Question for current medical student

[just one]

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I see a lot of medical students in the pre-medical forums so I have a question about time management. I am currently teaching a community college course in the field I have been in for 13 years. I originally had the crazy notion of trying to continue teaching while in medical school. The class is only 3 hours at night once a week and pays enough to make the mortgage. I only spend about 2-3 hours outside of class per week for preparation. I know it seems crazy to work while in medical school but is time management such a problem that I can't give 6 hours a week? I have heard of some students working near full time while in medical school (sounds completely ridiculous) and others volunteering during school. I am a non-traditional student (obviously) and have excellent stress/time management skills. Please only current medical students or students with actual experience respond.

 

[DrYoda]

Here's a recent thread in the allo forum on this which gives some med students estimates of free time.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=645918

 

[Depakote]

The problem is that you won't know how much time you'll have on a given week and when. Your first two years, you'll probably be able to scrape up 6 hours without much trouble most weeks... but are you going to have a commitment on the night of your class? And what about the weeks you have a test?

The problem is that you might not have a good feel for the work load at first and you may need to be able to give some extra time to your studies.

Third year, your time is not your own and you will not be able to commit to teaching on a set schedule and you may not have that much time for it anyway.

 

[just one]

Thanks, interesting thread. Shows that everyone is different and can handle different work/school loads.

 

[just one]

The problem is that you won't know how much time you'll have on a given week and when. Your first two years, you'll probably be able to scrape up 6 hours without much trouble most weeks... but are you going to have a commitment on the night of your class? And what about the weeks you have a test?

The problem is that you might not have a good feel for the work load at first and you may need to be able to give some extra time to your studies.

Third year, your time is not your own and you will not be able to commit to teaching on a set schedule and you may not have that much time for it anyway.

The best part is that I have complete control of the class and can schedule exams or load for a given evening around test blocks. I can even have one or two weeks that a sub fills in. My state school that I am applying to only gives three test blocks a semester and the schedule is made in advance. Agree that this would only pertain to first and second years.

 

[Law2Doc]

The best part is that I have complete control of the class and can schedule exams or load for a given evening around test blocks. I can even have one or two weeks that a sub fills in. My state school that I am applying to only gives three test blocks a semester and the schedule is made in advance. Agree that this would only pertain to first and second years.

As you noted, everybody is going to be different and many many people are not going to find that they have ANY spare time for an employment obligation. You won't know if that's you until after rocking a few exams. But it's important not to lose the focus, that doing well in med school trumps the few extra bucks you might earn in this spare time, and so that should really be on hold until you are sure that it won't impinge on study or other med school enhancing time. It's not an accident that 90% of med students won't work on top of school. Not because they are lazy, and not because they like being broke, but simply because med school, when done right, is like a very long houred, full time job, and not too many people take on jobs on top of full time long houred jobs. So go into med school planning on focusing on med school. If you find after a few exams (a few months into it) that you have some time to spare, then great, add that couple hour a week job. But it's foolish to make a committment until you know how you are going to fare. Because EVERYBODY who comes into med school thinks they are going to coast through and be on the more free time to spare end of the spectrum. But in fact that ends up being the minority, and it behooves you to assume you will be on the other end of the spectrum until you prove otherwise.

Your above post is concerning that you aren't taking this view. You have to realize that fewer tests per block means more info covered in each test and that you have to start studying for it that many weeks earlier. It doesn't mean like undergrad that your schedule is clear up until the week of the test, sorry. Med school is a different animal, and cramming doesn't work. So it doesn't matter that much how frequent the tests are, the material is the same and the need for constant studying, reviewing, etc is going to be the same. Seriously, wait until you get there before you start deciding you know what's involved. You will otherwise be underestimating things.

 

[just one]

I understand the point you are trying to make law2doc, and I would like to know for your experience the first two years looking back could you of made a 3 hour commitment at night once a week? That's kind of what I am looking for from feedback is the current or past medical students to reflect on their experience. I know that schools and people are different. I guess it would of been easier to make a poll

 

[just one]

I wanted to clarify my original post. I stated that I originally had the notion of teaching while in med school. I kind of abandoned the thought after getting my MCAT score back and realizing I should be a 1 or 2 round interview with a good shot of acceptance at my state school. I began thinking, it's only 3 hours a week structured commitment with another 2 to 3 hours a week worked in on my own time. Many medical students I have spoken with spend that amount of time volunteering, traveling back to family, or other various things. So that's why I am curious about time managment from current student perspective. I was not trying to ask is it wise to hold a job during medical school, sorry for the confusion.

 

[Depakote]

I understand the point you are trying to make law2doc, and I would like to know for your experience the first two years looking back could you of made a 3 hour commitment at night once a week? That's kind of what I am looking for from feedback is the current or past medical students to reflect on their experience. I know that schools and people are different. I guess it would of been easier to make a poll

That's the thing. Until I got a handle on it, I don't know that I could have first year. It definitely took me a while to get used to the course load of first year and planning to set aside a few hours on X night each week would have been very dangerous. I could have done it second year, because I knew the ebb and flow... but there were definitely weeks that year where I wouldn't have dared to schedule a firm commitment either.

Until you've gotten used to the volume, the schedule and the testing style, you have no idea how much free time you'll have. Don't get yourself in trouble before you've started.

 

[just one]

I appreciate all the responses. I think for my situation I have decided to definetly not teach the first semester and see how med school goes as far as free time. My situation at the cc allows a semester or two away before jeopardizing losing the position.