Guest CommerceStudent Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Most of the posts on this website have pertained to applications or talked about what people love about med school, but I haven't really gotten a sense of what the bad things are about meds. In a similar forum on law, people were saying they didn't like their program 'cause of the teaching style and lack of structure in the professor's lessons. They also felt like they had made a mistake in choosing that path. I was wondering if I could hear about some of the negative experiences people have had in meds: (1) What was the problem(s) that you didn't like about the program (2) How long did it take before you realized this and by that time, what were you able to do to rectify it? (3) In retrospect, would you have done anything differently to avoid the problem (ie. done more research on programs/meds in general, etc?) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wannabdoc Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 hi CommerceStudent, I am not a med student but also applying this year. Looking ahead to my future lifestyle as a med student i assume i would have to give up a lot of things which i love doing but in return i would be reassured that my work would benefit the lives of people. I would have the opportunity to change someone's life. Med students are continuously challenged to organize their time to absorb as much information they can while balancing a social life. They are under pressure to learn physiology, pathology, and treatments for hundreds of infectious diseases knowing that one day this information may save or end someone's life. Being a medical student is stressful but you learn to manage your stress and channel it towards constructive energy that teaches you to become an effective time-manager which you need a lot of when practicing medicine as a physician. So what I think is that medical school is designed to either make you a physician or tell you that medicine is not for you. I hope its not the second case for most med students therefore one must make a wise decision to enter the rigorous but rewarding teaching of medicine. Thats only what i have heard from a doctor since i am not a med student yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coastal79 Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 As a first year med student, I've never had more free time in my life. I'm resigned to debt and guaranteed a job that pays well at the end, so I'm don't have a part-time job. I don't have to jump through any more bull-@#%$ hoops to get into medical school, so I don't volunteer. Plus, since basically all the stuff we cover can be found in text books, I can learn it on my own, often in less time than it would take some two-bit lecturer to paraphrase his or her powerpoint slides. I'm sure it will get harder, but right now, it just ain't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wannabdoc Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 OOps. I guess i was wrong. anybody else who still thinks med school is a lot of work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ollie Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Hi, Well I wouldn't say that I have a lot of free time, but it's not as bad as you might think. It does depend somewhat on what school you are at. At UofT, first year is pretty intense, and then they ease up on you in 2nd year and allow a lot of free time that can (should?) be used for shadowing, observerships, etc. Other schools ease you in in first year then go harder on you in 2nd. Time management is definitely key. If you make good use of the free time you have then you do have time for all your normal activites that you did before. In fact I can't tell you how many times during o-week that we were told to "maintain balance" in our lives. Also, there are tons of opportunities to get involved with stuff like class council, clubs, etc. It helps keep you well rounded just like the stuff you were involved in during undergrad. Presumably, at least some of the activities you were involved in previously were out of interest and not just to help you get into med school. So it is a lot of work, but since you've probably been working pretty hard up until this point anyways, it shouldn't be too much of a shock to the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nightriders19 Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Hi there, just wanted to add my 2 cents as well. I've just started at U of T too (btw...have I met you Ollie? Who are you? i'm the red-headed Laura). I'm finding med school to be quite a bit of an adjustment, but not in the ways I would have expected. I am finding the actual material we are studying to be very interesting, and very manageable (although I took lots of basic medical sciences in undergrad, so quite a bit has been review so far). My biggest adjustment has been being in an environment where things are very structured again...it's like being in high school! I really enjoyed my undergrad environment (a couple days off every week...classes were "optional" to say the least for me...). It's been weird feeling like I *can't* skip class (I mean, I could, but I don't want to and I don't think it would be beneficial). Overall, I guess I would say to do your research ahead of time...make sure you know what your learning style is. I picked U of T (and would pick it again if i had to). i love the program, and although it's been a rough adjustment to a very "structured" and time-consuming schedule, I know that the teaching methods and organizational structure suit me perfectly. I still have enough time to go to the gym and pursue some of my hobbies (like cooking), but it's pretty tight. Overall it's a small sacrifice that I'm more than willing to make. Know yourself, and you'll be good nightrider I guess the biggest issue is getting used to finally having the curriculum covered at a pace where I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coastal79 Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 It really does depend on the school. Someone from UofT mentioned that first year is very intense, academically, and then they ease up in second year so people can shadow etc. In contrast, I got to scrub in for a surgery in my first month (just got to snip some knots, suction stuff and poke around, but it was still cool), but managed to skip all of my classes in the last week except for clinical skills. If it wasn't Ontario Med Students Weekend, I could probably catch-up on everything I missed by the end of the weekend. Even with OMSW I still think I'll get all caught up. Could also just be a difference in how the workload is perceived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve U of T Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 Queen's is notorious for having exams only twice per year, but it is supposedly quite brutal around those times. However, the students there get to party the rest of the time. I think U of T has exams every 6 weeks or so, and Western has them 4 times per year, so there's a lot of variation there. Of course the person with an exam a few days away will say they have less free time than somebody who has a few months free and clear (although that person needs self discipline to actually do well when the exams finally come). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Hey there, Although I have extremely limited experience, i.e., with only one curriculum, I love medical school. We have exams scheduled every 4-8 weeks (one exam per block), and during that time, our curriculum affords lecture, small group, patient interview and clinical core time (the latter of which where we spend a minimum of 6 hours on the wards with a preceptor who works in the field in which we're currently studying, e.g., the last clinical core section was in Hematology so we witnessed a bone marrow biopsy, examined patients with leukemia, lymphoma, factor V Leiden, etc.). In addition, we have a number of sections of time during the week where we can schedule activities that best fit our needs, e.g., shadowing, research, etc. Thus far, I've managed to shadow quite a few doctors during that time and have managed to whittle my "possible career" list down a decent bit because of it. In short, I'm having a terrific experience here, and from conversations with some of my UofC colleagues, it sounds as though my experience is not unique. Best of luck to all of you who are applying this year. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CommerceStudent Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Thanks everyone...these comments are really useful and insightful...keep 'em coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wattyjl Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 "I don't have to jump through any more bull-@#%$ hoops to get into medical school, so I don't volunteer." i think this would make an interesting poll question: how many others, in this comfy anonymous environment, would say the same thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aneliz Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 I think the majority of med students would disagree with that statement... most (90% +) of my class are involved in some kind of community/volunteer work on a somewhat regular (at least monthly) basis. Many volunteer with the Children's Aid (our class charity), others coach for Special Olympics, a group serves dinner at a youth shelter every week, many volunteer to teach 'healthy responsible sexuality' in area high schools, etc. All of this will be useful come CaRMS application time... because believe it or not, the whole 'application' and 'interview' process starts all over again in 4th year... getting into med school is not the end of the line... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nikhila Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 I completely agree with you Aneliz. I'm at U of T and there is a dizzying number of volunteer activities in which students get involved and are currently involved. From teaching healthy sexuality to high school students across Toronto, to mentoring an under-priviledged child in an inner-city area every week, to delivering blankets and food to the homeless, I'd say about 95% of my class is involved in not just one but multiple volunteer groups. A couple of people mentioned in this thread how first year at U of T is quite stressful and I'm very much of the same opinion. However the volunteering that I'm doing truly leaves me feeling wonderful at the end of the day and rejuvenated to learn the various foramens through which the cranial nerves pass :\ Its pretty great Just a guess but if you were to poll med students to see if they volunteer during the school year, I'd say over 85% would answer yes. All the best to this year's applicants, Nikhila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lactic Folly Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 I volunteer during the school year but have cut back # of commitments compared to undergrad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ollie Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 Ditto to Aneliz and Nikhila. I would go mental if I didn't have some other activities outside of school. It's really dissapointing to hear med students describe their premed activities as hoop-jumping. We're always telling premeds on here to get involved in activites that they enjoy and can learn something from, rather than what they think adcoms want to see. I could see it being called hoopjumping in the sense that you do have to do something, but it's supposed to benefit you in that it should help you learn about yourself and whether you are suited for a career in medicine. I can honestly say that I enjoyed and gained something from all my premed extracurrics. If I hadn't moved provinces for med school then I would be keeping some of them up right now! (but instead I've started some new ones!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isoceles Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 I absolutely agree. I does sound like brown-nosing, but volunteering is truly ONE of the things that keeps me sane. 3 years ago (before I decided on pre-med), all I did was school. I lived on campus, I didn't go out, I didn't volunteer. I was unhappy and bored, yet stressed, my marks were VERY average, and I didn't enjoy school at all. Then, my situation changed. I started working (while going to school full-time), I decided to pursue medicine, I began to volunteer, AND I made (some carefully scheduled ) time again for hobbies and friends. Well, surprise, surprise, my marks improved DRAMATICALLY, and I was much happier. Having a variety of activities which involved all of my interests made me appreciate each one of them. Being able to switch my train of thought (it wasn't all school all the time; or all something else for that matter) kept (and keeps) me sane. I found that I LIKE to be busy, I work better that way. And, as long as I can handle it all, everything I add makes me do a little better at everything! Does that make sense? Anyway, sorry, long post, but hopefully, the things you do for medicine end up being things you do for yourself (as others have reiterated); being happy in this lifestyle has really strengthened my belief in my own abilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wattyjl Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 "All of this will be useful come CaRMS application time..." i will be the first to admit, i did no volunteer work before i thought about medschool, a couple years ago. however, in doing a fair bit over the last years, i've found it's something i enjoy and get a lot of personal satisfaction out of. now, not that everyone has to be like me or anything, but it kinda bugs me to hear medstudents or premeds openly say that they are only doing "such and such" because it will get them into medschool (or into a good residency) i'm not naive enough to say that "good doctors have to like volunteering" but to equate volunteering your time with @#%$ hoops... well, i don't know. being a cynical person by nature, it makes me wonder: "well then why do you want to be a doctor? if you want to drive a 7-series bmw go into business." i'm not that young, so i suppose i should have lost my idealism a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aneliz Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 My comment that "all of this will be useful come CaRMS application time" was not meant to imply that med students were only doing this for residency application purposes... but to show that you do have to come up with a CV again 4 years after you get into med school... and the attitude that "I'm in therefore I don't have to care about anybody else ever again because I've reached the top of the mountain" is pretty short sighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TimmyMax Posted November 7, 2004 Report Share Posted November 7, 2004 Hey, This stuff will be useful come CaRMS time?!? Sweet! Who'd have thought that being in four choirs at the same time this year could somehow eventually contribute to my eventual career path? I love this job! Best of luck! Timmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 Coastal79, guaranteed a job that pays well at the end I don't think medicine really is a "guaranteed" job. I'm more cynical in my approach because I take into consideration where I want to practice and the lifestyle (ie. the residency) I want to pursue. I think the only "guaranteed" job is family medicine. This specialty isn't limited by OR time or the # of MRI machines , like some specialties. And regarding the: I don't have to jump through any more bull-@#%$ hoops to get into medical school I hope other people who get into medical school this year don't adopt the same attitude because there's more to volunteering than just getting into medical school. It's certainly important but there are myriad other reasons why we should volunteer. But back on topic, I think medical school is a lot of fun. There are some parts I hate (the grading system at UBC, honours, pass, fail....it should be pass/fail only), and our building is brand new so the stupid fire alarm keeps going off, and our water-free urinals stink....But then again, they save thousands of gallons of water every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wattyjl Posted November 21, 2004 Report Share Posted November 21, 2004 you have water-free urinals at UBC? completely water-free? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 you have water-free urinals at UBC? completely water-free? Yes, they're water free. Completely water free - as in, there's no water running through them at all. The urine collects in a basin at the base of the urinal and then goes somewhere. The smell you ask? Does it stink? Well, it does somewhat (I think the de-odorizers need to be changed) but overall, I stomach it and do my business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 I'm wondering if the UBC pipes get stones... noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 I like school more and more...now that I'm done with fall semester... Seriously, some things need to be improved, in order to evolve, things have to change, and students need to be part of that process. I just finished a life cycle unit, and the lectures had little unity, and quite frankly were all over the place, I enjoyed the subject, but things could be better in the delivery (no pun intended). As far as doing stuff outside school...well, if I didn't I would go crazy. It's a matter of national security...no fun and games make noncestvrai, well you know, a little unwell. Let's face it, during wards, I will be too busy taking care of business. So I will enjoy my free time plenty during pre-clerkship (that includes singing in a rock band, playing sports, going out and stuff, shadowing and so forth). Carpe diem, I believe. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 NCV, I'm wondering if the UBC pipes get stones... Haha....maybe not stones - but perhaps hyperuricaemia or gout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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