Pre-Studying For Medical School

[aali610]

So I've searched the threads and pretty much what everyone is saying is don't prestudy for medical school, focus on MCATs, EC, enjoy your summer, etc...

I've recently been accepted into med school (VCOM 2016 awww yeah ) and now I have an entire year to chillllll. That being said I managed to work out my schedule so I'm taking ~12 credits this semester and next, largely non-related classes to my major (90% finished) just stuff I always wanted to take (aka JOKE classes) and next and still gonna be able to graduate on time. Usually I take 19-21 so I'm seriously bored right now. I'm going to be taking Biochemistry this Spring because the med students I've talked to thus far said it would be helpful.

I'm I'm majoring in Immunology/Microbiology and I have a pretty solid background in cell bio, immuno, genetics, etc. So are there any other subjects you guys would recommend learning, or brushing up on? In particular are there any books you would recommend?

Again, I know people say to just relax but I have a whole year and way too much time on my hands. I'm going to be in school anyways, so I'd like to get a head start!

Thanks in advance!

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[Hokie06]

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[BabyCatcher2012]

Find something fun to do. Volunteer, hang out with friends and family, take weekend trips...whatever it is, just do something that makes you feel good.

 

[munchymanRX]

So I've searched the threads and pretty much what everyone is saying is don't prestudy for medical school, focus on MCATs, EC, enjoy your summer, etc...

I've recently been accepted into med school (VCOM 2016 awww yeah ) and now I have an entire year to chillllll. That being said I managed to work out my schedule so I'm taking ~12 credits this semester and next, largely non-related classes to my major (90% finished) just stuff I always wanted to take (aka JOKE classes) and next and still gonna be able to graduate on time. Usually I take 19-21 so I'm seriously bored right now. I'm going to be taking Biochemistry this Spring because the med students I've talked to thus far said it would be helpful.

I'm I'm majoring in Immunology/Microbiology and I have a pretty solid background in cell bio, immuno, genetics, etc. So are there any other subjects you guys would recommend learning, or brushing up on? In particular are there any books you would recommend?

Again, I know people say to just relax but I have a whole year and way too much time on my hands. I'm going to be in school anyways, so I'd like to get a head start!

Thanks in advance!

Don't study anything for medical school. Do as well as you can in your current classes, but please believe me when I say you will not have another chance like this to pursue fun, interesting things that have nothing to do with medicine. Take advantage of it.

 

[Morsetlis]

Medical school has the kind of details that you'd forget if you didn't keep on reviewing and/or practicing it. If you must, study anatomy. That's the easiest to remember.

If I were you I'd take the year off to do all the things I wanted to do before committing 7+ years of my life to schooling. Maybe go learn Spanish, or skydive, or teach English to Korean children, or run a marathon...

 

[Wolverines83]

What these guys are saying is correct. With all due respect to you, you don't know how to study for med school yet so it won't really benefit you. By that I mean knowing how to sift through the vast amount of information for what's really truly clinically relevant and/or what looks like a good exam question. The most I did was read a couple chapters of my text books a few weeks before school started to get my brain "warmed up" again for text book reading. I have no clue if that had any affect...I'm leaning towards no.

And one other thing about getting a "head start" on med school studying. It's going to come so fast and furious in the beginning that this "head start" will last all of three days (maybe a week if you went hardcore) before class passes what you studied. I personally don't think the return is worth the investment.

It seems like your work over the last couple years has given you a sweet 4th year so take advantage of it. Have fun, get involved in stuff you've always been interested in, relax...blow off a class or two

You earned it man.

BTW: In no way am I criticizing you for wanting to get a head start b/c I was the same way. It shows initiative but this is the time for you to chill.

 

[judasreznor]

This question comes up every year around this time. I even thought last year that I might want to do the same thing that you're talking about doing now. Having been in medical school for a few months now, let me tell you that what everyone says in these threads is true. There is absolutely no benefit in studying for medical school before it starts. You could try Anatomy, but you don't have a cadaver there to look at things to cement the relationships of structures in your mind. You won't know how your professors are going to structure their lectures or test material. If you MUST study, then get a Gray's textbook and atlas and memorize everything in there. Reinforce it by going to the University of Michigan site (or similar) and testing yourself on your knowledge weekly. It won't help, but if it will make you feel better then you can do it. Trust me, though, this is completely unlike anything you've ever done before.

 

[Wolverines83]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I get what you guys are saying about medical school being crazy unlike anything I've ever studied and about relaxing/enjoying my time.

...I'm definitely naive about what really goes on in terms of learning medicine, but I'm my thought process is that its a subject(s) like anything else, and should be possible to learn a good amount in a year? I essentially taught myself physics (terrible professor), for example, my sophomore year. What makes it so different from anything else: just the sheer volume of material? The difficulty/complexity? The need to experience it? All of the above? lol

That being said...after reading your responses I'm probably just gonna brush up on my Spanish and go hike all the random trails in Blacksburg I've wanted to do for a while . And chill with teh gf more before next year's onslaught loool. Any other suggestions?

thanks again!

The sheer volume is one thing for sure. But you got in, so you're smart enough to handle that. The difference, in my opinion, is really knowing how to integrate the material.

For instance, anatomy is not "label this" or "identify A." A fair example question would be: patient complains of right shoulder pain, which of the following would most likely be found upon physical examination? A: left vent hypertrophy; B: bulging jugular veins; C: Enlarged gall bladder; D: bob dylan's greatest hits (I'm out of answers, I'm a student, not a damn test creator!)

Answer = C b/c the gall bladder would push on the liver which would push on the diaphragm whose pain is carried by the phrenic nerve. This pain gets interpreted by the brain as coming from the c3-5 dermatome since that's where the phrenic nerve arises.

The name of the game is 2nd and 3rd order questions. Each question is really two in itself (if you don't know the c3-c5 dermatomes you can't get that right, if you don't know that the phrenic innervates the diaphragm you can't get that right, etc).

So if you don't study to that level, you're not really getting a head start anyway. With that said, don't waste your last year of awesome college freedom putting that much effort into it. You WILL be able to learn it during med school, thousands have done it before you. You don't need the head start. Go speak spanish while hiking with your girlfriend.

 

[judasreznor]

The sheer volume is one thing for sure. But you got in, so you're smart enough to handle that. The difference, in my opinion, is really knowing how to integrate the material.

For instance, anatomy is not "label this" or "identify A." A fair example question would be: patient complains of right shoulder pain, which of the following would most likely be found upon physical examination? A: left vent hypertrophy; B: bulging jugular veins; C: Enlarged gall bladder; D: bob dylan's greatest hits (I'm out of answers, I'm a student, not a damn test creator!)

Answer = C b/c the gall bladder would push on the liver which would push on the diaphragm whose pain is carried by the phrenic nerve. This pain gets interpreted by the brain as coming from the c3-5 dermatome since that's where the phrenic nerve arises.

The name of the game is 2nd and 3rd order questions. Each question is really two in itself (if you don't know the c3-c5 dermatomes you can't get that right, if you don't know that the phrenic innervates the diaphragm you can't get that right, etc).

So if you don't study to that level, you're not really getting a head start anyway. With that said, don't waste your last year of awesome college freedom putting that much effort into it. You WILL be able to learn it during med school, thousands have done it before you. You don't need the head start. Go speak spanish while hiking with your girlfriend.

This person speaks the truth. And your lab practicals will probably be the same (at least in part). They won't just tag the, say, musculocutaneous nerve. They will tag it, and ask from which roots of the spinal cord it arises or what trunk it comes from. There is no way to study like that before you know the way a professor would ask it. Keep in mind that that is just one part of one class. You will have other (many other!) classes to think about and study for. Pre-studying will not help you significantly. You're smart enough to handle it, as has been said already. You'll be fine when the time comes. Trust everyone, and do things that you love doing now because a significant amount of those things are going to be impossible to continue once school starts.

 

[Deceptacon]

don't study bro. you don't want to be THAT kid... you know?

 

[Wolverines83]

thanks for the replies again. I guess more than anything I'm trying to avoid the impending doom that medical school is looking like right now. Or at least mentally easy the thought of it. But I suppose there's not really anything I can do haha

Dude, the adcom said you were smart enough. Chances are, you're smart enough. It's not doom. Life doesn't end once you start med school (though it'll feel like that in the first couple months). You'll find your study style and find your groove and you'll be able to squeeze some fun in. Hell, that's half the battle: staying sane by decompressing regularly.

It's hard work but if it was easy everyone would do it.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I graduate in december so I know what you mean about having a lot of time. I plan prestudying everything I can find, but I am only looking for material on my xbox 360. If it isn't on there, it isn't important enough for me to prestudy.

 

[Janet6]

I graduate in december so I know what you mean about having a lot of time. I plan prestudying everything I can find, but I am only looking for material on my xbox 360. If it isn't on there, it isn't important enough for me to prestudy.

I plan on honing my field surgery skills by being a medic in BF3, assuming it's anything like BF2.

 

[gators21]

Absolutely do not study for medical school. Just as a reference in 10 weeks I have read 2, thousand page textbooks cover to cover and an atlas. Any studying you do before school will not make any difference. Right now you have no idea what is important and trust me when I say you will forget everything you learn or study the wrong things. One year of a lighter is schedule is not going to at all hurt your learning. I took 4 years off between school and I adjusted just fine. Your mind just accepts the fact that there is so much material and you just learn it. I don't know how to explain it, but you just remember stuff.
Now as for being bored, I highly suggest finding a medically relevent job where you interact with patients and can listen in on doctor rounds or observe surgeries. But most importantly can interact with the nursing staff. Something that is paid and where you have actual responsibilities, not volunteering to change sheets or work in the gift shop. It will get you used to patients, smells, paperwork, terminology, ect. An Er scribe, patient care tech, or secretary in surgery is perfect.

Good luck

 

[TSasser]

If for something out of boredom Khan Academy has a section for Health care and Medicine under Science.

Might not really be useful for pre-studying but might be of interest either way.

 

[Rollo]

Why do people always post threads like this and preface it with, "Ok, I've searched and read that pre-studying is a bad idea...but should I pre-study?"???

 

[judasreznor]

Why do people always post threads like this and preface it with, "Ok, I've searched and read that pre-studying is a bad idea...but should I pre-study?"???

Because they're the exception!

 

[TallScrubs]

Absolutely do not study for medical school. Just as a reference in 10 weeks I have read 2, thousand page textbooks cover to cover and an atlas.

Good luck

Jesus, what do they have you guys learning at LECOM? I'm just yankin' yer chain, but I've picked up Moore's maybe four times. Class notes and the combo of Gilroy/Rohen has been MOORE than sufficient (see what I did there?)

 

[angryazn88]

you should start preparing your friends and family to the fact that you'll be so busy with school you wont be seeing anyone much besides your cadaver LOL

 

[Isoprop]

If you want a head start in medical school, go learn spanish. Try to get as fluent as possible before you start. That will be the most useful thing you could ever do before M1.

 

[TSasser]

I am curious about the advise some can give for those that have a harder time memorizing things. For a person with this issue I would think pre-studying some would benefit that person.

For example, I took a medication that messed with my memory pretty bad about 2 years ago. Since I stopped taking it I am slowly regaining some but I still find it hard to memorize things as fast as I use to. Like memorizing some facts when there is a lot put out there and memorizing equations beyond high school algebra II type stuff, which is killing me in physics.

 

[DrDre2001]

People are saying not to pre-study for two reasons:

1. There's so much detail you'll need to know, that you'll forget most of it (unless you start studying now as intensely as an average medical student...which would be stupid to do).

2. You won't know how to study and what is relevant


Number 2 is kind of ridiculous to me...There is no secret that you learn in medical school about how to study (anatomy at least). You just have to read and memorize and work hard. Most of my classmates and I didn't even go to lecture, we just studied at home and studied in the same way that we had been for our entire life (though for much longer and much more intensely).

Number 1 is very true though. There is no way you'll be able to study enough right now to help you next year in M1. Unless you study all year this year for 10 hours a day...which would be horribly stupid because you'd burn yourself out. So, I would advise you not to try to pre-study.

 

[TSasser]

Yea, was just curious.

I know I find it easier to memorize some things if I am familiar with the overall concept of it first, so I thought it might help a little.

 

[DrMaximus]

Jesus, what do they have you guys learning at LECOM? I'm just yankin' yer chain, but I've picked up Moore's maybe four times. Class notes and the combo of Gilroy/Rohen has been MOORE than sufficient (see what I did there?)

Clever!!

 

[UpwardTrend]

If studying is your kind of fun and it makes you feel better then do it. Maybe you like studying more than weekend trips or other mindless activities.

 

[lftbndlbrnchblk]

MS1 here right in the middle of first semester. Trust me, you won't even know what to study for. If you can get powerpoints from a 2nd year, go ahead and look through them. Other than that, complete waste of your time. I was in the same boat as you except I was out of school and had a year to do NOTHING. I did just that. You'l regret wasting it dude.

 

[Isoprop]

MS1 here. Just took my anatomy final last week. I looked over my notes from Anatomy, and I have forgotten almost everything. If I were to take Anatomy over again right now, I think I would still have to put in the same amount of work to pass.

There's no way you will remember anything you pre-study. You will forget all that **** in a few weeks.

 

[Spatula]

Is there something to be said though about reviewing background knowledge? Like I haven't done organic chemistry in three years.

 

[sylvanthus]

No, absolutely do not prestudy no matter what your situation. Noone is an exception.

 

[Rollo]

Is there something to be said though about reviewing background knowledge? Like I haven't done organic chemistry in three years.

For the love of all that is D-isomers, do not study orgo thinking it's gonna help you in med school.