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Jonathan Carnino, MS1

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Age: 24
Hometown: Foxboro, MA
Undergrad: Boston University
Major: Human Physiology

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

My typical day of medical school starts with waking up around 5/5:30am, having my coffee, then going straight to school for studying or working on one of my research projects. I usually study/work every morning until my first class of the day, which is usually at 8am or 9am. For 3/5 days of the week, we finish class by 12pm at the latest and the afternoon we are free to use as we wish. On those days I head home, eat lunch, then continue studying until 3/4pm. I try my best to give a hard cut off of 5pm every day, and use my nights to cook, exercise, watching Netflix, and decompress. In a typical week, 2/5 days we have “Doctoring” in the afternoon which usually runs until 4pm. With morning classes being typical curriculum, “Doctoring” is where we learn how to actually be a doctor. One day is used for clinical skill practicing, longitudinal preceptorship, or standardized patient interviewing. The other day of Doctoring is small group learning where we go through patient cases and develop our clinical reasoning skills. After these Doctoring afternoons I typically take the afternoon off as described above. Most weekends are pretty busy with studying or working on research, so I usually start early around 7am and finish by 3 or 4pm. I always use the weekend after an exam to rest and recharge, not allowing myself to start any work until at least mid day Sunday. I definitely start my days front heavy but it’s always worth it to have my afternoons/nights free to do whatever I want. That’s a typical day!

Are there unique aspects to the curriculum at your medical school or niches that your medical school has emphasized with respect to medical education?

BUSM definitely puts an extra emphasis on incorporating social determinants of health and serving the underserved into our curriculum. 2-3 times a semester we have an entire week blocked off called “LEADS”. The workload these weeks is very low but there’s a full schedule of didactics, physician panels, and small group case work that we work on. For those interested in incorporating this into their medical education, BUSM is definitely a program worth considering. In addition, the faculty is certainly open to student feedback and we’ve seen our recommendations be implemented in real time as we go through the year. This is probably not as common at other schools and really appreciated by the students.

What clubs and organizations (both academic or non-academic) are you a part of? Additionally, are there any organizations or club events (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

So far I’ve joined Socially Responsible Surgery, Surgical Society, some interest groups (Otolaryngology, EM, Anesthesia), and BU Mentoring for Aspiring Physician Students (MAPS). Socially Responsible Surgery is actually a growing national group that was started at BUSM a few years back by our trauma department. They’re expanding rapidly and there’s definitely a lot of neat opportunities coming from that. Even if you don’t end up at BUSM, it’s worth checking to see if your school has the club too, and if not, start a chapter of your own! MAPS is definitely my favorite, and although it’s specific to BU, I am sure every program has a similar club involved in mentorship. I have really loved working with pre-meds in the area and offering them advice on MCAT studying, application tips, and any other questions that come up.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some of the more common things you or your classmates have done in the surrounding area during your free time/for fun? 

The main teaching hospital (which is physically attached to the school) is BMC. BMC is the largest safety net hospital in New England and is situated in an area that makes it very accessible to the underserved communities in the area. An obvious side effect of its proximity is some low levels of crime nearby, but the University police do a fantastic job of keeping the students safe and comfortable. There’s genuinely never been a report of any student having a problem walking around the area that I know of, but just wanted to mention this before people visit! Even if it may not look the safest one block away, I assure you the community is great and everyone looks out for one another. Our class so far has planned a few social events such as group discounts at local bars, a ski trip to Vermont, and many other smaller events. I’m biased but Boston is genuinely the greatest city there is. We have absolutely amazing food, you can never run out of places to try. We have many great bars and breweries in the city. Lots of fun stuff like kayaking in the summer, rock climbing places, and things like that. Plus, if you like to snowboard or ski like me, it’s just a short 2 hour drive to some decent mountains in NH/VT.

Some people end up going to medical school very close to where they grew up where as others move to a completely new place. Depending on your personal experience, can you describe how the location of your medical school relative to your family/support system/home base has affected your experience?

I grew up in MA and went to school in Boston just an hour away from my hometown. I really do appreciate being nearby home, but I still feel far enough away that my life is very much separate from my family/friends from home. If I ever want to run home for dinner one night or stay a weekend, I have the luxury of it being nearby. But if I need time to myself and really need to study/focus, I’m far enough that I don’t end up being bothered.

How would you describe the social scene outside of medical school?

Although our class size is pretty big (I think ~160, don’t quote me), the class doesn’t feel too big. Everyone seems to know each other to some degree or at least of one another. We are constantly being rotated into different groups so at this point 6 months in I would assume everyone has met one another at least once. Most people are open to share their study resources like notes or Anki decks, so I don’t believe we have any sort of competition between one another. Plus, being fully P/F pre-clinical with no internal rankings, there’s really no need for competition which has fostered a great atmosphere in the class.

How has your medical school facilitated physical and mental well-being? To expand on this question….Do you think your program has prioritized the well-being of its students? Do you have access to a gym or other ways of exercising? Do you have access to mental health resources? 

It seems BUSM offers just about any resource a student could need. If you’re falling behind in class or need to retake an exam, the school sets you up with a tutor to help you catch up and get back on track. Need to miss class for a doctor appt., from what I’ve heard the school has no problem with that. They emphasize the top priority being the students well-being, and second priority being that you are keeping up with class and succeeding. The student dorm has a gym and all medical students have access (for free) to BU’s undergrad gym. Overall I think the resources are there it’s just about seeking them out.

How has your medical school helped you connect with mentors and how have these mentors helped you?

As for general career mentors, we are assigned to an AME advisor from day 1 who we see weekly for Doctoring class and also meet with every semester 1 on 1. These advisors are all super nice people who are open to students emailing them at any point and/or meeting for extra time. I definitely feel supported in general by the faculty and our advisors. As for research, just like every school there are some departments/professors who are extremely open to having a student take on a project with them, then there are some who are not. If you sent out 6 emails looking for research, I’m sure at least 4 would answer you if that helps get an idea. BUSM loves research and is pretty well ranked in terms of NIH funding.

During your first and second year of medical school, what exposure to clinical medicine have you had? Are there unique experiences during the pre-clinical years that expose medical students to patient interaction?

Fall of M1 you start interviewing patients in the hospital just 2-3 weeks in. I LOVED this. It was great interview experience but also really “broke the ice” for students that were nervous for their first patient encounters. Spring of M1 we have longitudinal preceptorship, which is basically working under a physician in their clinic 1x a week for 3-4 hours. In preceptorship, we’ll have the opportunity to do everything from patient interview, physical exam, presenting the patient, etc.

What would you say has been the most difficult part of medical school? An alternative question…what do you think has been the biggest sacrifice you have made in going to medical school?

The most difficult part of medical school, I think, is that you need to be much more disciplined. For example, staying up till 1am in college to binge watch a Netflix series you’re hooked on was okay. But now, I feel like if I don’t get enough sleep just one night my entire day becomes a waste and I end up 1 day behind. Then I just need to work even harder the rest of the week or all weekend to make up for that. It’s really easy to fall behind.

If you could go back in time to the beginning of your undergraduate years, what advice would you give yourself?

If I could go back, I wish I enjoyed undergrad a bit more. I worked 20-25 hours a week throughout undergrad while taking classes full-time, and that really cut back on how much I got to enjoy the experience overall. I definitely underestimated the time commitment medical school would take, and while you still have some time for fun, it’s just a fraction of what was available in undergrad. I just wish I enjoyed it back then while I still had time to.

What else would you like to share with future medical students?

I was actually a reapplicant. I applied right out of undergrad and had an unsuccessful cycle. At the time, I was so upset and felt like this was going to just set me back and delay my life. In retrospect, it was the greatest thing that could’ve happened to me so far in my journey. I spent those 2 years working in biotech drug development, was able to properly study for my MCAT and do really well the second time around, plus reconnected with some friends. Overall, I grew so much as a person in terms of maturity and that helped me feel truly prepared going into medical school. Moral of the story is, don’t rush your way into medical school. Very few people are emotionally prepared to start right out of high school, so don’t be afraid to take some time off. You absolutely won’t regret it in the long run.

Kyung Park, MS2

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From Dallas, Texas
Washington University in St. Louis, B.S. Biology

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Right now, I am currently in a course where we are transitioning to clinical experiences so typically we are in classes 8-5 PM for the next 2 weeks. For pre-clinicals, my weekly schedule varied depending on which classes I had but my typical schedule looked like this below: Monday: Mechanism of Health and Disease Content Application Sessions 9 AM -12 PM (MHD CAS is our main basic sciences course during our didactics) and rest of the day was white space which means we can use that time as we need such as studying, working on research, ECs, and so on. Tuesday: 8 AM-12 PM Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship 1 (LIC 1) where we were are assigned to a preceptor in either family medicine or internal medicine and see patients in clinic approximately 1-2 times a month. If I did not have LIC 1, I would have my Scholarly Pursuit and Thesis course (SPT) from 1 PM – 3 PM which is a class to help people go over the fundamentals of research, help find a mentor, or work on our projects as we need to complete a thesis to graduate. Wednesday: Mechanism of Health and Disease Content Application Sessions 9 AM -12 PM. 12 PM- 1PM was lunch. Then I had Clinical Skills (CS) 1 PM – 5 PM where we learned the basics of gathering a history, writing a HPI, and how to do a physical exam. Sometimes, it would alternate the Compassionate Practice course (TCP) from 1 PM – 3 PM where we learned skills related to communication and empathy through humanities pedagogies and Preparation for Practice (P4P) where we discussed topics of ethics, healthcare policy, patient safety, population health, and team-based care. Thursday: MHD CAS 9 AM-12 PM. Rest of the day was white space Friday: MDH CAS 9 AM-12 PM: Rest of the day was white space. For most people the schedule can vary when you have your other classes (SPT, TCP, P4P, CS, and LIC1) but we all had the same MHD schedule. We also had a course called Future Accelerators of Medicine and Beyond (FAB) where we talked about the future of medicine and topics such as design thinking, genomics, AI, and screening assays throughout the year.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

Honestly, I think undergraduate material was harder than medical school in terms of material difficulty; however, the sheer amount of material that you are expected to learn is a lot more than I had to learn during my undergraduate career. I think being pass/fail during our didactics helps minimize stress and allows us to focus more on learning the material. Also being in a class of 60 students, the faculty are incredibly invested in your success and often know us by name, which was a big departure from undergraduate when I could be in a course with over 900 students.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I procrastinate a lot less than I did during my undergraduate career. I also think I have become more of an independent learner during medical school as our curriculum is built for students to really become responsible for their own education and learn to customize their studying. Our school gives you all the tools to succeed but it is your responsibility as a medical student to take advantage, be on top of your work, and be in charge of your own education to prepare us for our future careers.

How would you describe the student culture at your school? Are there special events or activities that you consider very representative of the culture at your institution? What influence has this culture had on your experience in medical school thus far?

As a whole, I think our student culture is welcoming and students are willing to help support each other. As a new school, I think there is a sense of excitement with being able to leave a legacy and a focus on exploring ways to improve our school and the student experience. With a class size of 60, each class forms a tight bond with each other as we spend so much time with one another. We are paired with a “big” which is a medical student one year above us to give us advice, guidance, and an additional resource. We are each assigned to one of the 6 houses, which creates even more sense of a tight knit community as they each have their own events such as my house holding an annual potluck. Each house has 2 coaches, and I think the coaches embody the values of our school very well. My coaches always check in after exams, provide career advice, and have been some of the biggest advocates for me at the school. The sheer amount of resources and support I have been given truly has made the transition to medical school a lot easier and less terrifying to navigate. Also having access to the TCU university main campus, allows us to interact with the undergraduate students. This has given my classmates and I access to multiple opportunities to engage with the TCU culture and participate in school events such as going to several sporting events such as tailgating football games, which have been some of the most fun moments of my 1st year.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school and the things you do for fun? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

I think Fort Worth is a hidden gem. It has all the perks and resources of a big city but has the community and feels like a smaller city. For fun, Ft. Worth is known for the stockyards so I recommend getting a nice pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat as well. There is a robust nightlife scene such as West 7th or even the stockyards with tons of cool bars and clubs to go relax/have fun with friends after tests or stressful weeks of medical school. There are tons of museums such as the modern art museum, Amon Carter museum, science and history museum that are cheap if not free! There is also the Fort Worth Zoo which is named one of the best zoos in America (some people debate this) and the botanical garden nearby, which host tons of events throughout the year. Lots of classmates also go explore Dallas which is only a 30-40 minute drive and also has tons of fun things to do as well (tons of great Asian food too!)

What would you consider strengths of your medical school?

Independence during phase 1! You have a lot of white space that you are able to do things you love and find balance. Tons of friend went rock climbing, weekly sand volleyball, extracurriculars, and whatever else makes you stay sane. Early clinical exposure is another strength because it really helps ground you and remind you why you are grinding and studying every day. I looked forward to being in clinic and it really helped correlate everything I learned from the main basic science course. We are also NBME tests only so you can use all the board resources and start studying early (just make sure to keep up!).

What resources have been most useful to you in self-learning medical school material or in expanding on material taught in class? Can you briefly describe how you have incorporated them into your learning routine?

It really depends on each person because everyone learns differently. I personally used B&B, Anki, Pathoma, Amboss, and Scholar Rx practice questions (this resource is free but the other ones are not). We get “bricks” which are online chapters to read so I would skim and find the topics on B&B and watch those videos. If I was really struggling, I would watch Pathoma as well and Anki the cards. Then the weekend before and during exam week, I would do all the relevant ScholarRx questions and do more Amboss questions for extra practice.

How much/well have you been able to develop clinical skills alongside your classroom work first and second year? What does your institution do to help you develop clinical skills before the clinical years?

So we have a clinical skills class, which I thought was really good at teaching you the basics. The beginning half focused a lot on history taking but midway it picked up a lot as you begin to learn the physical exam for different organ systems (ie. The cardiac physical exam). The cohort faculty are true gems of the program and they go above and beyond to make sure you learn. Almost every session, we would interact with a standardized patient and have a simulation to help us practice our skills. We have a final OSCE during phase 1 and a full head to toe exam check before you begin clinical rotations to ensure you are ready before you start seeing real patients.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

Travel more and have fun! I kept thinking that I needed to grind nonstop, and once I got into medical school that I could relax. I fell into the trap of hyper focusing on the destination instead of enjoying the journey. You will always be busy but there is always a way to include fun hobbies or trips during the year. Also make sure to take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally because it is a long journey and medical school will test you in ways you did not expect. So make sure you have a great support system!

Given the number of obstacles we face en route to a career in medicine, everyone at some point feels doubtful of themselves. How has this affected you and what has helped you persevere through these sorts of feelings?

I think self-doubt is one of the most common things to feel in medical school. My biggest change that has helped me has been being kinder to myself and reframing my mindset. I think medical students are often really hard on themselves and I have had to work through being okay not knowing everything. It is impossible for a person to know everything in medicine, but I can always strive to know more and do better the next time!

How do you maintain your mental health while balancing school, work, family, and other social obligations?

TCU is phenomenal when it comes to mental health resources, particularly we have a counselor who is designated for medical students only and she has been wonderful so far! The school also provides Headspace which is an app that provides mediations and helps calm you down when you have a lot going on. The coaches have also been super helpful (they are mandatory reporters), and they have reminded me to take care of my mental health, especially when I was busy and would try to focus solely on school. The most important thing for me has been having a solid support system like I mentioned above. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my best friends, peers, and my coaches in medical school.

Does your medical school provide access to lecture recordings/podcasts?

TCU is mandatory in person “content application sessions”. So you will have in-person classes and they are usually not recorded. I have had friends record it via voice memos or share notes. The school provide bricks and the faculty share their slideshow presentations afterwards, which is often more than sufficient. We use ScholarRx, which has an associated podcasts with topics we cover, and some of the episodes I listened to were helpful. The school also provides Osmosis which can be a great review and explanation of topics that you need a little bit more clarification on.

How are your pre-clinical and clinical course work graded? (Pass/Fail, Honors, etc.)

Preclinical is P/F which has been such a blessing. Clinical are graded; however, only the outpatient experiences are graded (H/P/F). After you finish phase 1 (the didactics), you have immersions which is 10 weeks of nonstop inpatient rotations (IM, OB/GYN, Surgery, and Pediatrics). During this time, you do not get any grades, but you do get feedback from your preceptors, which helps you figure out areas of improvement. This is different compared to my friends at other schools who get thrown into clinicals and are graded right away. TCU gives its students 10 weeks to just really go and learn as much as we can without having to worry about grades.

Nick Bacher, MS3

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New York Medical College
University of North Carolina (Transfer)
Age 27
From Rural Upstate New York

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

It’s hard to say! First year was very much more regimented with labs and lectures in the day and studying and free time at night. Second year was more self-study: get up, study, lunch, study, dinner, relax, sleep. Lab sessions and group exercises were probably 2-3 days per week on average. During dedicated it was just get up, study, sleep, repeat. Now that I am starting third year next week, I don’t know what’s to come!

I’m also involved in several extracurriculars and student organizations, and I’ve always made time for those and time to just relax. Time management is a skill that you learn whether you want to or not, and it’s possible to have a life outside of schoolwork. It sounds dull to be studying all the time, but for me I am very happy to finally be learning the things I’m really interested and not having to take classes in things I am not (looking at you, English Literature II).

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

In medical school your entire class will be hardworking brilliant students; this isn’t a surprise considering it’s the best of the best who make it this far. Rather than having half a class fail or drop by the end of the semester, everyone gets through and does so by working together. It’s really a much more involved, personal connection to the class and curriculum than in undergrad.

I remember starting first year and having this idea that medical school was going to be so hard, impossible maybe, because I hadn’t been the best student early on in college. The week leading up to the first exam was probably the most stressful week for me. When I sat down at the test and started doing it, I realized: it’s just a test, this is just class, and it’s not that different from any science class I’ve taken before. The pace is fast, the material can be complicated, but your undergraduate experiences will prepare you well.

What have you liked about the teaching practices at your institution? Alternatively, how satisfied are you with the class structure at your institution? Are there aspects that you would like changed?

I wish people applying to the school would recognize that just because we don’t have pass/fail preclinical grading doesn’t mean we are competitive. This is a pervasive stereotype about non pass/fail schools, and while it may be true somewhere else it has never been the case here.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

If you can choose, first recognize that it is a great privilege to be picking your medical school from multiple acceptances. Most people only get one, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The application process is very competitive and intense, and making it to medical school is a monumental achievement in itself.

When deciding which school, I was choosing between cost and location/community. I chose the school that had the community feel and camaraderie and I can’t overstate how important it is to be in a place where you feel at home and a part of the community. Your class will become your second family, you’ll weather every storm together, and you’ll make amazing friends and connections.

Other things to learn about include (in order of importance): are the lectures mandatory, and if not are they recorded? Where will students be doing clinical rotations? How is the food on campus? Where do students live and study?

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

It’s a suburban area in Westchester County, NY. Not walkable, but a close drive to several towns and just over half an hour by train to Manhattan. For me it’s perfect, for others it’s not. I love being able to pack up after an exam and head to the city for the world’s best everything at my fingertips.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

I’m involved in student government, I’ve served as a student representative for several of our classes as a liaison between course director and the student body.  Last year I also helped lead a hands-free CPR event as part of a national initiative in NYC, and I hope to continue with that this year as well.

How much/well have you been able to develop clinical skills alongside your classroom work first and second year? What does your institution do to help you develop clinical skills before the clinical years?

I had a lot of clinical experience before coming to medical school, but I would say the number one help in improving my ability has been our exceptionally good Standardized Patients. We interview them all throughout first and second year and it’s really helpful to get real feedback and see how I am interacting as the medical student with the patient.

We also have preceptorships in first and second year, which I have quite enjoyed. My second year site was in an emergency department, and I loved getting involved and seeing so much in a single four hour shift.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

I have started to realize that there is so much more to medicine than I thought before and that the opportunities in front of me are tremendous. I came in sure I wanted to do one thing, and now I am here open-minded searching for exactly what I want out of my career.

Are there any resources that stand out to you as most useful to you in self-learning medical school material or for expanding on material taught in class?

Boards and Beyond for during the year, Pathoma and UWorld for dedicated, First Aid for both. I also think Wikipedia will technically own some fraction of my M.D. when I graduate based on how much I use it every day.

Studying can get monotonous, but I found that group studying was the best way for me to stay engaged and really learn.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

They’ve probably heard that it doesn’t matter what you major in, but they may have someone telling them “you have to do Biology, it’s the best one” or something to that effect. I would just reiterate: as long as you take the prerequisite classes, major in anything you want to. If you want to be strategic, try to find something that fulfills the following:

Interesting: your major should be interesting to you. It’s a lot easier to be engaged and excel at material that you like learning about. There will always be classes you’re less interested in and general education credits that are rarely fan favorites. Having your schedule balanced with classes that are enjoyable makes things much more fun.

Useful: if you change your mind or medical school doesn’t end up being the path you take for whatever reason, having a major that could open other doors for you will be a big help.

Grading: there’s no easy way to say this: grades matter, and not all majors grade their students equally. The smartest most hardworking person I know majored in Chemical Engineering at a very challenging school known for grade deflation. Her GPA was far lower than she deserved because of this, despite her exceptional performance. It was never an issue for her, but for those considering other paths like Engineering as backups to medicine, it is worth noting that the GPA from a Biology major and the GPA from an Engineering major are considered essentially the same. There’s no extra points for picking something hard.

In other words, choose a major that’s interesting, potentially useful, and not as hard to do well in. Getting two out of three of these criteria isn’t bad either.

What is your favorite event of the year put on by your medical school? Tell us a little bit about it.

We have a Friendsgiving event launched this year by some particularly enterprising first years and now expanded to include all four class years. Our student government and other organizations put together 10-15 small group potluck dinners including students from all four years. The day also included a student appreciation ceremony and gave us all the opportunity to share our successes and challenges. It’s a really tight knit community here, and this type of thing is exactly what NYMC is about.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

I wish I had known many things: That my community college credits and bad experience would be a huge hurdle for me to overcome, that I needed to get very good grades, that medical school applications are challenging and the process is confusing. I wish I knew to be my own advocate earlier, rather than rely on academic advisors. I wish I had someone who understood what it took to get to medical school so that I didn’t have to learn by doing it wrong and making things harder for myself.

Start early, work hard in your classes, go to a four year school, and seek advising from more than just your school’s pre-health advisors. Do your own research and figure out what you need to do, what classes to take, and how to set yourself up with the right extracurricular activities to explore medicine and see if it’s right for you.

Austin Wininger, MS3

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Indiana University School of Medicine
UCLA, B.S.
Age 24
From Danville, CA

What was the most difficult adjustment you had to make going from second to third year?

This jump was the most difficult educational barrier I have faced. There is dramatically more self-studying with no clear best resource to use. Despite feeling like I gained a tremendous amount of clinical knowledge, my first NBME exam taught me that I did not prepare adequately for this formative assessment.

Additionally, clinical evaluations can be subjective, so learning how best to approach faculty in regards to feedback and constructive criticism definitely took an adjustment. I was not the most vocal student during 1st and 2nd year, so I had to break out of my shell to build the confidence to seek this information out.

Can you describe the basic structure of rotations at your institution?

IUSM has 8 core clerkships during 3rd year (Surgery, IM, OB/GYN, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, and Neurology) with surgery, pediatrics, and IM each being 2 months long. Every rotation has an NBME exam, except family medicine and anesthesia, which use a department exam. There are very few lectures and didactics, and typically these were only a minor supplement to the information that you need to know for the NBME. Grading is P, HP, H. There are some assignments (quizzes, H&Ps, researching a clinical question) that are due for a grade, but >70% of grade is determined by clinical evaluations and the NBME exam.

Are there are any resources that stick out to you that helped you through exams/a particular rotation? An alternative question, how did you approach learning the material necessary for a given rotation?

I used Online Med Ed (OME) and UWorld the most. OME is very good at hitting the highlights for each specialty and explaining what you need to know. When using UWorld, I would complete all the questions regarding whatever clerkship I was on prior to the NBME exam. I also referenced various books during each clerkship (FA, BRS, step up to medicine), but the bulk of my studying revolved around those two resources.

How would you describe your role as a team member during third year clerkships?

This depends greatly on the clerkship and hospital you are placed. For example, you could do psych at the children’s hospital and not do many patient interviews on your own, or do it at the VA and see many patients on your own. Typically, you are functioning at an intern level and seeing patients first and presenting to a resident or attending, with the goal being to see how you can improve your interviewing and physical exam skills to build an adequate differential diagnosis.

What advice would you give to a student that is starting their third year rotations but is still unsure what specialty interests them?

Always be open minded. Don’t give up on a specialty based on one bad day or one preceptor. I knew going into 3rd year that I wanted to pursue some kind of surgical field, but I still enjoyed every rotation and built lifelong relationships with residents.

How did you approach asking for feedback from preceptors throughout a rotation?

We all know that feedback is critical to improve as a med student toward functioning like a resident and then an attending. Getting feedback during 3rd year is not easy. Most residents and attendings try to avoid this. Make sure to be vocal about wanting feedback and making a point to meet privately to discuss feedback. This will let them know you are truly invested in your education.

What rotations were your favorite and why? What features of a clerkship make a particular rotations stand out from others?

For me, whether I liked a rotation or not really came down to how I was able to get along with the residents and staff I was working with. I go to work every morning in a much better mood when I enjoy the people I work with. For example, I heard horror stories about OB/GYN and how mean some of the residents could be, but honestly this was one of my most enjoyable rotations. Overall, I enjoyed being in the operating room the most, so surgery and neurology (neurosurgery) were my favorite.

How did you balance clinical responsibilities with studying?

Make a point to do UWorld for each rotation. Watch all the OME early during a rotation. It is impossible to study as much as you did 1st and 2nd year, but aim for an hour per night. One thing that I realized early during 3rd year is that when your clinical duties are done for the day and the residents dismiss you, you should leave and use this time to study.

Did your career goals change during third year rotations, and if so, what particular experiences led to your decisions?

No, 3rd year confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career in surgery. In fact, during my neurology rotation at the very end of 3rd year, during which I did only neurosurgery at the VA, I really started to feel confidence in the OR that confirmed my inclinations for surgery.

Are there opportunities to personalize your third year rotations that you believe are unique to your institution? (i.e. different site opportunities, elective opportunity within clerkship)

Yes, IUSM has 9 campuses throughout the state, all of which house rotations. Additionally, the downtown Indianapolis campus has 4 hospitals, including a county, children’s, and VA hospital. The ability to work in a community setting and in a major city with level 1 trauma gave me a great foundation of clinical knowledge.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time doing various rotations?

I had very little clinical experience going into medical school. What 3rd year taught me was how dramatically you can change a patient’s life and how much trust the patient has in their physician. Surgery elucidated this the most to me and that is why I hope to one day become a surgeon.

Steven Tohmasi, MS2

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UC Irvine School of Medicine
UCLA, B.S. Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
Age 24
From La Verne, CA

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

During first year, we usually have our basic science classes from 9-12 with afternoon classes on occasions. We also have mandatory small group sessions (either clinical foundations, ultrasound, or simulation) once a week for 3 hours. These sessions are where you learn clinical skills (i.e. how to interview a patient and perform a complete physical exam) directly from a preceptor. Our school also uses an online podcast system, so every lecture is recorded and can be viewed at home whenever you want. This is a nice tool for independent learners or those who simply prefer to watch lectures from the comfort of home. If you commute, having the option to podcast helps a lot because you are no longer obligated to come to campus every day.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

In regards to class structure, the first two years of medical school feel pretty similar to undergrad. You attend lecture and learn material from a PhD or MD who has done work in the subject you are being taught. You also have access to lecture slides and textbooks to help prepare you for exams. The critical difference between undergrad and med school is the volume of material you are responsible for knowing. You will often hear the analogy of med school being compared to drinking out of a fire hose. This could not be more true. Despite this, the workload is definitely manageable if you work hard and manage your time wisely.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

At the end of the day, getting into any medical school is an achievement to be proud of. Any med school in the US will put you in a great position to pass your boards and become the physician you dream of being. But if you are fortunate enough to obtain multiple acceptances, I believe that some of the main things you should consider are:

Tuition/cost of living, location, interview day impression (did students seem happy here? Could you see yourself succeeding here?), are 1st and 2nd year pass/fail, recorded lectures (is class attendance mandatory?), potential student organizations/research/community programs that you are interested in joining.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

Located in sunny Southern California, Orange County offers endless opportunities for fun. When we aren’t studying for exams, my classmates and I enjoy soaking up the sun as much as possible! Our med school campus is less than 15 minutes away from the ocean. Even if you’re not an avid beachgoer, there are tons of other outdoor activities near the Irvine/Newport Beach area. There are many great hiking/running trails (Crystal Cove ~10 mins) and many restaurants/bars nearby. Also, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Big Bear are only 1.5 hours away and are great destinations for weekend trips!

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

UCI is at the forefront of incorporating ultrasound education into the medical school curriculum. Each year, around 30-40 med students will spend the summer between their 1st and 2nd year teaching ultrasound internationally and conducting ultrasound-related research. This year, we have teams traveling to Panama, Tanzania, Switzerland, and Indonesia to teach medical professionals how to use point-of-care ultrasound. I am personally very excited to be spending Summer 2018 in Switzerland where my team and I will be teaching an ultrasound course at the University of Basel Medical School.

How much/well have you been able to develop clinical skills alongside your classroom work first and second year? What does your institution do to help you develop clinical skills before the clinical years?

One thing that stood out to me about UCI during the application process was the PACE program, a longitudinal clinical experience during 1st and 2nd year. In PACE, med students spend one half day a week seeing real patients with a preceptor in clinic. It serves as a great opportunity for us to strengthen our clinical skills before we start 3rd year rotations. I feel that the extra practice we gain interacting with patients in PACE will help us excel during our clinical years.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

It’s simple, choose the major that interests you the most. We tend to perform at our best when we are fascinated by the material we are learning. At the end of the day, admissions committees don’t really care about what you major in as long as you perform well in your classes. Also, everything you will need to know to become a great doctor will be taught to you in medical school. So, take advantage of your opportunity in college to explore your existing passions or discover new ones.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

As an undergraduate, the prospect of getting into medical school seems like a daunting one. Most premeds are constantly misled to believe that it takes a spotless GPA and perfect MCAT to even get one’s foot in the door. While grades and MCAT scores are highly important, they are not the be-all and end-all of med school admissions. In fact, most med schools have now incorporated a holistic review of all applicant files. So, in college make it a priority to create the perfect balance between school and those things in life that you’re truly passionate about.

Will Tobolowsky, MS3

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Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
UC Santa Barbara, B.S. Microbiology
Age 24
From Los Angeles, CA

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

Pre-clinical years: Begins with lecture at 8AM, usually there are 3-6 lectures a day with small group sessions and virtual microscopy (pathology) sessions mixed in. Mondays and Wednesdays usually end around 3PM. Tuesdays and Thursday end around 12PM. On either Tuesday or Thursday, I would drive to an outpatient clinic to work with patients or have a clinical skills session until 5PM. Friday usually ended around 1-2PM. All of the lectures/small groups were for one course only (unlike undergraduate where you take many classes at once).

Clinical years: Start time is variable and based off of what you are working in (surgery, psychiatry, internal medicine, etc.) Usually the morning begins with rounding and checking on all of the patients and creating a plan for the day. Then the rest of the day is spent taking care of patients/working in the OR/documenting important changes in the medical chart.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution?

They are very similar. The biggest difference is that class is focused on the same field vs. in undergraduate where you might go from math to philosophy to a biology class. So, you have at least 4-8 hours of dedicated learning time per day in say cardiology, or renal, anatomy, or biochemistry. Basically, this means if you fall behind you will seriously struggle. Most classes run 2-4 weeks and have a total of about 40-60 lectures (about 15 per week roughly but varies). In college one class usually meets 3 times a week for 10 weeks = 30 sessions (UCSB is on a quarter system). So basically, just imagine condensing an entire quarter class or a little more than half a semester into a few weeks. Of course, you aren’t taking 5 classes, so it is absolutely manageable, especially since all of the information is fresh. But like I said, beware of falling behind. All or most of the lectures are usually taught by different people, so there is a lot of variety in terms of teachers, which I personally liked.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

Not much, I took written notes in undergrad and continued to do so in medical school, as an example. Most of my classmates type their notes as they did in college. Basically, stick with whatever works for you as long as it isn’t an unsustainable or unhealthy method. Every day when I got home, I found it helpful to go over as many lectures from the day as possible by going through the slides or lecture notes (which are sometimes provided by the person who gave a particular lecture). Anything I did not finish I reviewed over the weekend. Also, it is a good idea to spend some time each weekend going over study materials for USMLE Step 1 (which is kind of the MCAT equivalent required to get your license and consists of 3 parts taken throughout your graduate education). Your score plays a big role in what specialty you go into. Therefore, studying for it early on will help you get a higher score, AND may help you do better in your classes if you choose to review things that you’re also learning in your classes.  

How would you describe the unique culture at your school? Are there special events or activities that you consider very representative of the culture at your institution? What influence has this culture had on your experience in medical school thus far?

My school has a ton of unique culture and exciting special events (Olympics, networking events, Drinks and food on Fridays, etc.) There is way more opportunities than time you have to spend being involved. In fact, it is a little overwhelming how many opportunities there are. My suggestion is to find specific events or groups that you like and stick with them. I’d say it is also okay to focus on your studies, your rotations, and maintaining important hobbies (like running or playing the piano for me personally).

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school and the things you do for fun? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

East Baltimore.

Bad things: Lots of crime, a dangerous area especially at night, not a lot of nearby food options if you do not have a car.

Good things: Tons of really great dining options and nightlife options if you have a car or are willing to pay for a ride.

Important note: I wouldn’t let an area influence your choice of medical school too much. Remember, you’re going to medical school to hopefully 1) help people, 2) learn. “Bad” areas often have hospitals that have very well-trained doctors, nurses, and staff who are ready to deal with some pretty serious situations, and it is in these populations that help is often needed. As a side note I am not suggesting that the staff are better if the area is dangerous, but I do think that certain hospitals see more of specific types medical emergencies and problems. If you go to school in a super fancy and nice area, you may end up limiting the types of things you end up seeing and learning. Again this isn’t a universal truth or anything, but just something to think about.


What resources have been most useful to you in self-learning medical school material or in expanding on material taught in class?

Sketchy Medical: Microbiology and Pharmacology. Give this resource a full and fair chance. It is amazing for microbio and pharm and will make learning some very memorize-detail heavy subjects fun and easy!

Pathoma: My go to resource for learning pathology. By the time you take USMLE Step 1 you should have watched it at least twice in my opinion. Once with your classes, and once during your dedicated study period (usually 8 weeks) for Step 1.

First-Aid for the USMLE Step 1: Get this book early. Annotate as you go along in your classes and familiarize yourself. This book is basically a list of all the things you need to know. However, it is pretty horrible for learning things for the first time, after all it is a review book, and therefore you should use it as a checklist to make sure you understand all of the topics mentioned. Your classes will cover most of the material, but they make skip over some picky details that aren’t really clinically relevant, but nonetheless get tested frequently. Once USMLE Step 1 comes around you can consider getting a new more updated version of the book. By then you should be pretty familiar with the book and should not seeing many concepts or subjects for the first-time.

USMLE Rx: A question bank of 2400 or so questions that test high-yield concepts and topics in First-Aid. I recommend doing this question bank during your courses as a way to familiarize yourself with board-style questions. It will also help you in your classes. For example, during Neurology, you can do the 300 neurology questions. Not only will you score yourself some points on your school’s exams, but you will also prep for the future!

U-World: The best question bank in my opinion. I highly recommend saving this until your second year when you get closer to taking Step 1. This is the question bank that most people do during their dedicated study period. It is very well done, super detailed, and an amazing learning tool.

What seemed to be important topics or points of interest during your interviews? Were there particular aspects of your application that your interviewers focused or recurring themes between interviews?

I don’t really remember too much; my advice is just to be yourself (unless you’re not a very good person). Jokes aside, try to let your personality and passion for whatever may interest you come through.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school? (This is open ended…can be related to academics or anything non-academic)

Not much. My experience was what it was (good and bad), and I am grateful for that.

Given the number of obstacles we face en route to a career in medicine, everyone at some point feels doubtful of themselves. How has this affected you and what has helped you persevere through these sorts of feelings?

Usually I try to re-direct my doubt as motivation to push myself to learn more and help my patients more compassionately.

How do you maintain your mental health while balancing school, work, family, and other social obligations?

I make sure to set aside time to spend talking with my family, and time spent with my friends. If you ever feel doubtful or that you may be depressed etc., just reach out! medical school is challenging, and no one is going to judge you for talking to a therapist (also no one will know to begin with unless you want them to as medical records for students are often separate and private from other students/staff).

Sam Teles, MS1

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USC Keck School of Medicine
UCSB B.S. Biological Sciences
From Ranchos Palos Verdes
Age 24

What does your typical day of medical school look like?

I’ll wake up around 6:30-7:00, and start studying until around noon. Our classes are recorded and put online, so I usually will study Zanki flash cards for a couple of hours then watch the recorded lectures. I’ll go to the gym for about an hour early in the afternoon when I get tired of studying, then study again until dinner around 7. After that, I’ll hang out with friends or my girlfriend for the rest of the night and usually go to bed a little after 11:00.

How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? 

Classes are much more dense but are less bogged down in biochemical details. You’ll have to learn about a lot of diseases and know what the risk factors are, how it progresses, and how it manifests. However, you don’t necessarily need to know the nitty-gritty details at a molecular level to the same degree we learned in undergrad classes like O-Chem. We generally have no more than 4 hours of lecture a day, and they are webcasted, so you can watch them at home at 2x speed if you want. The vast majority of students do not attend live lecture and choose to only webcast. There are also PDF notes written by the lecturer for each lecture, and they can be anywhere from 3-12 pages of dense notes you need to know for the test. They are very detailed and if you just study the notes very diligently you’ll be well prepared for the test.

How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?

I never physically write anything down, which is new for me since I took hand notes in undergrad. Now, Zanki flashcards, webcasting lecture, and various school resources are the staple of my study habits. There is easily 10-20x as much material than undergrad, and much of it is straight up memorization. In undergrad, I got by with studying way less by really trying to understand the core concepts and apply them to new problems. In medical school, you have to work much, much harder to do that because the amount of material is so much heavier.

Looking back on when you were applying to medical schools and deciding which school was the best fit, what do you think are the most important things to learn about a medical school when you are deciding which school is right for you?

Deciding where to apply is one of the most important parts of the process. Personally, I applied to a few UCs and USC in state, then broke each school down each out-of-state school by looking at how many out-of-state students apply, how many out-of-state students get interviews, and how many of those students matriculate. That gives you a good picture for which out of state schools actually give out of state applicants a fighting chance. Then, you of course have to play the GPA and MCAT game and look at each schools mission statement. For example, I’m Jewish, and parts of my app were anchored to that, so I didn’t apply to schools that had a strong Catholic/Christian mission statement. At the end of the day you should apply to mostly schools within your range, with a few reaches and a few “safeties.” However, there are no “safety” schools, because if your stats are way above a school’s average, they probably won’t accept you because they assume you will be accepted to a more competitive school and go there, and schools don’t like to accept students that won’t matriculate because it makes their acceptance rate look bad.

Can you give us a brief description of the area surrounding your school? What are some things you like and dislike about the city/town you are located in as a student?

The surrounding area of East L.A. has a lot of poverty. It’s home to an at-risk population of mostly Latinos, but our campus essentially has 3 hospitals: Keck Hospital (Private), Norris Cancer Center (huge private cancer hospital), and LA County hospital. It’s important to be able to see how all three operate and the populations they serve. Being able to see patients at County is special because these are people who are grateful for your help and for someone that will listen to them. You don’t get that as much at private hospitals with patients from a higher socio-economic class. Sometimes, they only want to talk to the doctor or surgeon and as a medical student who can’t offer much to them, you’re kind of left out. So being able to make a difference with people at County simply by paying attention to them is special and probably the best part about where our campus is located. There are neighborhoods within 15-20 minutes of campus that are nice and trendy to live in as well, like Silverlake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, as well as places like Alhambra and Monterey Park which have huge Asian populations and delicious restaurants.

What organizations or activities are you involved in outside of your regular classwork? Additionally, are there any organizations (even if you aren’t a part of them) that you think are unique to your school?

I’m in the Health, Technology, and Engineering program at USC, which is pretty unique. It pairs medical students with PhD engineer candidates with the goal of innovating in the healthcare space. Each week, an engineer or physician entrepreneur will come in to speak to us about a product he or she designed and talk about the process of needs finding and patents and such. Sometimes we’ll have lectures on how hospital billing works, or quality improvement, or how to bring a product to market. It’s a good opportunity to explore the medical world beyond being a clinician and see how other people have used their medical knowledge and training to advance the medical field through tools or software.

In retrospect, which classes in undergrad do you think were the most useful coming into medical school?

Immunology was the most helpful because a lot of med students didn’t take it in undergrad and struggled with it a little bit.

What is a unique aspect of education at your medical school that has been valuable to you thus far as a medical student?

The faculty really pay attention to the students here and make real changes based on student feedback.

What is one way your outlook on medicine or understanding of medicine has changed in your time at medical school?

Everyone needs to have a high baseline medical knowledge to practice competently. However, you’ll really go above and beyond if you go the extra mile for your colleagues and patients, and if you can keep a positive personality while doing it.

If a young undergraduate interested in applying to medical school came to you seeking advice about ‘which major is best,’ what would you tell them?

Anything you choose, you just need to do the pre-reqs for medical school. The majority of people in my class were science majors in undergrad, but there are also people who have degrees in theatre, english, etc. Do whatever major you’re passionate about and do well with the science pre-reqs and that’s all it takes.

What do you wish you had known as an undergraduate and/or as a student in the medical application process?

Make sure you talk to people who actually practice medicine. The most important thing is to know what you’re getting into, and to know what a typical day-to-day life looks like for a doctor. All of the application stuff will take care of itself, just make sure to do everything you can to put yourself in the best position by choosing the right schools to apply to and spending a lot of time struggling with your personal statement. Have a mentor read it, have friends read it, and make sure your personal statement strongly represents your voice.

What is one thing you would do differently if you could go back to your undergraduate years or the time between undergrad and medical school?

Make sure you enjoy your time as an undergrad, that’s the only time in your life where you’re gonna be living with your best friends and have that amount of free time. Always prioritize putting yourself in the best position to succeed but also make sure you have a life worth living and making lifelong memories with your friends.