What do I do?!?!?

[MCATISEZ]

I'm very fortunate to say I will be an M1 this coming year. In the middle (or perhaps sadly towards the end) of a gap year. In the mean time, I will have a lot of time. I am doing some interesting research in a field that I am not totally sure I would be interested in (but I feel like my research productivity might serve me well in the future).

Anyhow, I have heard hoards of advice not to pre-study. I figured spending some time shadowing in specialities that are outside of the core rotations that I find interesting might be a good idea... Curious as to any thoughts?

I have done everything else SDN has recommended. Furthered my hobby, traveled, slept, extensively thought out my future But... should I reach out to some clinical faculty and see if I could spend a day in their shoes?

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[HomeSkool]

No. You'll get plenty of clinical time as an MS3/4. Tone down the neuroticism and relax. Med school will come soon enough.

 

[Osteoth]

Dude above me's a doctor, but from the trenches I'll just say that med school is a boiler cooker. Time is such a precious entity, that anything you can learn, any connection you can make, can help you tremendously down the road when you need to call someone for advice or to set up a rotation or something.

I think the key point people try to make about not pre-studying or working too hard before coming to med school is burn out. Of course you want to show up as an M1 ready to hit the ground running, but at the same time nobody but you can really say how you function or how burnt out you feel.

If you think you can take on some work, aka studying an hour or two a day or shadowing once a week, without burning yourself out, I don't see why this is bad advice. But start VERY slowly and if you feel your motivation waning or you don't want to do something, then don't do it. Like I said, the biggest point is to NOT burn out before school starts, because that's when the real game starts.

 

[Chibucks15]

Dude above me's a doctor, but from the trenches I'll just say that med school is a boiler cooker. Time is such a precious entity, that anything you can learn, any connection you can make, can help you tremendously down the road when you need to call someone for advice or to set up a rotation or something.

I think the key point people try to make about not pre-studying or working too hard before coming to med school is burn out. Of course you want to show up as an M1 ready to hit the ground running, but at the same time nobody but you can really say how you function or how burnt out you feel.

If you think you can take on some work, aka studying an hour or two a day or shadowing once a week, without burning yourself out, I don't see why this is bad advice. But start VERY slowly and if you feel your motivation waning or you don't want to do something, then don't do it. Like I said, the biggest point is to NOT burn out before school starts, because that's when the real game starts.

Nooooooooooooo don't study. There is no way you can even know what material your school will cover and in the grand scheme of things it may save you literally 1/2 of 1 lecture. I had friends try to do it and they said it accomplished nothing. We covered my entire undergraduate biochemistry course in less than a week. Without knowing what points would be helpful to learn you could be wasting precious time that could be spent with family/friends/travel/hobbies, etc. Sit back, relax, and have fun cuz once you get in here you're literally jumping into the furnace. The ONLY thing I recommend is maybe looking at some medical terminology. It's a huge help when you're swamped but you can figure out whats going on (roughly) just by sorting through the word and its root and all that.

tldr; DON'T prestudy with the exception of maybe looking at medical terminology because its been a lifesaver for me compared to my non-medical background classmates. Congrats on the acceptance

 

[Vrachika]

I actually don't think it's a bad idea, as long as you're doing it because you'll enjoy it and not because you think it will help you get ahead somehow (it won't). Also take it easy (like a few hours a week or so) because this is the last time you will ever have the chance to take it easy and make sure if there is anything else you want to do (especially traveling), do it now. And develop good diet/exercise habits now if you don't already have those, go through your stuff and get rid of things you don't need, etc. Generally get your life in order because it will be hard to do once school starts.

I say it's not a bad idea because while yes, you will have lots of time M3/4, that is far away. M1/2 is just as much studying as people say, and it is easy to start to feel burned out/forget why you're shoving 8 textbooks down your throat every week. Coming in with fresh memories of why you want to be a doctor might help, especially if you struggle with the workload at first.

Again, if you do it take it easy and only do it because you actually WANT to. I'm actually thinking of doing some shadowing or other clinical stuff soon, because I am starting to feel really burned out and I need something to spark me again.

And yes, you are right, DO NOT pre-study. Not long ago I was also an eager premed waiting for school to start, but trust me, it will come and then it will never stop. However, if there are any premeds out there just DYING to pre-study, you are welcome to come to my house, study and condense all the information for my next neuro test, and teach it to me so that I don't have to do it

 

[kb1900]

Just learn how to use anki. Maybe try out the zanki biochem deck an hour a day if ur itching to be productive. But more so than anything just learn to use anki as a program.

 

[el_duderino]

God, don't study. Learn to play an instrument or something.

 

[themoonman2]

As an M2 entering my dedicated step study time, my one regret is not quitting my job before med school waaaaaaaayyyyyy earlier and backpacking around East Asia or South America. You have very little time to travel in medical school and those countries are very affordable- i.e. you can travel for a long time without spending much.

 

[rg2o3]

As a student who will be attending medical school in the fall, but also still finishing my final undergrad semester, I envy you. Have some fun!

 

[treebeardette]

I don't think shadowing is a terrible idea, especially if you have as much free time as you say. I've seen too many people reach the end of 3rd year not sure what they want to do because they don't want one of the core specialties and they don't have time to take enough electives to explore all their potential interests. I pretty much knew what I wanted from the beginning, but even I still had to accept at a point that I would just never know what might have been with certain specialties.

That being said, your number 1 priority is to relax and have fun. Don't pick up some every day 12 hour shift type shadowing gig. Go in like a half day a week at most.

 

[Nucleophile1]

If I were you (and could afford it), I would quit everything and go have fun. I understand that you are excited to get started with the next part of your life, but enjoy the part that you are in now.

 

[ortnakas]

100% don’t study.

I’d just relax, but if you want to shadow, it’s not the worst idea in the world— especially if you can shadow specialties you don’t get much or any exposure to third year but might be interested in (PM&R, for example).

 

[Scrubs101]

I think shadowing specialties you havent seen before and may have an interest in wouldnt be a bad idea, theres like 120+ specialties out there and you may be like me and be interested in soooo many of them and wont be able to ever find the time to check them out lol

But for the love of god dont prestudy, whatever you try and pre-study for now till school starts will be covered in a week of lectures come med school. Not worth it

 

[MCATISEZ]

Thanks for the help everyone! I certainly won’t be prestudying, but might consider shadowing. Some specialties I want to learn about.


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[Preston Garvey]

God, don't study. Learn to play an instrument or something.

Jesus, learn to play an instrument? they might as well be pre-studying. Play video games, go on a float trip, get drunk with your friends. Please do anything but learn to play an instrument.

 

[theonlytycrane]

If you're super motivated, take anatomy somewhere to prep before you start if you have time / money.