By the time you enter medical school, you’ve already gone through years of schooling. But there’s something about the importance and responsibility of this education that makes it inherently different than anything else you’ve done. As a first-year student, it’s understandable to try to be as prepared as possible.
While no guide can prepare you for everything you might face in your first year, we’ve put together some of the top tips from those who have been in your shoes. Here, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals you should know as a freshman in medical school with a firm foothold.
1. Focus on Building Your Core Knowledge
Chances are, you want to learn as much as you can to ensure you’re the best medical provider you can be. But your freshman year isn’t the time to dig into those intense subjects. Take these semesters to build a solid foundation of core knowledge you can use for the rest of your life.
Most of your classes will teach you the fundamentals of science in various subjects. You’ll learn about biochemistry, physiology, and histology. Let the instructors go at the pace they’ve established for many other students before you. If you want to know more about a subject, hit the library or the internet and research it.
You’ll also learn the general functions of how to be a doctor: medical ethics, performing physical exams, and communicating with patients. The goal of freshman year is to have a strong understanding of the core subjects, not to be able to graduate and head straight into practice. You still have time to cover what you haven’t learned yet.
2. Get Comfortable With Your Learning Style
If you haven’t found your learning style yet, take some time to do so as soon as you can. This far into your education, you’ve probably been told how to take notes, skim and scan textbooks, and cram for tests.
But in the real world, no one pays attention to how you learn as long as you know the information. So, if you don’t learn best by reading a textbook, don’t waste precious hours trying to absorb the words as they swim across your eyes. Find another way to internalize the same information using a method that works for your particular learning style.
If you’d rather work independently, that’s fine — as long as you are open to asking your peers to explain concepts you don’t understand on your own. On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with working in study groups if you learn best through cooperative learning and can do the work independently when needed.
Other learning styles include auditory (listening), kinesthetic (hands-on), and visual (reading and watching). Embrace your best strategy, and you’ll find it easier to absorb the knowledge you need with less time wasted trying to force it into your brain.
3. Be Open to New Fields
Do you already have your heart set on practicing in a certain field of medicine? That could be your dream job, especially if you have a passion for it.
But as you go through medical school, you’ll be exposed to other fields. Keep an open mind. You might that find something you’ve never seen before or paid attention to grabs your interest.
If income is important to you, research the fields that you feel drawn to and how much the average doctor makes in your area. Try to avoid entering a specialty position just because they make a lot of money.
For example, a neurosurgeon may be one of the highest-paid doctors out there (you can compare salaries in the healthcare field in this resource by Physicians Thrive), but it’s also arguably one of the most challenging. You should be passionate about the work you’re doing to avoid burnout.
4. Learn How to Manage Your Finances
You might be surprised to learn that financial literacy is something many physicians struggle with. Sure, they make a lot of money, but it’s easy to misspend it all, too, if one is not careful.
Since COVID-19, it’s even more important to know how to manage your resources. We all saw firsthand the dangers of not having a buffer to cover your expenses if you’re out of work for a while.
The good news is that you can start learning how to manage your finances now, and there’s never been a better time.
Most freshman medical students are on a shoestring budget. Not only is tuition expensive, but it’s difficult to work, study, and go to school at the same time.
Don’t be afraid to say no to spending money on non-necessities. Pay your tuition and rent first, then determine what you have left for everything else. Allocate a certain amount of money to food and essentials. If investing is important to you, talk to a financial advisor about the best ways to build a portfolio on a limited income.
Take baby steps to a healthy economic future now, and you’ll enter your career with good financial habits.
Conclusion
From coursework to managing your money, the freshman year in medical school is full of lessons to learn. Follow these four tips, and you’ll set yourself up for success as a student and after graduation.