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What are some things to do the summer after the 1st year of med school?
Summer after 1st yr of med school
- Thread starter abby900
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by abby900:
•What are some things to do the summer after the 1st year of med school?•••••Hi, abby900.
I'm sure you can think of a million things to do, but I'll suggest what you not do after your first year of medical school.
1. Study for the boards. This will prove to be a huge waste of time on your part. Why? You'll be spending time reviewing what comprises approximately 25-33% of Step I, and what you do relearn will certainly be lost through your second year when you're going overboard to learn the most important material that is a) relevant to the boards and b) relevant to becoming a doctor. So, concentrate on learning the material the first time. Review it when it's time to review for the boards (i.e., spring of 2nd year).
2. Research. Unless you are certain you are going into a surgical subspecialty or something else competitive like dermatology, radiology, or radiation oncology. I think research is a good thing, but you can get just as much out of it if you participate in it during the academic year (yes, you have time...) or maybe scarcely during your summer.
I think you should have fun after your first year. Seriously, it's the last summer you'll have off -- ever. You get a couple weeks after the 2nd year, a couple weeks off after your 3rd year, and if you're lucky, a month off after your 4th year. After that, you'll never have as much time off until you retire (or get fired, laid off, or quit).
Catch my drift?
•What are some things to do the summer after the 1st year of med school?•••••Hi, abby900.
I'm sure you can think of a million things to do, but I'll suggest what you not do after your first year of medical school.
1. Study for the boards. This will prove to be a huge waste of time on your part. Why? You'll be spending time reviewing what comprises approximately 25-33% of Step I, and what you do relearn will certainly be lost through your second year when you're going overboard to learn the most important material that is a) relevant to the boards and b) relevant to becoming a doctor. So, concentrate on learning the material the first time. Review it when it's time to review for the boards (i.e., spring of 2nd year).
2. Research. Unless you are certain you are going into a surgical subspecialty or something else competitive like dermatology, radiology, or radiation oncology. I think research is a good thing, but you can get just as much out of it if you participate in it during the academic year (yes, you have time...) or maybe scarcely during your summer.
I think you should have fun after your first year. Seriously, it's the last summer you'll have off -- ever. You get a couple weeks after the 2nd year, a couple weeks off after your 3rd year, and if you're lucky, a month off after your 4th year. After that, you'll never have as much time off until you retire (or get fired, laid off, or quit).
Catch my drift?
Travel, relax and prepare for the long 2nd year.
I disagree with the above posters. I think you can do something productive, like research or an externship (clinical work) and still have time to take a break. I did research for all but 3 weeks of my summer break, and relaxed for those 3 weeks. Even if you don't think you will be doing a competitve specialty, you may change your mind later and regret your decision.
You can usually find research through your school and externships through organizations such as ACP, AMSA, and others. I had a friend who did an externship/research through ACP and he loved it.
As for the time off in 3rd and 4th year, I think this varies greatly from school to school. We had 1.5 months off in 3rd year and two months off in 4th year. Plus, some 4th year rotations are so easy, they are like a month off.
So I would recommend making use of this summer and taking vacation as well.
You can usually find research through your school and externships through organizations such as ACP, AMSA, and others. I had a friend who did an externship/research through ACP and he loved it.
As for the time off in 3rd and 4th year, I think this varies greatly from school to school. We had 1.5 months off in 3rd year and two months off in 4th year. Plus, some 4th year rotations are so easy, they are like a month off.
So I would recommend making use of this summer and taking vacation as well.
Well, I'm pretty sure what I'll be doing that summer. As an HPSP recipient, I'll be at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio learning how to be an Army officer!
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this summer ill be doing research for 8 weeks at MCW and then i should have about three weeks off for vacation time . . . i think then ill be visiting family in Reno and traveling around the west . . . probably hit san francisco . . . mammoth mountain . . . yosemite . . . and hopefully napa valley . . . for me . . . just in case i do want to do a competitive residecy i want to cover all my bases by doing the research . . . but thats me!
N
neilc
i waited tables at a restaraunt in pismo beach. it was nice, working in the sun, making cash, partied my ass off, surfed every day...and best of all, it reminded me why i put up with med school...cause waiting tables sucks!
Like SurgeonS4, I'll also be doing 8 weeks of clinical research, followed by (I hope) 3 weeks of international travel! I definitely wouldn't suggest spending the whole summer doing research, but it definitely can't hurt, especially if you haven't done any before. I attend a research-oriented school, so research is strongly encouraged. However, I have many classmates who aren't doing anything other than traveling this summer, and that's also encouraged. It really is the last summer of freedom, so choose wisely!
ubiquitous
ubiquitous
