12 As to why am I even here - questioning if med school is for me

[wya2020]

I'm well into my first month of med school at a T10 and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

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[Billiam95]

I think people should work for a year or 2 before medical school just to see how much most other jobs out there sucks, but with less prestige and money than medicine.
To answer your question, anything worth achieving requires effort and sacrifice. IG is not real life, and I can guarantee your friends whose lives you are idealizing from social media are not as glamorous as you are imagining them to be.

Edit
You'll learn how to study more efficiently, and the hours required will come down. No one loves studying all day, but that's the difference between motivation and discipline. If Arnold only worked out when he wanted to, he never would have been Mr. Olympia. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to do what you need to do, even if you don't want to - this is discipline.
At this point, you've already taken out the loans, so you might was well ride out this year, then reevaluate over the summer if you are still having doubts.

 

[Deltasidearm]

I think what you're feeling is normal and felt by most, if not all, M1's. You definitely need to take some time for yourself every day for your own mental health and take breaks from studying whenever you can get away with it. The first semester is often the hardest because everyone is figuring out how to balance school and the rest of their lives, but it does get better--not because school lets up but because you get better at handling it as time goes on.

You may not be able to enjoy life as much as you once did (and that's something you have to accept and adjust your expectations on) but you can and definitely should be making time to enjoy yourself. Even if your classmates aren't vocal about it, I guarantee they feel the same and it's okay to lean on/vent to them. Everyone suffers together but it's part of the journey. Remember your excitement for why you applied in the first place and please remember to cut yourself some slack.

Once you're out of school and residency, you'll be able to control your schedule and work will only consume you if you let it. However, the temporary suck in the meantime is the price we pay for an amazing and ultimately fulfilling career. Take it one step at a time and it will get better.

 

[Damson]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

Life is not happening after 29. Life is happening now, whether you're at a midwestern med school or doing business on the coast. You do not need to spend all day every day studying. You get to do your best in med school - "best", in the context of also maintaining physical and mental health.

Your friends might post pretty pictures on facebook and snapchat, but how much of their own grind do they show off?

The 20s are the best time for learning new skills and mastering them. You can live a balanced life while doing so.

 

[wya2020]

Life is not happening after 29. Life is happening now, whether you're at a midwestern med school or doing business on the coast. You do not need to spend all day every day studying. You get to do your best in med school - "best", in the context of also maintaining physical and mental health.

Your friends might post pretty pictures on facebook and snapchat, but how much of their own grind do they show off?

The 20s are the best time for learning new skills and mastering them. You can live a balanced life while doing so.

Do you guys have tips for how to keep a more balanced schedule? Or resources you used that helped you study more productively vs spending more hours with the material? I agree that the key to finding time to do more things I enjoy Is by studying more efficiently - I just don't how know how to do that yet

 

[Billiam95]

Do you guys have tips for how to keep a more balanced schedule? Or resources you used that helped you study more productively vs spending more hours with the material? I agree that the key to finding time to do more things I enjoy Is by studying more efficiently - I just don't how know how to do that yet

Part of becoming more efficient is learning how to incorporate 3rd party resources into your curriculum, as well as which ones you learn best from. Most people would recommend some combination of FA, BnB, Pathoma, AnKing/Lightyear decks, etc. Qbanks, such as Rx or Amboss, can be helpful for studying, too.

 

[mrbreakfast]

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

Med school is hard, and residency is harder. You will miss out on a lot of fun times. However, fun times don't have to end in your mid-20s, and as others said, your friends aren't posting themselves sitting at their boring desk jobs for 8 hours a day. You're going to have an interesting, rewarding job, and you won't have to worry about money like your friends will. Let me give you a glimpse into the future: by the time you're in residency your friends will either be married and bored or still working the same job and living with roommates as they approach their 30s. It doesn't get easier, but it gets better.

Do you guys have tips for how to keep a more balanced schedule? Or resources you used that helped you study more productively vs spending more hours with the material?

This is a great question to which there is no perfect answer. Everyone is different and what works for some doesn't work for others. My personal advice (which worked for me):
1) If you are provided with the lecture powerpoints, stop going to lecture. This can literally save more than half the day. This is my #1 recommendation for med students. You will progressively be expected to teach yourself to a greater degree as you progress through med school, and studying is a skill you can cultivate - start early.
2) Outside resources. There are lots of options. I used First Aid, Goljan, and a question bank (Kaplan, to save Uworld for later) to supplement my studying - though I was an M1 a while ago.
3) Flashcards - handmade or via Anki - are the best way to learn material. Detailed handmade flashcards take forever to make, but by the time you've made them and ran through them a few times, you're ready for the test.
4) Designate "study time" and "off time." Med school is like a job; treat it as such and have "hours." I generally woke up around 8am, studied off an on until 4pm, went to the gym, did a little work after dinner, then took the rest of the evening off. I also generally only did a little studying on the weekends. You need to give yourself a day or two off regularly.

 

[Dave1980]

It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line

You didn't cross any finish line. I gained entrance to the beginning of the marathon

Will it get better after the first month?

No it will get much worse. But you will get used to it.

Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school?

No.

Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

Yes. especially after residency...minimum of 7 years from now.

I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work.

basically. were all in the same boat.

 

[Aheadbyacentury]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

Didnt you think about this prior to applying? What kind of research did you do? Being a Medical Doctor is incredibly challenging and its not for the faint of heart. There are extra ordinary sacrifices that one has to make... that has ALWAYS been true. Your health may suffer, and certainly your lifestyle will suffer for the forseeable future. Put away the glamour thoughts, and grind hard for the next 7 years or so...

 

[DOVinciRobot]

Do you guys have tips for how to keep a more balanced schedule? Or resources you used that helped you study more productively vs spending more hours with the material? I agree that the key to finding time to do more things I enjoy Is by studying more efficiently - I just don't how know how to do that yet

First, a mental health tip I have is to exercise every single day. I’m not kidding. Get up and do something before studying.

Ok now efficiency tips:
1. Recognize that there are ALWAYS more things you could study. You will never feel like you’ve studied enough, and that feeling never goes away. I feel like that every day in residency right now. Set a time each day that is your end time. In Med school mine was 5 PM. The only exceptions to my personal end time were the weekends before exams and then I would just study as long as needed to feel like I had a firm grasp on the material. But that was the exception. Make a schedule and stick to it rigidly.

2. Stop going to class. Class is a massive time

3. Outside resources. Despite medical school admins and professors incessant squawking the third party resources out there are excellent and much more efficient than going through hundreds of power point slides.

4. You don’t find time for things you enjoy, becaise you’ll never find it. You make time. If things are important to you then make time for them in your schedule. No you won’t be flying across the country doing model shoots, but you should still have plenty of time for doing things you like to do.

.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You don’t find time for things you enjoy, becaise you’ll never find it. You make time. If things are important to you then make time for them in your schedule. No you won’t be flying across the country doing model shoots, but you should still have plenty of time for doing things you like to do.

Exactly this. I never understood the people who act like medical school is the all consuming beast. Yes, it’s hard and time consuming and takes up a lot. But you can—and should—absolutely make time for a life. I’ve taken up new hobbies, learned a new musical instrument, and gone on weekend trips around the country and even to other countries. There will always be more to study. The key to wellness in medical school is recognizing that at some point you need to stop and be okay with not hitting everything.

 

[Damson]

@Matthew9Thirtyfive @mrbreakfast and others

Do/did you need to study all day every day during med school? I certainly am not atm and hope I'm not alone.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

@Matthew9Thirtyfive @mrbreakfast and others

Do/did you need to study all day every day during med school? I certainly am not atm and hope I'm not alone.

During M1/2, I did school from around 8 or 9 until about 3:30 or 4. That included anything mandatory. Obviously occasionally it was a tad earlier or a tad later if something mandatory started early or ended late, but that wasn’t common. I did not study on the weekends except for the weekend before an exam, which was only every 3 weeks or so.

During M3, I definitely spend more time. I work about 60 hours a week on average (more on surgery and IM, less on peds and psych). I try to get my questions done during the work day, but I usually have to spend a little time at home studying, which includes reading about cases and patients for the next day. But I’ve still been able to learn the saxophone, go to the beach with my kids, etc.

 

[Chelsea FC]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

Sh*ts hard, it gets better and it also gets worse. Most of us will adapt and get through it all.

 

[LunaOri]

Lots of people have a letdown after starting med school--you worked very hard for a long time to get there, and your reward is: EVEN MORE WORK! By the end of the first semester, you will have learned how much you need to study to pass your classes, and should be able to find more time for fun. Spontaneous trips to exotic places won't be possible, but you should have time for planned weekend trips (most schools schedule exams on Friday, with the following weekend free). I knew a couple of people who maintained modeling careers during medical school--one was able to schedule shoots during vacations, and the other did catalog work (less glamorous, but it paid for school!)

 

[NicMouse64]

Med school has been a lot of fun, I could say almost as fun as undergrad. Life doesn't end with medical school. You'll have times of extreme stress but also lots of chill time. You can still **occasionally** live your best life.

 

[pierty]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day.

The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

It's been less than a month. It takes a while to adjust and find your rhythm, give it at least some more time.

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line

It sounds like you were more interested in getting into medical school as a challenge, rather than actually being a physician.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time.

You have to make a lot of sacrifices in this field. Abstaining from flying around the country and attending high-end clubs (especially in the middle of a worsening pandemic) are relatively small ones.

I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day.

If your only drivers for being a physician are to prove that you can be, and to make money/achieve status, it will be very easy to burn out quickly. This is a very tough field - and if you only think of it as a job equivalent to white collar work, you might not end up very happy in it. It will take some soul-searching, but I would encourage you to seek other reasons and passions for being in medicine - not for a CV, but to fuel you through the really rough parts of it.

I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

Achieving a work-life balance is possible, but you may have to acclimate to a new-normal for "balance." You should also not worry about "how much you poured to get this far" - I know it's hard to think of it this way, but it's ultimately a sunk cost. Only you can answer for yourself what will make you happy in the long-run, and if medicine isn't it, you will only be better-off by moving away from it. I don't think you've experienced enough to really know that yet, though, so give it some time.

 

[Osminog]

I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

Ideally, this is something people should be thinking about before matriculating into medical school. Like many successful pre-meds, you were distracted by the prestige, the pride, and the desire to prove others wrong. Only now are you realizing the full price of med school.

Will your 30-year-old self be happy as an attending physician who sacrificed a majority of her 20s for schooling/training—or as a 9-5 employee who’s been earning a five-figure annual salary but got to travel, socialize, pursue various hobbies, etc., throughout her 20s?

 

[Captain_Falcon]

I'm already older than the age you'll be after residency and I'm not even out of med school yet. You'll be fine

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'm already older than the age you'll be after residency and I'm not even out of med school yet. You'll be fine

Lol for real. I didn’t even start medical school until 35.

 

[Captain_Falcon]

Lol for real. I didn’t even start medical school until 35.

6 year old: "Grandpa, what grade are you in?"

Grandpa Matthew: "Well champ, I guess that would be grade 19"

6 year old: "Woooooow"

 

[Osminog]

6 year old: "Grandpa, what grade are you in?"

Grandpa Matthew: "Well champ, I guess that would be grade 19"

6 year old: "Woooooow"

"You gosh-darn whippersnappers don't know how good you have it! Back when I was still a boy, we only had version 2.0! We didn't even have the v2 scheduler, so our filtered decks were all screwed up! And we couldn't use remotes or video game controllers, so we had to hit our spacebars, the old-fashioned way! I still have an indent on my right index finger from years of spacebar-smashing!"

"Grandpa, I don't know what you're talking about, but please stop calling us at 3 am. We have school tomorrow, and we're trying to sleep."

That's how I like to imagine my senior years will be.

 

[mrbreakfast]

@Matthew9Thirtyfive @mrbreakfast and others

Do/did you need to study all day every day during med school? I certainly am not atm and hope I'm not alone.

With the caveats that I was gunning for a surgical subspecialty and that Step 1 was still graded and extremely important:

M1: When I was going to class, I studied all day every weekday. By the end of the year, it was down to a couple hours/day. I went to a traditional-curriculum med school, so after anatomy it was smooth sailing.

M2: Probably 9a-4p with a break or two, and maybe a little after dinner during the week. Maybe 2-4 hours on weekends. Also, during dedicated I obviously studied all day every day.

M3: extremely variable as on some blocks (OBGYN, some surgery rotations) med students would work 80-90 hours a week. You'd come home, read a few pages, and collapse into bed. On other blocks, I'd study a few hours a day. It all depends on how important your shelf exams are. Studied somewhat hard for CK and for about 2 days for CS.

M4: couple hours/day during acting internships and the like, otherwise zero


If I could do it all over again I'd study a lot less. I'd also do a lot less research work, which I didn't factor into the hours above.

 

[Splenda88]

I think people should work for a year or 2 before medical school just to see how much most other jobs out there sucks, but with less prestige and money than medicine.
To answer your question, anything worth achieving requires effort and sacrifice. IG is not real life, and I can guarantee your friends whose lives you are idealizing from social media are not as glamorous as you are imagining them to be.

Edit
You'll learn how to study more efficiently, and the hours required will come down. No one loves studying all day, but that's the difference between motivation and discipline. If Arnold only worked out when he wanted to, he never would have been Mr. Olympia. Sometimes, you have to force yourself to do what you need to do, even if you don't want to - this is discipline.
At this point, you've already taken out the loans, so you might was well ride out this year, then reevaluate over the summer if you are still having doubts.

I have always said that when i see these posts in SDN as a former RN who was a nontrad med student and had also worked in the retail industry. People should just stop having some type of fantasy about medicine. Learn to do your job well and reap the rewards--job security (something that no other industry has), top 2% salary, prestige, free parking and free food in the physician lounge. Lol

 

[stickgirl390]

Living in the “prime of your life” doesn’t just happen because of young age. It’s also a result of financial status and perspective. Your “prime” might not be 22-29. Mine sure wasn’t.

 

[Aheadbyacentury]

I have always said that when i see these posts in SDN as a former RN who was a nontrad med student and had also worked in the retail industry. People should just stop having some type of fantasy about medicine. Learn to do your job well and reap the rewards--job security (something that no other industry has), top 2% salary, prestige, free parking and free food in the physician lounge. Lol

You have drank the kool-aid.. If you cant see the problems and your answer is this nothing i can say will help you see it.

 

[Damson]

Often we let the things we are told generate comparison and anxiety in our lives

The cure to this is to be okay with "meh it may or may not be true". Being okay with maybe.

Like stickgirl390 said, the prime of our lives may or may not be during our 20s

 

[MedLife20]

I started medical school in my early 30s. I wish I could become a doctor at 29 but I didn’t know until later in life this is what I wanted. Would be nice to start making money at a younger age like you will be. Sure I got to live out my 20s more but I’d rather be in your shoes. Just a different perspective. And it’s not like you can’t ever travel. You’ve got winter break, summer break, a day or 2 post tests. That’s actually more time off then most 9-5’s out there. A typical 9-5 job will give you 2 weeks vacation for the year.

Also Instagram/Facebook or any social media for that matter is the worst way to compare yourself to people. Social media is a front. People always post their best times and best pictures. No one goes on social media to post the bad parts of their life. Anyone can make their life look like a fantasy. Studies have shown constantly comparing to others on social media can cause depression and an emptiness in ones own life. You don’t know how people are truly doing behind the smiling selfies.

Also the 9-5 world isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Keep in mind I lived this life. Chances are you won’t be making a ton of money to do extensive traveling. Not like a job will give you loads of vacation time anyway. People don’t get that promotion, they get laid off, they don’t like the work, don’t like their boss, and they wish they could make more money with the amount of bills they have to pay. Sometimes the 9-5 can be a cold world. Just something to think about. Grass isn’t always greener.

But if you choose to drop out I get it. To each their own. This isn’t for everyone.

 

[Goro]

Do you guys have tips for how to keep a more balanced schedule? Or resources you used that helped you study more productively vs spending more hours with the material? I agree that the key to finding time to do more things I enjoy Is by studying more efficiently - I just don't how know how to do that yet

Read this, and practice mindfulness techniques.

• Goro's Guide to Success in Medical School (2018 edition)

 

[flasheroonie]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Firstly, congratulations on getting into med school. Pat yourself on the back. It does only get harder from here.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

Med school is basically like going to a secret mountain training where you will not be able to see your family and friends and your entire life will be completely different from here on forward. You won't have much free time. You won't be able to hold any kind of job while in med school, in fact, most med schools explicitly forbid you from holding a job while enrolled and will expel you if they ever find out that you were trying to do anything but be in med school while in med school. For at least the next 7 years (med school + residency) you can forget about spending wild amounts of money on bottle service anywhere. You will miss your friends. You will miss your family. It's all part of the experience.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

You will watch as your friends continue to live their lives and make money while you spend the next many years of your life loosing out on years of possible income. You can't go into medicine thinking at all that this profession will make you money. If you want to make money, you should have picked a different position. For most doctors after all this training, you will end up having a good quality of life and live comfortably, but the bottle service every weekend won't be a reality (where were you getting the money for this anyways and what am I doing with my life?)

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

Going into medicine is a sacrifice. It's one of the most self-sacrificial things one could ever do. You're basically giving up a decade of your life to train to become a doctor. If you think it's just a job, you'll hate it, even if you get there. This is why many say "it's a calling." It is a job, a damn good job IMHO, and can be very rewarding at times and very taxing at times (especially now in the era of COVID-19). But it does get better after it all. When you're going through clinical rotations later on in med school, look at the kind of lifestyle the attendings are living, not what the residents and fellows are living to know what to expect to help you decide what speciality/subspeciality you want to try to get into.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

What keeps people going through all the things you have to put up with will differ for each person, but it won't be extrinsic, it will be intrinsic. It is important to have as strong a network of friends and family that you can call upon to talk with to help you get through things, but you won't have much time at all to spend with them. You'll need to find something within yourself that keeps you going. Introspection is key.

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

You're not signing away your entire life. You're signing away a decade of it.

 

[Creed_Bratton]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

if you don't mind me asking, how much money were you making in modeling? if you were making good money why not keep doing it and make a solid investment portfolio while you can?

also, just my personal experience - I liked most of medical school and I didn't mind studying a lot and it was very gratifying for me to learn all the cool physiology, biochemistry, pathology, etc. But for me everything has been getting progressively worse - i.e. residency is much harder than med school. if you think M1 is a lot of work, it's nothing compared to M3 or residency. In M1 your only job is to study. In M3 and residency you work full time hours and sometimes way more, and you have to be studying/reading on top of that. Plus the added stress of responsibility for for patients' lives. If you asked me if I would do this again, no I would not. there are plenty of way to make money and support yourself which require much less sacrifice. But that is only my subjective opinion and other people may feel differently. You have to answer for yourself if it is worth it for you and why you went into it in the first place.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Ideally, this is something people should be thinking about before matriculating into medical school. Like many successful pre-meds, you were distracted by the prestige, the pride, and the desire to prove others wrong. Only now are you realizing the full price of med school.

Will your 30-year-old self be happy as an attending physician who sacrificed a majority of her 20s for schooling/training—or as a 9-5 employee who’s been earning a five-figure annual salary but got to travel, socialize, pursue various hobbies, etc., throughout her 20s?

That’s exactly it. Far too many people get this far and not realize how much long term sacrifice this field requires. Financial stability has a hefty price.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

High paying IT and IB jobs are not 9-5.

 

[mesopic]

High paying IT and IB jobs are not 9-5.

Maybe some high-paying IT jobs are not 9-5, but there are a lot of 20-somethings with jobs in big tech that are working 9-5 with great compensation.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Maybe some high-paying IT jobs are not 9-5, but there are a lot of 20-somethings with jobs in big tech that are working 9-5 with great compensation.

Pretty much every tech company expects more than 9-5 and higher the compensation higher the expectations. I am an IT professional.

 

[mesopic]

Pretty much every tech company expects more than 9-5 and higher the compensation higher the expectations. I am an IT professional.

I worked full-time at a tech company before med school and have numerous close friends with tech jobs, and none of us were expected to work more than 9-5 with very comfortable compensation for the Bay Area/LA/San Diego/Seattle.

 

[Redpancreas]

I'm well into my first month of med school and I ask myself why I'm here every single day. I got multiple acceptances and am able to attend a great program near my family. I was so excited when it all started because I had been dreaming of starting med school and working nonstop towards this goal since high school. I didn't even think I'd get one A because so many people had always doubted me let alone 10+ As from T30 programs. It felt like I had finally crossed some sort of a finish line, and while I knew that it would only get harder from here, at least I could say after so many hard nights, a few tears here and there, and incessant grind I was finally where I was supposed to be.

Except, now I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I spend all day, every day studying. Once med school started, I had to give up modeling as I can't randomly fly to cities for shoots. I graduated with a 3.9 in undergrad and used to go out with friends at least once a week, fly out to different cities to take weekend trips, and was able to be super involved with my sorority and other extracurriculars I cared about. Im used to going out in big cities with tables and bottle service - I wouldn't want to go out for fun in this area (I attend a midwest school) even if I did have the time. The lifestyle I used to live has gone up in smoke.

I didn't have a lot of premed friends in undergrad as they were mostly all business majors. Now I see them all in NYC, Miami, Chicago, etc. living their best lives and I wonder if I want to spend the next 4 years of my life and then 3 more for residency after that not being able to do any of the fun things I enjoy like traveling and living in a big city just so I can study every single day to eventually become a doctor. I think about how I'll be 29 when I'm finally done with residency. Is giving up the prime years of my life from 22-29 worth it? Would I be happier if I just worked a 9-5 in a big city and was able to have a social life versus attending a Midwest school and having to give up all the things I did for fun.

It's just confusing because I used to pray every single day for the opportunity to start medical school to be a doctor. Even though I have an amazing support system here, I feel like I'm sacrificing so much for something that is just going to be a job at the end of the day. I question if I even will enjoy practicing medicine after all the horror stories I’ve heard of burnt out physicians and my observations while I worked as a medical assistant at a hospital during my gap year. I know people say you have to find balance with your schedule, but I’m having to change my lifestyle so much. And everyone I’ve talked to who has also been on the med journey says it only gets worse and you only get busier.

So I’m writing this/reaching out hoping someone can offer me some advice on how I can acclimate better to this change or maybe find that balance with my workload. Will it get better after the first month? I don’t want to sit down every day to study only to ask myself what’s the point. Do other students in med school actually enjoy studying and therefore enjoy med school? So many of my peers seem so fascinated by the material we are learning. I just want to get through it. I’ll do well, but it’s not something I want to do. I see how passionate everyone around me is about their future careers as physicians, and I feel out of place because I don't share that same excitement anymore. Their lives revolve around med school and this opportunity. I don't want that. I want my identity as a doctor to be supplemental to my other identities, not overwhelm my whole person. Will I eventually be able to manage my workload better so I do have time for things I enjoy?

I feel like I could be doing so much more in terms of activities that I actually enjoy and be so much happier working an ordinary job to have time for my own life versus signing away my life for this degree. I can’t drop out because there really is nothing else I would rather do in terms of work. This was a goal of mine for so long, and I poured everything into the journey to get this far.

If it makes you feel better, I think this has crossed the mind of pretty much every medical student at least once. My only advice is to not take the process too seriously. There are plenty of people who model, etc. on Instagram and do weekend trips to nice cities in spite of medical school. If you aspire to still do that, do it because you only live once. Try to find a niche in medicine you're good at and profit off of it. The key is to not let it be a distraction and tank your grades.

 

[Lucca]

...

What you're getting at with the end of your question is the thing that plagues people who actually want to do good. The people with good hearts, with good souls want to touch the lives of patients. To really cure disease, mend the wounded, and cure the sick. Too many people enter medical school with good intentions but are then met with hours upon hours of misery, the world closing around them, their relationships lost, their souls beaten. The response? "Man, i did really well... and for what? I hate patients, I have no friends, I lost my hobbies, and now I'm in debt. Do I really want to do family medicine?" BOOM the dermatologist is born. The REASON they went into medical school is no longer the REASON they want to do derm. They want a life. They want money. They did well enough to get it, so why not?

....

Truly immortal words. And the cycle of life continues; replace derm with the flavor of the month, which is usually derm.

My advice is to explore and find something in medicine that fills you up. The grind of preclin will only empty you out. You need to do things every day that fill you up as well. Exercise, meet friends for lunch, literally force your friends to quit studying to go to the woods and have a beer (or whatever it is they do in the midwest), buy a smoker and get into making brisket, anything. The faster you can figure out the part of medicine that gives you even a little bit of motivation to grind, the easier it will be to keep your motivation up. If you find nothing inspires you, well, there's always derm.

 

[Damson]

Truly immortal words. And the cycle of life continues; replace derm with the flavor of the month, which is usually derm.

My advice is to explore and find something in medicine that fills you up. The grind of preclin will only empty you out. You need to do things every day that fill you up as well. Exercise, meet friends for lunch, literally force your friends to quit studying to go to the woods and have a beer (or whatever it is they do in the midwest), buy a smoker and get into making brisket, anything. The faster you can figure out the part of medicine that gives you even a little bit of motivation to grind, the easier it will be to keep your motivation up. If you find nothing inspires you, well, there's always derm.

How did you go about finding that motivation to grind?

 

[Ganon]

I have chronic touchy-feely "I'm here to help people!" beliefs and motivations.

I also fantasize about dropping out sometimes.

As humans we are allowed to feel burned out from compassion fatigue, frustration with "the system," and just physiological stress. The whole process we have is pretty silly, so you have to take it one day at a time. Remember the rough parts so that you can slowly work to change them. Brick by brick we will fix the system.

Today I'm working with an old school doc. He does everything old school. His one big difference between himself and the people who trained him? He promised himself he would never pimp in a disparaging way or dress down a student. Thats a brick.

 

[Lucca]

How did you go about finding that motivation to grind?

I think the current way we do medical education and training is insane, but I still genuinely think medicine is very cool and love the privilege of seeing patients. All the same, at many points I felt burned out during M1-2 and sought help / took time, and lucky enough that my school is pretty flexible. Generally, I've found if I do my best to just eat well, exercise, socialize, and take full days of rest I can keep going. I don't think there's a great mystery, but the structure of med school and the nature of the people who become medical students together make it very difficult for ppl to do this humanely.

 

[Styrene]

Focus on the moments and accomplishments along the way, which can become cherished memories. Some of mine:

-finally finishing the anatomy course and just barely passing
-the first holiday vacation in M1
-getting the highest score in the class on the immunology final
-seeing my first real patient in the hospital as part of our intro to medicine course. Feels like it was yesterday.
-finishing M1 and spending that summer playing video games and doing research from home.
-studying from 8am to midnight for two months straight in the library with my friend at the start of M2. Learned so much.
-first presentation on rounds during my first clerkship ever...in the MICU. Terrifying.
-driving into the sunset with music blasting after my last day on OB/GYN. Hated it.
-playing call of duty with my roommate (MBA student) from 7pm to 7am every Friday and Saturday night during M3.
-my first patient who died. Can't ever forget that.
-officially finishing M3
-studying for and doing really well on step 1
-last day of medicine sub-I

Unfortunately, the end was bittersweet. Our graduation ceremony was canceled because of covid. And my dad died unexpectedly a few weeks before I graduated. But then residency started, and life continued.

What is sacrifice? The irreversible trading of one thing for another? Time goes by whichever way we look at it. The practice of medicine has shown me, above all, how amazing life is and the importance of cherishing the tiny moments, the process. You ended up here for a reason. Just find your moments. They won't be perfect and won't match preconceptions.

 

[calivianya]

One time-saving strategy to go for so you can have more of a life is stop going to or listening to lectures. Lectures are a tremendously inefficient way to learn with lots of irrelevant filler in them that nobody cares about but your professors. Use board study materials to learn the topics - not because you care so much about doing well on a pass/fail step 1, but because they cover the exact same material, in less than 1/4 of the time, and explain it 10 times better anyway.

Then, dedicate the entire day before your test to reading through all of the lecture powerpoints multiple times, and wake up early to read them all through again at least twice. I would aim for four total passes through the powerpoints; that's usually what I did. Just read/skim - don't take notes. This way you can pick up at least some of the weird crap your professors like because odds are at least a little bit will transfer into your short term memory without wasting too much time on it. Are you going to miss some of those questions? Sure. But especially if your curriculum is pass/fail, missing two or three questions isn't going to matter.

My curriculum was graded and I still did fine with this method. I held on to the top 1/4 of my class which just shows (imo) that you really don't need to pay attention to anything your professors say to do well. This will free up... well... literally all day every day to manage however you like. It's amazing how much time you feel like you have when you sit at home all day and never show up at school.

 

[sah]

One time-saving strategy to go for so you can have more of a life is stop going to or listening to lectures. Lectures are a tremendously inefficient way to learn with lots of irrelevant filler in them that nobody cares about but your professors. Use board study materials to learn the topics - not because you care so much about doing well on a pass/fail step 1, but because they cover the exact same material, in less than 1/4 of the time, and explain it 10 times better anyway.

Then, dedicate the entire day before your test to reading through all of the lecture powerpoints multiple times, and wake up early to read them all through again at least twice. I would aim for four total passes through the powerpoints; that's usually what I did. Just read/skim - don't take notes. This way you can pick up at least some of the weird crap your professors like because odds are at least a little bit will transfer into your short term memory without wasting too much time on it. Are you going to miss some of those questions? Sure. But especially if your curriculum is pass/fail, missing two or three questions isn't going to matter.

My curriculum was graded and I still did fine with this method. I held on to the top 1/4 of my class which just shows (imo) that you really don't need to pay attention to anything your professors say to do well. This will free up... well... literally all day every day to manage however you like. It's amazing how much time you feel like you have when you sit at home all day and never show up at school.

I get that there can be a strong pressure to stop in-person lecture attendance, especially if the teaching is viewed as poor quality. However, it is very sad that this exists in some schools today.

While I have been in practice, quite a while, I still cherish my time and memories from classroom lectures. Memories are still there even to the first day of school, during histology making slides with my own blood. While most concepts could have been “mastered” from home study, they could not match the in person highlights and clinical pearls from my professors. TIme in class provided the better framework for my knowledge and purpose.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I get that there can be a strong pressure to stop in-person lecture attendance, especially if the teaching is viewed as poor quality. However, it is very sad that this exists in some schools today.

While I have been in practice, quite a while, I still cherish my time and memories from classroom lectures. Memories are still there even to the first day of school, during histology making slides with my own blood. While most concepts could have been “mastered” from home study, they could not match the in person highlights and clinical pearls from my professors. TIme in class provided the better framework for my knowledge and purpose.

Sounds like nostalgia bias. As someone only a year removed from preclerkship and who did enjoy parts of it, I can say with clear eyes that not having to waste time in lectures and pointless mando events was a Godsend during the virtual learning of covid.

 

[bedcat2019]

Also, the future is now old man. We're about 2 decades away from today being an unrecognizable historical relic of the past. There's no reason for mandatory in person lectures. It's simply inefficient

If you want to go to class, go to class, but don't force everyone. For such an expensive and cutting edge education experience, it surely doesn't know how to tailor it's learning model to the individual

 

[Ganon]

I get that there can be a strong pressure to stop in-person lecture attendance, especially if the teaching is viewed as poor quality. However, it is very sad that this exists in some schools today.

While I have been in practice, quite a while, I still cherish my time and memories from classroom lectures. Memories are still there even to the first day of school, during histology making slides with my own blood. While most concepts could have been “mastered” from home study, they could not match the in person highlights and clinical pearls from my professors. TIme in class provided the better framework for my knowledge and purpose.

It's an unfortunate side effect of the expanse that medical knowledge has become.

If you look at "First Aid" copies from when the resource first came about and compare them to the length of current editions, it becomes evident that the sheer volume of knowledge required of students has expanded, and increased efficiency is the only answer in how to cram it all in.

I wish I had gone to school back in the days before half of these drug mechanisms were even discovered, but I'm glad I'll get to practice in the era of expanded therapeutic options