Recap: Your first year

[LadyJubilee8_18]

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As many of us Allopathic newbies are about to start our first years, many other Allopathic veterans are going into their second years. For those who have just finished first year: What was it like? What was the most stressful part? Were you pleasantly surprised, or rudely awakened? Inquiring minds would like to know

 

[philchemist]

As many of us Allopathic newbies are about to start our first years, many other Allopathic veterans are going into their second years. For those who have just finished first year: What was it like? What was the most stressful part? Were you pleasantly surprised, or rudely awakened? Inquiring minds would like to know

Maximum work minimum gain

 

[nebrfan]

Honestly? As I sit here and study for comps, about the only thing i can remember from the past year is that there is too much stuff in too little space in the head and neck.

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

Honestly? As I sit here and study for comps, about the only thing i can remember from the past year is that there is too much stuff in too little space in the head and neck.

Wow, this doesn't sound encouraging. No one has a warm and fluffy experience for us?

 

[Agent Splat]

I'm going to have to say approximately 50-70% of it was just a waste of my time.

 

[Perrin]

Wow, this doesn't sound encouraging. No one has a warm and fluffy experience for us?

The first 2 weeks are warm and fluffy, but it's only so they can mock your pain and suffering that much more later on. They will throw so much information at you that you will have to choose what to learn and what to let fall by the wayside. You just hope that on the test that they ask questions that you have studied for. The only good thing is that it goes by really fast.

 

[sga814]

You will seem to be overwhelmed at first, but slowly you will adjust academically (and socially- time permitting)- and will learn how to "go with the flow" and not let the "flow" bury you. All you have to do is remember- "I made it this far, if I just keep doing what I'm doing- I'll be fine".

 

[boilerbeast]

It is what it is. 🙂 And because your post happens to come during exam week, we are a little more flustered than normal and may be giving you a skewed view. But honestly, it's not THAT bad. Will you work hard? Yes--harder than you ever thought possible. Will you be completely stressed out sometimes? yeah. Will you be jealous of your undergrad friends who are real adults that get PAID to work? Absolutely.

I think it depends very much on your attitude. At first, I think everyone is completely overwhelmed and freaks out. But then...you get over it. The information itself isn't that difficult, it's just the volume. But you'll find a way to take it all in. Once you figure out that studying IS your job and learn how to study and when/where you are at your best, you'll get into a little groove and things go more smoothly.

On the whole, I'm kind of apathetic towards med school. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. It's something to do. Studying for me is like working out--the toughest part is just getting started, the studying itself isn't so bad. I know that my life is more than just medicine and that in the end, I'll be more than just a doctor. I still can't believe how much I learned this year (and how much I have yet to learn!) and how much I grew up from my undergrad worthlessness (binge drinking and nap-taking). It hasn't always been fun, but it's never been unbearable. I had a great year. Next year won't always be easy for you, but it's what you make it.

 

[G0S2]

This year really flew by. The drinking from a fire hose analogy remains. It's all about pacing and realizing that it is damn near impossible to know everything. Read/study almost every day. Enjoy most weekends. Exam weeks are rough since you take one exam and turn around to study for the next. No matter how tough it seems as an MS1, it is only going to get tougher. No matter what, you learn some cool things and it is definitely better than working in a cubicle in my humble opinion. I mean, how many people get to say that they milked a cadavers intestine today?

 

[liverotcod]

The drinking from a fire hose analogy remains. ...it is definitely better than working in a cubicle in my humble opinion.

The difference between cubicle living and med school, is that in the cubicles the fire hose is filled with loose stool.

I'm having the time of my life in med school. It really is everything I hoped it would be - easy hours (relative to post-bacc years), intellectually stimulating classmates and coursework, living in a great city closer to family.

We're a little homesick for our friends back east, and the stress is a little different (read: continuous) than it was on the job, but overall I'm SO glad to be back in school. And of course, time is flying by. Good luck in finals, everyone, and welcome to medical school all you incoming first years.

 

[Ambs]

Yes, the head and neck has entirely too much going on.

 

[txguy]

Maximum work minimum gain

Seriously.....I think grades are pretty much determined by how much effort you put in....everybody is intelligent and the material really isn't that conceptually difficult. So if you put in the hours, you will probably get the grades.....and if not........well.... 😳 😀 😎

-tx

 

[tupac_don]

As many of us Allopathic newbies are about to start our first years, many other Allopathic veterans are going into their second years. For those who have just finished first year: What was it like? What was the most stressful part? Were you pleasantly surprised, or rudely awakened? Inquiring minds would like to know

First year of med school is like a warm feeling you get when you pee in your pants and nobody notices but you.

 

[Blake]

Seriously.....I think grades are pretty much determined by how much effort you put in....everybody is intelligent and the material really isn't that conceptually difficult. So if you put in the hours, you will probably get the grades.....and if not........well.... 😳 😀 😎

-tx

Are you in medical school yet ? (I don't mean that in a condescending way, just wondering). Getting good grades isn't all based on how much effort you put in, seriously. It is, most of the of time, but not always. There are people who clearly understand the material extremely well (with the corresponding feedback from attendings and residents), yet on exam day, they just perform like average students. Maybe it'll be different in clinical years...


Edit : Never mind the med school question, we're in the same year. 😀

 

[tupac_don]

Are you in medical school yet ? (I don't mean that in a condescending way, just wondering). Getting good grades isn't all based on how much effort you put in, seriously. It is, most of the of time, but not always. There are people who clearly understand the material extremely well (with the corresponding feedback from attendings and residents), yet on exam day, they just perform like average students. Maybe it'll be different in clinical years...


Edit : Never mind the med school question, we're in the same year. 😀

That has to do with several things:

1) How good you are with on the spot pimping
2) How good you are with general details and overall understanding sans BS minutae
3) How much you study for the test

I find that even when I know the material and understand it very well, I still need to pull in a solid day, to have all my I's dotted and t's crossed, otherwise, you lose points

So I would say, those who have real good understanding when asked, either, are too confident and don't push themselves for the exam, or know the big stuff well, but are not big on minutae.

I have also noticed that you have individuals, who can speak very intelligenly about a topic when asked straight out about it, but test questions are often formulated in a vague or cofusing way to really test your knowledge, they might switch one word, so you need to pay careful attn to detail. That's when those who are so good orally fall apart.

 

[txguy]

Are you in medical school yet ? (I don't mean that in a condescending way, just wondering). Getting good grades isn't all based on how much effort you put in, seriously. It is, most of the of time, but not always. There are people who clearly understand the material extremely well (with the corresponding feedback from attendings and residents), yet on exam day, they just perform like average students. Maybe it'll be different in clinical years...


Edit : Never mind the med school question, we're in the same year. 😀

LOL. Its all good. So far, alot of medical school has been about memorizing lists, facts, pathways, etc., so I think that might contribute to the effort-grades correlation. You are correct though, its not always about that--it certainly helps to have an understanding of the overall concepts, regardless of how much effort this requires out of each individual.

It also helps to be a killer at taking multiple guess (choice 😀 ) exams. 😳

-tx

 

[getunconcsious]

As many of us Allopathic newbies are about to start our first years, many other Allopathic veterans are going into their second years. For those who have just finished first year: What was it like? What was the most stressful part? Were you pleasantly surprised, or rudely awakened? Inquiring minds would like to know

I'd say it's quite demoralizing at first to realize how dumb you truly are, since most of us were near the top in undergrad. The social atmosphere is a bit smothering at first and for some it can be hard to strike out and make friends. And then even when you have your friends there's always some kind of drama going on.

It's really bad at first but it really does get better, you just get used to it I guess. You will have to study every day pretty much but it's not un-doable for most people I think. Like any other major life transition just be patient with yourself and you'll adapt quicker than you think.

 

[tupac_don]

This year really flew by. The drinking from a fire hose analogy remains. It's all about pacing and realizing that it is damn near impossible to know everything. Read/study almost every day. Enjoy most weekends. Exam weeks are rough since you take one exam and turn around to study for the next. No matter how tough it seems as an MS1, it is only going to get tougher. No matter what, you learn some cool things and it is definitely better than working in a cubicle in my humble opinion. I mean, how many people get to say that they milked a cadavers intestine today?

Yea but you also are forgetting one important thing, I don't think many people wanna say that.

 

[G0S2]

Yea but you also are forgetting one important thing, I don't think many people wanna say that.

Usually people don't give a **** when asking "what did you do today?" At least that will get their attention.

 

[Pythagoras]

For those who make comparisons to undergrad, well... it is totally dependent on what you did in undergrad. If you were a bio major and did some random other stuff then yeah, med school is gonna be a lot different. You're prob gonna be working harder and longer. Personally I find med school so much easier then what I did in undergrad, both conceptually and in terms of volume. Maybe its just me... or maybe it could be that everyone in med school loves to brag about how much stuff they have to learn. Who knows. All I know is that I am doing well and I have plenty of time to drink beer, read other stuff than med school BS, paint/draw, etc. Med school isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Unless you are a total goofball and don't stay on top of things in a reasonable manner, then you will do fine.

 

[LadyJubilee8_18]

I'd say it's quite demoralizing at first to realize how dumb you truly are, since most of us were near the top in undergrad. The social atmosphere is a bit smothering at first and for some it can be hard to strike out and make friends. And then even when you have your friends there's always some kind of drama going on.

It's really bad at first but it really does get better, you just get used to it I guess. You will have to study every day pretty much but it's not un-doable for most people I think. Like any other major life transition just be patient with yourself and you'll adapt quicker than you think.

Wow, I had no idea you still posted here I know how your first year went, I was with you for most of it (I also know why it got better for you 😉 Merry Christmas)

 

[beponychick]

For those who make comparisons to undergrad, well... it is totally dependent on what you did in undergrad. If you were a bio major and did some random other stuff then yeah, med school is gonna be a lot different. You're prob gonna be working harder and longer. Personally I find med school so much easier then what I did in undergrad, both conceptually and in terms of volume. Maybe its just me... or maybe it could be that everyone in med school loves to brag about how much stuff they have to learn. Who knows. All I know is that I am doing well and I have plenty of time to drink beer, read other stuff than med school BS, paint/draw, etc. Med school isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Unless you are a total goofball and don't stay on top of things in a reasonable manner, then you will do fine.

Can I ask what your major was in undergrad? Your post gives me hope because I had a hellish time in college and I cant imagine it can get a whole lot worse! 🙄

 

[funshine]

Can I ask what your major was in undergrad? Your post gives me hope because I had a hellish time in college and I cant imagine it can get a whole lot worse! 🙄

heh, I feel the same way, but I think we'll be fine. At least we've already been demoralized once, so the second time around, it shouldn't be too bad. I think most MS1s struggle with time management - you know, learning and organizing massive amounts of info in a really short span of time. I'm pretty sure you'll be fine coming from Penn.

I also think it really does depend on what med school you go to. FWIW, my friend is at RWJ right now and she's having a blast. She struggled a bit with Anatomy but didn't fail anything...

 

[Koil Gugliemi]

MS1 seems tough until you get to second year...especially toward the end with USMLE 1 breathing down your neck....

 

[DW3843]

My advice:

Don't listen to anyone that says, "Well, the worst part is over. Second year is way easier compared to fist year, blah, blah."

Be careful: these people are crazy *****s. stay away from them

Second year is hard primarily because the volume of material is so high, which you should be used to by the end of first year. There is a silver lining to my doomsday message: You will definitely start to "get it," and many concepts will fall into place for you.

I guess it's rewarding in that sense. You finally see some payoff in memorizing crap because you can string all the crap together and see a story developing. A beautiful novel written in crap. That's my impression of 2nd year.

 

[getunconcsious]

My advice:

Don't listen to anyone that says, "Well, the worst part is over. Second year is way easier compared to fist year, blah, blah."

Be careful: these people are crazy *****s. stay away from them

Second year is hard primarily because the volume of material is so high, which you should be used to by the end of first year. There is a silver lining to my doomsday message: You will definitely start to "get it," and many concepts will fall into place for you.

I guess it's rewarding in that sense. You finally see some payoff in memorizing crap because you can string all the crap together and see a story developing. A beautiful novel written in crap. That's my impression of 2nd year.

I think that the MS1 vs. MS2 difference in difficulty is highly dependent on the school's curriculum. The consensus at my school is that MS2 is easier, but they front-load the curriculum very heavily here.

 

[lorelei]

I've been having a really good time. As an M1 I got more unstructured time than I've had in years, so I had plenty of time for outside interests and socialization. I was really pleasantly surprised about a lot of the coursework - I dreaded anatomy before starting, but I ended up enjoying it. And I can't believe how much stuff I've learned, and how interesting a lot of it is. (I won't lie; plenty of it is boring too.) Many of my classmates are cool, interesting, and friendly. And my day-to-day stress level is MUCH better than it was when I was working. Almost every day is a pretty good day.

I think I work about as much as I did during college (I was computer engineering which was the easiest engineering major at my school, and German), except now it's studying instead of problem sets and papers. While I have learned a lot, I don't have the feeling that I'm *smarter* now than I was when I started - and I usually did feel like that in undergrad. But that's not really surprising, since I wasn't expecting a whole lot of critical thinking.

The big caveat, though, is I get the impression that the curriculum at my school is very much back-loaded, so they let us slack as first-years then slam us with the work. Probably next year I'll be back here complaining about how med school sucks. Also, pass-fail is a great thing. I've been pretty consistently around the middle of the curve, which I am happy with as long as it's P/F - it means I'm learning about as much as I'm supposed to. Next year with grades I might feel like I need to be higher up than that.

 

[vtucci]

Seriously.....I think grades are pretty much determined by how much effort you put in....everybody is intelligent and the material really isn't that conceptually difficult. So if you put in the hours, you will probably get the grades.....and if not........well.... 😳 😀 😎

-tx

I really disagree with this. Grades (at least in the first year) reflect your ability to memorize and your past acquaintance with the material and may have very little to do with how much time you spend on the material.

For those of you coming from non-sciences, keep in mind that there will be people in your classes with Masters Degrees in anatomy, physiology and biochem and that the vast majority of people have taken these courses. Naturally, it is much easier to study anatomy when you have seen it before- consider those of us who could barely give you a list of 10 muscles before starting medical school to those who took a class in it. It puts you behind the eight-ball if you have not already done this material. I speak from experience-- just passed physio with a 70.1.

Anatomy is like learning a foreign language the first time you take it. Some people are very adept at picking it up- others like me, not so much. I would advise any of you who are anal and don't want to be surprised-- read Mini-Moore and Lippincott's biochem review over the summer.

 

[beponychick]

I really disagree with this. Grades (at least in the first year) reflect your ability to memorize and your past acquaintance with the material and may have very little to do with how much time you spend on the material.

For those of you coming from non-sciences, keep in mind that there will be people in your classes with Masters Degrees in anatomy, physiology and biochem and that the vast majority of people have taken these courses. Naturally, it is much easier to study anatomy when you have seen it before- consider those of us who could barely give you a list of 10 muscles before starting medical school to those who took a class in it. It puts you behind the eight-ball if you have not already done this material. I speak from experience-- just passed physio with a 70.1.

Anatomy is like learning a foreign language the first time you take it. Some people are very adept at picking it up- others like me, not so much. I would advise any of you who are anal and don't want to be surprised-- read Mini-Moore and Lippincott's biochem review over the summer.

Oh damn, I have never taken an anatomy course in my life!!!! What is this mini Moore you mentioned?