Positive/happy/not terrifying things about med school!

[malfee]

Right, so it seems that the majority of threads on here revolve around how insane the workload is, how difficult the material is, or how little free time each person has. Instead, I would like to see current med. students list and/or write about all of the positive things about being an Allopathic student, whether it be the learning experience, friends you've made -- whatever! I just like to see people happy! 1, 2, 3...GO!

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[xx216xx]

they should really contain you guys in hsdn

 

[NonTradMed]

The stuff I'm learning is incredibly useful. It's not just theory but stuff that will help people. I meet interesting people, and get to see stuff that most people will never see or do.

I am surrounded by smart students who are serious and ambitious about their future. It's great to be able to have an intelligent conversation with people around you. I worked in an IT company where my supervisor thought vaccinations made people's immune system "weak" and a co-worker proudly said he never read anything that wasn't required by work/school. Medical school is a great place to meet other eggheads who also appreciate the art of learning---a rarity in today's world.

School also keeps me on my toes. The system itself will drive you to the edge, but the students around me also makes me want to do my best.

And medical school is really good for people who like structure in their lives. I know, given how hectic our schedules are, it seems a paradox. But I like knowing what I need to do next month and next year to get to my goal. I like having a set date for graduation from medical school and residency. Many jobs have people floundering, and they bounce from one locale to another, but medicine has a beginning, middle and an ending.

Maybe it's because I worked for a couple of years before starting medical school, but knowing how chaotic the workplace can be career-wise, it's nice to have a defined hierarchy in medicine.

 

[VoiceofReason]

The stuff I'm learning is incredibly useful. It's not just theory but stuff that will help people. I meet interesting people, and get to see stuff that most people will never see or do.

I am surrounded by smart students who are serious and ambitious about their future. It's great to be able to have an intelligent conversation with people around you. I worked in an IT company where my supervisor thought vaccinations made people's immune system "weak" and a co-worker proudly said he never read anything that wasn't required by work/school. Medical school is a great place to meet other eggheads who also appreciate the art of learning---a rarity in today's world.

Both of these points are "it" for me when it comes to medical school. I love that almost everyone I interact with here is level headed, intelligent, and not afraid to speak correctly, articulately, and eloquently (when we aren't making dick and fart jokes).

It's just incredibly refreshing to me after my undergrad experience.

edit: there are some people that maintain the maturity level of a high schooler (no offense, op) but by and large things are better here

 

[URHere]

I agree with the above posters - one of the best things about medical school is that I get to spend so much time with amazing people. There are people here for me to talk about nerdy things with, study with, practice clinical skills with, or just enjoy having a beer and chatting with. There is still a range of personality types in medical school, but most of the extremely lazy and resource-draining ones are missing, so that's more than ok with me.

Also, although many SDNers may disagree with me, I think that the preclinical years have given me alot of freedom. I have class in the morning, but for the most part, I am free to spend my afternoons and evenings any way I want. If I want to study, I can. If I would rather hold down a job, or go out with friends, I can do that too. I can honestly say that I have MORE flexibility to do things the way I want, when I want than I ever had in undergrad.

One of the coolest things is the number of doors that suddenly open for medical students. If I want to go on a ward walk with a cardiologist, all I have to do is make a phone call and go. If I want to do a night call on the trauma ward, I can do that too. Scrubbing in on a surgery? Totally possible. Helping out in clinic if I get bored (or am putting off studying)? Not a problem.

The best part though, is the process. I've only been here for a few months, but every time I take a patient history, write a note, or perform a physical exam, I feel more comfortable with it. Every time I go to clinic, I know more than I did the last time and I can actually feel myself moving forward. Do I still have an insane amount to learn? Well, of course, and I'll never learn everything - but it's nice to belong to a field where I can at least feel myself making progress. Despite all of the BS that doctors and medical students and residents have to deal with, we really are lucky. We get to see a side of people that others never get to see.

(/Sentimentalism, god, I am usually so much more cynical than this)

 

[malfee]

they should really contain you guys in hsdn

hSDN can't hold me, son!

The stuff I'm learning is incredibly useful. It's not just theory but stuff that will help people. I meet interesting people, and get to see stuff that most people will never see or do.

I am surrounded by smart students who are serious and ambitious about their future. It's great to be able to have an intelligent conversation with people around you.

Awesome, awesome, awesome!

I love that almost everyone I interact with here is level headed, intelligent, and not afraid to speak correctly, articulately, and eloquently (when we aren't making dick and fart jokes).

edit: there are some people that maintain the maturity level of a high schooler (no offense, op) but by and large things are better here

Ahh, the combination of seriousness and immaturity sounds great. Just my style in fact.

And no offense taken, most high schoolers are awful representations of the future of humanity.

I agree with the above posters - one of the best things about medical school is that I get to spend so much time with amazing people. There are people here for me to talk about nerdy things with, study with, practice clinical skills with, or just enjoy having a beer and chatting with. There is still a range of personality types in medical school, but most of the extremely lazy and resource-draining ones are missing, so that's more than ok with me.

(/Sentimentalism, god, I am usually so much more cynical than this)

Again, awesome stuff. And yay for sentimentalism.

 

[Abilene85]

We still get a winter break

 

[WellWornLad]

hSDN can't hold me, son! And no offense taken, most high schoolers are awful representations of the future of humanity.

We're pretty hard on high schoolers only because it's embarrassing to be reminded of how we once were. If I could meet myself at 17 I'd definitely take the opportunity to backhand-slap myself.

About 75% of the threads on this forum involve blowing off steam or uncommon cases of disaster. Med school really isn't that bad, at least the pre-clinical years. It's like a full time job, except that I get to pick half of the hours and I'm slightly improved at the end of the day.

 

[Dr Roboto]

We still get a winter break

Yep, and for some reason I'm shocked there's a spring break too.

Med school really isn't that bad, at least the pre-clinical years. It's like a full time job, except that I get to pick half of the hours and I'm slightly improved at the end of the day.

Took me over two months, but now that I'm finally adjusted to the "lifestyle" that is med school, I'm actually enjoying this.

 

[FutureDoc4]

If I met my 17 yr old self not only would I back hand-slap myself... I would kick the **** out of my self for being a such a tool.... I hate thinking back to how I was at 17 yrs old (which relates to how I think about all 17 yr olds)

We're pretty hard on high schoolers only because it's embarrassing to be reminded of how we once were. If I could meet myself at 17 I'd definitely take the opportunity to backhand-slap myself.

About 75% of the threads on this forum involve blowing off steam or uncommon cases of disaster. Med school really isn't that bad, at least the pre-clinical years. It's like a full time job, except that I get to pick half of the hours and I'm slightly improved at the end of the day.

 

[Jwax]

There is still a range of personality types in medical school, but most of the extremely lazy and resource-draining ones are missing, so that's more than ok with me.

One of the coolest things is the number of doors that suddenly open for medical students. If I want to go on a ward walk with a cardiologist, all I have to do is make a phone call and go. If I want to do a night call on the trauma ward, I can do that too. Scrubbing in on a surgery? Totally possible. Helping out in clinic if I get bored (or am putting off studying)? Not a problem.

Every time I go to clinic, I know more than I did the last time and I can actually feel myself moving forward. Do I still have an insane amount to learn? Well, of course, and I'll never learn everything - but it's nice to belong to a field where I can at least feel myself making progress.

I'm still lazy and it is something that makes med school even harder. I certainly wouldn't consider myself a drain of resources though.

I'm on a negative spell on my love (well, maybe that's a little strong) / hate relationship with med school, but the opened doors thing is something I love and I'm glad you mentioned. In my spare time, I've shadowed trauma surgeons, EM physicians, a cardiologist, a gyn/onc surgeon, neurosurgeon... etc. Half of them all it took was an email saying "I'm a med student - can I shadow you?" Also getting to volunteer at a clinic is one of my favorite things. I also love the fact that despite feeling like an idiot almost 90% of the time (especially in comparison to my classmates who always seem to be about 1,000 steps ahead of me), I still know a billion times more about medicine than I did 16 months ago. It is very nice to have an observable progression.

 

[Trail Boss]

See my avatar? That is how medical school feels. All the time. Everyday. You come to enjoy it. You lose you ability to cope with free time, and you crave pressure. You crave it.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

med school is cool, no worries.

 

[Trail Boss]

I agree. It's a heck of a fun time. I've made some of the best friends I've ever had, learned a lot about myself and learned more about a subject than I could have ever dreamed possible. Once in awhile you find something, or do something that no one would have done if you hadn't. Its a good feeling after all those years of the only reward being letters on a piece of paper. I'd do it again in a second. There have certainly been moments along the way when I wouldn't have said that, but all in all, its a pretty special ride with by and large a truly wonderful group of people.

 

[sprinkibrio]

Did all of you go to Party School U? Advice to the 17 year old--go to an undergrad where you fit in and you won't have to wait for intelligent, interesting, creative people until medical school.

 

[dienekes88]

I sleep more than I did as an undergrad... it's great.

 

[phospho]

I agree. It's a heck of a fun time. I've made some of the best friends I've ever had, learned a lot about myself and learned more about a subject than I could have ever dreamed possible. Once in awhile you find something, or do something that no one would have done if you hadn't. Its a good feeling after all those years of the only reward being letters on a piece of paper. I'd do it again in a second. There have certainly been moments along the way when I wouldn't have said that, but all in all, its a pretty special ride with by and large a truly wonderful group of people.

very awesome post!

 

[GatorsWearJorts]

Did all of you go to Party School U? Advice to the 17 year old--go to an undergrad where you fit in and you won't have to wait for intelligent, interesting, creative people until medical school.

My advice: Go to Party School U.

 

[Concubine]

Med school is crazy, but I've learned to love the pain. The growth you experience is tremendous, and you learn your own limits very well.

 

[bodonid]

med school is okay

 

[nogolfinsnow]

Yep, and for some reason I'm shocked there's a spring break too.

That was my first thought when I saw this thread. After going a few years w/o one, it's nice to get a couple. Although a girl in our class was complaining that we won't get a spring break during 3rd year (I don't think she's ever had a job before). But we do get a longer Xmas break 3rd year.....

 

[Rutgers06]

I sleep more than I did as an undergrad... it's great.

Ditto. I've had more free time than I expected and med school has been a lot of fun. Like others have posted, the people in med school are great to be around because of all the diverse experiences that they bring to the table. There are also so many tremendous opportunities to practice clinical skills while helping people in the community (ie clinics and whatnot). And at least for me, there really hasn't been a dull or boring moment for me. Everything we've learned so far has been applicable in one way, shape or form.