Shift from Academic to Clinical?

[treva]

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In year 1 I always felt that learning about medicine was more of an academic than a clinical endeavor. My school taught us basic clinical skills such as history taking, doing basic physical exams, etc, but the clinical aspects always felt like they were a separate entity addressing completely different things compared to my lectures and PBLs dealing with all the different systems. I guess what I'm saying is so far it feels exactly like my first 2 years of my undergraduate degree.

What I'm wondering is when does medical school feel less like another medical science undergrad degree and more like I'm actually learning to become a practicing doctor? Do I have to wait until year 3?

 

[luitime2585]

Read the thread I made on UCONN VS UPITT, on the pre-med forum.

 

[treva]

If you are referring to:

7th- The Clinical Skills Practice course is great, just as it is in other programs like Brown. At first I believed that this and the last factor were things that pushed" primary care, but I must say, I was wrong. UCONN will teach you how to be a doctor by the end of your first year, in your communication and confidence with patients (pivotal during your clerkships).

My school has done an excellent job at teaching us basic clinical skills as well. I feel very confident in my ability to take a complete history covering everything including P/C, H P/C, PMHx, FHx, Meds, Allergy, PSHx and all the systems questions.

All I was saying was in lecture and my own study, when I sit and learning about all the stuff we have covered, I feel like it's just so I can answer a question on an exam, and not necessarily because I'll have to use that knowledge to treat a patient, you know?

 

[Anka]

The sort of shift you are talking about happens at different times for different people, even within the same curriculum. One thing you can do to shift your perspective volitionally is spending some time in the clinic (e.g., shadowing, volunteering at your schools free clinic, scrubbing in the OR, etc.). While if you go for just an hour every month you probably aren't going to get more out of it than exposure, if you go for extended periods regularly it'll shift your perspective and you may find yourself quite involved in patient care. Of course, you have to find an environment or mentor who is willing to allow a preclinical student to get involved.

Anka

 

[BigRedBeta]

My school has done an excellent job at teaching us basic clinical skills as well. I feel very confident in my ability to take a complete history covering everything including P/C, H P/C, PMHx, FHx, Meds, Allergy, PSHx and all the systems questions.

All I was saying was in lecture and my own study, when I sit and learning about all the stuff we have covered, I feel like it's just so I can answer a question on an exam, and not necessarily because I'll have to use that knowledge to treat a patient, you know?

You're struggling with the lack of integration, and that's pretty normal in my experience. 2nd year when the focus is more on pathologies, it becomes a little bit more relevant to the clinic, but even then, it's hard to necessarily see all the connections.

Of course third year is so entirely different, and then the clinical application can't be escaped.

I know it's not necessarily comforting, but I think it's a good thing you are somewhat anxious to make that transition. It shows that you actually want to be a doctor, not just someone who knows a lot about the human body and various therapies - which is a huge difference.