What does your typical day of medical school look like?
For me my typical day in medical school starts with waking up around 6 AM, taking a shower, getting ready for the day, packing my lunch and getting to school around 7 AM to study a bit before currently required lecture (though it will be over once anatomy ends). From there, it is spent mostly studying and going to different interest group meetings, I usually like to stay on campus as I do not study well at home. I'm a very outgoing and social person so a lot of the time I am studying with different people or finding someone in the building as OU has a specific building for MS1 and MS2s to have their own personal spaces and discussion areas for work.
How do your classes and lectures compare to those at your undergraduate institution? (Any insight you can give about class structure, instructors, content and how they are similar/different from undergrad)
The pace of medical school is exactly like what I heard, I just don't think I truly comprehended it until I got here. In my first month of medical school I likely have covered more than an entire semester's worth of material in undergrad. There is a lot more benefit of outside materials compared to undergrad. The class structure is much quicker and dense to where at times it can feel like you are just being spoken at rather than spoken to. Having never taken anatomy in undergrad, anatomy has been a bit of a pain as it is just all such new material at such a high rate, however keeping on top of your work is paramount to success. One thing I like to do is utilize pomodoro clocks to help maximize my productivity and help me push through the dense amount of materials for a specific exam.
How has your approach to learning and/or studying changed since you were an undergrad?
My learning has had to become a lot more active rather than passive. During undergrad (and high school especially) I was able to just blank memorize quickly to be able to apply to specific exams, whereas in medical school it is all about application on top of memorization. If you do not see the big picture then knowing the little details is not going to be helpful, just like if you don't know the little details then you won't be able to understand the whole picture. For me utilizing third-party resources to help my big picture while utilizing my in-house material to get the small little details has been key to my studying. I also have had to adjust to having to study for much longer amounts of time. It's truly a marathon not a sprint, even if medical school sometimes feels like you are sprinting a marathon.
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?
I would say that the student culture at OU is one of the best things that it has to offer. There is a great system in place from OU called the module system. Mods are groups of 15-17 students in a given class who are assigned together and given a personal mod room (that only you have swipe access to) where you have personal desks, white coat racks, lockers, etc. On top of this, these people will be with you through thick and thin for the next two years and it is a really interesting way that OU sets people up so that everyone can feel like they are part of the community at OU. I've gained some of my best friends so far in my mod, but have not been limited to it. There is always some event going on, giving you a new opportunity to socialize. Modlympics, Interest Group Meetings, Intramural Sports, Student Council (just for the college of medicine) or Student Government Association (for the entire 7 medical colleges present at OUHSC), no matter what you will find something that you are able to get into at OU.
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?
Oklahoma City has been a bit of a surprise for me, the location of the medical school puts it close to a really nice part of downtown where there are both affordable locations to eat and great nightlife to go out and have some fun. I will say the direct area around OUHSC is one of my biggest red flags as it is a bit of a food desert other than the children's hospital cafeteria and the Chick-fil-A in the student union. To get other food you either need to pack your own lunch, rely on one of the many events providing free food, or drive 10+ minutes off campus. The campus seems relatively secure, the parking area is gated, and I have never felt unsafe walking alone at night.
What would you consider strengths of your medical school?
I would consider the strengths to be the culture and accessibility to different resources on campus to get involved with. There is constantly something new to do and resources are not gatekept so that it is easy to contact professors about research, know what events are going on for the day, and more. Another strength also comes in the fact that OU is currently on the rise in its rankings and administration are working every single year to better the school and push the limits of the medical field in the vast research park surrounding the medical school. Another nice thing about OU is the fact that through the in-house materials, there should be no blindsides. They are meticulous with the way that they put it together so that it is actually worth your time to use them rather than just relying on third-party materials.
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?
Kenhub and Medical School Bootcamp are great resources for anatomy with videos and quizzes to help you take that extra step in the class to put it all together. I have yet to do Sketchy as I have not gotten to the point where it is very applicable yet, but I know for BUGS and DRUGS it is near essential to help you learn and put these groups together. I also utilize Anki for straight brute repetitive memorization, however I do not solely rely on Anki as at times I have found it hinders my ability to get big picture together from all of the small details.
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?
At OU you will be enrolled in clinical medicine courses throughout your entire pre-clinical years. Starting in week one you start to learn the basics of medical examinations, getting training in ultrasound, x-ray, and more so that when you reach clinicals (and especially residency) you are not going in blind. This is one thing that I also think that OU has a strength in because talking to some of my other medical school friends, they do not have as much clinical exposure as we do at OU. OU has invested to have an entire pristine patient simulation center that you are able to set up times to go practice even outside of normal class times. Almost always you will be working on an SP, not just a dummy (unless you are wanting to practice things like CPR, etc.).
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)
I would say that there is not a whole lot that I would do differently, everyone's story is different in how they get to medical school. I think that definitely taking anatomy before medical school will be helpful so that the shock to your system is not as bad, but even that won't totally stop you. It's just about being flexible and being able to figure out how to get into a groove rather than being rigid. I also think that having had some research experience prior to coming to medical school would have been better, even if you are not pursuing academic medicine or a competitive subspecialty, because it keeps doors open. It is possible that you may come into medical school wanting to do one field, and quickly learn that you want to do everything but that. Making sure you can keep as many doors open as possible is one of the keys to success in medical school.
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?
Fighting imposter syndrome has been a battle that I to this day have still not finished. It is easy when you get knocked down to feel as if you are not up to the task compared to those around you. Everyone will tell you that comparison is the thief of joy, and it is, but that doesn't mean that it is always easy to stop doing that. What has helped me persevere is the fact that in medical school, whether they appear it or not, every single person is a very high achieving and smart individual. Reminding myself that I was chosen just like everyone else around you means that there is a reason for you being here. Sometimes it can feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel and I remind myself that thousands have done this before me, so why not me? You deserve to reach for the stars, and it is about learning from those failures that make us doubt ourselves that is the most important.
How do you maintain your mental health while balancing school, work, family, and other social obligations?
I prioritize my mental health, be it trying to workout every night that I can (which is not every night) during medical school. I try to unplug Friday night after 7 pm to take the rest of the night for myself, be it a casual night in or a night out hanging with my friends. Also misery loves company at times and for me so much of my social balance comes from the interaction that I have at medical school. I also always try to balance my life and do the small things that I may need to help me be a better person outside of studying. If you are always working to improve yourself, even if it is the smallest step everyday, eventually you will get to that point of balance. The key is to not panic and let yourself fall deeper out of balance when it feels like everything is starting to go haywire.
Does your medical school provide access to lecture recordings/podcasts?
Yes
How are your pre-clinical and clinical course work graded? (Pass/Fail, Honors, etc.)
Pass/Fail (though we have quartile rankings)