Season 2 / Year 2
Looking back on my first year of medical school, I can't help but remember the vow I made to myself: "Do not carry your mistakes into second year". The plan was simple—to do better and be better. After receiving my grades and receiving a pass, I knew it was time to reflect on how my second year went. I’m reflecting not only on how far I’ve come, but also on how I can continue to grow and build on the lessons I’ve learnt throughout the year.
As I reflect, I hope to offer others some insight into what medical school is really like and share the lessons I’ve learnt; particularly what not to do! As a whole this journey has been filled with challenges, lessons, and moments of self-discovery, and I hope my experiences can provide some insight for those who are just beginning their own journey. 👣
Short Outline:
WWW - I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding oof clinical medicine, particularly the pathology of diseases, which built on my knowledge of anatomy and physiology that I studied the previous year. Additionally, I met new people by starting a society for my church! ✝️
EBI - I wish I had been a bit more proactive with my work and avoided leaving things to last minute.
WN - I plan to explore the city a bit more, finish things earlier, engage in my hobbies more and continue to work on my productivity 😁
(WWW = What went well? / EBI - Even better if... / WN = What next?)
In-depth Outline:
Episode 1: The 6 Week Project
➖ In September 2023, I began my second year of medical school! The academic year began with a 6-week project. My project was an audit on the occurrence of physical health checks in psychosis clinics. It involved collecting data from the clinic and then creating tables and graphs to illustrate the findings. UK standards require clinics to conduct and update 80% of physical health checks to meet the national standard. My time spent at the clinic and writing the audit was fantastic! I love research and writing, so it was an especially enjoyable phase for me! 🤩
➖ During this time, I was well-prepared and organised. I set an early date to complete and submit the audit and presentation. As a result, I was able to receive feedback and submit my work a week ahead of the deadline! In the end, I had some free time before my lectures started in November! 🥹
Episode 2: The Beginning Of Lectures
➖ In November and December, my lectures began. We covered introductions to clinical sciences (pathology, immunology, pharmacology, and microbiology), as well as endocrinology, where we studied conditions such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, SIADH, Addison's disease, and more.
➖ With the few days I had after submitting my project, I decided to spend some time planning how I would organise myself for the year. Fortunately, at Sheffield Medical School, our peer teaching society provides an overview of what the year will be like and the key things we need to know. From this, I was able to establish how I would take notes, organise my digital space, and develop a routine to stay on top of the material being covered.
➖ At this point I believed second year was going well, and I felt prepared for the rest of the year. 📚
(Subscribe to my youtube channel where I will be posting vlogs and giving advice!)
Episode 3: The New Year
➖ Similarly to first year, the new year began after a very unproductive Christmas break. However, I've come to appreciate breaks where I don't study, because it wouldn't really be a break right!❕
(Not necessarily wise advise for anyone with January exams! Mine were all end of year!)
➖ Semester two began in mid-January 2024, and time started to fly by! At this point, my university had introduced a sign-in system that required a code and proximity to the lecture location. While many found this inconvenient, it likely saved people, myself included, from a lot of procrastination. Thanks to this change, I snapped out of my holiday mindset and got back into a solid routine of reviewing lectures and taking notes on the conditions we were learning about.
Episode 4: Note Taking But Not Revising
➖ Although I was attending my lectures and creating the notes I needed to study for my exams, I unfortunately wasn’t setting aside time to review them. I think the main reason was that I convinced myself I had enough time to review them later. But one thing medical school teaches you is: “Don’t underestimate the amount of content you need to cover!”
➖ Second year came with a lot of content, and being naive about the workload is definitely not a good place to be! Fortunately, in February, I made two new medic friends, and we decided to form a study group. Joining the girls to study was the catalyst I needed to snap out of my slump and start reviewing the notes I had been making.
➖ "Find friends to study and make plans with!" When you're surrounded by motivated people, it helps keep you motivated too! Even if you prefer studying alone, knowing that others are going through the same challenges can be reassuring. Plus, there's always something someone else can teach you! 🫶🏾
Episode 5: Do Not Copy Study Techniques
➖ It was probably about a month before the exams when I had an epiphany about just how much I needed to know, so I started looking for the best ways to learn the material. My initial plan was to review my notes, but after hearing others talk about using flashcards, I figured I should try converting my notes into flashcards to help with my learning. It probably took me two weeks to fight through the procrastination and finally have the flashcards ready to use. However, I think I only went through them once or twice before I decided to return to my notes and review them in their original format.
➖ While I think flashcards are great for learning very specific details, when I used them, I didn’t feel like I was truly learning... I felt more like I was just memorising. So, I switched back to reviewing my notes, which worked much better for me. I found that reading and understanding the material helped me grasp the conditions more thoroughly, making it easier to remember the necessary investigations and treatments. Clearly, I'm a "notes girlie," and that's perfectly fine! 😛
(Find out how you best learn and stick to it! )
➖ To expand a bit more on my notes, I included tables and diagrams that illustrated the condition, how it affected the body (pathophysiology), the 1st/gold standard investigations and treatments, as well as other relevant details. In addition, my study group friends had notes on drug classes and their functions, which really helped solidify my understanding of the pharmacology behind most of the condition's treatments.
➖ Other medical students used mind maps, blurting methods (which I also used and recommend), tables, flashcards, and, finally, question banks and past papers. 📝
(I personally didn't use online questions banks as I didn't have time to start them and I felt I had enough resources from my own notes to help me pass my exams! )
My Final Comments:
Last year, I said, "It is genuinely never too late to start!" and now, after this year, I want to say:
"When you start, start smart!"
If you know what study methods work best for you, stick with them! Everyone learns differently, and you should cater to your own learning style to help you absorb information. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try new techniques (definitely experiment with them) but I’d recommend not introducing new methods too close to exam time. If you’ve been wanting to try something different, give it a go at the start of the academic year, a few months before your exams, so you can avoid unnecessary risks!
To wrap things up, second year has really taught me about the complexities of various medical conditions and it has been eye-opening to learn not just the science, but the real-life application of these conditions. Overall, it’s a privilege to be exposed to such valuable experiences and knowledge, and I’m excited to continue learning and growing into a better doctor each day. 🩺
In the months to come, I plan to keep working on my productivity, and my next big goal is to find a balance between notes and other resources for medical school, like question banks (Pass medicine, Quesmed, etc.).
To anyone starting this journey, I truly wish you the best, and if you ever need advice or support, feel free to reach out to me on my social media platforms. I hope that after reading this, you feel inspired to join me on more adventures, which I’m excited to share in the months to come! 🌱
"Growth is a process! So be patient with yourself and enjoy the journey you take." - SIG
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