Things to do in the summer before M1...

[bobbybee22]

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Hi folks,

I'm going to start medical school in August and was wondering if any current med students could lend me their advice and recommend ideas for productive things to do this summer (related to medicine). I'll either be in NYC or Boston and perhaps wanted to do some shadowing.
Does anyone know of any resources I could look at (online or not) that would inform me of available opportunities?

Thanks!

 

[imtiaz]

Don't do anything. Trust me, you'll need all the strength you have for M1 year. 🙂 Congrats!

 

[Goya]

Originally posted by bobbybee22
Hi folks,

I'm going to start medical school in August and was wondering if any current med students could lend me their advice and recommend ideas for productive things to do this summer (related to medicine). I'll either be in NYC or Boston and perhaps wanted to do some shadowing.
Does anyone know of any resources I could look at (online or not) that would inform me of available opportunities?

Thanks!

Oh please please...just do something away from medicine that you enjoy. Enthusiasm for med is great. But...enjoy this summer thoroughly.

 

[DrMom]

The best thing you could do is take it easy and enjoy yourself. You'll be spending the next 7+ years working hard!

(although a few days of something like shadowing wouldn't be bad...just don't fill all of your time & don't study anything)

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

Everyone should just enjoy their last stress-free, innocent summer. Hang out with friends, go to the pool, see every movie, eat a lot, take a trip, etc. If you are one of those anal people who think they HAVE to do research or shadow, then so be it. But can you at least tone it down so that it isnt all you do? Because while immersing yourself in medicine seems so much fun now, once you start med school, you crave for non-medicine related things. You crave watching the Cartoon network because it doesn't require thinking, etc. This generally seems to be the consensus from everyone. Because no matter how much "preparing" you do, it's still gonna be overwhelming when you start.

 

[rjhtamu]

I'm starting this fall as well, and as for what I'm doing. I'm going to Disney World 😀

Seriously, some friends and I are going in the end of May, and then come June I'm also going to Puerta Vallarta, Mexicio.

 

[bobbybee22]

Hi again folks,

Thanks for the replies but I should have been more clear- I actually took the year off and have been doing pretty much nothing but fun stuff the last 8 or 9 months so I need to switch gears soon and prep for intense medical study. That being said, I'm looking to shadow some doctors in Boston or NYC or something similar.
Does anyone know how I can go about doing this or resources that I can check out?

Thanks!

 

[nkow]

nice rjhtamu!

I am planning to go to Disney World too! Sigh...last disney trip for a long time...i will cherish these last moments of childhood...

 

[kreno]

I'm off to Greece for a 10 week vacation at the islands a bit a bit on the mainland! HOWEVER, I do plan to do some recreational reading (say on the beach) reviewing my physiology (it's my major) and maybe getting a head start in learning some anatomy (using the guides from friends that are already in med school... i mean, i don't plan on randomely opening an anatomy book and reading).

kreno

 

[Mossjoh]

For the love of God....rest the summer before med school. Once M1 year begins you are going to be pretty overwhelmed and stressed!!!

My suggestion is SLEEP!! You will be lacking it. Do something fun..you won't have time once you start. Do not attempt to do any reading to get a "jump start" on courses, wait until school starts.

Anyway...enjoy your last free summer. Things will change in the fall. I am doing well in school, but I wish for a break all the time. Our summer semester doesn't look any better, 8-12 classes everyday and afternoon sessions...until July 1....oh man! 🙁

Mossjoh

(But I do like school....however, I think the administration thinks that we are just computers that can digest information constantly..I have news for them...we are human, we get burnt out.)

 

[uclachris]

My plans--

Stage I: Get off the damned waitlist I'm waiting for.

Stage II:
Choice (A)
Mid-June-- two weeks in Germany and France
July-August- Greece-- studying physiology (like kreno); but not MY physiology, but experimenting with others physiology (like stimulation of sympathetic responses)... Ok. Ok. yah there will be some reading involved...

Choice (B)
Mid-June-- two weeks in Germany & France; followed by an internship at the WHO in Switzerland (hopefully go somewhere cool (not catching SARS) & taking some time to go visit the fam in griechenland).

Good times...

C

 

[Tazmaniac]

8 or 9 months of fun things are not enough, really. Take the rest of the summer off. It's difficult to do anything productive when you haven't started med school, nor when you haven't gotten into the system anyways. Have a great time.

If you need money, now's a good time to teach MCAT prep courses for August. Princeton Review and Kaplan both pay well for relatively few (or as many as you want) hours, plus you might review some stuff for next year.

-Todd

 

[UNMC2006]

I agree! Not matter how much time you take off before medical school, once you are there, it is not going to seem like enough. Spend a lot of time with friends who are not part of your medical school circle as they will no doubt feel neglected when August rolls around. Go out, have fun, party, and enjoy the last bit of freedom that you will have for.... well, pretty much forever. Good luck next fall