Preparation before matriculating

[msavvy]

I recently got accepted and thinking about matriculating next year has gotten me really excited...

What would you current med students recommend doing before matriculating - either for fun, or things that are necessary?

(reading certain novels, traveling, finding potential roommates, buying professional clothes, getting certain technology like an iPad, finding a place to live, etc.)

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[Psai]

i recommend a search

 

[Rekt]

Don't study. Worthless.

Don't bother finding housing yet. Too early. Catch up on all your Netflix shows. Go on vacation. Find a new appreciation for doing nothing because you won't have any of that soon.

 

[futuremdforme]

Travel is good. If you wanted to learn a new language, this is a good time, especially if you combine the two!

 

[EBTrailRunner]

Have fun. I highly recommend traveling, reading for pleasure, spending time on your hobbies and interests, etc., all of which become less feasible during medical school (but not impossible). I understand your excitement. I was in your position four short years ago. Enjoy this time in your life. Worry about housing, etc. closer to April. Cheers.

 

[22031 Alum]

My number one recommendation is that if you don't already work out regularly, you should get in the habit of doing so.

 

[asdf123g]

Don't study. Worthless.

Don't bother finding housing yet. Too early. Catch up on all your Netflix shows. Go on vacation. Find a new appreciation for doing nothing because you won't have any of that soon.

when should one start looking for housing?

 

[Psai]

/

 

[kmp0410]

The housing thing depends on the area, if your living in an apartment you can usually set that up earlier than if your are renting from a "landlord." Would be one less thing to worry about, I would atleast start checking things out and familiarizing yourself with the areas. That said, December is definitely too early.

Past that, just do what you want to do. If you want to read, watch Netflix, learn a language, travel...do those. Don't pre-study as anyone who has ever done medical school will tell you. Make sure you have fun and enjoy not having the constant thing hanging over your head. Not that you can't have fun in Med School, but if your like me, you always have this voice telling you that you should be doing more. If you have a job, enjoy having some money...that's been tough to get used to, never feeling like I can spend money without regret.

Professional clothes would be good, but I mean we're talking a couple slacks and shirts...not a big deal. Working out is a good habit to start if you don't already. Your time will only get less available, so learn to make time now. That said, don't choose to start bulking after you buy your professional clothes...my pants are borderline obscene.

 

[Psai]

The housing thing depends on the area, if your living in an apartment you can usually set that up earlier than if your are renting from a "landlord." Would be one less thing to worry about, I would atleast start checking things out and familiarizing yourself with the areas. That said, December is definitely too early.

Past that, just do what you want to do. If you want to read, watch Netflix, learn a language, travel...do those. Don't pre-study as anyone who has ever done medical school will tell you. Make sure you have fun and enjoy not having the constant thing hanging over your head. Not that you can't have fun in Med School, but if your like me, you always have this voice telling you that you should be doing more. If you have a job, enjoy having some money...that's been tough to get used to, never feeling like I can spend money without regret.

Professional clothes would be good, but I mean we're talking a couple slacks and shirts...not a big deal. Working out is a good habit to start if you don't already. Your time will only get less available, so learn to make time now. That said, don't choose to start bulking after you buy your professional clothes...my pants are borderline obscene.

need pics to verify

 

[The Kraken]

I recently got accepted and thinking about matriculating next year has gotten me really excited...

What would you current med students recommend doing before matriculating - either for fun, or things that are necessary?

(reading certain novels, traveling, finding potential roommates, buying professional clothes, getting certain technology like an iPad, finding a place to live, etc.)

If you're behind and haven't preread all of your mandatory and recommended texts, you must have completed a first pass of Harrison's to be a first year worth anything as a human being.

 

[futuremdforme]

My number one recommendation is that if you don't already work out regularly, you should get in the habit of doing so.

Awesome idea. Along the same lines, if you don't know how to cook, it's not a bad idea to learn how to feed yourself some basic and healthy things.

 

[pacman2018]

as others have said, it's easier to continue working out when it's a habit. start when you have time and it will just become part of your life. also, drink as much as you want. you'll want to start preparing your liver for the amount you'll be drinking over the next few years.

 

[22031 Alum]

Awesome idea. Along the same lines, if you don't know how to cook, it's not a bad idea to learn how to feed yourself some basic and healthy things.

Get a crock pot!! I would've saved a lot of money in med school if I'd had one.

 

[Wailea]

Travel. Please do yourself a favor and travel.

 

[Mad Jack]

Netflix and chill until the day of reckoning comes. Trust me, everything else is a waste of time.

 

[J ROD]

 

[Ismet]

Moving to pre-allo

 

[gyngyn]

Spanish.

 

[getdown]

Spanish.

Yes. For the love of God. Yes. Needing an interpreter or using that damn cyracom phone is a huge pain in the ass when you're busy and running behind. Please do this and save yourself problems down the line.

 

[msavvy]

Learning to cook with a crock pot is a GREAT IDEA as well as starting to get in the habit of working out!

Yes. For the love of God. Yes. Needing an interpreter or using that damn cyracom phone is a huge pain in the ass when you're busy and running behind. Please do this and save yourself problems down the line.

Wow, thats a really new suggestion. Do you think a semester of Spanish at a community college would make much of a difference? Would there be opportunities to learn it in med school?

 

[Psai]

Learning to cook with a crock pot is a GREAT IDEA as well as starting to get in the habit of working out!



Wow, thats a really new suggestion. Do you think a semester of Spanish at a community college would make much of a difference? Would there be opportunities to learn it in med school?

better to learn it now than when you're busy in medical school

 

[getdown]

Learning to cook with a crock pot is a GREAT IDEA as well as starting to get in the habit of working out!



Wow, thats a really new suggestion. Do you think a semester of Spanish at a community college would make much of a difference? Would there be opportunities to learn it in med school?

Any bit of Spanish will be helpful but I think to be truly independent you need to be at least proficient/comfortable with conversational spanish. Imagine coming early in the morning and asking how it was last night, chest pain, bowel movement, breathing problems. Or going down to the ER to do a patient intake. You want to know about past medical history, prior surgeries, medications, why they're there in the ER.