In making my decision about whether to dive in and go for the dream, I researched everything not so much to help me make the decision, but to help me level set my expectations, calm my nerves, and quell those little “creeper” thoughts.
I reviewed pre-med classes, finances, schools, locations, who has done this before (all of the OPMers on here), and then I read some more.
I think it was Mary who said first year is not so much like drinking out of a fire hose as much as it is: learning 1000s of pages of material, digesting it in a short amount of time well enough to be able to lecture to and thoroughly discuss with, a full class WITHOUT notes.
Tonight, I found this and thought ya’ll might find it interesting. It’s the lecture example for gross anatomy at the U of MN. If you look carefully at the timing, the students have two weeks to learn EVERYTHING like Mary stated for extremities and back.
I’m guessing this is more than “here is a pectoral muscle” but more like this is a pectoralis major that is on the upper right posterior quadrant with “some nerves” running parallel to the “some veins” which is supplied via the “yada yada” … (obviously, I’ve not had anatomy yet! :D).
Firehose Drinking
is it weird that after reading that, i feel a strong need to be doing it right now? i mean, beyond the cool-factor of what is going on in that course… i feel like i not only want the chance but even the thought of that pressure to learn gets me going… the only challenges i faced through my previous 3 degrees were ones that i created myself (whether it was doing a 50 page research paper three days before it was due or coming up with a strategic planning proposal for a rather large organization two weeks before my formal presentation to the medical group)…
for once i feel like i will be pushed by someone other than myself (in terms of the coursework mandating it)… im rather excited about this proposition, and know i will get to taste a little of it in the next year, year and a half finishing the prereqs (and that allusive 4.0 in organic chemistry)…
anyone else similar after reading the sample anatomy schedule? (not to derail your thread)
jkp2117 has officially untapped the gunner in herself. Give those kids hell next semester!
My classes start on Monday and I feel like I’m getting ready to race in the Kentucky Derby.
Give 'em hell yourself, Hugz!
and /hugs
go go go go go or as they say in horse racing, “GO BABY GO!”
Not to throw cold water into the shower, but I want to emphasize how different things are b/t Ugrad & med school - so different that you truly cannot relate until you have “been there & done that”.
I went to a tough Ugrad and took 20~25hrs/term because I was convinced - erroneously - that if I were 1 year older when I applied that it would prevent from getting in (I had no one to ask & I was winging it on my own…which was my impetus for starting OPM).
In Ugrad, even with a demanding 20+hr term, you rarely have more than 2 or 3 ‘hard’ courses & the rest of much softer. At my med school, we took the equivalent of 30~36hrs credit EVERY 10 WEEKS and there was never more than 1 fluff course. All of them were very demanding and moved at a lightning pace. For example, on class day 1, our kind-hearted Chair of BioChem Dr. Cendella (we called him the Dark Lord, but we all can to appreciate & respect him tremendously) offered to delay the start of BioChem to do a review of the Chem he felt we needed to succeed in med school. We covered both years of GenChem & Ochem in 2 lectures…and, even with a 2 lecture delay in starting, neither the scheduled exam dates nor their content were adjusted. We simply had to buck up & cover more material.
In Ugrad, professors always call a halt to new material for exams approx a week’s worth of lectures prior to the upcoming exam. In med school, as a rule, if it was talked about the day before, it’s still fair game on the exam tomorrow.
In Ugrad, multiple choice exams will 4~6 choices. If you have put minimal effort into preparation, you can usually eliminate 2 or 3 choices for absurdity and then decide b/t the 2 or 3 left - pretty decent odds, if you are guessing. In med school, professors tend to have huge databanks of exam questions that they can cycle & recycle into & out of exams. You will still have 4 to 6 choices, BUT now - ALL of them are varying shades of correct. A subtle change in either the stem, answer or both and all of them are potentially correct. This is done on purpose because you must be able to discriminate b/t subtle shades of correct.
I learned that this is also a grand way - literally a freaking GOLD MINE - to prepare for exams. At KCOM, student organizations were allowed to keep & sell files of old exams. Your first thought is, “SCORE!” I’ll just run through enough of them to memorize answers. Nope, no dice! Because the professors subtly manipulate stems & answers and you will get your assed BURNED if you are merely trying to do exams by association. HOWEVER, if you have access to old exams and you study by doing those manipulations yourself - you learn the material at the depth they expect you to know it. For every question, I would know why each choice was correct/less-correct and what changes I could make in each option to make it the most-correct. Once I figured out that strategy, my exam scores took flight as did my understanding of the material.
I think you missed something. The link is to the University of Minnesota MED SCHOOL gross anatomy curriculum.
And my point is for those who think it will be 'easy' or 'fun' or 'pushing themselves' to see that truly, the expectations of "just" gross anatomy are not easy, fun, or simple.
I am fully aware the provided link is to a med school program, but my post is in now way referring to the link-content itself. It is, however, relating personal experiences that support your inference/assertion that med school is vastly different than Ugrad.