Greetings, friends! As we embrace the holiday spirit and get ready to spring into a new year, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the whirlwind that was my first semester of medical school, which ended just over a couple of weeks ago. In this post, I want to share some key highlights and nuggets of wisdom that I believe are worth it for you all to know!
Drinking out of the Fire Hose (& Staying Afloat)
When people think of pre-clerkship years, they most likely think of hours and hours of studying. I felt a LOT of that this semester. This semester, I completed modules focused on Foundations of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology, and Hematology/Oncology. With exams and quizzes occurring every week, it seemed like most of my time was spent looking at PowerPoint slides and flipping through my First Aid book. However, I learned this semester how important it is to prioritize the things that bring you joy and incorporate them into your busy schedule. Sometimes sacrifices are made to keep up with the schedule, but one thing that helped me was to pick 2-3 non-negotiables and make time for those each week. Mine were 1) going to church/engaging with my belief system, 2) exercising, and 3) getting around 8 hours of sleep each night. It truly makes a difference. Designate a few non-negotiables each week that bring you happiness. Whether it's a spiritual connection, exercise, or a good night's sleep, these anchors will keep you steady in the storm.
Pass/Fail
I benefited from my medical school being pass/fail because it made the class atmosphere much more collaborative. One of my reflections here is to embrace the pass/fail atmosphere but not use it as a crutch. Putting your best foot forward whenever you can is important. While mastering every detail is impossible, the pass/fail system can serve as a safety net, reminding us that one stumble doesn't define our journey. Rise, push forward, and aim for excellence in the next challenge!
OSCEs
Ah, the OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations)… Learning how to interact with patients is important and so is assessing your ability to do so. For anyone unfamiliar with the OSCE, this involves simulating patient interactions with standardized patients. Your evaluation depends on whether or not you completed all aspects of the patient interaction on a specific checklist. It can feel awkward at times, like playing a role in a movie, but it's crucial to recognize the skills gained through this process. Learning how to engage with patients is an invaluable aspect of medical education and I think it's important to remember that as you go through them!
Being the ‘Broke’ Med Student
Budget wisely y’all. As someone who lived on campus throughout undergrad, this was the first time I had to do things like pay my rent, make car payments, and regularly do groceries. Whether you are getting through medical school via scholarships, loans, or money out of pocket, it is always important to plan and save money. Some things I learned this semester are that I like to study at coffee shops (oh how I wish iced matcha was less expensive than it is) and that there are some busy days where eating out just seems like an easier and quicker route to get dinner done. There is nothing wrong with this, but when you are studying full-time, it is imperative to put use with a budget and stick to it! This next year, I am changing mine just a little so I can incorporate my little coffee shop study dates without feeling like I’m breaking the bank.
Having a Social Life
I am so grateful to have found friends that I can rely on for support throughout this journey. I am happy that many of my friends are in medical school and I feel like we can all relate to where we are. While the tight-knit community of medical school has its perks, it can also become all-encompassing. I have found that the people I hang out with, study with, eat out with, and work out with are all from my medical school. I do think it has not been as difficult as I thought it would be to have friends in medical school. It is convenient that when you are done with an exam, so is everyone else and so it is really easy to plan and enjoy time with your peers. I am also grateful to be part of a smaller class size because it makes having tight-knit friendships come easy. However, there can also be times when being so close-knit does have its cons. Being such a small cohort of individuals, there are naturally going to be personalities that clash and it can become increasingly evident. But keep your head up and try to find where you fit!
Anki
Someone out there might hate me for saying this, but this is my lifeline. Navigating the AnKing deck and keeping it in line with everything learned from the lectures can be difficult and it takes some extra time. However, with all my quizzes and exams being NBME, keeping up with Anki has been the best thing I can do for myself. Even during winter break, I've stayed committed to it. My advice to fellow medical students: keep up with Anki—it's a game-changer.
Research
Honestly, I cannot completely say I have figured out how to navigate this. As someone who is not entirely sure of my specialty choice, I have been grappling with the understanding that research becomes more important for residency applications but wanting to engage with research that I care about and feel passionate about. I am grateful to have finished this semester embarking on two research projects that I am excited about! This might be a reflection that I have to circle back on but all I can say is regardless of my struggles with research, if you want to do it, it is not all that difficult to find! There are always professors willing to work with students and that benefit a lot from their help!
Shadowing
This has been one of my favorite parts of the semester by far! I had done some shadowing before starting medical school but as a medical student, I truly feel like you get to do more and see specialties in-depth! As I mentioned before, I have not been entirely sure of what specialty I am interested in, but shadowing has given me a good idea of things that I am not sure I could see myself doing, which is also good! It is easy to feel uninspired as a first-year medical student spending most of their time studying but I always feel extra inspired after shadowing! It helps to hear from patients and remember why you are here and pursuing medicine!
Here's to taking on semester 2!
-Karen