Summer Before Med School

[HiDoc88]

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For those entering med school this Fall, what are you all doing this summer?

Do most people just relax and do nothing medically related? Residencies usually expect and are ok with that, right?

 

[Law2Doc]

For those entering med school this Fall, what are you all doing this summer?

Do most people just relax and do nothing medically related? Residencies usually expect and are ok with that, right?

There is nothing you can do the summer before med school that will remotely affect your residency chances. Do some traveling. spend time with family, friends. Watch lots of movies. Go to the beach. You won't have nearly as much time for any of this once school starts, so the best thing you can do is pack in all the fun you can. Basically like carboloading before a race -- you are going to need to show up refreshed and not burnt out. The WORST thing you can do is try to learn first year before first year starts. Stay away from anything academically related. You will be doing that way too many hours/day once classes start and the one thing you don't want to do is show up burnt.

 

[Mattabet]

There is nothing you can do the summer before med school that will remotely affect your residency chances.

Awesome. I'm off to the hospital to the residency director in the face. 🙂

Seriously though, it seems like 99% of the advice is to chill and sort of cleanse your mind for the storm that's coming. Go swimming!

 

[amph119]

I'm resuming minimal hours at my old summer job to make enough money to start-up a new apartment, partying with my friends, camping in Colorado, and sleeping a lot. The last thing you want to do is work a ton and then go right into med school. Yikes.

 

[Law2Doc]

Awesome. I'm off to the hospital to the residency director in the face. 🙂
...

They still wouldn't remember you 4 years later. They interview hundreds of people a year. And may not even still be PD by then.

 

[235009]

There is nothing you can do the summer before med school that will remotely affect your residency chances. Do some traveling. spend time with family, friends. Watch lots of movies. Go to the beach. You won't have nearly as much time for any of this once school starts, so the best thing you can do is pack in all the fun you can. Basically like carboloading before a race -- you are going to need to show up refreshed and not burnt out. The WORST thing you can do is try to learn first year before first year starts. Stay away from anything academically related. You will be doing that way too many hours/day once classes start and the one thing you don't want to do is show up burnt.

what about earning a year's worth of rent? getting a first author publication?

unfortunately for me the opportunity cost of taking your advice is way too high. oh well...at least there's orientation....that's like a week's vacation before med school, right? 😀

 

[katinthehat]

I'll be quitting my job at the end of this month and will be traveling and hanging out with my family and friends until school starts.

The way I see it, I've got the rest of my life to work/study/stress.. The world won't end if I decide to relax for a month before med school. 😀

 

[Bacchus]

My schedule:

Wake up
Breakfast
Gym
Relax
Nap
Gym
Dinner
TV

(repeat)

 

[justdoit31]

I just got back from a caribbean cruise- best vacation ever by the way!

Then I am just working 30 hours or so a week as a nanny- I have 2 families that I have been with between 4-5 years each so I am spending time with the kids I love. One of the families had baby 4 yesterday- a healthy little boy 7lbs 4 oz! So before I move to start school they will need lots of help as mom is recovering from a C-Section.

I am also working a summer camp that the medical school is sponsoring for children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

During my free time I am watching TV, catching up on pleasure reading, and shopping and packing new things for my townhouse that I have rented for med school

 

[Lauren87]

I work at the mall...a highly skilled job I know. I enjoy the discount.

When I'm not at my job trying to avoid work, I go to the gym, sleep, travel (sometimes skipping out on work-I suck as an employee but honestly it's an unskilled job who cares). Go out at night, party. I am just chilling. It's great. I plan to quit my job soon so I can devote more of my time to being unproductive. 😀

 

[Law2Doc]

what about earning a year's worth of rent? getting a first author publication?

unfortunately for me the opportunity cost of taking your advice is way too high. oh well...at least there's orientation....that's like a week's vacation before med school, right? 😀

You are unlikely to get a first author publication in a mere summer's worth of work, and publications done after you start med school are more highly regarded by residencies than those done before anyhow (although you'd list both on your ERAS app). As for earning a year's worth of rent, I think that's not a bad idea at all.

 

[235009]

You are unlikely to get a first author publication in a mere summer's worth of work, and publications done after you start med school are more highly regarded by residencies than those done before anyhow (although you'd list both on your ERAS app). As for earning a year's worth of rent, I think that's not a bad idea at all.

the publication is my master's thesis....no chance it'll get published before august....i'd be thrilled if it gets submitted before then though....so it'll seem like i did it after starting med school 🙂 (though i think the advice that floats around here about the publication being after starting med school is probably exaggerated...i mean a first author publication in a good journal would be more impressive in my view the younger you are)

 

[Law2Doc]

...though i think the advice that floats around here about the publication being after starting med school is probably exaggerated...i mean a first author publication in a good journal would be more impressive in my view the younger you are)

You can go on believing that if it makes you happy. But much as your high school ECs didn't matter for the AMCAS, your college accomplishments won't have much value/impact on ERAS. Such is life.

 

[starfishprime]

Vegas, baby!

Gotta pay da billz somehow. Let it ride, student loans.

 

[SirGecko]

Sleep till noon. Go running. Read a book. (not a medical one: science fiction, classic literature, pulp)

 

[radi0headfan]

drag out the summer for two years by deferring...thats what i did 😉

go do things you won't be able to do when you're in school...travel, hang out with friends as much as possible, pursue hobbies, etc...basically, just chillllll 😀

 

[chemolupusMD]

I'll be quitting my job at the end of this month and will be traveling and hanging out with my family and friends until school starts.

The way I see it, I've got the rest of my life to work/study/stress.. The world won't end if I decide to relax for a month before med school. 😀

Funny thing, I am getting layed off by the end of the month 🙁, so i am taking a force vacation. So I guess i ll sleep for 18 hrs a day just getting out of bed to eat and poop (not at the same time). and then wait for my wife at night.