what is med school really like?

[different strokes]

Originally posted by nochaser:
•Is it possible to hate biology as an undergrad and do well in med school?•

Yes, it is still possible to do well and not like biology. What is it about bio that you don't like? You may end up with an interest in it when you see how it is applied to medicine.

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[snow100]

hi.

i thought i liked biology. and now, i find it so tedious. i am in medical school and i am having such a hard time studying. because it IS biology. i am completely overwhelmed. i would just think twice if it really what you want to do.

snow

 

[mvalento]

well, i hate anatomy and i still enjoy medical school.

furthermore, contrary to what some may say, it is possible to have a normal and even semi-rambunctious social life in medical school. if you're dying for that honors or high pass or whatever in anatomy, you probably need to be more studious than a student like i am, who couldn't give a damn as long as i pass (can you tell than my school is pass/fail?). once you get to med school, you will figure out what level you need to be at, what your priorities are, etc. in my humble opinion, it is better to go out and have a good time than try to memorize the minutia that piles up for med school exams.

bud

 

[AceUF78]

Originally posted by mvalento:
• in my humble opinion, it is better to go out and have a good time than try to memorize the minutia that piles up for med school exams.

bud•

Hmmm...I dont mean to sound rude, but compromising studies to have a good time, especially in medical school, doesnt sound like a good idea to me. I mean 10 years down the road you might need these minute details when you're trying to save a patient's life on the operating table.

 

[Mango]

Not so fast Ace. It's important to realize that med school teaches you almost every tiny detail of medicine. Once you graduate and pick a specialty, you make sure that you remember the minute details that are important to your chosen field, and you forget all the rest. Most likely, you relearn the details important to your field, and ignore the volumes of knowledge that you've already forgotten. That's how it works; that's why specialties exist. Nobody can remember it all, it's just not possible.

Besides, if you don't let loose/enjoy yourself some of the time in med school, you'll never make it out with your sanity. I know I wouldn't!

 

[Toran]

I agree with you that it is important to have a good time, and even to take a night off from time to time. However, I have a good time studying with pals, and I enjoy the material that I am studying. Otherwise, #1 I wouldn't be here studying something I don't enjoy, and #2 it would be impossible to retain any of the would-be unenjoyable information.
Which brings me to retention: I have to understand the information to do well on the tests, and remember the stuff for the future. Furthermore, I am totally incapable of making leaps from one subject to another in application of knowledge by simply memorizing the information. Lastly, I am a poor memorizer of information, and I just can't cram like other people.
I can honestly say that I am striving to pass medical school, but I understand the first year basic science stuff better some others who just cram. I am sure that the in clinical science the ability to apply the infortion gained in basic will shine for me, and it already has in some of our pre-clinical warm up classes.
Don't worry, friday night I'll see you at the bar.
Toran

 

[nochaser]

Originally posted by nochaser:
Is it possible to hate biology as an undergrad and do well in med school?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, it is still possible to do well and not like biology. What is it about bio that you don't like? You may end up with an interest in it when you see how it is applied to medicine.

I am a biology major, and absolutely love it. I posted the question because I know someone, a chem major, that does not like bio at all, and I mentioned to them that I personally didn't think they'd do very well in medical school. We argued about this, and they're convinced that it won't matter. but I think it will. Just wanted some insight into the matter. Thanks for the replies!

 

[mvalento]

i agree with Mango's point- most of what we learn in anatomy or many of the first year classes ends up being irrelevant to our particular careers, and the material that is, we relearn at a later time.

personally, i'm not too concerned about trouble at the operating table because surgery is easily the LAST residency i would ever consider. but that's a minor detail...

bud

 

[different strokes]

Originally posted by AceUF78:
•

Originally posted by mvalento:
[qb] in my humble opinion, it is better to go out and have a good time than try to memorize the minutia that piles up for med school exams.

bud•

Hmmm...I dont mean to sound rude, but compromising studies to have a good time, especially in medical school, doesnt sound like a good idea to me. I mean 10 years down the road you might need these minute details when you're trying to save a patient's life on the operating table.[/QB]

But, everything is not learned from books. Alot is learned through clinical experience. Otherwise psych doctorate students better not have fun, because they may need the details from their notes and textbooks to possibly prevent people from killing themselves.

 

[nycphildoc]

I am in MED SCHOOL HELL!!!! I'm an MS-1 at NYCOM (NY College of Osteopathic Medicine). For this block of exams we have school 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. every day, except for Thursday or Friday where we get out at 12 P.M. We have Head and Neck in Anatomy, 2- 4 hr. labs/ week, One 3 hour OMM lab, physiology and biochem., like, every morning, and one 4 hour marathon Anatomy lecture. The second years have it worse. For 5 straight weeks they've had class 8 A.M.-5P.M. every day. I've stopped attending lectures for physio and biochem. so I can have extra sleep/study/slack time. I've heard the school has a bit of an inferiority complex being a D.O. school a half hour away from some of the best medical schools in the world. Anyway, I heard people come out of here and know their stuff. Just make sure you want this, and be prepared to endure nights of litle/no sleep, $100,000+ in loans, and little or no social life for a long time. On the positive side of things, the faculty and students are pretty cool. While their are a lot of preppy people, everyone is pretty nice.

 

[doc marcus conradus]

this is how second year is like at my school.
this is a typical thursday for me:

7-9am pathology lab
9-10am pathology lecture
10-11am psychopathology lecture
11-12nn pharmacology lecture
12-12:45pm unit exam in pathology
1-2community and family medicine lecture
2-4 microbiology lecture
4-5 neurology lecture
5-6 surgery lecture

well thats only thursday. and this dosent include the sleepless nights in preperation for exams. it also does not include taking a dump and showers and most importantly eating.

i tell you 24 hours isnt enough. so if i were you id re-consider entering med school, most especially her in the philippines to be exact here at the far eastern university!