Questions for Current Medical School Students

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
damilam

damilam

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2015
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Hi! I am a sophomore at NC State University. I am currently working on a digital ethnography for my ENG 101 course. I chose SDN as my online community to use for my assignment because I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine. I have a two questions for SDN users:


How are the SDN forums useful for you?
What type of threads do you use most often?



Thank you!
Members don't see this ad.
 
I mostly use SDN as a study break to talk to people within the medical community. Occasionally I'll ask people with more experience than me (residents or attendings) for advice or about how certain processes work (ie the match).

I usually just look at the threads that pop up on the home page. Sometimes I wander into the hSDN or Pre-med threads to give advice when I can. A lot of times I'm just reading random crap and then wonder why I'm reading that thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
How are the SDN forums useful for you?
I am a third-year medical student who uses SDN for general advice when I am confused about the best way to do things: study for STEP exams, shelf exams, applying to residency, doing research, etc. I use past threads to find most of my answers. It is also a nice study break. I also like to give advice in the Step 1 forum since I finished it this year and did well enough overall that I feel I can be of some benefit.

What type of threads do you use most often?
Right now: Threads about shelf exams, away rotations, residency reviews, "a day in the life" of residents & attendings.
In the past I was a Step 1 thread hermit, and SDN definitely helped me formulate my study plan.
I see the threads I search for changing as I progress throughout my career.

Best of luck on your project! :)

YAY 100th POST!:soexcited:
 
Members don't see this ad :)
In college, I used it as a tool to help me through the process of getting into med school. Now that I'm an MS2, I mainly use it to advise others, to pontificate on medical issues of the day, and as a tool to prepare for the process of residency applications.
 
I use it to meet women:


@Winged Scapula , how you doin?

tumblr_lqb12a5XH51r0byljo1_500.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: 16 users
I found lots of useful information here when I first started trying to figure out the whole getting-into-medical-school thing. I enjoy talking with people who have similar interests and goals... and with people who have very different opinions from my own. So, both friendly discussions and debates are fun for me. I also like sharing information and helping other people when I can.

I've always used various online forums for these 3 reasons: information, social interaction, and contributing to a larger community.

I focus on threads related to my school, one of my interests, etc., but I also like to just look at recent posts and see if any of the titles grab my attention. Sometimes they do, and I find myself popping into subforums that aren't directly targeted at me, like pre-vet, dental, or a medical specialty. I don't feel the need to confine myself to a single subforum.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
SDN is useful to me because it gives me insight about what to expect at every stage of my medical training and then at least a vague picture of what to expect later down the road. It also allow me to see how everyone else is faring in their own stage in the process and has a lot of interesting threads to read that will be relevant to me in the future (see the Intern AMA thread on the first page of pre-allo as an example).

I generally don't make my own threads - I instead comment on other people's threads to try to help them with their specific problems. I used to really enjoy posting in "what are my chances" threads, but have tapered off in recent weeks.
 
Motivation
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
SDN, for me, is 90% entertainment.

Like, reading a URM thread, "I'm an insecure pre med w/ sh*tty stats who needs validation thread", IA thread, or "this why I am not pre-med/medical student" anymore thread" never gets old. It's sad I take such pleasure in these areas, I know.

5% motivation/coping

5% information seeking (Goro and Mimelim) - easy to find information with the search function.

There's also this small, oh I don't know, "sociopathic" side of me that needs to make sure I'm measuring up to others and am an overall elite applicant.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
damilam said:
Hi! I am a sophomore at NC State University. I am currently working on a digital ethnography for my ENG 101 course. I chose SDN as my online community to use for my assignment because I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine. I have a two questions for SDN users:


How are the SDN forums useful for you?
What type of threads do you use most often?



Thank you!
Click to expand...
At times I feel its the best way to raise my self esteem, I do not know what I do that leads up to this LizzyM score~81
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Because the advisers at my(and many many many other) school(s) who are supposed to know the most about medical school, the admission process and what all the field entails are often the ones who know the least. Someone has to do their job for me and others properly. SDN has alot of people who can fill that role pretty well.
 
Winged Scapula said:
Moving to Pre-Allo...
Click to expand...
Can you move it back to medical? I am not supposed to use a community that I can relate to, (pre-med), which I why I originally posted in Medical (allopathic).
 
Because my parents/siblings/significant other are tired of hearing me obsess over the med school application process
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
damilam said:
Can you move it back to medical? I am not supposed to use a community that I can relate to, (pre-med), which I why I originally posted in Medical (allopathic).
Click to expand...
Lots of med students cruise the PreMed Allo Forum. Perhaps you could edit your original post to make it clear that it's their responses you are looking for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
damilam said:
Can you move it back to medical? I am not supposed to use a community that I can relate to, (pre-med), which I why I originally posted in Medical (allopathic).
Click to expand...
I'm not sure where you got that idea.

You ARE supposed to post in the fora that meets your status; plenty of students, residents, and attendings will answer in the pre med fora.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Winged Scapula said:
I'm not sure where you got that idea.

You ARE supposed to post in the fora that meets your status; plenty of students, residents, and attendings will answer in the pre med fora.
Click to expand...
I got that idea from my professor, who wants us to choose a community that we aren't a part of.
 
I wrote the following in 2009 but it still applies:

I first discovered SDN through the interview feedback. Then I looked at the pre-allo forum and I felt so bad for the students/applicants who were so filled with anxiety fueled by misinformation. I started providing information based on my experience on an adcom; I enjoyed helping people with the process and in turn I got a better idea of what it is like from the other side and this has made me a better and more compassionate administrator.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
damilam said:
I got that idea from my professor, who wants us to choose a community that we aren't a part of.
Click to expand...
I see.

I thought you were referring to the SDN terms of service, rules and regulations.
Unfortunately your professor is not on staff here at our website and doesn't understand our policies. You can still communicate with members of different communities but need to posted in the forum that fits your educational level.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Cpt Ahab said:
Like, reading a URM thread, "I'm an insecure pre med w/ sh*tty stats who needs validation thread", IA thread, or "this why I am not pre-med/medical student" anymore thread" never gets old. It's sad I take such pleasure in these areas, I know.
Click to expand...

The word "schadenfreude" comes to mind
 
Procrastination, mild trolling and humor... Sometimes you'll get a good tip here and there
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
study break --> Motivation

Mostly here, but I peruse all the time the surgical specialties + occasionally other ones as well.

Sometimes MCAt forum to see what the heck is happening with the new one.

Just see what people are up to. If anyone needs help (I made some mistakes in the past, and I really dont want people to repeat mine).

Fact check my adviser. See If I can find some advice for friend. But mostly motivation / study break.
 
It's a great resource for advice, tips, and feedback. As a pre-medical student it's been my virtual advisor as my school's pre-med advisor is kind, but not as knowledgable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hello!

I am currently a sophomore at NC State University. I am working on a digital ethnography for my English 101 class and I need help from a few current medical school students. If you can, please respond with your reasons for using the SDN forums. I would also like to know which type of threads you use most often (leisure/chatting, test prep, etc.).

Thank you!

PS. If you're wondering why I am targeting current medical students, my professor would like us to use a online community that I am not a part of. Since I am on the pre-med track, I decided to use current medical students instead of students who are in the same boat as me.
 
Last edited:
this should have been posted in the medical student forums then
 
Pholaffle said:
this should have been posted in the medical student forums then
Click to expand...
I originally posted this in the medical student forum, but one of the other users moved it here. Then, it was deleted. So I re-posted my question in this forum.
 
Yes, the medical student forum is for medical students, not premeds who want to talk to med students.

To answer your question: I use the forum to procrastinate for studying for boards, because it makes me feel like I'm doing something mildly more productive than facebook and youtube. I originally got on here when I was a premed trying to figure out how to get into med school. Now, I still use it when I'm approaching another mile stone and am looking for some advice from others. I also enjoy passing on what I've experienced to people younger in the track.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

manix
Finding resources/forums for Medical Assisting
Replies
6
Views
681
Nontrad_FL_LGBT
N
L
OK question to ask current student?
Replies
5
Views
868
cj_cregg
cj_cregg
true_royal
  • Locked
Current students of SLU's Medical School, how is it?
Replies
5
Views
2K
GoSpursGo
GoSpursGo
B
HELP WITH CURRENT APPLICATION
Replies
3
Views
514
Sandman23
S
P
Meeting current students pre-interview
Replies
3
Views
825
deleted1079620
D
Top