Welcome to Medical School
Have you just been accepted into medical school?
Will you be a first year medical student this coming Fall?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! All of your hard work and sacrifices have paid off to get you to this point! For some of you, this journey may have been a struggle to get to this point, but you made it (that is all that matters)!
With that being said, be prepared to be challenged in ways that you’ve never been challenged before. Some of you might find the course work to be easy, but might struggle with social interactions and vice versa. That’s ok! It’s going to be a learning experience for everyone! To be honest, nearly all medical students are challenged mentally and emotionally through this process of becoming a physician. Some of you may not score as high on that exam or practical like how you wanted. Just remember that your scores do NOT define who you are. You are smart and you can do this!
What are some things I can do to prepare for medical school? Before I make some recommendations, please enjoy your summer! You made it into medical school so you should celebrate that and get some much needed rest & relaxation before school starts! With that being said, there are a couple of books I would recommend reading, especially if you haven’t been in school for a while or just want some better guidance on how to study more effectively. These books were actually recommended to me by my school’s education specialist:
1. How to Study in Medical School by Armin Kamyab
This is a simple, yet practical book that gives great advice on how to study and survive medical school. The author himself went through medical school and shares what worked best for him. I personally read this book before starting my mastetr’s program, since its been years since I was in undergrad. Applying his advice to my study routine helped me tremendously through out my master’s program and in medical school.
I don’t believe that this book is currently on Audiobook, but this is a very easy read.
Brain Rules is a very interesting book that dives into the various aspects of learning and memory. Without spilling the beans about this book, I found some of the information in it to be quite surprising. However, after applying the advice the author gave helped me succeed in school.
This book is on Audiobook if you’d rather have the book read to you, but this is also an easy read.
3. Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
This is the book that I’m currently reading, since I’m always looking for ways to study more efficiently. I can’t give a review for this book just yet, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.
This book is also offered on Audiobook, for those who are interested.
What are some other things I can do to prepare for medical school besides reading? Well, as I stated earlier, medical school will challenge you mentally and emotionally. Another way to prepare for medical school is to take care of yourself.
Um, what?
Yes, that’s right. Take care of yourself (as in self-care)! That means exercising, eating healthy, getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, practicing mindfulness, and do something you enjoy every day. Once school starts, a huge work load will be dumped on you and you will be expected to perform at a high pace. This may cause you slip in and neglect basic things that you need to keep going, which can affect you mentally, physically, emotionally, and educationally. If you have a set routine/structure, however, it will help you tramendously once you start medical school.
Once again, congratulations and I hope your find these recommendations beneficial!
