Though he is now an experienced physician who has owned a private practice that offered a range of obstetrics and gynecology treatments to patients, Dr. Byron Brown still remembers how difficult it was to complete medical school and he recognizes that new students face a lot of challenges in their work. This has become even more apparent to him since he started working in a teaching hospital, where he is often tasked with helping young students and residents. If you are considering medical school and you want to make sure that you get the most out of your studies, try to keep the following tips in mind.
Don’t Cram
One of the first things that you should do when you start medical school is schedule some time into each day so that you can study what you have learned and complete any further reading that is assigned to you. There is an enormous amount of information that you are going to have to absorb as a medical student and you will find that leaving your reading until the last minute forces you to cram. Not only can this exhaust you, but it also results in much of what you read failing to stick, which will be problematic in exams and potentially disastrous in your work.
Create A Study Area
You also need to have a quiet and comfortable place to study, so consider creating a study area if you have enough space in your dorm. This area should be completely free of the distractions that may pull you away from your work, so make sure that you switch your phone off and that any televisions or videogame consoles are tucked away and out of sight. If you are unable to create your own study area, make good use of the school library so that you have somewhere quiet to work.
Don’t Be Too Harsh On Yourself
There are going to be times when you don’t do particularly well in class. You may even end up failing a test in a subject that you are weak on. It is important to learn from such failures so that you can develop your skills and overcome them, but many medical students make the mistake of dwelling on them too entirely, which can have negative effects on their work elsewhere. If you experience any setbacks remind yourself that you are studying an extremely difficult area and that setbacks will happen to most people.
Relax
Dr. Byron A Brown notes that it is important that medical students take some time to relax, which can often be difficult given their high workloads. Getting away from the books every so often allows you to recharge your batteries, so you can come back to your work feeling refreshed.
