Hey whats up mmmgoose? Could you just tell us how your first semester was like and how the apartments are like (clean, spaciaous and what not if you personally like it problems with it etc and also does everyone become friends early in the game social life etc.) most likely i'm going to be living in the aparts so that would be good to know ahead of time. I sent the deposit in to get the one bedroom aparts hopefully. Also how was the actual material like when you first started, was it gradual or did they just throw everything at you at once (work load wise and difficulty level) and free time for leisure if any? Is it overwhelming, what do you like and dislike about the program so far? Thanks so much and anything else you think that would be essential to know ahead of time to be prepared for would be great. Thanks
I dont know what kind of dorms you are used to from undergrad but the dorms here are pretty nice. You get your own bedroom and you share a bathroom and living room/kitchen with a roomie. I thought Juanita exaggerated when she told me it was really really tiny. It's not spacious but its just what you need. It is a heck of a lot better than sharing a bedroom that's for sure! My apartment was kind of crazy looking when I moved in ...feel free to tell them that it needs a paint job, lighting, etc. and they'll be glad to fix it. Now it's in pretty good shape. Regular supermarkets are close by but I like Whole Foods which is like a 15-20 minute walk from TUSPM. I'm from NYC so I like the walk but SuperFresh is much closer and so are various Chinese markets. There's plenty of ways to get food that won't break the bank. Eating out a lot can get really expensive so I cook 90% of the time. I wish that TUSPM had a cafeteria because I am really a "meal plan" kind of girl.
Aside from the dorm stuff, you asked similar questions as Blair -- one of your future classmates (unless you are Blair lol) -- so I'll just reiterate what I told her yesterday.
First semester went well. It goes by quickly because you are constanty working but it was not overwhelming...it was very gradual to pick up. Classes have a scattered arrangement...Anatomy didn't start until around October while Histology began at the very beginning but did not last the entire semester. The second semester is a lot more demanding and the material takes more time to master.
I think that the most difficult classes we have had so far were General Anatomy and Neuroscience though we've only completed Anatomy so far. Anatomy took a lot of time both in and out of the classroom...definitely not a class that you can cram or rush to memorize the night before an exam. I strongly recommend studying a little bit every day...even if its just 15-30 minutes to just freshen up the material and keep it floating around in your head. Make sure to study with others in your class too -- people who really know their stuff. I also love to draw so drawing out structures from memory helped me a lot. See it, hear it, touch it, smell it
🙂 and your sure to remember it. Do whatever makes you excited about learning and keeps you engaged -- make up stupid songs to help you remember the brachial plexus...stuff like that lol. Also try to stay in the lab and learn as much as you can off the cadavers because sitting down and reading from a text does not work well for learning Anatomy. You will need to put in some "overtime" on the weekends. Noteservice was also very helpful for Anatomy so if you can afford it, it is worth it for that class alone. Neuroscience just requires you to keep on top of things (once you get used to crazy Dr. Martin...you'll see in August). Typically, I study class material as soon after the class as possible so my study time is typically 1-3 hours per class ... about 4-8 hours of studying a day which really isn't bad. I typically studying in the mornings before class and between classes just because I am a morning person and I can't function after sunset lol. On the weekends, I study the majority of the day and review but the key is to always make a schedule and stick to it otherwise you will fall behind. It is not that you can't have a "life" because if
you make a plan and stick to it, you can carve out time for fun activities. Anatomy takes up most of my time especially now with Lower Extremity Anatomy -- it is really a lot of material and it just started last Tuesday! But I must admit, it is my favorite class so far... Dr. DiPrimio is awesome.
So far, I like Temple a lot. It's getting better. I've made some great friends here and all of the students I have met are enthusiastic about medicine and learning how to be genuinely good doctors someday. Since being here I have learned how special podiatric medicine is in itself; we really are different from regular medical doctors and that is not a bad thing at all. No one really says this but I think we have all been humbled by our educational experiences...the majority of us were not straight A students in college and I
think for that reason podiatry is a lot more down-to-earth. No pretenses or facades -- the doggedness of MD school doesn't exist here...we're supportive of one another. In contrast to whatever rumors you've probably heard about podiatry student, surely no one here is stupid (actually I have met some of
the most brilliant minds ever since coming to TUSPM) but we know where we've been and where we are going with this profession. Any more questions, just let me know.
Best of luck,
Melissa