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Third year clinical rotations
- Thread starter endofevangelion
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Third year was the most stressful for me. Medicine, surgery, neurology, peds, and ob/gyn were the toughest, and had the most call.
Radiology & psych were better.
However, that's not to say you don't have a weekend off once in a while during those other rotations. It's just so draining...
That's also the year you'll learn to become (or act like) a doctor. You'll get to do and see some amazing things for the first time. So it's stressful and draining and even depressing sometimes, but it's also very exciting!
Radiology & psych were better.
However, that's not to say you don't have a weekend off once in a while during those other rotations. It's just so draining...
That's also the year you'll learn to become (or act like) a doctor. You'll get to do and see some amazing things for the first time. So it's stressful and draining and even depressing sometimes, but it's also very exciting!
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First year was the most stressful for me-- my lack of science preparation no doubt contributed there. The first two years of medical school were excruriating to me.
Third year was mostly enjoyable-- I was doing what I wanted to do- help people and be a part of a clinical medicine team. Remember these simple rules and I promise you will be okay:
Eat when you can;
Sleep when you can;
Sit when you can;
Read when you can; and
&hit when you can.
Oh- and remember to be nice to everyone (seems obvious but not always a reality post-call).
However, free time🙄 not so much particularly on certain rotations. If you accept that your life is no longer your own, you will not resent third year and have a better time and learning experience. In those rare days, when you get out at 3- it will seem like a vacation (after getting in at 6-7 and still putting in what would be a fulltime day to most people).
Good luck!
Third year was mostly enjoyable-- I was doing what I wanted to do- help people and be a part of a clinical medicine team. Remember these simple rules and I promise you will be okay:
Eat when you can;
Sleep when you can;
Sit when you can;
Read when you can; and
&hit when you can.
Oh- and remember to be nice to everyone (seems obvious but not always a reality post-call).
However, free time🙄 not so much particularly on certain rotations. If you accept that your life is no longer your own, you will not resent third year and have a better time and learning experience. In those rare days, when you get out at 3- it will seem like a vacation (after getting in at 6-7 and still putting in what would be a fulltime day to most people).
Good luck!
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z...and remember that you are ALWAYS being evaluated.
3rd year is better than 1 and 2 because I never liked being handed a pile of notes and having to memorize and regurgitate. 1 and 2 are better because the schedule is set in stone and I didn't really have to leave my apartment if I didn't want to. 3rd year you have to be enthusiastic about everything, you can't ever communicate your real opinions, and the material on your shelf exams won't ever come from your experiences in the ORs or on the floors.
also, when you start referring to 60 hour weeks as "easy" or "light" weeks you've really hit the sweet spot.
3rd year is better than 1 and 2 because I never liked being handed a pile of notes and having to memorize and regurgitate. 1 and 2 are better because the schedule is set in stone and I didn't really have to leave my apartment if I didn't want to. 3rd year you have to be enthusiastic about everything, you can't ever communicate your real opinions, and the material on your shelf exams won't ever come from your experiences in the ORs or on the floors.
also, when you start referring to 60 hour weeks as "easy" or "light" weeks you've really hit the sweet spot.
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If you like being around other people, talking with patients, and actually thinking rather than memorizing, third year is a welcome change. For me it was a definitely not stressful. There were some trying moments, but nothing that had me at my wit's end like first and second year did. And it's more time consuming, but again, at least for me, in a good way - I no longer had to fluctuate between feeling guilty when I was doing anything that wasn't studying and absolutely hating life every moment that I was studying. As a third year when I left the hospital, I knew that at most all I had to do was read maybe an hour (or most nights, not read more than about 15 minutes) and then the rest of my time was my own.
The biggest thing to realize is that as a third year when you're in the hospital or clinic, you don't have control over your schedule. During M1 and M2, if you don't want to go to class, you don't. If you do decide to go to class, does it matter if you show 15 minutes late? Do you want to take 2 hours for lunch? Go right ahead. Do you want to study for 5 hours tonight or 7? You choose and where! As an M3, you have to be where they want you, when they want you, and it doesn't matter if you're going to sit there for 45 minutes doing nothing but watching the resident update their facebook, you still have to be there. It's a tough transition for a lot of people to give up that freedom, but not being in control of your schedule is a fact of life from the first day of M3 to the last day of residency...and probably well beyond depending on the situation.
The biggest thing to realize is that as a third year when you're in the hospital or clinic, you don't have control over your schedule. During M1 and M2, if you don't want to go to class, you don't. If you do decide to go to class, does it matter if you show 15 minutes late? Do you want to take 2 hours for lunch? Go right ahead. Do you want to study for 5 hours tonight or 7? You choose and where! As an M3, you have to be where they want you, when they want you, and it doesn't matter if you're going to sit there for 45 minutes doing nothing but watching the resident update their facebook, you still have to be there. It's a tough transition for a lot of people to give up that freedom, but not being in control of your schedule is a fact of life from the first day of M3 to the last day of residency...and probably well beyond depending on the situation.
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LOL, same here. Except make that 10. Crap.
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3rd year has been a joy from heaven compared to the first 2 years. The first 2 years comprised of going to class/listening to online lectures, study all night, repeat for the entire 2 years. Now when I read, I feel like I'm almost reading for pleasure, since there isn't the stress of having to jam it all in before the next exam.
I imagine that 4th year is only better, since you don't have to act like you love everything at that point.
I imagine that 4th year is only better, since you don't have to act like you love everything at that point.
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Oh yeah, no doubt 3rd year is frickin heaven compared to the hell-hole of the 1st and 2nd year. The only perk of the first two years was the few times I actually was required to go to school
Still, 3rd year is long as hell-like I said, I'd be happier if I didn't have to do surgery to finish the year.
4th year will be epic though, I can't wait for the bliss I will feel after June ends.
