Holding a job during med school?

I hope you don’t mind my stopping by this section, even though I’m not a med student yet. I’m curious to know if it is possible to work in addition to med school, particularly during the first couple of years. (I imagine once clinical rotations start, you don’t have time to sleep, much less hold a different job.)


I am exploring the possibility of completing a BSN before I go on to med school, and so I’m just wondering if it’d be possible to take some nursing shifts here and there, even if it was only one shift over a weekend, without it getting in the way of med school.


Mary

Some people do it. Don’t count on it, as everyone is different. I had one classmate who took the five-year academic plan (3 years for the first two years and then the regular 2 for junior and senior year) and she had five kids and worked on the weekends.


I did a little tutoring on the side. VERY LITTLE.


But you won’t know until you get there whether you can do it or not.

Mary,


It might be something that you can do during your summer between year 1 and 2, but I would figure that it would highly depend on how you feel when you start. I don’t think until you actually start medical school, will you have an idea of what you can do and cannot do…plus if you have other home responsibilities (i.e. children), you will already be pulled in so many different directions…


This would definitely be a case by case situation.

Many consider it & even attempt it. but, it rarely proves to be durable. Med school is simply too demanding.

I’ve heard of it, but like everyone else, don’t know hardly anyone who did it. I knew a nurse who did some work over the holidays - given the shift differential for holiday work, she probably made more per hour than I do now.


The only summer for work would be some time between MS-1 and MS-2. After you finish MS-2, you study for Step 1 of the Boards, then go straight into third year around July 1st.


Mary

I did it and don’t recommend it. I only worked Friday nights as a CNA but in retrospect, I wish I had taken the time to spend with my husband or relaxing, and maybe even studying. I did not gain any significant additional experience working through my first three years of med school. Fourth year when I wasn’t working was much nicer.

I worked all through the summer after MS-1 and through both Christmas breaks, 2007 and 2008 to earn pocket money. Working during the school year is madness-- medical school is a beyond-fulltime commitment.

Is it possible? Sure… All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial…


Personally, I found medical school to be way too taxing to even think about a job…at anytime…


I mean, consider that we covered an entire semester of junior level genetics and increased the detail required to be memorized by an order of magnitude and did it all in two weeks during biochem and you’ll get an idea…


We covered all of medical microbiology in two weeks along with antibiotics to treat the bugs (the antibiotics alone were 500 ppt slides)…it was so intense that a person with a masters in virology said she had trouble keeping up…


This is not for the faint of heart…most of us tried to get through the material at least 4 to 5 times before an exam with those go getters averaging at least 9 times through the material…it’s just insane what you have to do…


The average day consisted of getting up at 7:30 to make it to class by 8-…in class until either 2 or 5 pm depending on labs…then home to grab a 30 minute nap so you can stay up until 2 or so (forget sitting down for a meal, you eat while studying) to catch 5 or so hours of sleep before the next day…and you’re just barely keeping up with the reading…We used weekends to play catch up with reading/memorizing…and it didn’t quit for two entire years…


Once you hit third, plan on 10 to 12 hours in the hospital with 2 to hours q night of study…to pass…if you want to do well, make it 4 to 5 hours q night…


Again, some people did it…we had a guy in our class who was a speed reading surgical nurse with 10 years experience…he worked about 8 hours a week during the first year.

  • OMTDave Said:
Is it possible? Sure..... All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial.....

Personally, I found medical school to be way too taxing to even think about a job....at anytime.....

I mean, consider that we covered an entire semester of junior level genetics and increased the detail required to be memorized by an order of magnitude and did it all in two weeks during biochem and you'll get an idea......

We covered all of medical microbiology in two weeks along with antibiotics to treat the bugs (the antibiotics alone were 500 ppt slides)....it was so intense that a person with a masters in virology said she had trouble keeping up......

This is not for the faint of heart....most of us tried to get through the material at least 4 to 5 times before an exam with those go getters averaging at least 9 times through the material....it's just insane what you have to do.....

The average day consisted of getting up at 7:30 to make it to class by 8-....in class until either 2 or 5 pm depending on labs....then home to grab a 30 minute nap so you can stay up until 2 or so (forget sitting down for a meal, you eat while studying) to catch 5 or so hours of sleep before the next day....and you're just barely keeping up with the reading....We used weekends to play catch up with reading/memorizing.....and it didn't quit for two entire years.....

Once you hit third, plan on 10 to 12 hours in the hospital with 2 to hours q night of study....to pass...if you want to do well, make it 4 to 5 hours q night......

Again, some people did it....we had a guy in our class who was a speed reading surgical nurse with 10 years experience....he worked about 8 hours a week during the first year.



This seems both scary and thrilling at the same time!