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What are some tips to getting through med school?

I am currently in high school and am interested in the becoming an MD one day. The thought of medical school frightens me and I was wondering what kind of tips there are for getting into and through medical school. I am very interested in surgery (cardiothoracic and general). #medicine #surgery #surgeon #general-surgery #cardiothoracic

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Ritika’s Answer

Being a medical student will involve working harder than you’ve ever worked in your life – but chances are, it’ll also involve having more fun than you’ve ever had before. So first and foremost don't be frightened. Here's a couple of tips that might help you.



  • Stay Organized! Studying at university is a real contrast to being a student at school and one of the real challenges is organizing your work and activities.

  • You may not understand anything about anything for the first three months and that’s okay. Entering medical school is confusing. It’s a whole new world. Do not panic! The key is to make more efforts to learn new things.

  • Make friends. You will need them. You will moan with them, exchange advice with them, work with them. Some of them may be future colleagues.

  • Take it seriously. This is not high school. You can’t slack off all year in the hope that you will learn everything from books later. If you could become a doctor just by buying the right books, you could do it at home. Medicine isn't a correspondence course, because you need to watch, observe, learn by doing and discussing.

  • It’s not all about medicine. It may sound cliche, but you will fall into this trap sooner or later. You may think you do not have the time for hobbies, or friends, or a social life. You do. It may not be as easy as it was before, and you may have to sacrifice here and there, but you do not need to become a one-dimensional human being.


Take care of yourself, eat healthy and keep yourself hydrated. It may not be easy but you can do it. You just need to believe in yourself and work hard!


Good Luck!

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Richard’s Answer

Time management is key. Between lecture, lab and studying, the first 2 years will be grueling. Make sure to leave time for yourself to exercise, eat right and even some socializing.
There will be times during 3rd and 4th year when you will be frustrated by your continued lack of skills and knowledge but just remember that there will be plenty of time to master your specialty during residency.
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Rachel’s Answer

Find something that rejuvenates you (running, sports, cooking, etc) and make a point to do it every week. If you take care of yourself, you will more easily avoid the tunnel vision that can develop as a medical student. This can lead to overwhelming stress and anxiety when your whole life is defined by your grades.
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Estelle’s Answer

The most important factor is grit. Do not give up! There are times you will be exhausted, frustrated, and lonely, but being a physician is extremely rewarding. To be most successful in med school requires a lot of studying and sacrifice. I mainly took breaks to eat, work out, and sleep. Good luck!
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