Life as a Med Student: What to Expect

You just received notice that you got accepted at your favorite medical school, but now you have all types of doubts running through your head on what to expect as a med student. Or maybe you are ready to mail your medical school applications away but you are really not sure what to expect if you do get accepted. Although everyone's medical school experience is going to be different, there are definitely some basic things that you should expect with life as a med student.

Be prepared for long hours of studying in med school. Your coursework is going to be much harder and more in depth than what your undergraduate studies were. The first two years of medical school are spent in the classroom. Your coursework will comprise of classes in human anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology. You will also have to take classes on medical ethics and the laws of being a medical practitioner.

It's true that your social life is going to have to be set on the back burner and will suffer for at least the first two years of med school. Medical school is not easy. You are cramming so much information into only a few years of school. Fortunately, most colleges will have study groups that are set up for classes that you can join and not only study but be sociable with other students who are going through the same thing as you.

After you complete your first two years of medical school you must past the first part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) so that you can start your rounds in the hospital. The other parts of the USMLE must be passed when before you start your residency after your fourth year of school and the final portion must be passed after completion of your residency to become a fully licensed doctor.

A lot of med students look forward to their third year of medical school as this is when you gain more independence and start gaining more hands-on experience in the medical field. You will have clinicals that you will be assigned in which you gain real-life experience for your career path in medicine. Supervised rounds in the hospital are started during your third year of school.

When your fourth year of medical school comes around, you can worry a lot less about textbooks and classrooms as you will be doing rotations in the local hospital. In your fourth year you will most likely be put on surgical rotations in which you may work with the resident doctors at the hospital.

Medical school is very expensive. Tuition for one year of medical school can range from $7500 at a public school to $30,000 at a private medical college. You then have to add in the cost of books, fees, and other materials needed. Unless you have somebody who is going to pay the full amount of medical school for you, applying for every grant and scholarship is a must. Most med students will graduate with a large student loan bill so unless you have $50,000 sitting around, then be prepared to apply for student loans.

Working a regular job, even part time while going to medical school is virtually impossible. The first two years of med school you are going to need as much time as possible for studying and your classes. The last two years you are going to be putting in full time hours at your clinical, which leaves you no time for a regular job that will pay you money.

You may enter into medical school knowing that you want to work as an oncologist when you graduate, but once you start your rounds in the hospital you may change your mind rather quickly. Know that it not uncommon for med students to start getting the real life experience in their third year of school and decide to take another route and become a different type of doctor. You may do your rounds in the pediatric ward and then know for sure that you now want to become a pediatrician and not an oncologist.

When you attend medical school, it is going to consume your whole life. It will be all that you think about. You will always be wondering if you are going to be able to get a good residency, which may lead to the job of your dreams. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but can help push you further so that you do study and take your clinical seriously.

Lastly, realize that your journey to becoming a licensed doctor is not over after medical school. You will have to complete at least a 3 year residency program before you can take the last exam of the USMLE. If you choose to specialize in a certain field of medicine, you may have to do more up to 5 or 6 years of residency and training. Medical school is the preparation for your residency and arms you with the knowledge that you need to start your career in medicine.

Source: http://www.studentdoc.com/