Any study tips that have helped you particularly in maintaining the 4.0? I was accepted March 15 and have been trying to mentally prepare for the program as much as I can before May 30 since I've been out of school for a year! I have great time management from undergrad but know this isn't exactly the same thing so any insight you can provide is appreciated!
Congrats! This is definitely NOT undergrad and its awesome that you're being proactive about ways to focus. First and foremost, are you planning on applying this cycle or are you waiting until the program is over to apply to medical school? Additionally, are you planning on taking the MCAT over the summer or are you satisfied with your score? I know a lot of people struggled with balancing MCAT studying with applications and biostats (not a blow off class, you have to put in time). So if you plan on applying this cycle, start working on your application IMMEDIATELY. Get your personal statement down and your LORs in check. That's the biggest advice I can give in regards to the summer semester. You'll be bogged down with administrative stuff like orientation, workshops, seminars, etc -- so time is a huge commodity in the summer.
General Advice:
- Develop a routine that you can consistently follow. It doesn't matter if its a Monday or a Friday, stick to that routine. I would wake up at 7 am every day, eat breakfast, pack a lunch, and head to the 4th floor (quiet floor) of the library and grind out the material. There is literally no time to waste when it comes to material. There will be weeks where you have 2 exams, 1 TBL, class obligations, etc. The faster you start on getting through the material for the test -- the faster you can repeat the material and master the information. Master what routine works for you.
- Figure out if going to class is beneficial to you. I'm speaking from my perspective, but I absolutely disliked going to class because I'm a self-learner. There are a handful of professors that just regurgitate the words on the ppt at a very fast pace and I viewed that as a colossal waste of time. Instead of showing up to class at 8 am, I would go straight to the library and go at my own pace.
- Make sacrifices. There will be plenty of volunteer activities, social hangouts, sports events, etc. available to you. Its your decision to attend these events. The one huge difference between me and some of my classmates that struggle with classes is the ability to make these sacrifices. Instead of going out to 7th street on a Friday night on an easy week, I would go to the library and get ahead on the material. Its painful but its so worth it when you start destroying the exams. I didn't make these sacrifices in undergrad and my grades suffered. Its all in your hands.
- Find 1 or 2 people that you can rely on and that have good study habits. Collaboration is key -- I used to get like 1-2 questions right on each test just by picking up something one of my friends would mention a day or two before the exam. Also, I made a really good friend and we motivated each other to work harder. It really pushed me to my full potential.
Fall Semester:
1) Biochemistry - This is the easiest science course you will take at MedSci. You're gonna go super in depth into the pathways for glycolysis, etc. Mainly just memorization with little critical thinking. Capitalize on the first test -- its going to get much harder. The tests are relatively straightforward with only 1st and 2nd order questions. Prokai is an awesome professor and he was actually really captivating.
2) Molecular - You slowly start seeing an increase in the amount of material and difficulty of questions. One of my highest grades in the program because I started warming up with my study habits. Das is an amazing professor and go to his lectures (he will emphasize what's going to be on the test). I don't really remember any other lecturers (probably didn't go to class very much).
3) Histology - Oh man.... this class was a shocker to many people. The first test took a lot of people by surprise (including myself) -- I think our average was a high C or something. Really focus on minor details and cross sectional slides that are provided in the powerpoints. Use outside resources like BlueHistology to test yourself with new images. You'll get the hang out of it, but its crucial to get over that learning curve because its a different type of studying in comparison to biochem/molecular. Tovar's powerpoints are relatively straightforward and clean, but Millar had some massive ppts with TONS of texts and random colors. Get ready for those behemoths. They will test minor details, cover ALL of your bases.
4) Microbiology/Immunology - Last science class of the semester. Its a pretty grueling class because the material is much harder than what you've seen before and there is a small margin of error. Also, a lot more critical thinking questions on the exams.
5) Epidemoiology - Don't take this class lightly. Migala is captivating guy but he will get upset at the class if you don't come to class. I skipped a lot (yikes!). The material isn't terribly difficult but its not a joke. A little bit of math here and there.
Spring Semester:
1) Anatomy - Material heavy, but I loved this class. I just found it fascinating. The cadaver prosection labs were amazing and really remind you why you want to pursue medicine. The tests are relatively first order and second order. Lots of clinically relevant questions and not just regurgitations of innervation/blood supplies of muscles. This class is really about immersing yourself in the material and figuring out how to memorize lots of information. You also have to balance it with physio so that is the tough part.
2) Physiology - Toughest course so far. Really requires to understand both details and concepts. I used BRS Physiology a lot to supplement my knowledge -- highly recommend! The cardiology, neuro and renal tests are the most difficult. GI, skeletal muscles are the easiest. Endocrine is somewhere in the middle.
3) CRM - I think its online for you guys so they are changing it up from what I heard.
4) Ethics - Super easy, just weekly assignments you have to take care of.
5) Pharm - TBD