How many people go to the Parties during orientation and after test?

[EMDO2018]

I promised myself I was going to try something new in med school and meet more people and go out more. But, I can't seem to do it. Plus I hate being the only black guy at parties.

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[DermViser]

Force yourself to do it. Do not isolate yourself completely from your class, even if it's a habit. It's the worst thing you can do during 4 years of med school not only during MS-1/MS-2, but esp. during the MS-3 clerkship years. Who cares if you're black? It's a party, not a Klan rally.

Orientation you'll have nothing to do, and it's good relaxation right after exams, before hitting the grind again.

 

[Psai]

Don't define yourself as the black guy. Theres a kid in my class who does that and it's so annoying.

 

[Espadaleader]

By this point you've probably been the only Black guy and will be most likely as long as you're in school. Not mingling with your classmates is crazy. How can you expect others to expect other to accept you if you can't accept them?

 

[EMDO2018]

I suck at making small talk! Most of these kids have something in common, they went to the same undergrad, know the same people, something. When I'm standing beside someone I can't just instantly find something to talk about. Theres too much awkward silence.

 

[DermViser]

I suck at making small talk! Most of these kids have something in common, they went to the same undergrad, know the same people, something. When I'm standing beside someone I can't just instantly find something to talk about. Theres too much awkward silence.

So then just introduce yourself. Who cares? Ask people about good places to eat, things to do, etc. Let people know you as the nice, friendly black guy from a different school who is in our med school class, not the weird, quiet black guy who doesn't take the time talk to anyone. That's not your intention, but that's how you will come off.

 

[KnuxNole]

Not everyone in your class all went to the same school.

Even if they did, in the beginning, people are open to making new friends.

 

[BurghStudent]

Are you living with other med students this year? If so, you'll do fine. The alternative is a hurdle.

 

[alpinism]

Don't worry most schools have at least 3 or 4 black people...

Kidding. But also serious.

If you want to be miserable, then yes stay at home by yourself or only hang out with a few close friends.

Most med students (especially the ones that go to class parties) are open-minded, fun, and friendly.

 

[EMDO2018]

Don't worry most schools have at least 3 or 4 black people...

Kidding. But also serious.

If you want to be miserable, then yes stay at home by yourself or only hang out with a few close friends.

Most med students (especially the ones that go to class parties) are open-minded, fun, and friendly.

What wrong with hanging out with a few friends?

 

[starstarie]

I pretty much isolate myself at this point because I am older and don't have anything in common with most people. It gives me a lot of anxiety to go out and it's a problem that I am being treated for. HOWEVER, I made an effort in the beginning and I agree it is a good idea at least in the beginning. Although I don't hang out with the whole class or really go to the parties, I do have a few (5 ish) friends in my class who I am quite close with and could ask for favors and such. It is important to have that much of a support system at the very least. Give it some time, do the annoying awkward thing a least for a few weeks.

Starting with a complement is my go-to for making conversation. Works every f-ing time. People really love it. I actually learned it from a girl who worked as a medical assistant with. Trust me, it's a GREAT skill to have in the future because you WILL be forced to make small talk with patients. As much as I hate being superficially nice to patients, in my opinion, they love it. And honestly, even when I have been a patient recently I notice myself liking the doctors who are nice more than the ones who dont do the small talk. Sucks but it is what it is.

 

[Ismet]

What wrong with hanging out with a few friends?

Nothing, IMO. Most people have a smaller group of close friends, but that doesn't mean those should be your only friends. Try to get to know everyone or almost everyone in your class. I don't know how big your class is, but mine is just under 150, and in MS1 it kind of felt like a big family. Yeah I had a group of friends that I was closer with, but I got along perfectly fine with pretty much everyone.

I can understand how you're feeling though. I'm an introvert and I like my quiet time, especially at night or after a long day. I don't isolate myself and I do like to spend time with people, but I've never been one to frequent big parties or crowded bars. But during orientation and the first week of school (we start with an intro course, basically orientation week #2), I went to all the social events people were planning, from dance clubs to happy hours to house parties. I wasn't the most comfortable in those situations, but I made a lot of friends that way and had a lot of fun. Just force yourself to do it, even if you're only there for an hour or two. You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!

Just want to echo what has been said in the thread about social skills and MS3. You can have all the book smarts in the world, but if you suck at interacting with patients, your grades (evals) will probably suffer. There are plenty of people who honor the shelf exam but then only get a "pass" for the rotation because their evals brought them down.

Not to mention it's also a pretty amazing feeling when you can quickly build rapport with a patient and they completely open up to you.

 

[Serous Demilune]

I tried the parties at orientation and after the first few tests. They got really old really fast. I go to a relatively small school in a suburban af area, and all they do is play beer pong and flip cup with the ****tiest alcohol I've had since being a sophomore in high school. No weed either. I think you should go to the first couple to see what you're not missing, and then make friends in other social situations if you can. Sometimes your class just sucks, and there's nothing you can do.

 

[EMDO2018]

By this point you've probably been the only Black guy and will be most likely as long as you're in school. Not mingling with your classmates is crazy. How can you expect others to expect other to accept you if you can't accept them?

that's really racist.

 

[kyamh]

that's really racist.

... or just straight forward? I have <10 black students in the class too. Talking about race in a negative context doesn't make someone racist. OP needs to work on not feeling uncomfortable since it's no one's job to actively make him feel included (as long as they are not making OP feel excluded due to his race)....he may be the only black guy/girl in the room but others are the only gays/catholics/veterans/transgendered/conservative/liberal/feminist/parent/very non-trad/etc people in the room. We all learn to deal with feeling out of place.

Back to the topic. I think the trick with small talk is just that you have to find the right people, which means moving around a lot. I was ranting to my apartmentmates last night all about how awful small talking at orientation was only to have a perfectly pleasant experience today where I really felt like I connected with some classmates. Nothing different about the way I approached the situation (I think), I just had better luck with who I ended up talking to.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

I am sure that everyone already knows your name after the first couple of days as it was the case for me...

 

[DermViser]

that's really racist.

When you said that, that reminded me of this gif. And, no, what he said was not "racist".

 

[Serous Demilune]

that's really racist.

lolwut. We also only have one black guy in my class, he fits in very well with the nerd clique. You'll start to see cliques develop soon too, just find one that works for you.

 

[username456789]

that's really racist.

No it's not.

 

[EMDO2018]

I did small talk with maybe 5 people. Most of orientation was just sitting down for 8 hrs listening to presentations. We have to do the same crap tomorrow and Thursday . There is a "social calendar" too. Today there was a cookout But I couldn't go because I had to do something. There will be bar meetups and restaurant outings until Saturday. I'll probably go to 2.

 

[Ismet]

I did small talk with maybe 5 people. Most of orientation was just sitting down for 8 hrs listening to presentations. We have to do the same crap tomorrow and Thursday . There is a "social calendar" too. Today there was a cookout But I couldn't go because I had to do something. There will be bar meetups and restaurant outings until Saturday. I'll probably go to 2.

I'm pretty sure that's orientation for everyone. You sit in a lecture room for 8 hours while people talk at you, then you party at night. If you don't have anything better to do, try going to all of the social events, even if just for a little bit. A lot of those things weren't super appealing to me at first glance, especially since I don't drink and all of the events involved alcohol (and usually copious amounts), but you go to meet people and get to know them and enjoy the company. Also if you have a car and things require driving, offering to carpool is a good way to get to know a few people.

 

[lunalight]

It's tough when you feel like you don't have much in common with a lot of your classmates, but you're all going to have plenty in common once school starts ramping up! I've never really gone out with my classmates and I stream lectures, so I could easily isolate myself. To avoid that I try to make it to a decent amount of the on-campus events (lunches, meetings, volunteer clinic) and I try to stream lectures from campus instead of from home a couple times a week. I gradually got to know many of my classmates (class of 175) this way.

I also agree with the advice to start with a compliment! Great way to break the ice and make a good first impression.

 

[KnuxNole]

... or just straight forward? I have <10 black students in the class too. Talking about race in a negative context doesn't make someone racist. OP needs to work on not feeling uncomfortable since it's no one's job to actively make him feel included (as long as they are not making OP feel excluded due to his race)....he may be the only black guy/girl in the room but others are the only gays/catholics/veterans/transgendered/conservative/liberal/feminist/parent/very non-trad/etc people in the room. We all learn to deal with feeling out of place.

Back to the topic. I think the trick with small talk is just that you have to find the right people, which means moving around a lot. I was ranting to my apartmentmates last night all about how awful small talking at orientation was only to have a perfectly pleasant experience today where I really felt like I connected with some classmates. Nothing different about the way I approached the situation (I think), I just had better luck with who I ended up talking to.

True. It is not surprising at all that there would be a few amount of Black individuals...unless you went to a HBC. I think there were 4-5 black classmates in mine. Some schools only have 1-2, some have more. With that said, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable for being a minority. After all, the color of your skin shouldn't hold you back from getting to know the vast majority of people.

 

[Kangal]

.

 

[DermViser]

I went to them when I was a first year. Bunch of overzealous first years. No reason for me to make friends with them...I don't study with others, and they all went on to clinical while I stayed in lab. I wish I didn't waste my time and just spent the time watching netflix

I can't wait till you hit MS-3. Of course based on your "Work Hard, Work Hard, No interest in playing" thread it's not surprising.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I suck at making small talk! Most of these kids have something in common, they went to the same undergrad, know the same people, something. When I'm standing beside someone I can't just instantly find something to talk about. Theres too much awkward silence.

Small talk is an acquired skill.

I'm fabulous at it because I was always the new kid in school what with a military dad and a foreign mother, we traveled/moved a lot. But I wasn't always that way; as a matter of fact, I was quite shy as a child and I still hate talking on the phone.

You can teach yourself to become a better socializer and conversationalist; IMHO it's important as the friends you make in medical school may become lifelong ones and it will be professionally important as well. Unless you go into a non patient care specialty, you'll be meeting dozens of new people per day and all of those encounters will require some form of small talk. Patients love a good physician that they can talk to on a human level, not just professionally.

So start by focusing on the commonalities, not the differences (which you seem wont to do). Everyone experiences weather; a trite conversation opener but it's a good start. If you're new to town, you ask those that are from the area about what to expect or comment, "Wow really humid today huh? I though I was going to need a knife to cut through that air!" Everyone loves to be complimented; despite what some men would claim, it's ok to tell another guy you like his shoes or shirt. Or compliment them on their haircut and ask if they had it done locally. Maybe you want to join a gym and ask if they know a good place (this doesn't even have to be true, it's just a conversation starter). Memorize a good joke and tell that. Some people are good at self deprecating humor; the first few weeks of medical school everyone is walking around puffed up and trying to impress - if you can make them laugh and relax, their guard comes down.

SMILE. It's attractive and attracts people to you. If you're hanging back in the corner bitter because you didn't go to Ibiza this summer, and your parents didn't get you an S Class for college graduation and you're self conscious because you're the only black guy there, it's going to drive people away. I go to plenty of parties where I'm the only white person; doesn't bother me in the least (now when they aren't speaking English that bothers me, but only because I/we consider that rude in the US). You belong in medical school and if someone makes you feel less worthy because of your skin color or less privileged upbringing, then examine whether it's truly them (which it might be - every SES level has jerks) or your reaction that's to blame.

You don't need to befriend everyone in your class but charm a few and that will begat more. Smile, introduce yourself, ask them questions about themselves, talk about yourself (a bit), compliment them, tell a joke or make a wry observation, if they have expertise in a certain area (ie if they're local to the area) ask for advise (good haircut, gym, best burger in town, good mechanic etc). It's not that hard. Work the room, move around, meet others. Go to all the social events you can these first few weeks; make some of your own - ask a few to go out and see a new movie, invite them over for dinner at your place.

It may always feel forced for you but it does become easier with practice, I promise.

 

[dadaddadaBATMAN]

I promised myself I was going to try something new in med school and meet more people and go out more. But, I can't seem to do it. Plus I hate being the only black guy at parties.

I can understand difficulties meeting people, but you've gotta get out there. I didn't do as much as I should have, and I'm only ok because I have a fantastic support system (read committed so). I have plenty of friends, but I snubbed people a few too many times by getting out of town. If you can tolerate the endless tide of whining, fellow med students are a valuable source of support and information.

For me, the hardest part is staying focused on other people, and not drifting into my own thoughts/random thing that gets my attention. It's exhausting, but it's worth it.

You don't have to be a social butterfly to make friends right now: if people get that you aren't judging them (friendly smile), that you care about who they are and what they have to say (listen), and they get a sense of who you are (share a little about yourself), at least a few will like you.

Please note that a creepy smile, silence, and babbling endlessly about yourself are not equivalent to a friendly smile, listening, and sharing relevant details.

As for being the only black person.... that's hard but no one is going to change race during school. You're stuck with what you got.

If it's too lonely, there may be local groups for black people to meet one another, or groups affiliated with your school....there's gotta be at least one black m2, m3 or m4.

Good luck!

 

[Frazier]

I promised myself I was going to try something new in med school and meet more people and go out more. But, I can't seem to do it. Plus I hate being the only black guy at parties.

You can go -- or not go.

I didn't attend any of the MS1 orientation parties or post-exam parties -- partly due to a long commute, partly due to introversion (ie not craving interaction), partly because I wanted to spend as much of my free time with my SO as possible. In retrospect, I don't regret it.

Still met a good chunk of the class through just going to the required stuff:

Multiple meetings each week with different small groups -> Chat and enjoy company before and after.

Weekly afternoons in the hospital with another small group practicing H&P's/presenting -> Chat and enjoy company before, during, and after.

I did choose to attend the two major school-related parties (Christmas and Formal Ball) -- but that was largely because they were at kickass venues and were overall just a big deal. Socialize. Those were pretty awesome; glad I went.

Long story short, you don't have to force yourself to do anything. If you are perfectly capable of being a normal person and having a normal interaction with another human being -- no need to force yourself into some sort of "meet new people + small talk" bootcamp.

Go with the flow.

*Disclaimer, med school can get pretty lonely even though you are surrounded by people. My advice above should be framed with the added note that I have a social network outside of my classmates (SO, nearby family, old friends) -- so, unless you're schizoid (fine), it might behoove you to find some mode of interaction so that you don't find yourself completely alone.

 

[Señor S]

I went to a few early on. Not my thing. I'd say it's generally the same 1/3 of the class that consistently goes to those events.

 

[alpinism]

What wrong with hanging out with a few friends?

Nothing. I just wouldn't hang out the same few people every time.

As others have said, it really helps to make an effort to get to know your classmates for multiple reasons. They'll be your future colleagues, as in the people you'll refer patients to and vise versa. In addition, its nice to have people to swap schedules with if you're sick, have a wedding, or need to present research, etc... Plus, you need to have good social skills to interact with patients of all backgrounds. Sometimes you'll need to be able gain their trust during what could be the worst moments of their life. Besides that, its nice to have people to commiserate with after a hard exam.

Also, I didn't realize there were so many introverts on here, although they might just be drawn to this thread.

Its sad but its true, its always the same 1/3 of us that goes out for post exam parties, birthdays, holidays, sporting events, etc... While its great that we're all very close and i've probably made some of my best friends during med school, it sucks that so many classmates would rather sit at home alone or only hang out with their SO or friends from undergrad and high school.

 

[Arkangeloid]

I used to go, now I just sit in my room and cry myself to sleep.

Not srs.






Ok fine, I did it after Microbiology. There, I said it.




Fk Micro and Legionella and Streptococcus and Pseudomonas and all that garbage.

 

[alpinism]

Small talk is an acquired skill.

TBH, I'm fabulous at it because I was always the new kid in school what with a military dad and a foreign mother, we traveled/moved a lot. But I wasn't always that way; as a matter of fact, I was quite shy as a child and I still hate talking on the phone.

What branch?

Im also a military brat. Went to 8 different schools in 6 different states growing up. Also lived in England and Germany for a few years.

See OP, its that easy...

 

[DarknightX]

I suck at making small talk! Most of these kids have something in common, they went to the same undergrad, know the same people, something. When I'm standing beside someone I can't just instantly find something to talk about. Theres too much awkward silence.

That's what alcohol is for. If there's no drinking, you need to bring some. Or find a new party.

 

[KnuxNole]

Nothing. I just wouldn't hang out the same few people every time.

As others have said, it really helps to make an effort to get to know your classmates for multiple reasons. They'll be your future colleagues, as in the people you'll refer patients to and vise versa. In addition, its nice to have people to swap schedules with if you're sick, have a wedding, or need to present research, etc... Plus, you need to have good social skills to interact with patients of all backgrounds. Sometimes you'll need to be able gain their trust during what could be the worst moments of their life. Besides that, its nice to have people to commiserate with after a hard exam.

Also, I didn't realize there were so many introverts on here, although they might just be drawn to this thread.

Its sad but its true, its always the same 1/3 of us that goes out for post exam parties, birthdays, holidays, sporting events, etc... While its great that we're all very close and i've probably made some of my best friends during med school, it sucks that so many classmates would rather sit at home alone or only hang out with their SO or friends from undergrad and high school.

There are people that do BOTH. I'm an introvert, like to hang out/go for drinks with a small circle of friends, but also like times to relax at home. Introvert =/= asocial. I'm always the quietest one in the bunch, usually keeping thoughts to myself and speaking on occasion. However, I LOVE to hang out with my buddies, and be in social environments, cause being lonely ain't fun

Personally, I prefer to talk to the same few people....those are the "true friends". Of course, I'm friendly with everyone, but as everyone knows, there are certain levels that you are with people. For example, some people when asked how my weekend was I answer broad but to the point. Others, I go into much more details, and your best buds, already know

 

[Serous Demilune]

Its sad but its true, its always the same 1/3 of us that goes out for post exam parties, birthdays, holidays, sporting events, etc... While its great that we're all very close and i've probably made some of my best friends during med school, it sucks that so many classmates would rather sit at home alone or only hang out with their SO or friends from undergrad and high school.

I obviously don't know you or anything about your life, but I'm gonna vent at you based on my own experiences. This 1/3 of the class that's all buddy-buddy and goes to the post-exam parties tends to consist of a core group of what I like to call lax bros and cheerleaders, and their assorted hangers-on and wanna-bes. People that forcibly remind me of high school and/or lived for their frats and sororities in college. The rest of us don't really like you and kind of wish you'd just grow up and leave that part of your life behind. We're the same people that would rather drink a beer out of a glass bottle than a keg, because we are adults that have IDs and don't need to drink that ****. We have our own fun with our own friends, and are otherwise perfectly content being casual friends or acquaintances with our classmates.
Just telling the other side of the story.

 

[Señor S]

I obviously don't know you or anything about your life, but I'm gonna vent at you based on my own experiences. This 1/3 of the class that's all buddy-buddy and goes to the post-exam parties tends to consist of a core group of what I like to call lax bros and cheerleaders, and their assorted hangers-on and wanna-bes. People that forcibly remind me of high school and/or lived for their frats and sororities in college. The rest of us don't really like you and kind of wish you'd just grow up and leave that part of your life behind. We're the same people that would rather drink a beer out of a glass bottle than a keg, because we are adults that have IDs and don't need to drink that ****. We have our own fun with our own friends, and are otherwise perfectly content being casual friends or acquaintances with our classmates.
Just telling the other side of the story.

Do we go to the same school? That frat-boy attitude is extremely irritating. What happens to those people come 3rd year I wonder...

 

[Serous Demilune]

Do we go to the same school? That frat-boy attitude is extremely irritating. What happens to those people come 3rd year I wonder...

They probably thrive on surgery. Surgical residents live for that ****.

 

[EMDO2018]

Nothing. I just wouldn't hang out the same few people every time.

As others have said, it really helps to make an effort to get to know your classmates for multiple reasons. They'll be your future colleagues, as in the people you'll refer patients to and vise versa. In addition, its nice to have people to swap schedules with if you're sick, have a wedding, or need to present research, etc... Plus, you need to have good social skills to interact with patients of all backgrounds. Sometimes you'll need to be able gain their trust during what could be the worst moments of their life. Besides that, its nice to have people to commiserate with after a hard exam.

Also, I didn't realize there were so many introverts on here, although they might just be drawn to this thread.

Its sad but its true, its always the same 1/3 of us that goes out for post exam parties, birthdays, holidays, sporting events, etc... While its great that we're all very close and i've probably made some of my best friends during med school, it sucks that so many classmates would rather sit at home alone or only hang out with their SO or friends from undergrad and high school.

Did you really think, extroverts would be the dominant personality type in medical school? Anywho, I'm going to the social thing tomorrow night, can't pass up free lobster and shrimp. Also does anybody know if you can wear a t shirt under you scrubs?

 

[Serous Demilune]

Did you really think, extroverts would be the dominant personality type in medical school? Anywho, I'm going to the social thing tomorrow night, can't pass up free lobster and shrimp. Also does anybody know if you can wear a t shirt under you scrubs?

Don't wear scrubs to the social...
If you're talking about anatomy lab, you can wear a tutu and mickey mouse ears, nobody gives a ****.

 

[PL198]

ugh the people that wore scrubs to anatomy lab annoyed me so much. I'm cool with whatever, and I don't care what someone else wears really, but it's not like there's fluid flying everywhere and you still have a lab coat over whatever you have on. people would wear those booty things over their shoes too, so weird. between this and the people who would try to steal the faculty white coats to differentiate between students and faculty, I was convinced I'd hate half my class by the end of the first week.

 

[EMDO2018]

Yeah, why is everybody talking about how anatomy lab is going to be sooo nasty. I think they are exaggerating. They act as if there will be grease of fluid everywhere or something.

 

[Ismet]

There are people that do BOTH. I'm an introvert, like to hang out/go for drinks with a small circle of friends, but also like times to relax at home. Introvert =/= asocial. I'm always the quietest one in the bunch, usually keeping thoughts to myself and speaking on occasion. However, I LOVE to hang out with my buddies, and be in social environments, cause being lonely ain't fun

THIS! The people who didn't know me before med school can't believe that I "identify" as an introvert because I'm pretty outgoing and social with people I know. But introvert/extrovert depends on where you draw your energy from. After a long day, I'd rather curl up in bed with a Netflix episode than hang at the bar with people.

Did you really think, extroverts would be the dominant personality type in medical school? Anywho, I'm going to the social thing tomorrow night, can't pass up free lobster and shrimp. Also does anybody know if you can wear a t shirt under you scrubs?

Extroverts actually are the dominant personality type in med school, at least in mine (except for my class). We have to do that MBTI thingy for orientation and they graph the results for us, every class before us was majority extrovert.

You can wear whatever you want under your scrubs.

ugh the people that wore scrubs to anatomy lab annoyed me so much. I'm cool with whatever, and I don't care what someone else wears really, but it's not like there's fluid flying everywhere and you still have a lab coat over whatever you have on. people would wear those booty things over their shoes too, so weird. between this and the people who would try to steal the faculty white coats to differentiate between students and faculty, I was convinced I'd hate half my class by the end of the first week.

Yeah, why is everybody talking about how anatomy lab is going to be sooo nasty. I think they are exaggerating. They act as if there will be grease of fluid everywhere or something.

Everyone at my school wears scrubs to anatomy. Lab coat wasn't required, but some people wore them over the scrubs. You do need something between your regular clothes and the cadavers, though. While stuff isn't constantly flying around, there's a lot of liquid involved in dissecting, plus the occasional accidental flicking of fat while dissecting. One of our professors was helping us dissect a nerve and he flicked a piece of fat onto his lips (and he was totally unfazed, but I would have been mortified). So yeah, it can get nasty and it's good to keep your street clothes away from that. Plus it smells bad and by the end, everything is greasy. We have lab copies of Netters and Grants and they are disgusting from just being touched with gloved hands that were touching cadavers.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

ugh the people that wore scrubs to anatomy lab annoyed me so much. I'm cool with whatever, and I don't care what someone else wears really, but it's not like there's fluid flying everywhere and you still have a lab coat over whatever you have on. people would wear those booty things over their shoes too, so weird. between this and the people who would try to steal the faculty white coats to differentiate between students and faculty, I was convinced I'd hate half my class by the end of the first week.

You wore street clothes to anatomy lab ??

No normal piece of clothing of mine (save socks and underwear) ever entered that place.

 

[lunalight]

ugh the people that wore scrubs to anatomy lab annoyed me so much. I'm cool with whatever, and I don't care what someone else wears really, but it's not like there's fluid flying everywhere and you still have a lab coat over whatever you have on. people would wear those booty things over their shoes too, so weird. between this and the people who would try to steal the faculty white coats to differentiate between students and faculty, I was convinced I'd hate half my class by the end of the first week.

We're required to wear scrubs to anatomy lab. No scrubs = no dissecting and no credit.

As far as being social goes, bottom line is: don't be weird and awkward and don't be a dick. The rest will work itself out.

 

[alpinism]

I obviously don't know you or anything about your life, but I'm gonna vent at you based on my own experiences. This 1/3 of the class that's all buddy-buddy and goes to the post-exam parties tends to consist of a core group of what I like to call lax bros and cheerleaders, and their assorted hangers-on and wanna-bes. People that forcibly remind me of high school and/or lived for their frats and sororities in college. The rest of us don't really like you and kind of wish you'd just grow up and leave that part of your life behind. We're the same people that would rather drink a beer out of a glass bottle than a keg, because we are adults that have IDs and don't need to drink that ****. We have our own fun with our own friends, and are otherwise perfectly content being casual friends or acquaintances with our classmates.
Just telling the other side of the story.

Eh there aren't really that many bro or frat types in my class, let alone in our "group." Do we have kegs every once and a while, sure. Do we go out to the bars after exams, yeah. But, most of the time we're basically just going out to dinner at a nice restaurant for birthdays, having a potluck at someone's apartment, going to baseball games, or just going to see a movie.

 

[PL198]

You wore street clothes to anatomy lab ??

No normal piece of clothing of mine (save socks and underwear) ever entered that place.

Yeah under a coat. Obviously if you're required its cool

 

[KnuxNole]

Eh there aren't really that many bro or frat types in my class, let alone in our "group." Do we have kegs every once and a while, sure. Do we go out to the bars after exams, yeah. But, most of the time we're basically just going out to dinner at a nice restaurant for birthdays, having a potluck at someone's apartment, going to baseball games, or just going to see a movie.

Those are fun things I would do with a select few classmates too, and still do with co-residents. In the beginning of med school, people would go in groups of 20-30, but I personally hate that. It's too crowded and large of a group. Being with 3-6 is WAY better, IMO. Plus, a smaller group = more time to get to know each person and open up, especially someone like me, who is extremely slow to open up. I never understood why it's considered to be to be friends with a small amount of people, if it makes people happy. After all, noone can be friends with everyone in their class. At least, real friends haha. You can be friendly with everyone, but some people are mainly acquaintances and nothing more. Especially the ones who don't mesh with my extreme dorkiness, silliness, soft spoken voice(I can't talk loud if my life depended on it!), etc.

 

[PL198]

Those are fun things I would do with a select few classmates too, and still do with co-residents. In the beginning of med school, people would go in groups of 20-30, but I personally hate that. It's too crowded and large of a group. Being with 3-6 is WAY better, IMO. Plus, a smaller group = more time to get to know each person and open up, especially someone like me, who is extremely slow to open up. I never understood why it's considered to be to be friends with a small amount of people, if it makes people happy. After all, noone can be friends with everyone in their class. At least, real friends haha.

not to mention going out in the big groups takes forever and is just an overall pain. I avoid those like the plague.

OP you'll probably find a core group of like 10 people that make up your group of friends. Nearly everyone is like that from my experience.

 

[Serous Demilune]

Eh there aren't really that many bro or frat types in my class, let alone in our "group." Do we have kegs every once and a while, sure. Do we go out to the bars after exams, yeah. But, most of the time we're basically just going out to dinner at a nice restaurant for birthdays, having a potluck at someone's apartment, going to baseball games, or just going to see a movie.

Ah I didn't see your Baltimore location before. That makes more sense. What's the avg matriculant age at Hopkins, like 27?

 

[RJGOP]

Force yourself to do it. Do not isolate yourself completely from your class, even if it's a habit. It's the worst thing you can do during 4 years of med school not only during MS-1/MS-2, but esp. during the MS-3 clerkship years. Who cares if you're black? It's a party, not a Klan rally.

Orientation you'll have nothing to do, and it's good relaxation right after exams, before hitting the grind again.

That's not stopping Blacks from being included either.