Studying 8-5 on weekdays

[Detailfanatic]

Hey starting M1 in a week or two and was planning my methods of studying. We have basic sciences first semester and then systems for 1.5 years. It’s unranked pass/fail the first two years. I’m planning on reviewing lectures, watching BnB and doing Zanki. In my gap year I got used to working 8-5 everyday and was hoping that I could just study hard and be focused from 8-5 and then just relax after that. Ideally I wouldn’t have to study on weekends. Anyone here done this before? Can you still do well? Obviously I realize it varies with your natural abilities but I just mean like in general. Thanks!

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[takeurmeds02]

May be feasible for some days but others may have your schedule all over the place with the odd mandatory lecture or some random experience your school makes you do; also research if you choose. I personally don't think you'd need to study that long everyday but everyone's different and I guess it would give you weekends off.

Just make sure you're comfortable with a varying schedule. You can probably craft most days the same but you will have to deviate depending on what your school has you doing.

 

[Detailfanatic]

May be feasible for some days but others may have your schedule all over the place with the odd mandatory lecture or some random experience your school makes you do; also research if you choose. I personally don't think you'd need to study that long everyday but everyone's different and I guess it would give you weekends off.

Just make sure you're comfortable with a varying schedule. You can probably craft most days the same but you will have to deviate depending on what your school has you doing.

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[NotaCop]

wouldn’t have to study on weekends

lol

 

[Detailfanatic]

lol

Are you currently successful in med school? If so, how have you been studying and why do you think this plan I laid out wouldn’t be effective? Thanks!

 

[deleted998607]

Hey starting M1 in a week or two and was planning my methods of studying. We have basic sciences first semester and then systems for 1.5 years. It’s unranked pass/fail the first two years. I’m planning on reviewing lectures, watching BnB and doing Zanki. In my gap year I got used to working 8-5 everyday and was hoping that I could just study hard and be focused from 8-5 and then just relax after that. Ideally I wouldn’t have to study on weekends. Anyone here done this before? Can you still do well? Obviously I realize it varies with your natural abilities but I just mean like in general. Thanks!

Here's a few problems with your plan:

1. Life isn't that simple and clean cut. Your attitude and motivation (especially in medical school) will undoubtedly vary from day to day.
2. You will, invariably, have to study on weekends (especially if you are doing Zanki the proper way). How long on weekends depends on 1. How intelligent you are; 2. How competitive you are (i.e. you will have insanely smart classmates who study 8 hours on Saturday and Sunday); 3. What specialty you are gunning for (see #2).
3. The preclinical years of medical school are, to put it simply, time-wasting. Studying 8-5 straight through sounds great, but it's not realistic at the majority of medical schools. You will have required lectures/courses, clinic, training sessions, etc...the list goes on and on. This is why you often hear so many medical students saying how much better 'dedicated study time' is at the end of their M2 year.
4. You will soon find out that reviewing lectures, watching B+B, and doing Zanki isn't always feasible. I barely had enough time for 1 or 2 of those activities toward the end of my M2 year.

The most successful students adapt throughout the first two years of medical school. Having a hard/fast plan isn't always the best idea. Take it as it comes. Good luck!

 

[Detailfanatic]

Here's a few problems with your plan:

1. Life isn't that simple and clean cut. Your attitude and motivation (especially in medical school) will undoubtedly vary from day to day.
2. You will, invariably, have to study on weekends (especially if you are doing Zanki the proper way). How long on weekends depends on 1. How intelligent you are; 2. How competitive you are (i.e. you will have insanely smart classmates who study 8 hours on Saturday and Sunday); 3. What specialty you are gunning for (see #2).
3. The preclinical years of medical school are, to put it simply, time-wasting. Studying 8-5 straight through sounds great, but it's not realistic at the majority of medical schools. You will have required lectures/courses, clinic, training sessions, etc...the list goes on and on. This is why you often hear so many medical students saying how much better 'dedicated study time' is at the end of their M2 year.
4. You will soon find out that reviewing lectures, watching B+B, and doing Zanki isn't always feasible. I barely had enough time for 1 or 2 of those activities toward the end of my M2 year.

The most successful students adapt throughout the first two years of medical school. Having a hard/fast plan isn't always the best idea. Take it as it comes. Good luck!

that makes a lot of sense as well. i didnt mean to make it like i want this super rigid schedule. i know it'll have to change throughout but was hoping the majority of the time would be fine. like you said, ill have to adapt as i go along. thanks for the help

 

[Dr. Brightside]

I studied like 9-3 most days with several hours on weekends. Almost never studied after dinner.

 

[mistafab]

Treating med school like an 8-5 job is a great way to start. You’ll adjust as necessary, but it is healthy to have start and stop times like you are outlining.

I found 5.5 days of work to be my magic number. My Monday through Friday was like yours in second year. I needed that extra 4 hours (8-12) on Saturdays though to be successful that year and on my step exam. I definitely encourage you to take at least 1 full day off from your studies per week. During first year, I probably studied half that (20-30 hrs per week), but was just kind of skating by and taking it easy. I enjoyed the beer and video games, and hanging out w/ my gf while I could.

Anyway, best of luck. Sounds like a good plan to me. You can titrate up or down as necessary/prioritized.

 

[jurassicpark]

Everyone will be different in how they study and what they need to do to be effective. Your plan sounds like a good place to at least start, but as people have mentioned you will have a lot of variables thrown at you. Labs, research, practicals, group sessions, etc. You will get into your groove as you go along.

 

[TakotsuboOkazaki]

If you are very intelligent, then an 8-5 schedule (assuming a 1hr lunch) or 40hr/week should get you through the meat of most blocks.

It will be skimp for an exam week.

It will be a bad choice to study 8-5 during dedicated.

Why not get used to 50/60 hour work weeks now (MS1/2), so that when you’re pulling 60-80 for MS-3 through PGY-X you will have reaper the benefits of the best scores and understanding of the material as possible?

Maybe you are a savant and 40hrs is enough for a 250+ & AOA. Maybe 40hrs will be enough for a C- and a 199.

My best advice:

Go 100%, see where that gets you.

Taper from there to your liking.

The end.

Happy studying!

 

[deleted967981]

I’m on day 3 of medical school.

Monday we had lectures 8-12, a lunchtime meeting, and a help session at 2. I got home around 4 and studied until about 10 with breaks for family stuff, dinner, etc.

Tuesday lectures were 8-12 and then we were done. Came home and took a nap, did some studying, hung out by the pool, cooked dinner, a little more studying, in bed by 10:15.

Today was 8-3, with an hour break for lunch. Got home at 3:30 and I’m reviewing notes now, hoping to shut it down no later than 9 tonight.

Tomorrow is 8-12, then lab 3-5. If I don’t get all my notes done during that 3 hour break, I’ll have work to do tomorrow night.

Friday is lecture 8-2. I’ll probably study until 5-ish, then be done for the evening due to a family obligations. Saturday will be a full day of studying because we have a test Monday, and Sunday I’ll do a quick review after church.

See how variable it can be?

 

[NotYou20]

"Using zanki" is a huge commitment. Will take well over an hour every day, including weekends. I find it very hard to believe someone could learn the material well with the schedule you're suggesting. I certainly couldnt have. You should go in with the expectation of studying a ton. Start school studying a ton. Titrate hours studying down as needed.

 

[Snoopy2006]

Hey starting M1 in a week or two and was planning my methods of studying. We have basic sciences first semester and then systems for 1.5 years. It’s unranked pass/fail the first two years. I’m planning on reviewing lectures, watching BnB and doing Zanki. In my gap year I got used to working 8-5 everyday and was hoping that I could just study hard and be focused from 8-5 and then just relax after that. Ideally I wouldn’t have to study on weekends. Anyone here done this before? Can you still do well? Obviously I realize it varies with your natural abilities but I just mean like in general. Thanks!

From the perspective of someone who graduated several years ago:

1) Agree with above advice to be flexible. I like that you're game-planning in advance and are ready to work, but you can't really plan out in advance how much time you will need to spend in med school to be successful. Everyone's learning style is different.

2) You will get more efficient with your studying as you progress. I didn't really refine my studying technique until January of my M1 year.

3) The schedule you outlined would not have been feasible at my particular med school. Every school is different and I know the average curriculum has changed since I was in school. We had mandatory lecture from 8-12 and often afternoons were filled with small groups/labs. Some days the studying started at 4 or 5 pm. There wasn't enough time in the week to get everything done. We depended on the weekends to catch up. The most efficient people in my class took Sundays off (unless there was an upcoming exam), but others needed all 7 days a week to stay afloat. The high mandatory # of hours were our rate limiting step. But my general impression - having a lot of friends in other med schools - is that most med students wouldn't do great sticking by your plan, especially not before exams.

Don't go in with the goal of having all your weekends off or no studying after 5. Go in with the mindset of learning the material and being the best med student possible. Many of my classmates who took it easy (relatively) in med school are now working long hours while others used 3 years of dedicated hard work to set themselves up for very nice lifestyle fields.

That's not to say that's for everyone. Many people can only do g surgery, or other similarly demanding fields. But you don't want to get to application season and find out you're interested in a field whose doors are closed to you because you were focused on taking most weekends off to recuperate in med school. It's supposed to be hard work and sometimes can be a real grind.

 

[Detailfanatic]

From the perspective of someone who graduated several years ago:

1) Agree with above advice to be flexible. I like that you're game-planning in advance and are ready to work, but you can't really plan out in advance how much time you will need to spend in med school to be successful. Everyone's learning style is different.

2) You will get more efficient with your studying as you progress. I didn't really refine my studying technique until January of my M1 year.

3) The schedule you outlined would not have been feasible at my particular med school. Every school is different and I know the average curriculum has changed since I was in school. We had mandatory lecture from 8-12 and often afternoons were filled with small groups/labs. Some days the studying started at 4 or 5 pm. There wasn't enough time in the week to get everything done. We depended on the weekends to catch up. The most efficient people in my class took Sundays off (unless there was an upcoming exam), but others needed all 7 days a week to stay afloat. The high mandatory # of hours were our rate limiting step. But my general impression - having a lot of friends in other med schools - is that most med students wouldn't do great sticking by your plan, especially not before exams.

Don't go in with the goal of having all your weekends off or no studying after 5. Go in with the mindset of learning the material and being the best med student possible. Many of my classmates who took it easy (relatively) in med school are now working long hours while others used 3 years of dedicated hard work to set themselves up for very nice lifestyle fields.

That's not to say that's for everyone. Many people can only do g surgery, or other similarly demanding fields. But you don't want to get to application season and find out you're interested in a field whose doors are closed to you because you were focused on taking most weekends off to recuperate in med school. It's supposed to be hard work and sometimes can be a real grind.

Thanks for the insight, appreciate it!

 

[libertyyne]

i wanted to study like this going into medical school. However, the first problem you encounter is you dont quite know how to study, then you try to brute force it by adding more time, then you have a schedule set up but you get behind, or life happens , then you start thinking about boards, then you suddenly get into a unit that is structured soo poorly and soo intensely that you you have to spend more time. Then by the time you figure stuff out, you are probably only studying 6 hours a day but end up dicking around to take small study breaks and end up taking 10 . And lastly by the time you get into a groove you start feeling guilty of all the time you are spending not studying like eating or showering or walking your dog. After defeating your previous Nemesis's listed above you happen into dedicated and you end up wondering WTF just happened.

Good luck, I found that 6 hours a day, every day kept jack a happy boy who was in the the top decile.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Everyone’s different. Some put in 12+ hrs every day. Others literally just cram the week before an exam. Most people go as hard as they can at first and then titrate for sanity.