Medecine forum
5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
keane
07-08-2007 05:37
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learned to memorize everything
-STFU is best policy (shut the f*ck up, referring to asking quest and with classmates)
-this will be over in 24 months
-after many 8-hr days of lecture, i have learned nothing from them (the learning happens at night/weekends when studying)
-they will wring the love for helping others out of you.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
mike
07-08-2007 06:00
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Well I have the first one down in my study skills in college right now, so I'm good (only way I could've gotten a 92 on the orgo final  ). As for the second one, is it because people ask stupid questions or point out unnecessary corrections like they do in undergrad lectures (i.e. the decimal is in the wrong spot or you misspelled the word)
lecture is worthless
- powerpoint is evil
- the key to memorization is repetition
- go to office hours, and ask for general advice from previous students
- when you're burnt out and it's more than 1 week before a test, get more sleep, exercise, or go out drinking
when you're burnt out and it's less than 2 days before a test, drink coffee and red bull.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
hooligan
07-08-2007 06:09
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1. Memorization trumps understanding, every single time.
2. There is always someone in your class who will work harder than you.
3. You will suffer alone; you mostly study alone and your old friends will have no idea what you are going through.
4. Your classmates can be assets, provided that they are willing to share information with you.
5. TBD
I completely agree with the above re:
1) Powerpoint is evil. EVIL! I HATE Powerpoint. It is laziness exemplified and the death of teaching. I think I've said enough.
2) We pay entirely too much for our education.
3) Haven't learned this yet, but have heard repeatedly that 3rd year grades are a mixture of whether they like the shape of your nose, politics, and their mood (completley unrelated to your performance) at the time they're filling out the evaluation.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
ciara
07-08-2007 06:40
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1) Make time for exercise and please get your sleep. Your studying the next day will be more efficient if you've had sleep.
2) Keep in touch with your friends and family on a regular basis and ask them how their lives are going. It's not just about you and how hard med school is.
3) Be super focused when you're studying and play hard/totally relax when you've given yourself breaks (i.e. maintain your social life/hobbies - because it is easy to burn out and become unidimensional)
4) When getting advice, take into account the credibility of your source. Some people (for reasons I still don't understand) straight up exaggerate, lie, downplay, whatever. And just because people are saying "you have to study in groups" or "don't study even a day more than 3 weeks for Step 1," doesn't mean you actually have to listen to them. If the advice seems absurd to you, then it probably IS absurd for YOU. Be informed and welcome advice from others, but realize what works for YOU. I freaked out when I saw my classmates making tons of flashcards, incredible flow charts, colorful pictures, etc. I never wrote anything out/made my own notes in college, so this scared me. I stuck to my system, though, and it ended up working just fine. (I just read and re-read notes/text and highlight/underline rather than make charts/flashcards/etc.)
5) Don't buy all the required/recommended books for your classes. Buy what seems like the major books you'll need and then supplement as needed or just ask an upper classman to borrow or buy used.
6) Try to volunteer at your student run free clinic or the like (if your school has one) toward the middle or end of 1st year and 2nd year - great practical experience, and they can always use the help.
7) Your classmates are not your competition. They are your colleagues and great sources of information. You are all smart, and you all have different strengths and weaknesses.
8) When you freak out, call a classmate. They'll understand. Calling your boyfriend/girlfriend/family helps, but the whole "I'm really stressed out" thing gets old... but your classmates will always understand.
9) Long-distance relationships are very hard - but totally possible - sounds generic to say but good communication is absolutely key.
10) As a pre-med about to start med school, you felt like a rockstar. Everyone congratulated you, admired you, and wished you lots of good luck. Now you're an M1. Suddenly, you'll feel quite overwhelmed, usually behind in class, and lowest on the totem pole. This feeling will continue forever, I'm told. As an M3 now, it's more true than ever! But don't let it get you down and just keep going... You are DEFINITELY not the only one with the blues, shaky confidence, and transient though frequent feelings of inadequacy and confusion. Chances are a good portion of your class will feel this way much of 1st year, but you WILL adjust with time, and you are supposed to be here. Good days really do make it worth it.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
ava
07-08-2007 06:50
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1 - you may think that because you're in med school, you will be learning to become a doctor, you precious naive thing, you. in actuality, you will learn to jump through hoops of fire like you have never jumped before
2 - don't stop working out just because you smell like cadaver and don't want to take 3 showers a day. just don't shower between lab and the gym. people may say you're gross, but they'll still marvel at your rockin' bod.
3 - ex's don't make good friends even when school is sucking out your will to live....ESPECIALLY when school is sucking out your will to live, in fact...and especially if you're dating someone new
4 - a few people actually get something out of going to class. these people are weird. avoid them
5 - remember you will be a doctor in a few years. so will your classmates. keep this in mind when you're doing body shots after a killer test, and know that these people are your friends for life. i love my class
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Last edited by makeitstop : 07-18-2007 at 08:57 PM. Reason: i thought of more important things to say
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
estralla
07-08-2007 07:06
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1) Make time for exercise and please get your sleep. Your studying the next day will be more efficient if you've had sleep.
2) Keep in touch with your friends and family on a regular basis and ask them how their lives are going. It's not just about you and how hard med school is.
3) Be super focused when you're studying and play hard/totally relax when you've given yourself breaks (i.e. maintain your social life/hobbies - because it is easy to burn out and become unidimensional)
4) When getting advice, take into account the credibility of your source. Some people (for reasons I still don't understand) straight up exaggerate, lie, downplay, whatever. And just because people are saying "you have to study in groups" or "don't study even a day more than 3 weeks for Step 1," doesn't mean you actually have to listen to them. If the advice seems absurd to you, then it probably IS absurd for YOU. Be informed and welcome advice from others, but realize what works for YOU. I freaked out when I saw my classmates making tons of flashcards, incredible flow charts, colorful pictures, etc. I never wrote anything out/made my own notes in college, so this scared me. I stuck to my system, though, and it ended up working just fine. (I just read and re-read notes/text and highlight/underline rather than make charts/flashcards/etc.)
5) Don't buy all the required/recommended books for your classes. Buy what seems like the major books you'll need and then supplement as needed or just ask an upper classman to borrow or buy used.
6) Try to volunteer at your student run free clinic or the like (if your school has one) toward the middle or end of 1st year and 2nd year - great practical experience, and they can always use the help.
7) Your classmates are not your competition. They are your colleagues and great sources of information. You are all smart, and you all have different strengths and weaknesses.
8) When you freak out, call a classmate. They'll understand. Calling your boyfriend/girlfriend/family helps, but the whole "I'm really stressed out" thing gets old... but your classmates will always understand.
9) Long-distance relationships are very hard - but totally possible - sounds generic to say but good communication is absolutely key.
10) As a pre-med about to start med school, you felt like a rockstar. Everyone congratulated you, admired you, and wished you lots of good luck. Now you're an M1. Suddenly, you'll feel quite overwhelmed, usually behind in class, and lowest on the totem pole. This feeling will continue forever, I'm told. As an M3 now, it's more true than ever! But don't let it get you down and just keep going... You are DEFINITELY not the only one with the blues, shaky confidence, and transient though frequent feelings of inadequacy and confusion. Chances are a good portion of your class will feel this way much of 1st year, but you WILL adjust with time, and you are supposed to be here. Good days really do make it worth it.
You didnt learn to count though because that is more than five things.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
danica
07-08-2007 07:16
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I really liked powerpoint. Some considerations on the flipside to consider:
* Reproducibility. If a professor is drawing a figure/chart on a chalkboard, I have to frantically scribble to get it all down, since I won't be able to get a copy to study again later. Powerpoint (and having the ppt files available online later) made it easier for me to sit back and just take it in.
* Powerpoint is great for histo, pathology, dermatology, physical exam lectures, and EKG problem solving sessions. The pictures are much clearer than they would be on a slide projector.
Powerpoint isn't perfect, but it has its moments.
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
emerson
07-08-2007 07:18
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1) You don't learn "Medicine" in Medical School...just science construed as medicine.
2) Sleep, food, family and friends are all more important than studying. Don't forget about them as they'll keep you sane.
3) Proper studying is combined memorization and endurance, not actually "understanding".
4) The $60k you just spent on your first year has taught you exactly 0 practical knowledge.
5) You are absolutely the most useless individual in the hospital setting. You serve no purpose other than slowing down the level of productivity of everyone in your vicinity and annoying the crap out of patients. To make your presence more than dead weight on everyone else, you must volunteer for the scuttiest of all scut work, and even then you must know that you are doing almost nothing to provide patient care. Do your scut eagerly and with a smile, and maybe you'll be allowed to learn something useful from the nurses...
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Re: 5 things you learned in first year (not in order) |
tallan
07-08-2007 07:30
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1) This is your time to really learn stuff well the first time, so put in the hours now rather than later.
2) Working out regularly may no longer be an option.
3) Reality tv seems more enticing than it ever has.
4) My own preconcieved mental barriers hold me back more than anything else.
5) A well-planned home cooked meal or any other thing I had taken for granted becomes much more meaningful and pleasureable to me after chronic, hardcore studying.
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