To Rising M1 - What rising M2's wished they knew about med school

When I was going around doing medical school interviews, my favorite question to ask interviewees was: What's something you wish you had known before you started going down the MD track? I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, but I knew that it really takes experience to understand a life. And I wanted to gain from their wisdom. 

From current M1's to future M1's

So I thought I'd ask our classmates to drop some wisdom on future M1's. Please forward to anyone you know entering medical school. 

Daniel Morrison:

In my opinion, receiving very minimal advice would have allowed me to figure out my ideal approach to medical school much quicker, and could have made my first year a richer, more organic learning experience.

Kaleb Keyserling: 

1. Don't study before med school. Enjoy your summer!

2. Living in walking distance of campus is helpful and gives you more motivation to go to class.

3. Review lecture notes on a daily basis instead of just cramming the weekend before a test.  Big goal is learning the material for Step 1 rather than acing every test.

4. Take advantage of the shadowing opportunities and lunch time lectures 1st year.  These experiences remind you of the reasons you want to be a doctor and keep you motivated to study (see Ken's post about burn out).

Sudeep Das: 

Med school is a transition, roll with the punches. its hard but great. don't neglect investing in and getting to know your awesome classmates

Jordan Shealey:

I think I would've like to have known to be patient with myself and the material. I now know it will eventually come together if you keep working hard and push through those frustrating periods (i.e. the first 2 weeks of each block).

Sean Nguyen:

My advice is to not get caught up in all the hype and scare. Do what works for you and stay confident. Enjoy things one day at a time.

Rosie Taam:

Before school starts do something wonderful, have an adventure, travel. In school, do things your way, follow what interests you, not what you feel like you should do. And don't be disappointed when your cadaver doesn't look like Rohen's; its not about the finish line, its about the process (this reality is still sinking in for me)

My advice, one practical and another not as practical.

Practical: I wish I had experimented more with different studying methods. Flash cards, re-writing notes, going to class, home schooling, religiously reading the syllabus, etc. Studying in med school is different from undergrad, and M1 grades are fairly irrelevant. The point is to peak for Step 1. 

Less practical: Don't be afraid to go out on a limb and do something different. The hidden curriculum forces homogeneity, so by taking the risk to be a little different, you'll stand out. Hopefully in a good way. 

Please share with any friends starting med school this fall. 

see you on the other side,

from ken

what do you wish you had known before med school?