Study Advice?

[Estragon]

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Good evening. Sorry about just popping up out of nowhere, but I'm looking for some advice. I'm 31, have a middling GPA from college (3.5-3.6), and am, of course, considering medical school. Now, my question is pretty specific. I'm going to start volunteering at a local hospital soon so I'll have some real experience with which to gauge my interest. Also, if I like it, I'll plan to start working on the prerequisites (almost none of which I took the first time through) in the fall, possibly this summer. Until then, though, I'm wondering what I should do. I can study well on my own, can grasp complex topics, and enjoy teaching myself things, so I figured that before I begin taking actual courses I could just start studying on my own, which 1) gives me a heads up when it comes time to get grades and 2), more importantly, will ease me into the habit of sustained, nightly study. Does this seem like a good idea? If so, should I just invest in some bio, chem, and physics books and get started? If not, what do you recommend? Thanks so much.

 

[dmf2682]

Welcome! I was in your situation last June. I think your idea is great. I took anatomy and physiology to see if I would like it. Biology might be close, to see if you'd like it. I was fortunate in that my course was taught by an MD/phd. That being said, go on, give it a try and see how you like it. You also might want to try shadowing to see what doctors do. Good luck!

 

[tantacles]

Good evening. Sorry about just popping up out of nowhere, but I'm looking for some advice. I'm 31, have a middling GPA from college (3.5-3.6), and am, of course, considering medical school. Now, my question is pretty specific. I'm going to start volunteering at a local hospital soon so I'll have some real experience with which to gauge my interest. Also, if I like it, I'll plan to start working on the prerequisites (almost none of which I took the first time through) in the fall, possibly this summer. Until then, though, I'm wondering what I should do. I can study well on my own, can grasp complex topics, and enjoy teaching myself things, so I figured that before I begin taking actual courses I could just start studying on my own, which 1) gives me a heads up when it comes time to get grades and 2), more importantly, will ease me into the habit of sustained, nightly study. Does this seem like a good idea? If so, should I just invest in some bio, chem, and physics books and get started? If not, what do you recommend? Thanks so much.

Here are some things I would do if I had time to kill. I think these things would either have helped my application or would help in medical school (or both).

-learn Spanish (French isn't bad either, though with about 40% of Americans being native Spanish speakers, it seems the more practical option)
-shadow physicians short term in various fields
-do more non clinical volunteering
-learn to teach other people things (this could be more volunteering as well). Much of your job as a doctor will be teaching (patients, med students, residents, less experienced attendings) and the more familiar you are with the ways that people learn, the better.

 

[mauberley]

My advice: stop waiting for Godot. 😉 (Sorry, couldn't resist. Carry on.)

 

[CardiologyJosh]

Welcome! I was in your situation last June. I think your idea is great. I took anatomy and physiology to see if I would like it. Biology might be close, to see if you'd like it. I was fortunate in that my course was taught by an MD/phd. That being said, go on, give it a try and see how you like it. You also might want to try shadowing to see what doctors do. Good luck!

How awesome is physiology? I can't think of any other discipline you can take in undergrad that parallels the foundations of medicine so closely. There is a reason why it's called the nobel prize in physiology OR medicine lol

 

[Estragon]

My advice: stop waiting for Godot. 😉 (Sorry, couldn't resist. Carry on.)

That's the plan Mauberly 🙂.

Thanks for the responses! I'lll look into Physiology. I've got a Chemistry textbook I sort of inherited, so I should probably start working through that too, right? Add to those a Biology text book, and as much volunteering as I can and I should be pretty busy until I register for classes. The language idea is great too. I have a decent background in French and a less-decent background in Latin, but I've always wanted to pick up Spanish.

Vale

 

[theseeker4]

That's the plan Mauberly 🙂.

Thanks for the responses! I'lll look into Physiology. I've got a Chemistry textbook I sort of inherited, so I should probably start working through that too, right? Add to those a Biology text book, and as much volunteering as I can and I should be pretty busy until I register for classes. The language idea is great too. I have a decent background in French and a less-decent background in Latin, but I've always wanted to pick up Spanish.

Vale

Don't just volunteer, but shadow a few different specialists as well, including a primary care physician. Volunteering often does not give you nearly the same view of what doctors are actually doing as job shadowing does.

 

[ChodeNode]

My major is Physiology, and I love it. I'm not taught by physicians - I'm taught by people that teach physicians. Almost everything has a clinical focus.

The only thing I don't like about it is I wouldn't feel confident getting a job with that degree if medicine doesn't work out. This doesn't matter too much to me because I already have a stable career as a software developer. But if I didn't, I'd probably choose a degree that would make it easy to land a job in demand (probably engineering).

 

[dmf2682]

My major is Physiology, and I love it. I'm not taught by physicians - I'm taught by people that teach physicians. Almost everything has a clinical focus.

The only thing I don't like about it is I wouldn't feel confident getting a job with that degree if medicine doesn't work out. This doesn't matter too much to me because I already have a stable career as a software developer. But if I didn't, I'd probably choose a degree that would make it easy to land a job in demand (probably engineering).

In demand now, but for how long?

 

[MrBigglesworth]

-Volunteer 1x a week
-Shadow a doc every now and then... (1x 2 weeks?)
-Don't waste your time on studying anything other than the main science classes you plan on taking (chem, bio, physics, orgo)
-get review books for those. i'd start with chemistry

 

[Estragon]

-Volunteer 1x a week
-Shadow a doc every now and then... (1x 2 weeks?)
-Don't waste your time on studying anything other than the main science classes you plan on taking (chem, bio, physics, orgo)
-get review books for those. i'd start with chemistry

Thanks. Great advice.