The transition to medical school is rigorous academically. In advance of starting medical school, incoming first-year students have a few key considerations—decisions and actions—that can help them succeed when the academic year kicks off.
Which logistical details are most important? A medical student and medical school faculty member offered a plethora of insight, as highlighted below.
Whether success means strengthening your leadership skills so your CV stands out or completing cutting-edge research while prepping for residency—the AMA has the resources you need, from M1 to Match.
What’s your ideal living arrangement?
The major question most students confront is whether they want to have one or multiple roommates. For medical students living in more expensive urban areas, there might not be much choice in the matter.
A rising M4 at the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University (TCU), in Fort Worth, Anand Singh has had the same two roommates—also medical school classmates—throughout medical school. Having roommates helped Singh save on rent and build a network for socializing and support.
“Since my roommates were both in my medical school class, I was able to really bond with them and connect with them through this journey of medical school,” Singh said. “Since we're all going through the same things, it was just great to have friends the night before to study for an exam, or asking for updates on what is this exam going to look like or how do we go about doing clinic in this place?”
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Have you connected with classmates?
The transition to medical school is easier when you have a group in the trenches with you. Most medical schools have some means of connecting incoming medical students well in advance of the start of the school year.
At Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, that connection is achieved with a private Facebook group, according to Michael G. Kavan, PhD, the school’s associate dean for student affairs.
“When students are active in that Facebook group it smooths out that anticipation anxiety, that fear of the unknown,” Kavan said. “Students may also come in with impostor syndrome, thinking: Oh, my gosh, they admitted me to a medical school—what if I fail out and can’t keep up with all these bright people?
“Once students start communicating and interacting with each other and get a feel for who their peers are,” he noted, “it gives them a sense that they are going to be OK.”
These groups are also a good place to look for roommates—Singh found his roommates through TCU’s Facebook group.
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How are you getting to campus?
This is going to depend heavily on where your medical school is located. Medical schools in the most densely populated urban areas are likely to give students public transportation options and may have housing that is even walkable to campus.
With TCU located in Fort Worth, a more sprawling city, and having multiple clinical sites, Singh knew he would need a car.
“If you are thinking about a car, it really comes down to visiting the campus ahead of time and seeing the settings you're at and asking your medical school admissions team—or speaking to a current student—to figure out where you need to be for clinical rotations and where you take classes,” Singh said. “Figuring that before you start medical school is a huge deal. You don’t want to be months in and realize you have no way to get to locations that are part of your training.”
Where do you plan to study?
Studying at home isn’t for everyone, but if you plan to do the bulk of your studying in your living space, an ideal setup is likely to include a desk with a comfortable chair. If you are comfortable springing for it, a second monitor may also be helpful.
“It’s going to depend on how much space you have, but if you can find a comfortable place to study in your living space that isn’t your bedroom, you will be better off,” Kavan said. “You want the bedroom to be the place for sleep and not to be a cue to stay alert and problem solve while you are in there.”
For many of these logistical considerations, the first sources to consult should be coming from your medical school’s office of admissions. Many schools provide entry checklists, which cover specific policies regarding things such as transportation—ability to get to assigned clinical sites—and tech requirements.
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