Blog

-Kim Moscatello

Whether you liked "Part I" or thought it sucked and decided to give Part II a chance, welcome! This post is to help incoming and new medical students navigate all the things they don't tell you! We covered many essential topics in "Part I, "from time management and seeking help early to not cheating and living alone. And while some of the advice might initially seem obvious, the explanations help illuminate why each piece of advice will help you succeed in medical school.

The basics:

1. Set attainable goals
2. Do not get in trouble
3. Don't be a dick
4. Social media is the devil
5. Turn off devices while studying

Here are the reasons behind the list!

1. Set attainable goals. Most students who matriculate into medical school have "being admitted to medical school" as a goal. Which is fantastic; you made it; give yourself a hand!! But few think about resetting their goals once they get accepted It does seem silly, but I can't tell you how many students fall into this trap. It is time to reset your goals! You may have heard of SMART goals as a way to help you achieve your goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Now, let's break down how to set goals using this template.
    
   1. Specific goals help you meet the targets that you set for yourself. For example, you may set a goal of being a badass surgeon. Kind of cool, right? But how do you even begin to measure that, attain it, and how long will it take? A more attainable goal might be to earn an A in Anatomy. Surgeons should probably know a decent amount of Anatomy. This seems like a good goal. But wait, how long is the course? Three months? That is a long time to reach that goal and feel good about yourself. Perhaps you may want to set both short-term and long-term goals to help you create a path to achieving your big goals. In this example, our long-term goal is to excel in Anatomy. How do we get there? Short-term goal one is to score above average on the first Anatomy exam. Yes, it would be awesome to get the A, but let's cut yourself some slack. Above average is a good starting point.
      This way, you can meet your goal (achievable) and work out any weak areas to get yourself to the A.
       
   2. The measurable goals, in this case, are straightforward since you are examining something quantitative. You want to exceed the average; the exam average was 82%, and you achieved a score of 89%. You want an A in Anatomy; you get a 93% in the course. But some goals aren't this easy to measure. Let's go back to becoming a badass surgeon. How do we get there with measurables? Here are some measurable goals: that A you just earned in Anatomy, joining a surgical club (in the second semester, LOL), securing a summer surgical internship, finding rotations in hospitals that have surgical residency programs you would consider joining, obtaining a surgical residency, and becoming a successful surgeon. Yes, that is a lot, but each smaller, short-term goal has something you can measure.
       
   3. The achievable part should be reasonably intuitive, but you might be surprised how many people set almost impossible goals.
       
   4. Relevant goal setting is more reflective; why do I want to set this goal, and do I have all the necessary resources to achieve it?
       
   5. Finally, your goals should be timely; how long will it take me to achieve them? It might be relevant to set deadlines for yourself. If you want to do a summer internship, set a deadline to research the available and attainable programs. Then, set a deadline for applying to the programs. Many students have trouble with this. As a faculty member, I would ask if my students wanted me to email them to check their progress towardtheir  goals. Like picking a friend to go to the gym, you might disappoint yourself, but not your friend. The same holds for the faculty! Perhaps I should have set a goal to make this advice more concise, but it's essential to your success.
       
2. Do not get in trouble. So, this legit seems stupid, right? What kind of trouble can I expect to get into in medical school? You would be surprised! I am talking about drugs, assault, cheating, and all things. Just. Don't. Do. It. Here is the deal. Medical school drama can become a part of your medical school records, and each residency you apply for will have access to your records. Additionally, studies with DATA suggest that students with discipline problems in medical school are more likely to have the same issues in residency and beyond. Please don't let this be you!
    
3. Don't be a dick. I mean, this is real-life advice, but hear me out! You start by bragging about your grade on an exam to a classmate who didn't do as well. You treat the administrative assistants like shit. You disrespect your faculty by showing up late and leaving early for every class (I mean, you are the one paying, right?). The most obvious reason not to be a dick is that you shouldn't, and karma will bite you in the ass. But the selfish reason is that when you are a dick to everyone around you, what will happen when you need help? You missed class because you were sick, and no one gave you the notes. You schedule a meeting with your advisor, who shows up late to your session because they were supposedly on a call with the "dean." Let's face it. Medical school is challenging and even more difficult to navigate alone. Be kind, help others, and don't be a dick.
    
4. Social media is the devil. Bobby Boucher, social media is the devil! No mama!!! I know this will cause some backlash, but seriously. Many medical schools (and other professional schools) have programs that can find your social media profiles and determine if you are a good fit based on that drunk picture you posted while sitting on the toilet, puking in a bar bathroom. But hey, if you get past this part and get into medical school, you may have at least changed your profile name to something less obvious and didn't get screened out! Aside from the obvious issues of posting patient information and violating HIPAA (which I have seen happen during rotations in the 3rd and 4th year), even simple posts can lead to trouble. Does your club have a pub crawl that is not allowed by your school? Does your school have a zero-drug policy, and you go to Denver and post a pic of you enjoying that legal weed? All these things can lead to trouble that I guarantee you don't want or need in school (See #2 above). Maybe you don't like one of your professors? It happens. And you post something off-color about them online. What is the big deal? You aren't friends with them, obvi! Well, friends, getting called into your school's disciplinary board only takes one screenshot. Here is a good rule of thumb: post pictures of your pets, maybe a lovely flower, but don't post anything that can get you in the deep shit you don't want to be in!
    
5. Turn off devices while studying. Seriously, like every time! If there is an emergency, someone will find you. Our devices can be such a distraction that we can't even read a page of a book without checking our finsta or the latest tiktok video. But none of these will help you in school. So, make yourself study for an hour and reward yourself with 5-10 minutes on the device. But then turn it off and try again! You need the focus and attention to be on your studies, not the weird shit happening on the internet!

As I sit here trying not to pick up my phone and play Words with Friends, I sincerely hope this has been helpful to you! Medical school is hard, not the rocket science type, but an information overload type. Many of you have just graduated from college, where you could wear pajamas to class, spend all day Saturday tailgating, and generally have a pretty good time. You cross the line into medical school, and suddenly, you are expected to "be professional", know how to manage your time like a boss, and learn at least twice as much information as you have ever had before. It is a challenging yet rewarding journey. MCQ is here to help.