Jabs Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Hi everyone, pretty excited about getting acceptance into medicine! Now for basically the last summer of stress free life. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the time I have on my hands this summer as I had originally had planned to take summer courses which I won't need anymore. Also I want to know if anyone "read ahead" during the summer before. Like trying to learn some medically related material so the stress wasn't as overwhelming...lol I know I should probably do that as I have been away from sciences for a while now but I probably won't lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I'm gonna work till about mid-summer - just enough to feel like a useful contributor to the society and still have plenty of time left to enjoy the summer without being bored - and then travel, go fishing in the mountains, go to events around town, you name it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icebox Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Hi everyone, pretty excited about getting acceptance into medicine! Now for basically the last summer of stress free life. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the time I have on my hands this summer as I had originally had planned to take summer courses which I won't need anymore. Also I want to know if anyone "read ahead" during the summer before. Like trying to learn some medically related material so the stress wasn't as overwhelming...lol I know I should probably do that as I have been away from sciences for a while now but I probably won't lol. Travel. Play sports. Work out. Make music. Whatever you want to do, do it, and take advantage of the great weather and summertime. Whatever you do, do NOT. EVER. Read ahead. There is absolutely no reason to, and you'll soon learn that the last thing you ever want to do with your recreational time is medically-related reading. Enjoy your summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjaface Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Haha, thanks Icebox. I was so planning on reading ahead. Maybe I'll have to reconsider. Time could likely be better spent getting my french up to speed anyways in anticipation of MSF and/or Montreal Neuro Institute. Whatever I end up doing, I will be doing it in Central America, so that's something anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I was so planning on reading ahead. no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninjaface Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Alright, fine. If you guys are so adamant about it I won't spend my summer trying to memorize Toronto Notes... I really was considering it. Does look pretty lame now that I put it in writing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madz25 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I did absolutely nothing before starting medicine. As others said, DO NOT read ahead. We'll have to get you banned from p101 if you do! Take this summer to have fun!!! Don't worry about getting textbooks or stethoscopes or any of that until O-week. Seriously, HAVE FUN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webshy Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I worked.....a lot! I had been working for a number of years prior to medical school, and was in a position with more responsibility and more hours than I had been up until that point. I was working 60-70 hours per week, and only left a week before school started. Don't make the same mistake I did! I showed up to school completely exhausted, and it took me a long time to recover. Whether or not you choose to work, take enough time off prior to school that you can rest, get organized for school, etc. Elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Do you think shadowing various doctors to find out what specialty you might be interested in is too much? I realize it might not be enough to truly find your calling, but is it useless? Oh, I'm not doing any reading. Prolly forget it all anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Do you think shadowing various doctors to find out what specialty you might be interested in is too much? I realize it might not be enough to truly find your calling, but is it useless? Oh, I'm not doing any reading. Prolly forget it all anyway. Yes. You can do this during the year, and I'd recommend a medicine-free summer. Enjoy yourself; worrying about the future is completely unnecessary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Take the ENITRE summer off and try to be a regular young adult in society. Pretty soon you'll be in the thick of it and you'll never have time like that again (even on vacations from med school/residency). Medicine will dominate the rest of your life. You have a unique time now where you can exist without it but not have to worry about the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbene085 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Don't bother trying to read ahead. Either it will be basic stuff that you'll go over again anyway, or advanced stuff that won't make any sense to you whatsoever, and you really won't remember it when it comes up again. Enjoy life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Yes. You can do this during the year, and I'd recommend a medicine-free summer. Enjoy yourself; worrying about the future is completely unnecessary! I take it you meant that the shadowing is useless. The only reason I suggested it was because I'll be going to school away from my hometown, and if I can see how things are run in more than one place, good for me. Aright.... if it really is useless, I'll bail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 To be the devil's advocate, I think it's really up to you. If you're the type of person who likes shadowing and find it fun, then by all means do it. If you're the type that feels better after brushing up on some area you feel extremely weak in, then do that too. Those things aren't necessary, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't do it if it makes you feel better and more reassured. Sure, everyone always says, "Have fun" etc. etc. but then you wonder why people in med school still spend their summers doing research, electives, etc. Yes, you can argue that research/electives are 'fun', but then again, I'm trying to assess the 'fun' level of research vs. traveling in Europe and lying on the beach all day hmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
token Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I'm planning on working a little (as a bartender or something else that's not intellectually stimulating). Other than that I'm just enjoying the freedom and getting ready to move. It feels weird though since most of my graduating friends have had real jobs lined up since January. Some had their last exam and then started their 9 to 6 at insert-prestigious-firm-here the next day. I feel like such a bum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 I didn't work, I didn't do anything. It was beautiful. I did however fly out west with friends. Rented a car. Did a lil traveling around the west coast for a month. It was great. Do somthing you enjoy. Treat yourself. You made it into med school!!!!! PS: If you read ahead during the summer before starting you should be forced to withdraw your acceptance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 I take it you meant that the shadowing is useless. The only reason I suggested it was because I'll be going to school away from my hometown, and if I can see how things are run in more than one place, good for me. Aright.... if it really is useless, I'll bail. Well, it's not useless, but you won't be able to do much more than observe, and you will literally have your entire life ahead to do that sort of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbene085 Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Well, it's not useless, but you won't be able to do much more than observe, and you will literally have your entire life ahead to do that sort of thing. I'll also point out that shadowing starts meaning more when you actually understand the cases you're seeing and can ask pertinent questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaveSense Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 thesis..... thesis...... thesis........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCP90 Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Thanks for your thoughts, A-Stark and mbene085. After talking to other people who also have the same point of view, I have decided to do nothing this summer except stay in shape and help out around the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale.of.a.time Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 This is an idea I can get on board with! BBQs. Lots and lots of BBQs. I am BBQing everything I can feasibly think to BBQ.Everything else, I'm deep frying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
switcheroo Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 thesis..... thesis...... thesis........ That's the boat I'm in, unfortunately. However, I'm planning to look at the thesis as a break from having nothing to do, a chance to exercise my brain a little bit every so often. Other than that, I plan to spend a lot of time at the beach and a lot of time in my back yard around the fire pit. I'm also getting my pilot's licence (something I've always wanted to do). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale.of.a.time Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Exactly! "Why not?" The best possible philosophy when discussing bbq and deep-frying! Let us know how it goes Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1234 Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I'm not sure why so many people are wanting to shadow and read ahead prior to medical school. Perhaps people just don't have the perspective yet to understand the long grind that is medical education. You have 6 - 10+ years of intense education to go. Do you honestly think 4 months of random shadowing and reading is going to do anything for you in the long run. You are much better off enjoying the last few free summers you have left doing what you want to do because you will never have summers like this until you retire. I urge you to do those things that you have pushed back due to the premed grind and just enjoy. You will have plenty of time to read and explore medicine for the rest of your life. A summer like this will never come again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lactic Folly Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I agree that medical (scientific) reading at this point is low-yield.. but if you wanted to read something lighter, I would suggest material related to specialty selection. Be it through books, blogs, this forum, SDN, or other websites, gaining a stronger sense of the characteristics/rewards/challenges of the different fields in medicine will help you make more of your early experiences in medical school. For example, having such a framework allows you to ask more pertinent questions when shadowing, as alluded to earlier. Or you might decide to shadow in fields you might not have considered earlier. School goes by quickly, there is always some exam or activity coming up.. but continue to think about it and gather information so that you can plan your summers and electives and arrive at a sound choice.. the field you match to will potentially determine a good part of your future career. P.S. The summer after the end of medical school and before residency is not too bad either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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