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what is a typical day like for a medical student? do you wake up at 7am, have breakfast, start studying with no breaks til 9 pm, or what?
typical day for medical student
- Thread starter batista_123
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Try searching for this topic. It's been covered many, many, many times.
It's also different for every school, every year, and if the person goes to class or not.
It's also different for every school, every year, and if the person goes to class or not.
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Depends on the year. During rotations, you would sometimes kill to be able to wake up at 7am.
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Each school is different and has their own agenda. As the previous posters have said, do a search on it. But since this post is here anyway, this seems to be a pretty generic schedule for a lot of places for an M1:
Class from 8 to anytime between 12-2, usually 3-5 hours of lecture a day. If the school is a kind, thoughtful school, they'll have the decency to put in a break or two in between classes (else you'll have to endure a lot of classes back to back, blech). This is if you don't have anatomy. If you do, expect to be in class from 8-5. Yes it sucks, no there's not much you can do about it.
M2s don't have anatomy but they have other things like micro lab and pathology. Again, depends on the school for the schedule.
When rotations start, your schedule is based on your rotation. For instance, for family medicine, you can probably expect a standard 40-hr week, while on surgery, you're almost always doing something in the hospital (if you're not sleeping). Again, it depends on the school.
Class from 8 to anytime between 12-2, usually 3-5 hours of lecture a day. If the school is a kind, thoughtful school, they'll have the decency to put in a break or two in between classes (else you'll have to endure a lot of classes back to back, blech). This is if you don't have anatomy. If you do, expect to be in class from 8-5. Yes it sucks, no there's not much you can do about it.
M2s don't have anatomy but they have other things like micro lab and pathology. Again, depends on the school for the schedule.
When rotations start, your schedule is based on your rotation. For instance, for family medicine, you can probably expect a standard 40-hr week, while on surgery, you're almost always doing something in the hospital (if you're not sleeping). Again, it depends on the school.
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As for studying, most students in the first and second years already have study habits and preferences. I like to study in the evenings in my room. Others are in the library at 7am because that's when they feel most focused.
Rest assured that people make time for important extra curriculars. There are students who get together for ballroom dancing. Others play classical music. Others watch back episodes of West Wing to unwind (ok, maybe just one of us 😀)
Rest assured that people make time for important extra curriculars. There are students who get together for ballroom dancing. Others play classical music. Others watch back episodes of West Wing to unwind (ok, maybe just one of us 😀)
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it's all variable and depends on the school and the year. See this thread for some SDN user's experience about first year Typical MSI day
N
njbmd
Moving to Pre-allopathic as this is a pre-med question. Allopathic medical students read and respond to threads in pre-allo and may follow and respond to this one there.
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Anyone got a link to an SDN thread along the lines of "Sticker shock from the first day of med school". I know something like it exists, but searching have yielded, little if any results.
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There is no typical day! That's the great part about medicine.
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1st Year: Wake around 7 for 8 AM lecture. Can't miss lecture. So important. Lecture and labs until 5 PM. Go home, eat, try to study.
2nd Year: Wake at noon. What is lecture? It's been a while. Read a bit. Get some tacos. Take a nap on the beach. Worry about boards. Watch TV.
3rd Year: Wake at 4-6. Wake up patients to ask them if they've passed gas or if they're still thinking about killing their family. Rounds, conferences, or standing in the OR pretending to pay attention. Leave anytime between 1PM and 1AM if not on call depending on rotation; don't leave if on call. Sleep? Read?
4th Year: Wake at 7:30 for 8:30 clinic. See one morning patient because the clinic is overstaffed with fellows and residents. SDN. Free lunch. See one afternoon patient. Go home at 3. Decide that this is too exhausting and schedule a research month for the following block.
2nd Year: Wake at noon. What is lecture? It's been a while. Read a bit. Get some tacos. Take a nap on the beach. Worry about boards. Watch TV.
3rd Year: Wake at 4-6. Wake up patients to ask them if they've passed gas or if they're still thinking about killing their family. Rounds, conferences, or standing in the OR pretending to pay attention. Leave anytime between 1PM and 1AM if not on call depending on rotation; don't leave if on call. Sleep? Read?
4th Year: Wake at 7:30 for 8:30 clinic. See one morning patient because the clinic is overstaffed with fellows and residents. SDN. Free lunch. See one afternoon patient. Go home at 3. Decide that this is too exhausting and schedule a research month for the following block.
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Another option:
Wake around 7-8 am. Skip lecture, feel guilty. Study during the morning to make up for feelings of guilt. Lunch at ~noon. Go to anatomy lecture/lab in the afternoon, get out at around 5pm. Go home, eat dinner. Try to study. Fail. Give up at around 8 or 9pm. Watch TV. Feel guilty (shouldn't you be studying?). Take shower/go to bed.
Rinse and repeat.
