How to survive first year in med school

Okay, so let me begin by extending my heartfelt congratulation to you because you have just survived the eye of the needle to med school! The pre-med years were actually difficult because of the toxic subjects like analytical Chemistry, Physics I and II, Trigonometry (well obviously those subjects that include numbers and nerve-wracking solving, which are by the way, my weaknesses). Give yourself some credit for doing all the recommendation letters needed to pass on time, striving hard to get a "decent" score in your NMAT, passing your MCAT, dealing with the interviews, and now going into your dream medical school!

Personally speaking, I don't know how I survived my first year and how I got promoted. I really don't have any idea how I did it. All I know is that I was really struggling to survive EACH DAY (as in legit! I'm not even kidding). If you'll ask all your upperclassmen, they would say that your first year is the easiest year. I assume that is because you will only have at least six (6) subjects which are: Gross Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Histology, Family Medicine, and Emergency Medicine (this is an elective subject for us so it depends on your school). I will try to give you tips on how to survive your first year in med school (the best way I can do):

1. Keep it cool. You might be thinking, "how will I keep it cool when there is a handful of work to do?!". I am dead serious, keep it cool, mate! Take a minute, relax, breathe in, breathe out, tell yourself that you can do it. Do not panic every time you feel like your sanity is leaving you with nothing else but a pile of books to read. Chill ka lang, matatapos mo 'yan lahat. I wanna share with you a bible verse that I always read when I feel like everything is falling apart.

So yes, keep it cool. Little by little, focus on your goal for the day and you'll see that you are making progress.

2. Stick to your to-do list. So before you start studying, you wrote a list of the things that are needed to be accomplished for the day. But you just realized that it's too many and your clock is ticking so fast. The result? YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING, ALL. AT. ONCE. Giiiiiiirl, kumalma ka! Remember that you WILL NEVER finish a thing when you hustle so bad!

3. No loners, have a wolf pack (as how Jason Spears call it). Be friendly! In Medicine, to be honest, you can't be anti-social because you will really need a strong support system especially when the time comes that the road is being a bumpy one. There is a diverse kind of students in med school but be the friendly one. I mean it, because you will never know who's your real study buddy. Also, referrals din 'yan kapag doctor na kayo lahat! hehe.

4. Set your boundaries and strongly stick with it. Have your self-control when it comes to distractions. Nowadays, you need to be the one to avoid the distractions because they are all over the place. So you might as well practice to stick to your boundaries. If you're studying, focus on it. If you're taking a break, make sure it won't take longer than your study time. If you want to rest, then take a good 15-30 minutes nap. Disiplina sa sarili lang 'yan!

5. Do not over read and memorize. Medicine is all about application and I know that there are certain things that need to be memorized. But what I'm trying to say is do not memorize everything! I remember our Physiology professor, Dra. Gomez, who told us to read through the topic in the book 10 times. Read it fast while you try to comprehend bits of information then read it again and again until you can recall most of the info that you have read. There are students who opt to memorize when they can't understand the topic. My advice? Read your topics 10 times, read your lecture notes, then memorize those that are needed to be memorized like the normal values and whatnot. Also, I record the lectures then listen to it as if it is my music playlist. That way, I can recall the things that I have read in the book while I actually "rest".

P.S. okay so I know I said do not over read then I said read 10 times. What I mean by do not over read is that you should not come to a point that you are just scanning through the pages!

6. Be organized. Not just with the school stuff but with your weekly calendar. Med school is no easy peasy lemon squeezy! You will tend to forget your schedules of shifting exams or whatnot. I advice you to have a small notebook or a desk calendar where you can take note of the days when you will submit something or have an examination.

7. Try different study habits until you find which is the most effective way. I struggled a lot with my study habit because back when I was in college, I used to sleep when I got home from school, wake up at 12 am and study until 5 or 6 in the morning. Apparently, in med school, it was not a good idea. Since we have a lot to read and study, the time is not always enough. Also, when I sleep after school, I tend to wake up later than my alarm. Know that this is your adjustment period, so try different study habits and choose the one that is the most effective yet comfortable way for you.

8. Believe in yourself. Cliche as it may sound pero ito ang realidad!! You have to. You need to. You should and you must. Because if you won't believe in yourself, how can you finish med school when you're doubting your capabilities? 'Di ba? Nakaya ko nga eh, kaya mo din 'yan!

9. Do not waste your time on things that can be set aside. My friends will always hear me saying, "stoic lang dapat!". I don't know, maybe it's my way of saying "I wouldn't like to worry about things that aren't connected to med school". You won't forgive yourself when you give attention to the things that are not worthy of your time (#HUGOT haha jk). Instead of worrying and being anxious, nako mag-aral ka na lang. Sayang 'yung oras! FOCUS ON YOUR GOAL. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE!

10. Always pray. Above all these tips, prayer is your best source of strength and motivation. Remember Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Each time I feel like I'm having my breakdowns and I just wanna quit, I pray to God that he gives me guidance, wisdom, and strength so I can continue what I am doing. Believe me, it works!