Recently Accepted for 2007 - Need Prep Advice

[FutureDoc2011]

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I've been accepted to a couple of schools so far (WVSOM and USUHS), and am waiting to hear back from a few more. So now that I know I'll be going to med school, I need advice on how to prep for next year.

I'm a non-traditional student with a degree in Computer Science. I took the bare-bones science coursework required for med school (Chem, Orgo, Physics). I don't have the background many pre-med students have (ie - A&P, molecular bio, etc...) Is there anything in particular I can do to prepare for next year???

 

[calliMD]

I think he wants to know what he can do to prepare for 1st year of med school since he hasn't taken as many science classes as his traditional pre-med peers and may not be as well prepared for the experience.

I'd say relax. Honestly. You've made it over the big hurdle and gotten into med school. Now just enjoy the last few months you have of freedom before you're locked into studying like a madman for the next 4 years. Take some time off and travel or pick up a hobby you've always wanted to try. Med school classes aren't going to be anything like undergraduate classes (at least that's what other med students have told me -- I'm not currently in med school myself) so everyone basically starts from scratch.

 

[Barfalamule]

You still have a semester left to take BioChem, Micro, Genetics, A&P, or some of the other classes that have an overlap with Med School. Look to that, but take it easy. Congrats on the acceptances.

 

[lilnoelle]

It might have been better to post this in the allopathic/osteopathic forum, but anyway.... If your looking to take some more courses to make next year easier, biochemistry, immunology, histology and genetics will all be helpful. I suppose if your good at teaching yourself, you could get books for the above and work on your own, but most likely classes will keep you more focused. Otherwise, just relax. You will have classmates that have similar non science backgrounds as you, and you will all make it, you may just have to work harder than your classmates that were science majors. Come next month, when we start studying the cardiopulmonary system, my classmates will probably all be on an even level. Thats just three modules in from the beginning of the year - didn't take long to make up for something like 2 years of undergrad science study. 😱 😱

 

[FutureDoc2011]

Thanks for your feedback!

I work full time, so if I had to pick one, which class would help me out the most? BioChem, Micro, Genetics, A&P...

 

[lilnoelle]

Don't bother with Anatomy. I haven't had it yet, but have heard that individuals that have taken it don't fare much better than those who haven't.
Your first months are most likely to be deep in biochemistry so having that class under your belt will help you greatly during the first months of school when you are trying to adapt to everything else. But then again, I hadn't had biochem before med school and did all right. What will probably help you the most would be to talk to some M1s and M2s at your school and find out what your first semester will be like next year. For instance, I feel that having undergrad immunology helped me a lot this block, whereas classmates who hadn't had it felt completely lost. But some schools don't put immunology in the first 6 months of school, in which case, you might be better taking something else.