The first post in this series, Medical School Timeline – Year One, will focus on how to acclimate into medical school and set a strong foundation for the rest of medical school. Most medical students are planners and like to have a layout for the next x many years. Some are a bit more lax and tend to go with the flow.
Getting too ahead of yourself can lead to unnecessary anxiety about the future. However, being too behind can lead to missed deadlines and opportunities. Both are problematic, but with this series, hopefully you will have a better idea of how to plan out each year. I based this series on my experience in medical school. Everyone’s curriculums and pathways are different, so customize this to fit your needs. This series timeline is a general layout of a 2-year preclinical and 2-year clinical curriculum.
The first year of medical school can be really exciting. After years of hard work, your dreams are finally materializing. However, the first year is often very overwhelming and can be considered the hardest year of medical school. The workload is at a higher caliber and quantity than probably any other degree program. The pressure to set yourself up for residency can also be very daunting. Don’t get too lost in the weeds. Focus on getting oriented, finding what works for you, and understanding the basics. In this post, I will outline what to focus on for the first two semesters of the medical school timeline – year one.
First Semester
The first semester of medical school was, for me, the most challenging. However, in the medical school timeline – year one, it is the most important. It sets you up for success and is time for you to get acclimated to the challenges of medical school. My biggest recommendation is to not get overly involved in extracurricular activities. It is so tempting to want to dive into all that your campus has to offer. However, between research, student organizations, personal responsibilities, and school work, your schedule can, quickly, become overwhelming.
Getting Organized
In your medical school timeline – year one, school should be your main priority. Get organized in the way that works for you. I like to use planners and digital calendars, but if that does not work for you, find a way to keep track of all the syllabi, due dates, exams, and your study schedule.
Studying for medical school is different than studying for undergraduate or master’s level programs. There is more material, and the exams can be much more challenging. Usually, there is less busy work or homework, but there may be other requirements, such as small groups. It’s imperative that you find the best way to manage all of these obligations so you can be proactive in preparing for each.
Learning how to study
In the medical school timeline – year one, you should be finding out how you best learn. You can take an online quiz to find out what type of learner you are. Some medical students like notecards, such as Anki. The benefit of Anki is that many decks are already made, so you just have to download them into your own personal deck. Other medical students like reading material, such as OnlineMedEd, Amboss, Kaplan, and FirstAid. Videos are another resource that many students like, such as Sketchy, OnlineMedEd, and Pathoma.
Don’t get overwhelmed by resources. There are a lot of options in order to appeal to many learning styles. Focus on your school’s source materials (lectures, reading assignments, etc.) and use outside resources to supplement. Practice questions are great, and you can be proactive by purchasing a 2-year subscription to U-World. However, with both FirstAid and UWorld, the material may be a bit too advanced, and a simpler question bank from Kaplan, OnlineMedEd, or Amboss may be ideal.
Plan on studying anywhere from 5-12 hours a day/ 5-6 days week, depending on how many classes you have. There is always going to be something for you to do, so you have to set firm boundaries to avoid studying yourself insane. Have a start and stop time that you stick to so you still have time for other activities, like wellness, social interactions, and rest time. Your study time will most likely involve weekends. Make sure to give yourself one day off a week to avoid burnout or spend a small portion of it getting caught up.
Utilizing School Resources
Faculty
In your medical school timeline – year one, it is a good time to learn about your school resources and utilize them. Faculty and staff, especially those who are teaching the courses, should be your number one resources. Some faculty and staff are hard to get along with or learn from, but try to give them a chance in one-on-one meetings. Come in with specific questions, showing you’ve tried, but need a bit more guidance.
Taking notes
Attend classes if you can so you can ask questions in real-time as they come up. Prior to class, print off the lecture slides or download them, if they are available. This way, during class, you can note significant information from each slide. Feverishly scribbling during the whole lecture may make it hard to pay attention to what they are saying, so find ways to be efficient in your note-taking. Typing is fast, but not as effective for learning as hand-writing. So some combination of the two may be the best method of taking notes.
Mental health services
Other school resources include mental health services. Year one of medical school can be very challenging, mentally and emotionally. Your time is more limited than ever before, you may miss important milestones or events, and even after days of studying, you may perform less than how you want to on exams. It’s frustrating and can trigger flare-ups of mental health disorders. The second you feel distressed, talk with a counselor, advisor, therapist, psychologist, etc., so you can be proactive about the situation instead of reactive.
Academic support
If you are struggling academically, there are academic resources, as well. Most schools have a department that is dedicated to academic achievement. These departments often have learning specialists who can assist you in studying strategies and finding resources. These offices may also have tutors who can assist you with difficult content. Upperclassmen who performed well in the course may also be great resources for you to use and have the added benefit of being close in age and/or year in school.
Second Semester
In your medical school timeline – year one, the second semester should allow you to be more liberal in how you use your time. You have already completed a semester of primarily foundational classes that will set you up for the classes that you take in the second semester and beyond. In addition to continuing the aforementioned tasks, the second semester may provide you with more time and comfort in getting involved in extracurricular activities. Here are some things to think about throughout the second semester.
Prepare for content change
Medical school is tricky because just when you get comfortable with your study habits, the content changes and you have to start over. Around this time, some medical school curriculums may transition from foundation courses to system-based. This means that for each system, you will learn normal anatomy/function, pathology, and clinical application. The methods that worked for foundational courses may not work for system courses. There is more nuanced material to learn and clinical application becomes extremely important.
When studying this content, review any material content from the first semester. Hone in on the normal anatomy and function so you can detect the pathology, or dysfunctions in normal anatomy and function. Find the best way to discriminate between very close conditions and what specific aspects of each disease make them different from other options. A good example are the lysosomal metabolic storage diseases.
Learning those minute details is painful, but important for answering questions on tests where all of the answer choices may be Lysosomal Storage Diseases and you have to choose the right one. Just knowing it is a storage disease is not enough.
Stay flexible and adaptive so you can keep up with the content changes. Constantly integrating material from the first semester will help you retain information that will come up again on Step 1.
Look for research opportunities
Research is not for everyone. However, you won’t know if you like it until you have been a part of a research project from start to finish. Working with faculty to complete an experiment and present it at a conference or publish it will look great on your residency application and give you an idea if research is something that interests you.
The earlier you start looking for research opportunities, the more contributions you will have when it comes to applying for residency. Your faculty and staff have ongoing research opportunities. Look online, and attend research seminars or fairs to find opportunities. Research opportunities do not have to be at your institution. You can collaborate with professors and students at other schools. Find research that is of interest to you so you are fully committed.
If you are feeling ambitious, you can even pursue your own research project. Do you have a question or problem that you have observed and want to learn more about? Find a faculty member whose research is similar, and see if they are interested in being your research advisor. Below is a PDF of a project management journal that you can use to help plan out your research from start to finish.
At the beginning of the second semester, look up the conferences for the societies of the specialties in which you are interested. Look for the abstracts that they are accepting and when the deadlines are so you can prepare a submission. Participating in these conferences is fun and also allows you to network with program directors, residents, and fellows in these specialties.
Research summer opportunities
One thing to consider in your medical school timeline – year one is what you are going to do during the summer. The summer between year one and year two is a great time to do many things like travel, work, shadow, and look for summer research opportunities. Most schools offer a scholarly program over the summer for students to engage in research. There are also opportunities at other schools for research, preceptorship, and the ability to network with higher ups at that institution. For a complete list, check out the AAMC list of Research and Training Opportunities for medical students.
Get involved in on-campus organizations
If your grades are good and you feel like you have a good handle on your schedule, you can begin thinking about getting involved in on-campus organizations. Leadership and participation in extracurricular activities creates well-rounded students and looks great on residency applications. Choose a student organization that interests you. Joining as a general member may be the best first step, but as you progress through the medical student timeline, you can begin moving up and exploring leadership options.
Many organizations exist at the national level. After your involvement in your campus organization, you can begin looking into participating on national committees and boards. This offers you a great opportunity to network with medical students at other organizations and attend national conferences.
The most important consideration for getting involved is making sure you do not spread yourself too thin. School always comes first, but you want to make sure to be actively engaged in any extracurricular activity you join. Just being a part of an organization is not enough. Plan and attend events. Go to the meetings and have a voice. Represent your school at national meetings. Having evidence of your effectiveness in these organizations looks great for scholarship applications, officer applications, residency applications, and anything else to which you may be applying that asks about your extracurriculars.
Key Takeaways
Having a plan for your medical school timeline year one can help you prepare for the next three years of medical school. I did not prepare for medical school and started very behind. I do not wish the same for you and hope that this series helps you stay on track. If you are in medical school and have tips for year one, please leave a comment below! Medical school is a marathon, not a sprint, so stay focused on the present while being aware of the future. In general, it’s best to prepare as if you are applying to the most competitive specialty so you keep all of the doors open. However, do not dwell on short-term setbacks like the occasional bad grade or missed conference. Things will work out, just take them one day at a time.