chillin' out is the best course of action 😀

What can i say, I'm a work in progress hehe. I did take up photography though, something I always wanted to do. There's more to it than I thought possible lol.

 

[RichZ]

my best firend is at nycom now and he said one simple thing "but a lot of cheap beer and drink it! bc you will never be able to go out and party like in college. waking up at noon after getting back at 4 from a night of party will most likely be done ever again so RELAX

 

[Old_Mil]

I am a non-traditional student who will be starting med school this summer. I graduated in December of 2004 and took some post-bacc classes that ended last spring.

My biggest concern is being mentally prepared for when school starts. (I know that sounds laughable due to the hell that ensues after starting school)

I'm soliciting advice on what you would recommend I do to get up to speed before school starts. Review my anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc...? Some people on here have said to take it easy, but I find it hard to just sit back and wait.

If you recommend reviewing stuff, do you suggest getting any new books or just reviewing material from college?

Thanks

Good luck. Be far the largest slice of hell that you will have first year is Anatomy - it is the most frequently failed class here - and so if you're going to do any studying at all, make sure it's in that class. Get a copy of "Gray's Anatomy for Students," start reading 30 days before school starts at the beginning, and see how far you get.

Do not spend your whole summer studying unless you want to end up in a straightjacket halfway through your second semester.

 

[Quakkilla]

Do not spend your whole summer studying unless you want to end up in a straightjacket halfway through your second semester.

This is an accurate statement. Don't do anything else, enjoy your time. No matter how much you try you are not going to be prepared. You will have plenty of studying don't waste your time off doing it.

Q M2