relationships and board review

[JaniceDickinson]

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anyone want to start a thread about relationships (significant, convenient, and otherwise) and board review?

 

[surrender903]

my cats left me because of board studying...

🙁

 

[Wardens]

I just took my boards, so I can share my experience in this area. It's probably a good idea to prepare your S.O. for how little time you'll have available when studying, but there are definitely consolations you can make. I'm not an expert in these matters, but here's what worked for my girlfriend and I. As a disclaimer, we live together so this may not apply to all. For one, it's important to get used to doing some studying at home just so you can have face time where you can share jokes/interesting stuff you're learning, etc. Even though you're getting work done, it's not nearly as isolating for them as if you were at the library or a coffee shop.
As for the weekend, I pllanned a night off/week into my schedule and would use it as a date night of sorts for dinner & movie or something similar.

Another thing that worked out well for us is that many of my guy friends were in relationships as well. So on say, friday night, we'd get together and play a trivial pursuit-type game with Underground Clinical Vignettes (yeah, we're total dorks) while the girls went out. It actually worked really well in that the girls didn't have to stay in on friday nights while we guys dorked up the Barnes and Noble or school PBL rooms. Plus, it allows you to see your friends without using your night off for them instead of your S.O.

Oh, and I can elaborate more on the trivial pursuit game if anyone's interested. It was good fun.

 

[Pinner Doc]

Me and my situation: I go to med school in NYC and my boyfriend lives in Burlington, VT.

My plan is to get the heck out of NYC on May 8th right after our last exam (like, within the HOUR I finish), and spend all the days until I take the test (June 9) studying up in VT.

He'll go to work in the morning and drop me off at the library at UVM. I'll stay for probably 8-10 hours (roughly the amount of time he works).

In the evenings, we'll run, or mini golf, or watch movies, go to pub quiz at Ri Ra, etc etc etc.

Really, we'll see a lot more of each other than we do on a regular basis, so it will be nice!

The pitfalls: I might get a BIT stressed, so I hope I don't take it out on him. Also, I won't have the weekends off. Which might be hard if he wants to go visit his parents for labor day ("Son, WHY can't your girlfriend be here this weekend again?")

 

[Pinner Doc]

I want to know more about this clinical vignettes trivial pursuit game!

Any UVM med students and/or other med students in the Burlington area who might be interested??

 

[Wardens]

Okay, so as for trivial pusuit. It's kind of nice, actually. There are six categories of clinical vignettes and six trivial pursuit categories. Well, first you have to have access to all the books. Then just match up one for one category for color. We would read the vignette aloud (excluding any give-aways) as the question. If one of us didn't understand the pathophys or something similar, another would attempt to explain. It's simply teaching as reinforcement. Usually we would play first to three pieces (~2-3 hours), but you could certainly play the whole pie if you had the time. Really, it's just a great way to force yourself to study when you feel you should be out doing something a little more entertaining.

 

[JaniceDickinson]

Thanks for the great response, Warden. I might also have to steal that UCV game from you 😛

Sounds like it worked out btwn studying and the gf.

As for myself, I'm in a different situation with my SO. We go to the same school and we also study together. We will also be studying together intensely for the boards.

But you know how relationships are--ups and downs. This one is slowly meandering along a downward descent.

So it'll be interesting to see what happens.

Peace.