What is the absolute worst part about med school?

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lcl6

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Is it the no sleep thing? Is it the hours of studying? The lack of free time? What do people hate the most about med school?
 
Currently, in clinical years, it's not that I don't have free time, but I have no control over when it's going to occur.

Like, for example, let's say I need to go schedule a regular doctor's check up. They want to schedule it two months from now.

It's incredibly hard for me to give them a date because I'll be on a completely different rotation by then with no idea about time requirements. Maybe I'll get lucky and give a day that I get off early for reading (or the attending/resident is chill and will dismiss me). But there's a good chance it'll turn up being a day I'm ther from 6:00 am to late or call and I'll have to reschedule.

It's very frustrating to have no control over when and where I'm supposed to be.
 
PBL...... 7..... more..... left..... ever :cry:


Runner up: My school uses the threat of "Professionalism" to get us to do whatever they want, usually for unimportant bureaucratic crap that no one gives a f' about. It's like the "think of the children" phrase, but for education. And it always has this whipping boy / "dance monkey dance" connotation with it. I secretly hope the student body will one day rise up and fight the power Public Enemy style....

Surprisingly it's not the studying that bothers me, or most of my friends. You kind of just get used to it after a while, and get into a study trance. But man, you should hear the amount of obscenities we all drop when they fill our schedule with some useless labs w/ required attendance. "THOSE GOD DAMN M@(%#$ F^(&#&S, I COULD BE HOME STUDYING RIGHT NOW."
 
Not the worst part (since I'm only an M2), but it's kinda disheartening to know the tens, if not hundreds on some tests, of hours you put in only to have the test consist of buzzwords that you may or not may know. It's like buzzword bingo from the IBM commercial
 
i miss sleep. right now my body seems to need about 10 hours a night for me to function without this persistent tension headache, but with the number of exams i have before spring break, i'm unlikely to get more than half that amount every night.
 
Crazy4F1 said:
i miss sleep. right now my body seems to need about 10 hours a night for me to function without this persistent tension headache, but with the number of exams i have before spring break, i'm unlikely to get more than half that amount every night.
Click to expand...

Wait till clinical years. During some rotations you will average between 5-6 hours a night for extended periods.
 
The worst part is realizing that, no matter how much time and effort you put in, there is NO WAY you will ever master all of the material. Which, for most "Type As," is unacceptable.
 
Realizing how little I actually know. I'm doing fine in all of my classes, and I put in as much effort as I feel I am able to (without going nuts), but I realize how small of a dent I'm making in the mountain of information there is in medicine. I just got a decent grade on my neuropathology exam, but if you asked me to tell you everything I know about brain tumors, I could talk for about a minute. 😛
 
TheProwler said:
Realizing how little I actually know. I'm doing fine in all of my classes, and I put in as much effort as I feel I am able to (without going nuts), but I realize how small of a dent I'm making in the mountain of information there is in medicine. I just got a decent grade on my neuropathology exam, but if you asked me to tell you everything I know about brain tumors, I could talk for about a minute. 😛
Click to expand...

Yeah, that neuropath test was alright. I was worried about some of the histo, but like I said, at least they didn't expect us to provide our own lube like on last test and without bother to tell us beforehand
 
Law2Doc said:
Wait till clinical years. During some rotations you will average between 5-6 hours a night for extended periods.
Click to expand...

As a night owl studier who also goes to morning class, this already describes me. I propose two med school tracks: morning bird (95% of the class) and night owl (with reduced tuition, just cause).
 
First of all I don't think it is that bad, you get used to it quickly and med school can be an enjoyable experience with proper time management.

The worst part? Anatomy was a pretty terrible time for me personally, whether it had to do with the lab or me just burning out I don't know.
 
TheProwler said:
Realizing how little I actually know. I'm doing fine in all of my classes, and I put in as much effort as I feel I am able to (without going nuts), but I realize how small of a dent I'm making in the mountain of information there is in medicine. I just got a decent grade on my neuropathology exam, but if you asked me to tell you everything I know about brain tumors, I could talk for about a minute. 😛
Click to expand...

Yes, you spend so much time, especially in first year, to learn all of the basics. And once you're through, you realize how the majority of this is not at all clinically relevant but will be the basis for which we learn more clinical things in the future. It's like climbing a mountain, only to realize that once you get to the top, there's another one to climb, bigger and better.
 
PBhelL

8-9:30am MWF...pure torture.
 
The transition to a new lifestyle that requires 90% of your time, mental energy, and dedication. There are so many wonderful things about med school, but I'm experiencing them at the cost of the wonderful things I used to enjoy. It's a bit like multiple doors have closed and only a few are left open, but I want to be able to move from room to room. Hopefully one day I'll be able to set up my life in a way that's more in tune with my personality incorporating my many interests.
 
Well, as a relative neophyte in my first year, I'll say the "touchy-feely-culturally-sensitive" nonsense that was ushered into the medical school curriculum since the 70's and its unholy satanic spawn PBL
 
StevenRF said:
PBL...... 7..... more..... left..... ever :cry:


Runner up: My school uses the threat of "Professionalism" to get us to do whatever they want, usually for unimportant bureaucratic crap that no one gives a f' about. It's like the "think of the children" phrase, but for education. And it always has this whipping boy / "dance monkey dance" connotation with it. I secretly hope the student body will one day rise up and fight the power Public Enemy style....

Surprisingly it's not the studying that bothers me, or most of my friends. You kind of just get used to it after a while, and get into a study trance. But man, you should hear the amount of obscenities we all drop when they fill our schedule with some useless labs w/ required attendance. "THOSE GOD DAMN M@(%#$ F^(&#&S, I COULD BE HOME STUDYING RIGHT NOW."
Click to expand...

:meanie::meanie::meanie:
 
DwyaneWade said:
First of all I don't think it is that bad, you get used to it quickly and med school can be an enjoyable experience with proper time management.

The worst part? Anatomy was a pretty terrible time for me personally, whether it had to do with the lab or me just burning out I don't know.
Click to expand...

Agree- first year, particularly anatomy was painful. I need to have the context- the forest in addition to the trees.
 
LadyWolverine said:
The worst part is realizing that, no matter how much time and effort you put in, there is NO WAY you will ever master all of the material. Which, for most "Type As," is unacceptable.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's a downer I've heard.
 
the constant feeling of not "being there". what i mean by this is: the pace during the past 8 or so months (M1 here) has been very fast with lots of little changes, especially in terms of classes. You go through many different topics very quickly, along with changes in profs, which puts you in a situation where you need to be able to adapt to changes rather quickly. Study, study, study, exams, rinse and repeat. There isn't too much time to relax, and go into cruise-mode. Personally, the worst part of medschool is the constant pressure to do well. And I mean constant. Medschool is like doing 50 second intervals of holding your breath underwater with 10 second "rest periods".....for an hour. This is year one.

Who knows what M2 is like? Maybe it's doing the above with a shark at your tail. 😱
 
vtucci said:
Agree- first year, particularly anatomy was painful. I need to have the context- the forest in addition to the trees.
Click to expand...

The crazy thing is that after going through each organ module I wish we could look at that portion of the cadaver :laugh:

Not for a grade, but just for our general eddification. It seems pointless to learn anatomy for the sake of anatomy, it made much more sense after going through pathophys of diseases.
 
The feeling that it is never going to end & only getting worse. 🙁
 
My fellow classmates, and how immature most of them are. (I thought that med students would be mature and professional!)🙁
 
For the most part, I've actually enjoyed my time in med school. I'm a little older & I never thought I'd be back in school again. Compared to being stuck as a blue-collar worker for the rest of my life, this is fun!

Once in a while, though, I have to miss an activity that I would really, really like to go to. Like my kids' parties at school, or the big family Christmas. But I'd say this has happened probably 5 times total.

Maybe I just have low expectations. 🙂
 
Tons of reading. I'll probably go blind by the end of 2nd year because I'm so bad at studying in well-lit areas.
 
I got pretty bored. All the random facts...few of them truly useful. Got to where I felt like I was memorizing lint.

Glad I studied in Israel, where there was cool stuff to do outside of school.
 
What is killing me right now as I near the end of second year is the monotony. I'm so tired of the same routine...it is driving me insane. Every day, the same auditorium, same seats, same building, same lecture format, sit and listen to someone ramble on through a powerpoint for 50 minutes (and they always go over), the same people...don't get me wrong, I actually like and get along with most of my classmates (I would say about 80% of them, the rest are shadows in the background who I nod hello to on occasion), but I'm so tired of the same environment. I miss the variety of undergrad. Every semester you had fresh faces, different classes, different rooms, sometimes hours of break between any two individual classes, often free to do with as you wish...I really miss undergrad. As much work as third year will be, I will prefer the variety that it brings...it will be more like work and less like school, more similar to practicing medicine than sitting and passively absorbing info for two years. I welcome the change.

Studying for the boards sucks hard too.
 
exi said:
Elaborate? I would think that a little goofiness would be welcome, but maybe that's just me.
Click to expand...
Goofiness and humor...Yes. Immaturity..NO.

For instance.....in a workshop yesterday, learning about all the surgical instruments, the person next to me decided to talk while the instructor was speaking and proceed to use the instruments (when passed around) to grip my shirt sleeve and use them to pull it (stretch it). After asking said person to stop, said person thought it was funny and continued to do it more. (would have punched the crap out of the person, but said person was a girl)
 
HEADintheCLOUDS said:
Goofiness and humor...Yes. Immaturity..NO.

For instance.....in a workshop yesterday, learning about all the surgical instruments, the person next to me decided to talk while the instructor was speaking and proceed to use the instruments (when passed around) to grip my shirt sleeve and use them to pull it (stretch it). After asking said person to stop, said person thought it was funny and continued to do it more. (would have punched the crap out of the person, but said person was a girl)
Click to expand...

Was said girl attractive? She might be trying to "pull" you in.
 
Auron said:
Was said girl attractive? She might be trying to "pull" you in.
Click to expand...
Said girl was not. But that is exactly my point? I think flirting type stuff of this nature went on in like kindergarten? (Am I being to harsh here?) (Or are you saying if she was hot that I would not have cared?)😕
 
StevenRF said:
Runner up: My school uses the threat of "Professionalism" to get us to do whatever they want, usually for unimportant bureaucratic crap that no one gives a f' about. It's like the "think of the children" phrase, but for education. And it always has this whipping boy / "dance monkey dance" connotation with it. I secretly hope the student body will one day rise up and fight the power Public Enemy style....
Click to expand...

LOL, I though this was just my school. No mandatory attendance....but if half the the class doesn't show up b/c the session is useless...we find a passive-aggressive e-mail when we get home about "professionalism...occasionally with the names of those who attendted listed...shiny gold stars for them.
 
sprinkibrio said:
The transition to a new lifestyle that requires 90% of your time, mental energy, and dedication. There are so many wonderful things about med school, but I'm experiencing them at the cost of the wonderful things I used to enjoy. It's a bit like multiple doors have closed and only a few are left open, but I want to be able to move from room to room. Hopefully one day I'll be able to set up my life in a way that's more in tune with my personality incorporating my many interests.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better myself. When you're young you think you'll do all these things, but eventually you pick a path that will be your life and many doors will close. You have to have enough balance in your life to nurture those things that still want to grow all the while devoting yourself to medicine.
 
HEADintheCLOUDS said:
Said girl was not. But that is exactly my point? I think flirting type stuff of this nature went on in like kindergarten? (Am I being to harsh here?) (Or are you saying if she was hot that I would not have cared?)😕
Click to expand...

Well if I was in your situation and trying to listen to the prof then I'd be ticked at this girl for bothering me.
 
Auron said:
Well if I was in your situation and trying to listen to the prof then I'd be ticked at this girl for bothering me. I try not to get stressed over this stuff, school does that to me plenty....

This is somewhat random but I would like to ask the males here for some advice as you guys are older and likely have more experience with this. I'm friends with a number of very hot girls, and I see them almost everyday as they're in some of my classes - I'll be studying hardcore then I'll see one of these girls and it totally kills my desire to study. How do you guys not let such women dominate your thoughts and get your work done? It's silly I know, but I'm wondering what to do lol...
Click to expand...

Also some other random immaturity. I am sitting studying in class and said person (another different she) comes grabs my backpak and starts opening and going through it and thinking this is funny too.....😱

To your random question. Ask the hot girl out and then get to your studies. You will be going out with them later, or they will have rejected you and the issue will be solved!😀
 
lcl6 said:
Is it the no sleep thing? Is it the hours of studying? The lack of free time? What do people hate the most about med school?
Click to expand...

I miss sleeping in my own bed. I bounce around between cleveland and pittsburgh for rotations and have to live in hospital housing or crash at my friend's place each month. I've never coveted a real bed so much in my entire life LOL.
HEADintheCLOUDS said:
Goofiness and humor...Yes. Immaturity..NO.

For instance.....in a workshop yesterday, learning about all the surgical instruments, the person next to me decided to talk while the instructor was speaking and proceed to use the instruments (when passed around) to grip my shirt sleeve and use them to pull it (stretch it). After asking said person to stop, said person thought it was funny and continued to do it more. (would have punched the crap out of the person, but said person was a girl)
Click to expand...
This was definitely her 5 yr old tactic of hinting to you that she wants to mount you like Seabiscuit. Next time, grab a Richardson and club her over the head.
 
med students
 
lcl6 said:
Is it the no sleep thing? Is it the hours of studying? The lack of free time? What do people hate the most about med school?
Click to expand...

i'm preclinical... sleep is fine. hours of studying is not that bad. lack of free time sucks. gunners also are annoying. certain schools are worse for this than others. people learn to learn what they need to do without overdoing it. i must be the only one who burns out.
 
PeepshowJohnny said:
Currently, in clinical years, it's not that I don't have free time, but I have no control over when it's going to occur.

Like, for example, let's say I need to go schedule a regular doctor's check up. They want to schedule it two months from now.

It's incredibly hard for me to give them a date because I'll be on a completely different rotation by then with no idea about time requirements. Maybe I'll get lucky and give a day that I get off early for reading (or the attending/resident is chill and will dismiss me). But there's a good chance it'll turn up being a day I'm ther from 6:00 am to late or call and I'll have to reschedule.

It's very frustrating to have no control over when and where I'm supposed to be.
Click to expand...

I suspect this will also be my greatest source of frustration (in just a few months)...
 
Hurricane95 said:
What is killing me right now as I near the end of second year is the monotony. I'm so tired of the same routine...it is driving me insane. Every day, the same auditorium, same seats, same building, same lecture format, sit and listen to someone ramble on through a powerpoint for 50 minutes (and they always go over), the same people...don't get me wrong, I actually like and get along with most of my classmates (I would say about 80% of them, the rest are shadows in the background who I nod hello to on occasion), but I'm so tired of the same environment. I miss the variety of undergrad. Every semester you had fresh faces, different classes, different rooms, sometimes hours of break between any two individual classes, often free to do with as you wish...I really miss undergrad. As much work as third year will be, I will prefer the variety that it brings...it will be more like work and less like school, more similar to practicing medicine than sitting and passively absorbing info for two years. I welcome the change.

Studying for the boards sucks hard too.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%.

It will be interesting to see if we feel the same a year from now, though.
 
TheProwler said:
Realizing how little I actually know. I'm doing fine in all of my classes, and I put in as much effort as I feel I am able to (without going nuts), but I realize how small of a dent I'm making in the mountain of information there is in medicine. I just got a decent grade on my neuropathology exam, but if you asked me to tell you everything I know about brain tumors, I could talk for about a minute. 😛
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is my biggest issue. It makes me feel a little dumb sometimes because there's so much to know, and I know so little of it. I still don't know when this miraculous knowing enough to treat patients thing will hit.

I also hate all the required busywork stuff, which luckily my school is relatively light on, but it still sucks. And I hate worrying about grades, which I do.
 
The relentless bombardment of school-related spam emails. I have to sift through about 25 messages per day to make sure I don't miss an email from my resident or attending.
 
Doctor Bagel said:
I still don't know when this miraculous knowing enough to treat patients thing will hit.
Click to expand...
Haha, that's exactly what I wonder sometimes. When they finally "cut me loose" after a residency, and my first actual patient comes on in, will I know as much as I think an attending knows?

TheMightyAngus said:
The relentless bombardment of school-related spam emails. I have to sift through about 25 messages per day to make sure I don't miss an email from my resident or attending.
Click to expand...
NO KIDDING.

Hay guys, today we have a lunch with this speaker, a bake sale in the lobby, a raffle, a special viewing of this irrelevant movie, the parking lot is going to be re-painted this summer, and that thing we've been telling you we were going to do is still going to happen, but this e-mail is just to remind you that we haven't forgotten, but we still haven't done it yet.
 
After 2 years of preclinical, 1 and a half years of clinical rotations, 2 USMLE exams, hundreds of cups of coffee and countless interviews around the country, I still have moments when I feel utterly useless on the wards.
 
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