Nervous About Medical School

[deleted971800]

So I have been accepted into med school and will be starting this fall. What I am concerned about is whether I am ready for it. I have never taken above 14 credits in a semester while in undergrad. I never really felt overwhelmed, and ultimately did well in terms of my GPA. I guess I just want to hear personal experiences of those who went somewhat light during undergrad in terms of credits and how they felt when they started their first year in med school.

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[ilikecatstoo]

Wow was just browsing through old threads on this because I was suddenly hit with this huge fear today about medical school and whether I could actually make it. I think finals week is getting to me.

 

[BobbyKoch]

I took 12-14 credits for most of my post-bacc, which is where I did the only science courses in my background. you'll be ok. you'll see what classes need to be prioritized. Chances are, depending on your school, a few credits of preclinical will be "filler" pass/fail classes like bioethics and research methods.

the truth is that folks have been graduating by the thousands from medical school for years now. be flexible, work hard, take care of yourself. try not to worry too much.

 

[deleted1005514]

You’ve learned things before, this is just learning stuff faster.

It will feel overwhelming at first, and you’ll spend most of the first semester learning how to learn efficiently and keeping your head above water.

Some tips: don’t be afraid to change your study methods, ask for help (tutoring, therapy, etc), say “no” when you’re too busy, and say “yes” when you’re not. Take one day at a time...if that’s too much, take one lecture at a time. Don’t let yourself fall behind! Learning to keep up with the work is usually the first stumbling block.

One last thing: you can do this, you belong here...you’re gonna be a doctor!

 

[bioarchaeologist]

I had a light schedule in undergrad, like no more than 2 science classes per semester and I survived M1 (1 more month of grinding). Lots of people went through this and made it, you'll be ok as well.

First few weeks will be tough for sure. At first I thought there was no way I was gonna retain so much material in so little time. Had a few moments of nervous breakdowns during the first week of "I am so gonna fail out" lol. That's normal, everyone goes through that. But as you tweak your study habits and get used to how the tests are you figure out what works and you slowly realize how much faster you're retaining information. The specifics will be up to you as different things work for different people, but as long as you keep up and work hard, you will figure it out.

 

[jurassicpark]

Nervous?
Very.
First time?
No, I've been nervous lots of times.

It's perfectly normal to feel nervous. You hear all the stories about medical school and what us "old" folks went through. Such as climbing a hill through a blizzard to our anatomy lab that was surrounded by a moat of lava.. without shoes! With a firebreathing dragon waiting at the end.. or that just might have been my professor's halitosis.

People come to medical school from all walks of life with VERY different backgrounds academically. Some barely took the pre-req courses, others were major science-geeks or have been out of school for quite a while. From all backgrounds and experiences people succeed. The equivalent will be looking at this as an academic boot camp. You're going to hit the ground running and push yourself most likely you've never pushed yourself before, each stage more rigorous than the last.

DON'T PANIC

To get accepted to medical school, for the most part you should've proven yourself academically fit to handle it. You will definitely still have to learn to adjust, work on your study habits, and most importantly ADAPT. Many people in your shoes have gotten through it very successfully, and you will too. But most importantly : HAVE FUN. Believe me when I tell you, if you want it to be medical school can be an amazing time with crazy adventures.

 

[Sardonix]

It's like this with every new milestone in your path toward being a doctor. From the MCAT to starting residency to starting your first attending job.

Your brain forgets all that you've accomplished and focuses on your concerns and past missteps. But it's totally normal and mostly everyone is going through it too. Just be patient, attentive, kind, and find people to depend on and (relatively) healthy means of coping with stress.

You got this.

 

[DameJulie]

I am in your shoe when I started med school. Honestly, it's no joke. My school's curriculum is also very intense so that heavy and fast workload is normal. At some point, we had a block exam every week. But after some time, you'll get used to it. You'll get pushed to the new limits that you probably didn't know about before.

It might take you a failed exam to realize what you need. Especially the first semester has a steep learning curve.

Fortunately, there are many resources around you than undergrad. So please find and use those resources, and don't be afraid to ask for help! Good luck! Med school selected you for a reason. Feel free to PM if you have additional questions.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

Everyone's had the same thoughts. Just remember that a committee of professionals composed largely of MD's decided that not only do they think that you will succeed in medical school, but that they want you at theirs as well.

 

[deleted971800]

I am very relieved after seeing everyone's responses. Thank you all so much!!

 

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Graduated with a bachelors in a non-science field. The only science classes i took were the required pre-reqs. I did slightly below average on the MCAT and had the same feelings as you. I survived the first two years. You will be totally fine, just go in ready to put your head down and work

 

[Goro]

So I have been accepted into med school and will be starting this fall. What I am concerned about is whether I am ready for it. I have never taken above 14 credits in a semester while in undergrad. I never really felt overwhelmed, and ultimately did well in terms of my GPA. I guess I just want to hear personal experiences of those who went somewhat light during undergrad in terms of credits and how they felt when they started their first year in med school.

You'll be fine. You'll quickly adapt to the volume.

Read this:

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

 

[Medmusicmagic23]

Medical school is hard for everyone, period. Ways to prepare- study anatomy before starting school. If you go into school being an anatomy pro you'll be way ahead of the game.

 

[Deecee2DO]

If you were accepted you can handle it trust me. Adcoms are very selective at who they accept for a reason and they are very good at what they do in that regard. Its normal to feel nervous everyone does. Any of your classmates who say they arent nervous are lying (med students are very good at hiding their fears and love to act like they have it all together)

 

[PapaGuava]

It’s an exciting type of nervous! The volume of material is always a little bit of a shock at first for every medical student, but once you get into a routine after the first week it will all flow OP.