Studying in the summer of MS1

[han14tra]

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What can I do in the summer after MSI to prepare for boards or my future life as a doctor? I just don't want to let my mind rot all summer. I figure 1 hour a day of studying won't hurt.

Should I:

1) Review all material presented in first year from start to finish (anatomy, biochem, physio, neuro, etc)?
2) Buy some USMLE books and study? If so, which ones and how should I study?
3) I'm working at a hospital in the ER and a family doc's office. Should I just write down conditions that I see at work, and review what I've learned about them in my first year?

I feel like I've forgotten a lot (A WHOLE LOT). I want to brush up.

Thanks

 

[da8s0859q]

What can I do in the summer after MSI to prepare for boards or my future life as a doctor? I just don't want to let my mind rot all summer. I figure 1 hour a day of studying won't hurt.

Should I:

1) Review all material presented in first year from start to finish (anatomy, biochem, physio, neuro, etc)?
2) Buy some USMLE books and study? If so, which ones and how should I study?
3) I'm working at a hospital in the ER and a family doc's office. Should I just write down conditions that I see at work, and review what I've learned about them in my first year?

I feel like I've forgotten a lot (A WHOLE LOT). I want to brush up.

Thanks

I'm right there with you, but I think most people ahead of us are still along the lines of "**** it, it's not worth your time -- enjoy not studying".

 

[Dexmed]

If anything I think I might buy some pharmacology flashcards and pick out the drugs that my curriculum has already covered. Flipping through those 3-4 times per week should keep them fresh in my memory.

 

[SirGecko]

Of those choices option 3 actually sounds like it would be moderately productive/interesting. I'd go with that.

 

[Gifted Hands]

If anything I think I might buy some pharmacology flashcards and pick out the drugs that my curriculum has already covered. Flipping through those 3-4 times per week should keep them fresh in my memory.

this is kind of what I'm doing. I'm not expecting to "learn" or "study" anything this summer because I know I won't remember it come boards time... just keep it fresh and maybe I'll recall it a little easier when I need to.

 

[kdburton]

What can I do in the summer after MSI to prepare for boards or my future life as a doctor? I just don't want to let my mind rot all summer. I figure 1 hour a day of studying won't hurt.

Should I:

1) Review all material presented in first year from start to finish (anatomy, biochem, physio, neuro, etc)?
2) Buy some USMLE books and study? If so, which ones and how should I study?
3) I'm working at a hospital in the ER and a family doc's office. Should I just write down conditions that I see at work, and review what I've learned about them in my first year?

I feel like I've forgotten a lot (A WHOLE LOT). I want to brush up.

Thanks

You can start by doing a search since this topic comes up all the time on these forums. If you're thinking about studying 1 hour per day as you said.... Yes it won't hurt, but it also is extremely unlikely to be of much help especially for the boards or for your future as a doctor as you've put it. Sounds like you have a couple other things going on over the summer so I wouldn't be too worried about letting your mind rot.

 

[318038]

Had this question too, this thread covers it well:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=711776

 

[tremulousNeedle]

1) Review all material presented in first year from start to finish (anatomy, biochem, physio, neuro, etc)?
2) Buy some USMLE books and study? If so, which ones and how should I study?
3) I'm working at a hospital in the ER and a family doc's office. Should I just write down conditions that I see at work, and review what I've learned about them in my first year?

My first response would be to enjoy your time off. I didn't do any board specific studying until 3 1/2 weeks before my exam and I scored in the 250 range (to put my academic career into perspective, my M1 & M2 grades were a mix of honors and high passes, slightly more of the latter). I know that my performance is not typical, but it is proof that lack of early prep doesn't necessary mean an average or below average score.

If you are insistent on choosing one of your three options, I would throw #1 out the window (especially if you are talking about reviewing lecture notes).

If you really want to study subject material that was covered in first year, I would recommend picking up study books for those subjects and using them instead of lecture material from your school. I was a fan of BRS for physiology (other options: high yield, rapid review, etc.). You could also review material in First Aid that was covered during your first year.

Option 3 is good because this is how you will be learning about patients and diseases for the rest of your career once you start hardcore clinical experiences. However, if you really want to make the most of your summer experience in the ED and the office, I wouldn't just limit your reading to what you learned in first year. This would be a good opportunity to start building a good clinical foundation (probably won’t help with boards, but may lead to better grades / performance in your clinical years).