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Success Tips for First-Year Medical Students

Congratulations on your acceptance to Mount Sinai School of Medicine. You will be entering the halls where a great many physicians and scientists of the past, present, and future have or will make their mark.

First Things First

Before coming to school you should go out and buy either a used or a new copy of "First Aid for USMLE Step1" by Bhushan et al. This book is a great tool to help organize your studying throughout the first two years of medical school and later for Step 1. It has a brief section on studying tips for the pre-clincial years and the book, in general, helps focus the voluminous amount of information into what is clinically important. You should read the sections that go along with the subject areas you are learning at that moment in time. Another nice feature of the book is that at the end there is a list of review books recommended by medical students for each topic area you will have to study. It�s okay to buy a used copy now because come Second Year you should buy the newest version.

Along with the recommended texts the professors say you should buy, it�s also worthwhile to get review books dedicated to each topic area. They help lay down a baseline foundation for understanding the class material that you can build on as you go through the course. Fill it in with important points you learn along the way so that it will be familiar and slightly more thorough reading when it comes time to study for the boards. Most upperclassmen have a good idea of what review books are good. Ask some members of SEOM or look at the list in First Aid. It is hard to tell you which is the best book to use for each subject because everyone learns differently. Get a list of books you heard were good and jump on the downtown 6 train and check out what the books are like at the Barnes and Noble�s Professional Bookstore Medical Section on fifth Avenue and eighteenth Street. Also, if you haven�t done so yet, get a Barnes and Noble discount membership. It costs $25 but it will save you that and a whole lot more over the next year or so. You may be able to get used books from upperclassmen but you will definitely have to buy some new ones.

Another thing is that if you buy a review book and realize half way through the course that it is just not working for you don�t feel bad about putting it down and getting one that does work for you. The new book may make the difference on how effectively you learn the information and how well you do in the class. What is most important is that you are learning and putting things away in long term memory to later retrieve for Step 1.

Classes

Classes at Mount Sinai are Pass/Fail. It takes some stress off things, but you don�t just want to pass. Aim for the mean or higher in each class. Pass/Fail systems pretty much set the stage for how you will do on the boards; the better you learn the material for the class, the easier it will be to relearn it for the boards. Besides, having a nice board score will pay off in the end. Moreover, don�t be discouraged if you aren�t the highest ranked person in your class. The person who graduates at the bottom of the class is still called doctor!

How do you study for your first-year classes?

The key firstly is to ask Second-Years what they did. Don�t be shy to talk to them, they are always happy to give advice. Next thing to do is to understand that repetition is key. Repetition helps move things from short term memory to long term memory. Make up your own mnemonics, flash cards, or flow charts. You can also carry the flashcards around with you when you travel or have some down time. It helps make your studying time more productive. Whatever you put time and effort to create also helps in the memorizing process. Another useful tool for studying is old exams. Classes from year to year hand down old exams. Get copies and study from them. There may be new teachers and new questions on your tests but the old exams help to review. Putting the time and effort in up front will make it easier and a lot less stressful next year when you have to review for the boards.

Another really important thing to know about first-year is to make sure you DO NOT FAIL ANATOMY. It is the only class in all of medical school where you most likely will have to repeat the entire course during the summer between your first and second year and will have to cough up the money for it yourself. Anatomy is a big subject and at times many students feel lost and unsure about what to focus their attention on. Reviewing old exams has been helpful for students in past years. The true key to anatomy is (again) repetition and the use of multiple sources to get the repetition (ie, class notes, syllabus, atlas, the actual body, review books, etc).

What to do if you start falling behind or having trouble with the course material

Things happen...your boyfriend of three years decides to break up with you a week before an exam or a loved one becomes ill. Or maybe you�re just having a hard time understanding what�s most important to learn for a class. If you start to feel like you�re losing your grip on solid and focused studying, it is very important that you talk to the course director, Dr. Ronan, or Dr. Butts sooner rather than later. They are more than willing to point you in the right direction to help you succeed and do well in your classes. There is also a free tutuoring service available that all students should take advantage of.

In closing, study hard these next two years, but also don�t forget the forest from the trees. Make sure you make time for yourself. Get some exercise and don�t let your health wane. Watch that favorite TV show on Saturday night, hang out with your significant other, or just touch base with your non-medical school friends. They may not understand what you are going through, but they will be happy to hear from you and will still be your friends for many years after medical school.