the Life of a Med Student (1 Viewer)

[Skywalker]

I agree with Keen the most here. While some med students practically live in the library, there are also quite a few who bludge for practically a whole "block" (that's 8 weeks in our course), cram in the last 4 days and pass the exams with flying colours.

I don't necessarily condone that sort of study method, but it does seem to work. My personal opinion is that you can do absolutely no work for 5 weeks, cram for 3 and get a decent WAM at the end.

 

[Lexicographer]

But will it make you a better doctor? Come back in five/six years and find out!

Talking to Wilson (inasero) a few months ago on MSN I came across him studying between semesters. When I asked him why (since he wasn't being assessed on anything etc) he said it was "because he doesn't want to be a sucky doctor who kills people". I think that's a very important thing to be reminded of when studying medicine - unlike other courses, marks aren't as important as the actual end towards which you are working.

Lawyers don't really need to "know" everything they learn at uni, they can always look it up later without any harm being done. Doctors, however, for the most part need to actually know their stuff at one point or another. Failing to do so means dead patients, lawsuits...not fun.

 

[Keen]

Sorry to bit a bit of a dick here Lexi but I think those people who use the "to become a better doctor excuse" are just kidding themselves.
I mean I worry a bit at the people who just pass and you know don't really have a clue (not too many of these thankfully).
But this is usually the excuse used by study freaks to keep their addiction going, I've seen (and live with) people who live 22/7 in their rooms, and I've heard that excuse and the truth of the matter is that these people in general don't know their material better or only slightly than the people who study a 1/6 of what they do.

They either study too much so they burn themselves out (eg. one person who in exam prep forgets some really basic stuff they learnt the day before, but still keeps themselves studying more and more and more and more in the pursuit of being a better doctor - and to be honest I don't think they'll be a better doctor than anyone I know). Medicine is about getting a feel about it all and gaining the competance and thoroughness with knowledge to provide a solid foundation. These people try and learn everything and usually miss the foundation (a skill learnt from year 12).
Or otherwise they just need to stay in their room and are just procrastinating and need to organise their time more as they feel BAD if they're not in their room studying, so they end up wasting hours everyday, unproductively when they could be socialising.

I think both and similar signs an symptoms are psychological disorders seen vastly in the medical field (with the lazy bums having their own list). Not to label these people as crazy but it's just my opinion and these people usually aren't as great as people and they think they are. It's a dillusion, which has helped them get this far, but needs to be toned down a bit to enjoy medicine and life enjoying happiness.

This is my opinion and many people will disagree but I think it's a fair representation of what I see


Keen

 

[Lexicographer]

Fair enough Mark, but in this case I wasn't talking about study freaks (who I too know all too well). I was talking about Wilson, who was just leisurely perusing his textbook in search of a little more understanding of a topic he came across in PBL a while back. That's definitely not study-freak behaviour, just a genuine interest in the material pushing him ahead.

 

[inasero]

Fair enough Mark, but in this case I wasn't talking about study freaks (who I too know all too well). I was talking about Wilson, who was just leisurely perusing his textbook in search of a little more understanding of a topic he came across in PBL a while back. That's definitely not study-freak behaviour, just a genuine interest in the material pushing him ahead.

wow im surprised you remember even that conversation...must be about 6 months ago now? Anyhows the problem is if I study, I get average results, and if I don't, who knows? I certainly don't want to find out the hard way
Anyhows, studying is good- makes me feel like a real med student.

 

[Lexicographer]

My memory is about the only impressive thing about me, and given how frequently it fails me I don't really understand that at all.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

wow im surprised you remember even that conversation...must be about 6 months ago now? Anyhows the problem is if I study, I get average results, and if I don't, who knows? I certainly don't want to find out the hard way
Anyhows, studying is good- makes me feel like a real med student.

id have to agree with inasero here,,

keen: most are just tongue-in-cheek comments .. i do lik the stuff we do.. but lik sumdays u just feel a lil bored and add a lil extra.. and i still hav an average social life.. btw there is a reason i do a lil extra.. ull see in yr 3-4...

 

[Skywalker]

But will it make you a better doctor? Come back in five/six years and find out!

And what's your definition of a "better" doctor? Somebody who knows EVERYTHING in the textbooks but can't communicate with their patients? Surely that wasn't the reason cutoffs are no longer 99.75 and interviews were introduced, right?

I didn't say cramming for 4 days before an exam was the ideal way to get through med school, and since I only just finished first year, it's possible that the people I know who do this will run into trouble further along the track. However, I don't think anyone is in a position to comment on whether people will make good doctors or not depending on their study habits.

 

[inasero]

yep true...i envy people who can cram a few days before exams and ace them...as I envy people who study hard and ace them. By the way Skywalker how were your study habits and did they serve you well when you got your results back?

 

[Lexicographer]

And what's your definition of a "better" doctor? Somebody who knows EVERYTHING in the textbooks but can't communicate with their patients? Surely that wasn't the reason cutoffs are no longer 99.75 and interviews were introduced, right?

I didn't say cramming for 4 days before an exam was the ideal way to get through med school, and since I only just finished first year, it's possible that the people I know who do this will run into trouble further along the track. However, I don't think anyone is in a position to comment on whether people will make good doctors or not depending on their study habits.

No, actually, that's not my definition of a better doctor at all. I honestly don't know why you've interpreted my comments as idolising the stereotypical study-freak who can't relate to anyone.

What I was asking was if doing...

absolutely no work for 5 weeks, cram for 3 and get a decent WAM at the end

...would make you a better (in this context, "decent") doctor. I was most certainly NOT comparing you to the study-freak above, but rather the medical student who studies consistently (which is NOT the same as excessively) and pursues interisting references he comes across in PBLs. This methodology and a student's patient interaction skills, by the way, are mutually independent. Holding onto the idea that "academic fervour is inversely proportional to social aptitude" is both childish and misleading.

Alas, I am (still) not a med student - so before anyone tries to use that fact to declare everything I've said as null and void I will stop here.

 

[Keen]

Ok, I think we need some clarifying.
Yes I was referring to study freaks who HAVE to put every second of the day towards studying.
I really don't see a big problem with studying over the holidays, I'll have to do some before I go back because I think I've nearly forgotten everything - sadly my memory has more holes than a tea bag.
For Alvin, I like doing a little bit extra and random studying especially for PBL it makes it fun and interesting. What are you referring to in year 3-4, the fact that we do the same stuff in more depth, hmn, maybe it is useful but most of it you'll forget but it's always good to go over it for the 2nd time rather than the first, but no need to kill yourself doing this.

I'm a big fan of the consistent study, 3-4 hrs consistently a night, more when you have the time eg. weekends. And I don't think you can learn and understand hte course properly by cramming (I don't think this will really be possible after 1st year), but yeah all I'm saying is enjoy studying (and I do - I love doing PBL research) but give yourself permission to have spare time and enjoy it.


Keen

 

[ishq]

BMP- Bonded medical places..
MRBS- Medical rural bonded scholarships..

both involve 6 yr bonded to a place of workplace shortage..
one is HECS and the other is a scholarship..

Who gets these? At which universities? How?

 

[velox]

UNSW offers them. Search on google, you'll be able to find some more info.

 

[Bob.J]

Who gets these?

only those who apply for a BMP or MRBS are considered for a place, but they're still mighty competitive

At which universities? How?

Govt has made it compulsory to have bonded places as well as rural scholarship places at EVERY med school in oz. I read somewhere 16% of places has to be bonded.

How?

What?

 

[ishq]

What?

Thanks.
You answered the how? in the who?

UNSW offers them. Search on google, you'll be able to find some more info.

Okay. I just did. So, why would someone want a bonded place when they can get a non-bonded one?
I can understand the second option - getting a scholarship - but the first has no monetary (or otherwise) benefits involved....right?

 

[neo o]

I know quite a few girls who went to my school freaked out, because UNSW rang them up and told them that they may not be accepted into a non bonded place, and that they should consider taking a bonded position (this is of course before results were released).

Incidentally all of those girls got in heh.

 

[Estel]

heh bonded places seem basically like deferred full fee

 

[velox]

Bonded is easier to get in, and if ur from a rural place, you may want to go back to a rural place and practice there.

 

[inasero]

'Bonded' is not deferred, nor is it full fee.
What it means is that if you scrape into medicine...you will be be given the option of accepting a place or the place is offered to the next eligible candidate. If you do accept the offer, you will have to work in a rural area for six years afterwards and what you do afterwards is up to you.
It's not that bad...people associate rural areas as being isolated and lacking basic infrastructure, but under the RMAA classifications even Coffs Harbour is considered as being a rural area.
Don't get Bonded places confused with MRBS (Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships). This is offered to anyone who enters medicine (except for Bonded students of course) and then candidates have to sit an interview assessing their committment to rural medicine. These scholars also dedicate six years but they get a nice sum of $22,000 per year in the medical course.

 

[Estel]

I said bonded seems like deferred full fee because when you find you don't want to work in a rural area as a result of family/whatever other reason, you have to pay the full cost of your degree + inflation... but by this time you're at a point where you actually have money.

Well at least that's the way I see it.