Non-Stop Studying?!

[suizyme09]

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So I have been talking to med students and such now. I always hear that they study everyday or so to keep up, etc which I understand and is fine. My question is that come exam time do you all really go into like 2 days of non-stop studying?! I can't study anything for more than an hour or two without taking a break to watch tv, play video games, or run around acting like a fool because I can't focus anymore! How do med students keep their attention focused to study essentially non-stop (except for eating and maybe bathing) before exam times like I've heard?

P.S. I mean besides the ones that take amphetamines illegally

 

[psychforme]

Weeks, not days.

 

[sprinkibrio]

The fear of failing out is a big motivator and it becomes easier to study for hours and hours. You're at risk for getting kicked off your career path. We don't do a whole lot else besides study.

A lot of people do drop everything (cleaning, TV, computer time, friends) the week before a test. I find this mentally unhealthy and try to spread hard studying out so I still have around 2-4 hrs/day of time with my boyfriend, TV time, etc.

8-10 hrs of studying/day
8 hrs of sleep
1 hr in morning to get ready
1 hr for dinner
1 hr driving
3-5 hrs of goofing off, laundry, cleaning, groceries, boyfriend, tv, computer

 

[Noeljan]

So I have been talking to med students and such now. I always hear that they study everyday or so to keep up, etc which I understand and is fine. My question is that come exam time do you all really go into like 2 days of non-stop studying?! I can't study anything for more than an hour or two without taking a break to watch tv, play video games, or run around acting like a fool because I can't focus anymore! How do med students keep their attention focused to study essentially non-stop (except for eating and maybe bathing) before exam times like I've heard?

P.S. I mean besides the ones that take amphetamines illegally

well you should not really try to study non stop because you wont retain things. I will study about 40 mins then break for about 20 (but am really focused during those 40)...Yes before a test I will do this as much as possible 8 hours or so, but never ore than 40 mins straight.....you still can go run, play online, eatm go to the store, etc

 

[ajank]

well you should not really try to study non stop because you wont retain things. I will study about 40 mins then break for about 20 (but am really focused during those 40)...Yes before a test I will do this as much as possible 8 hours or so, but never ore than 40 mins straight.....you still can go run, play online, eatm go to the store, etc

This is pretty much how I and a lot of others in my class operate. You don't instantly become a robot when you enter medical school, so most people cannot study productively for hours without taking breaks.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Depends on the person, some people can do well without too much studying, if you're one of these people then great.

 

[Law2Doc]

S...My question is that come exam time do you all really go into like 2 days of non-stop studying?! ...

You should always take periodic, short, study breaks (although you can definitely go more than 40 mins in a stretch). But a mere 2 days intense prep for an exam won't usually cut it in med school.

 

[Vonsmack]

Fear of failing is a big motivator, not just because failing hurts your ego but because of the consequences of remediation, repeating a course or a year etc. I think a big motivator especially for 2nd yr students is to study hard in order to master the material. The amount of info is huge, and it simply takes a lot of work to get a handle on the material.

Bottom line, you really need motivation to study for long periods of time. If you have goals of passing or rocking a test, then you will feel guilty goofing off and will WANT to study. Anything that takes time away from your study time will frustrate you. This happens to everyone, its the nature of the beast.

 

[mjl1717]

You should always take periodic, short, study breaks (although you can definitely go more than 40 mins in a stretch). But a mere 2 days intense prep for an exam won't usually cut it in med school.

True, see you are preparing your brain welll to be in good fighting(studying shape)....{Because in the end it comes doing to stimulating, teasing and preparing that CNS for retaining and extrapolating large chunks of material..
😴

 

[DOquestions]

So I have been talking to med students and such now. I always hear that they study everyday or so to keep up, etc which I understand and is fine. My question is that come exam time do you all really go into like 2 days of non-stop studying?! I can't study anything for more than an hour or two without taking a break to watch tv, play video games, or run around acting like a fool because I can't focus anymore! How do med students keep their attention focused to study essentially non-stop (except for eating and maybe bathing) before exam times like I've heard?

P.S. I mean besides the ones that take amphetamines illegally

You got into medical school. You have the chance to have a great life. If you fail out of medical school, you are back at square one with the rest of the college graduates with the same college degree trying to get that next job to pay the bills and hope for a dollar more an hour then they make right now. The mere fact of failing to get the good life when it is right in front of you should be all of the motivation you need.

When you start medical school you will adjust to the demands of what it takes to make it. Look at this way. A college football star gets everything he wants in college. Then he leaves college for the NFL. Time comes for the NFL combine. This football star is no longer a star in the eyes of the NFL. The mere fact of having a bad job interview (translating to failing out of medical school) at the combine and personal team workout days is enough motivation to keep from failing to get the chance to play in the NFL- a childhood dream of millions of children every year. Do you want to live the rest of your life knowing you had a chance at the NFL and blew it? (translates to getting admitted into a medical school and failing out and not having the chance to be a doctor)

 

[ChiDO]

The drive inside and motivation is what keeps me going. I know that I want to attain a competitive residency and therefore the harder I work now and the better grades I get will pay off in the end.

Even if I was looking at a non-so competitive residency, I'd still want to do my best, because you never know what doors you want open at the end of road.

As for studying "non-stop," I think that's idiotic and probably worse for you. We usually have 4-6 hours of lecture each day and afterwards I study for 4 hours each night. On weekends, like today, I study usually 2-3 hours before lunch and then another 4-6 after. But those are never straight, you take breaks once in a while, go chit-chat with friends for a break.

I know a few friends who insist on studying till like 12 AM before a test day, or spending 12+ hours in the library each weekend, but at a certain point I feel that there are diminishing returns to the knowledge you gain. I'd rather have a good 8 hours of sleep before an exam, rather then try to cram a little more info, get 5 hours of sleep, and be tired.

In the end, you'll find out what's best for you, what yo want to accomplish, and you will find out how to accomplish that.

 

[Tiger26]

Weeks, not days.

I think you meant 'year,' specifically 2nd year--that was basically non-stop, balls to the wall, drinking out of the fire hose of knowledge

 

[psychforme]

I think you meant 'year,' specifically 2nd year--that was basically non-stop, balls to the wall, drinking out of the fire hose of knowledge

Add residency and we're talking decades. This OP will have a heart attack 😀

 

[coldweatherblue]

let's see... the past month I've spent three weekdays in the mountains cause they got new snow. Went to the city one weekend - no studying.. Went camping a weekend in the desert - no studying. Just got back from spending part of the weekend on the beach, surfed all day today and am now getting ready to go out for the night... Will probably study tomorrow but if I don't it's okay. A lot of times I roll out of bed, skip class, make coffee, STUDY a good 4 hours, then spend the rest of the day hanging out or just being lazy. There is DEFINITELY time to enjoy life outside med school first year.

But when exam times come you gotta put in the time. I usually study a good 8-10 hours a day for two weeks straight. Something just clicks and you start wanting to do nothing but learn and because of the (good) stress most of what you read is retained. It's kind of hard to explain until you go through it. I thought I would have a really tough time forcing myself to study because of habits in undergrad but really it all just kinda came together and I'm happy with how things are going. So basically to answer your question: School isn't all of your life but sometimes you gotta burn the midnight oil and get work done. If you have a histology exam over 250 pages of notes, you need to know the definition of every new term in those notes as well as having mastered the big picture concepts. That takes work for EVERYONE and there's no way around it. Don't think that you'll get through the pre-clinical years without averaging 10+ hours a day of studying for a week or so.. it comes with the territory. It's not a *bad* life though, even though it's tedious. The stuff you learn is pretty amazing and when you start to put things together it will blow your mind. 👍

 

[bioteach]

2 days of non-stop studying?!

I wish. Try two weeks. We have our final anatomy exam this friday and this entire coming week will be non-stop study mode. No classes, just studying and review sessions. The full out studying (after class, between classes) began for me last monday.

However, that includes bathing, sleeping 8 hours, eating, etc. So, I guess not "techinically" non-stop. Each day this week will probably involve 12 hours of studying, though.

 

[penisclaw]

It doesn't have to be NON-STOP studying, but it is a few days to a couple weeks of pretty intense studying (8+ hours a day), depending on how well you keep up throughout the class. I tend to spend quite a bit of time going over material as we learn it rather than saving it all til the end, so I usually only spend a few days right before the test studying intensely, and it's mostly reviewing the material by that point.

 

[suizyme09]

haha wow thanks for all the replies guys! I think one of the reasons I have with long study sessions now is a lot of the work I have to do is just not that interesting to me (like studying for a Greek mythology exam or econ class, etc) because I'm in the homestretch of my degree finishing up the gen ed classes. I'm really excited about med school b/c I can't wait to learn about things that really matter to me!! I would be able to manage 8 hrs of studying in a day with periodic breaks if it involved things that interest me. Thanks for the feedback I think I will be just fine in med school!😀

 

[penisclaw]

haha wow thanks for all the replies guys! I think one of the reasons I have with long study sessions now is a lot of the work I have to do is just not that interesting to me (like studying for a Greek mythology exam or econ class, etc) because I'm in the homestretch of my degree finishing up the gen ed classes. I'm really excited about med school b/c I can't wait to learn about things that really matter to me!! I would be able to manage 8 hrs of studying in a day with periodic breaks if it involved things that interest me. Thanks for the feedback I think I will be just fine in med school!😀

Not to be a downer, but you're gonna have to learn a lot of things in med school that aren't that interesting to you either, at least in the first couple of years. You just gotta work through it then you get to the fun stuff.

 

[njbmd]

What's it like in medical school questions are pre-med issues and thus, this post is moved to pre-allo. Allopathic medical students read and reply to posts in pre-allo and can follow and reply to this one.

 

[scrambizle]

And then Step 1 comes around, and you study 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least 5 weeks. Fear is the great motivator.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

And then Step 1 comes around, and you study 10+ hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least 5 weeks. Fear is the great motivator.

How do you get tested in third and fourth year if it's all rotations (in my mind I'm thinking rotations are just like Rounds).

Can you really have a fulfilling life and do well in med school at the same time. Don't give me that BS about doing what makes you happy fulfills you crap. Are most people in med school really honestly happy? I'm just curious.

 

[penisclaw]

How do you get tested in third and fourth year if it's all rotations (in my mind I'm thinking rotations are just like Rounds).

We have national shelf exams at the end of each rotation. Rotations are not JUST like rounds, that's only a small part of it. They actually teach you how to perform tasks (interviewing patients, physical exams, small procedures, etc) and you observe the bigger ones.

Can you really have a fulfilling life and do well in med school at the same time. Don't give me that BS about doing what makes you happy fulfills you crap. Are most people in med school really honestly happy? I'm just curious.

That really depends on what makes you happy. If you can be happy by spending a few hours a week doing something not medicine related, then yes you can be happy. If you need to have unrestricted free time to follow any little desire your heart may have, you might not be able to pull it off.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

We have national shelf exams at the end of each rotation. Rotations are not JUST like rounds, that's only a small part of it. They actually teach you how to perform tasks (interviewing patients, physical exams, small procedures, etc) and you observe the bigger ones.



That really depends on what makes you happy. If you can be happy by spending a few hours a week doing something not medicine related, then yes you can be happy. If you need to have unrestricted free time to follow any little desire your heart may have, you might not be able to pull it off.

That's brutal, how many hours is a few for you?

 

[Law2Doc]

How do you get tested in third and fourth year if it's all rotations (in my mind I'm thinking rotations are just like Rounds).
...

As mentioned the rounds are basically just the first 4ish hours per day in the fields with rounding. The rest of the day you are working up patients, doing procedures, writing notes, scut, attending didactics (lectures). And after your long days, you are going to have to still find some time to do some reading, because the shelf exam is a painful standardized test at the end of each rotation. You won't have shelf exams in 4th year, but still will be having to take the two parts of Step 2. So you don't give up studying after second year.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

As mentioned the rounds are basically just the first 4ish hours per day in the fields with rounding. The rest of the day you are working up patients, doing procedures, writing notes, scut, attending didactics (lectures). And after your long days, you are going to have to still find some time to do some reading, because the shelf exam is a painful standardized test at the end of each rotation. You won't have shelf exams in 4th year, but still will be having to take the two parts of Step 2. So you don't give up studying after second year.

I'm just curious, how much free time per week do you have law2doc?

 

[TupacalipseT96]

We have national shelf exams at the end of each rotation. Rotations are not JUST like rounds, that's only a small part of it. They actually teach you how to perform tasks (interviewing patients, physical exams, small procedures, etc) and you observe the bigger ones.



That really depends on what makes you happy. If you can be happy by spending a few hours a week doing something not medicine related, then yes you can be happy. If you need to have unrestricted free time to follow any little desire your heart may have, you might not be able to pull it off.

What is a penis claw?

 

[WannaBePreMed]

What is a penis claw?

A penis that's used as a claw, get with the program... lol

 

[TupacalipseT96]

Intriguing. Where can I get one?

 

[BlueElmo]

The studying time issues are nothing new to me, but reading these posts still make me apprehensive.

 

[Revilla]

You should always take periodic, short, study breaks (although you can definitely go more than 40 mins in a stretch).

I think that depends on the person. As the person above said, taking a break every 40 minutes works for him/her.

 

[suizyme09]

Intriguing. Where can I get one?

I imagine you would need to be born with it....altho I'm holding out for when genetic modification brings us this breakthrough!

 

[BlueElmo]

So if you do failing work, or near failing, do medical schools kick you out? Do they give you warnings, try to help you, or do they just expel you?

 

[TupacalipseT96]

I imagine you would need to be born with it....altho I'm holding out for when genetic modification brings us this breakthrough!

Hmm. Does it need to have sharp edges to be classified as a claw? Or would extreme congenital curvature suffice?

 

[Revilla]

So if you do failing work, or near failing, do medical schools kick you out? Do they give you warnings, try to help you, or do they just expel you?

From the allo and osteo forums, it seems med schools work with you. Failing out or being dismissed is a last resort, usually after several chances to do better. You meet with academic counselors/advisors to help put you on a study plan, repeat a course or two if you have to, get into a decelerated program (five years instead of four), and finally, repeat a year if you fail more than two classes. After you've done all those things and still can't seem to pass, then you might be asked to leave. From what I've learned, it's difficult to fail out of med school.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

Intriguing. Where can I get one?

I'm guessing you can find it on ebay.

 

[VoiceofReason]

I wish. Try two weeks. We have our final anatomy exam this friday and this entire coming week will be non-stop study mode. No classes, just studying and review sessions. The full out studying (after class, between classes) began for me last monday.

However, that includes bathing, sleeping 8 hours, eating, etc. So, I guess not "techinically" non-stop. Each day this week will probably involve 12 hours of studying, though.

I read a couple hours every day but I generally start to kick it up a little more two weeks before the test. In order to get things to stick you need to make several passes through the information, theres no way around it.

The other thing pre-meds might not have understood from reading this is that although people may take two weeks to prepare for a test, tests also happen pretty frequently. So in reality you have 1 week at best following a test to read at a lazy pace (couple hours a day) then its back into test prep mode (we have tests every 3 weeks this block). It was often worse during first semester.

And further, pre-clinicals are a vacation compared to clinicals and beyond. I read a lot here in my second semester, but I maintain the attitude that it's a pleasant way to spend my time because it only gets worse from here.

 

[Disambiguation]

voiceofreason, "...because it only gets worse from here."
voiceofreason, "... Only gets worse from here."
voiceofreason, "... Only gets worse..."
voice of reason, "worse..."
​

 

[TMP-SMX]

It really depends. I'm a slacker when it comes to keeping up on lectures but I still do well above average on each exam. The problem with med school is you have 6-7 hours of lecture/lab a day and if you can keep up on that everything else is easy. It also helps to be able to retain information looking at it once or twice. I tend to have to cram before exams though and it isn't fun.

 

[BlueElmo]

TMP-SMX, I hope I'm not being too nosy, but I can't make out that bright yellow color in the word Wayne "State". Perhaps you should use a different color?

 

[penisclaw]

I imagine you would need to be born with it....altho I'm holding out for when genetic modification brings us this breakthrough!

Correct.

It is a homeotic transformation due to a transposition of HOX gene D-13 to HOXB-10, causing the formation of a claw like structure out of the glans penis.

Alternatively,

It slices, it dices, it comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and it can be yours for only 3 EASY payments of $19.95

 

[majahops]

I'd pay so much for this ability. So much.

It also helps to be able to retain information looking at it once or twice.

 

[majahops]

I know a guy...

Intriguing. Where can I get one?

 

[TMP-SMX]

TMP-SMX, I hope I'm not being too nosy, but I can't make out that bright yellow color in the word Wayne "State". Perhaps you should use a different color?

That should be a bit better. If you can't read it, you could have highlighted it.

 

[Sophie]

OP, as others have said, this really depends on the person. I was a little freaked out going into med school because I'd heard all of the "study all the time" hype, and the only real studying I'd done in undergrad was a few hours of cramming the night before or morning of a test. The thing is, in undergrad you know you can pass without studying, so there's not much motivation. That totally changes in med school. If you don't study, you fail, so you suddenly have a VERY good motivator, and studying becomes a lot easier.

Also, it's all about studying smarter, not harder. I studied a ton (for me) in 1st year - probably averaged about 8-10 hours a day of lecture + studying - but it wasn't very efficient. Second year I got smarter about how I studied (no studying while IMing, watching TV, etc; figuring out which resources were really high yield; making it more active, ie read some and then ask myself about what I'd just read versus just reading) and got the same grades while only spending about 5-6 hours a day on lecture + studying. Another thing that totally helped in second year was watching lectures webcast rather than live. I can never sit through and pay attention to lectures, so it was great to be able to pause whenever I needed a break (I retained a lot more that way too), put slow talkers on double speed, and altogether skip lectures where the professor was just reading his notes. If your school offers this, I highly recommend it.

You'll find something that works for you, so don't get scared off by stories of 24/7 studying. Med students like to exaggerate this anyways since we love thinking of ourselves as martyrs. 😛

 

[Sophie]

Can you really have a fulfilling life and do well in med school at the same time. Don't give me that BS about doing what makes you happy fulfills you crap. Are most people in med school really honestly happy? I'm just curious.

I think most people are happy. Hands down this is better than doing some meaningless, repetitive office job 40 hours a week. Years 1 and 2 you can set your own schedule for the most part, so if there's something you really want to do (skiing midweek, for example) you can work your schedule around it. That makes for happy people. Third year is awesome for the most part (so far it's been great, but I haven't had surgery yet, so I don't feel totally qualified to say it's completely awesome) - it's more hours, but less studying, and lots of time doing what we all got into this for. There's still plenty of free time on most rotations, too. And fourth year is reputed to be amazing. So yeah, all in all, I'd say med students are a pretty happy bunch.