Can someone please explain to me why 2nd term is relatively easier than the first?

[SGU06]

And how much easier it is or if in fact you thought it was harder.

Thanks

[vtrain]

Its all subjective but I found second term much harder than first term, even though I did better second term. The big reason is probably physio. It's not alot of info, but it's the only class in med school where you have to think and for some people that can be really tough. Anyone can regurgitate info but understanding the mechanisms of the body is tough. Neuro is just more memorization and immuno is just really poorly taught so youre on your own for that one. Make sure you understand physio and immuno like the back of your hand and if you dont see your profs - dr. K and Dr. S are good teachers and good people too. And annotate your step 1 dammit!

[little_indian_boy]

I talked to a 2nd/4th term prof and statistically students grades drop 0.1 in GPA every term and then levels off at 5th term till the end.

Just so you know it most likely does not get easier. You just have more free time in 2nd term yet the material takes more understanding then just memorization of facts. This is the general concensus - I will find out in 2nd term this August. All the first term courses are pretty much memorization - except for some understanding in Biochem and even less in Anatomy since you can't possibly memorize all the details.

[tralfaz]

I think it gets easier simply because each subsequent term becomes more and more practical. With first term, you might as well be getting a masters degree with all of the esoteric and useless crap you learn.
With second term, it gets slightly more practical, especially with immuno and physio. These two in particular are very, very important for medicine. Even still, you still are memorizing a lot of factoid type details that have no practical significance (flying which way will make jet lag the worse?!!!!!?????!!!???).
Third term was more memorization for the sake of memorization (albeit this is usmle stuff).
Now in fourth term, sure there is a lot more material, but it actually is practical and (at least to me) fun. You are finally learning about diseases and it really does make you feel like you are becoming a doctor. Micro, unfortunately, is pure memorization, and probably not one of the best taught classes here...but at least it ends sooner than path:) .

[IndianBabu]

Second term is harder material, but more understanding, without histo or anatomy labs. Not having 3 hour labs makes the week go smoother, and you end up having more time to study the material. That's why its slightly 'easier' if anything, from first term.

IndianBabu

[dunsoon]

Second term is harder material, but more understanding, without histo or anatomy labs. Not having 3 hour labs makes the week go smoother, and you end up having more time to study the material. That's why its slightly 'easier' if anything, from first term.

IndianBabu

Of all the big terms, second term is when you have the most "free time" to study, as Babu said.

Whether that term is easier or harder than first term depends on the kind of learner you are. I am not a memorizer - I am a storyboard kind of person. So first term was really hard for me and second term was much easier because physio and neuro can be told and remembered as a story or a logical sequence of events. However, anatomy - if you can remember one nerve it doesn't necessarily help you remember the other ones. Usually, I couldn't remember any of them nor could I remember what my mnemonic stood for. Sigh.:oops:

[islandhopper]

Don't believe everything you hear.

I don't think 2nd term is necessarily easier than the first for the above-mentioned reaons.:rolleyes:

[ndndevil2x]

why dont' you see for yourself dude.

i have learned not to listen to upper termers about anything especially abt the exams and its difficulty level. anyways, just study as much as you can, utilize your time for productive studying
Physio and neuro requires alot of understanding (well physio especially). you have more free time, its up to you to use it and make the term easier for you or not use the time and cram at the time and then tell lower termers how ridiculously hard 2nd term was .<sigh>

[Saora1]

Aside from what other's have said, I think that part of it is that you're now used to being in medical school and the amount of work in entails. First term, you're in a new system in a new country and are adjusting to everything. You're kind of wondering if you'll make it through alright.

I know I was a mess before all of my exams in 1st term but not nearly as stressed out in 2nd, 3rd and now 4th.

And I agree that the classes are more interesting and you begin to feel like you're learning medicine. I agree with what tralfaz said in that regard. I'm definitely enjoying 4th term even if it seems like hell and a mountain of material at times. Hell, I even like ACS.

I disagree with him about Micro though. The class is pure memorization but I didn't think it was poorly taught except for Dr. Q. The Micro labs were a massive waste of time though (I feel the same about Path as well however).

Again, learn Immuno well. It comes back a lot for Path. Screw Histo and Biochem (1st term, Dr. H went on about how much it'd come back in Path). I figured that Histo would come back in Path but I haven't really found so. Just actually having done the class (no matter how well) is enough in my opinion. Immuno comes back a TON!!!!!!! Unfortunately, in my opinion, one of the worst-taught classes at SGU. Just learn it no matter how you do. Learn it not just to pass Dr. S' exams, but because it comes back in everything.

[islandhopper]

Unfortunately, in my opinion, one of the worst-taught classes at SGU. Just learn it no matter how you do. Learn it not just to pass Dr. S' exams, but because it comes back in everything.
Is there any way to get rid of Dr. S?? Frankly, I don't see why SGU should keep her when everyone complaints term after term...Now that Dr. H is gone, it's probably for the greater good of Biochem...

[Saora1]

Not everyone dislikes her; just mostly everyone.

Some actually think she's fine. She's also Immuno, not Biochem.

And just for the record, she's a very smart woman who knows her subject very well (wrote at least one book) and a nice lady on top of it. I just think she can't teach.

[islandhopper]

My bad..but no, Dr H is a he...

[dunsoon]

The Micro labs were a massive waste of time though (I feel the same about Path as well however).

Again, learn Immuno well. It comes back a lot for Path. Screw Histo and Biochem (1st term, Dr. H went on about how much it'd come back in Path). I figured that Histo would come back in Path but I haven't really found so. Just actually having done the class (no matter how well) is enough in my opinion.

:shock: Wow! I am amazed that you feel that way!! I seriously learned everything in path from the labs - i mean come on, how can you NOT learn when you have to write up and present all that info to your group and then get grilled by a tutor while you're doing it?? Path lecture was not a good place to learn, only a good place to develop a serious writing cramp as you scribble furiously and hope you can decipher later.

And as for histo, I found it absolutely invaluable during path. If you pay attention in histo, it will help you a TON during path AND physio. Don't you realize how much stuff you learn in the histo class - like all that structure/function stuff? People really seemed to blow it off during first term but honestly, nailing histo helped me to nail physio and path. Just my experience though...

[Saora1]

I'm not saying that Histo was useless. I'm just saying that you didn't need to ace Histo to know what you need to for Path. Basically, just attending classes and having the general idea is enough e.g. what squamous cells are, what epithelium is, what renal tubules look like, etc. The same wouldn't work for something like Physio where you didn't just have to know what something is, but what it does and why. I just don't find that I need to remember every little detail from Histo to do perfectly fine when presenting/looking at slides.

Path lab, like everything else, really works for some people and doesn't work for others. I know my fair share of both groups and I fall in the latter.

I agree that the slides I write up and present, I know really well, but that sometimes leaves approximately 40 other slides I don't know nearly as well and when someone throws out a ton of info that they prepared, it's hard to take it all in. If I could spend the 6-8 hours/week that we spend in Path lab studying and writing up the other slides (at least the answering the questions; which is what I try to do) it'd be much better use of my time in my opinion. Generally I try to listen to what the tutor points out as important and that's it. I do my own thing the rest of lab (reading over material rather than listen to someone droning on with a ton of stuff; most of which passes over my head) and that's been working perfectly fine for me.

To each their own.

[ndndevil2x]

path lab is totally a waste of time. unless you have a good tutor that points out at the end of each slides, then its totally worth it. i just block out ppl when they present, and pay attention when the tutor talks...i do my own studying with Dr.S's reviews, lecture notes and robins and when i am done with all that i just go over the lab module quickly before the exams to make sure i've covered everything....so far it's been working great.

Now that micro is out of the way, i feel like i've been on a vacation...haven't touched anything since midterm, not even nutrtion. time for some hard core studying i guess. no more 12-14hrs of sleep every night ..<sigh>

[islandhopper]

12-14hrs of sleep every night ..<sigh>
That's how I study most of the time:eek:

[Saora1]

path lab is totally a waste of time. unless you have a good tutor that points out at the end of each slides, then its totally worth it. i just block out ppl when they present, and pay attention when the tutor talks...i do my own studying with Dr.S's reviews, lecture notes and robins and when i am done with all that i just go over the lab module quickly before the exams to make sure i've covered everything....so far it's been working great.

That's pretty much what I said last night.

I know we're not the only ones who feel that way and follow this method...

Now that micro is out of the way, i feel like i've been on a vacation...haven't touched anything since midterm, not even nutrtion. time for some hard core studying i guess. no more 12-14hrs of sleep every night ..<sigh>

I think you might be in for a rough time unless you're one of those super brains.

I've been trying to keep up. I haven't really been studying hardcore, just reading really; enough to get the basic idea. But I'm starting to feel a bit worried to be honest. I thought things would be slightly easier after Micro was over even though they'd likely step up the pace a notch, but I think it's a little nuts. While perhaps Male wasn't a huge topic, Renal and so forth are and we're now doing two topics/week instead of one like previously. Of course, you're aware of that but I think it's A LOT.

They stepped up the volume/pace much more than I was expecting. Even Nutri has me a bit worried (despite doing a couple courses in undergrad) because 60 questions for a 2 credit course is crazy. Plus, Dr. S is apparantly rewriting all the questions (Dr. R from babies/infants is doing his as well; dunno about this idiot we have this week) which is why there are so few. So not sure we can count on the "wisdom" of previous terms as to how the exam is going to be. The stupid online quiz we had was probably past questions. Hopefully our exam will be like that cause it was ridiculously easy.

By the way, for any upper termers reading this we did not have a midterm for Nutri. We're just having a final with 60 Qs worth 200 points. Dunno how that works exactly - vignette's with multiple parts?

Dr. S from Endocrine Path is the new course co-cordinator not Dr. H and the Grenadian woman that taught it before is no more. We had Dr. S lecture 1st week and then two visiting profs this week and last. The guy last week was really good in my opinion even if I think breastfeeding didn't have to take 5-6 lectures to cover.

[ndndevil2x]

I think you might be in for a rough time unless you're one of those super brains.

.

oh no, no superior brain here. i know i am going to pay for the mental vacation i just took ! ah well, everything has a price tag attached to it. i just hope i can catch up ...

well good luck to all of us!!

[mortigitempo]

Second term, first term, fifth term.... they are all a bunch of idiots who cannot teach if their lives depended on it.

I am so glad I am being taught well by real teachers in clinicals. Btw, I have yet to meet a surgeon in my surgery rotation who uses powerpoint because they actually KNOW what they are talking about. Maybe someone should relay this information to the morons down in Grenada? But chances are no one will do anything because no one really cares in Grenada.

[mortigitempo]

Again, learn Immuno well. It comes back a lot for Path. Screw Histo and Biochem (1st term, Dr. H went on about how much it'd come back in Path). I figured that Histo would come back in Path but I haven't really found so. Just actually having done the class (no matter how well) is enough in my opinion. Immuno comes back a TON!!!!!!! Unfortunately, in my opinion, one of the worst-taught classes at SGU. Just learn it no matter how you do. Learn it not just to pass Dr. S' exams, but because it comes back in everything.

The Neuro department is the most worthless group of individuals on the face of the planet. Once I finish at SGU, I am going to campaign hard to get new professors to run that show. Thank god for my Step 1 review books to teach me neuro!
Oh, and the clowns who 'teach' ACS.... thats another circus show there. But I am starting to realize that my poor teaching in Grenada is being made up during clinicals by EXCELLENT physicians who care about medicine instead of picking their rectums in the Caribbean sun.

[dunsoon]

oh no, no superior brain here. i know i am going to pay for the mental vacation i just took ! ah well, everything has a price tag attached to it. i just hope i can catch up ...

well good luck to all of us!!

Don't sweat it - everyone needs a mental vacation once in a while - helps you to be a better student in the long run, I firmly believe. :p I also believe that thing about needing at least 7 hours sleep in order to retain material learned the previous day. I myself got at least 8 hours a night while in basic sciences, even the night before most exams. Well, there was a neuro exam I crammed for and only got 4 hours. :bored: Did really crappy on that exam as I recall...

As I remember, nutrition can be studied for the night before the exam. Most people in my term didn't study any of it until then, in fact most people didn't even attend nutrition class. It's hard to get an A on the test but pretty easy to get a B so it wasn't worth it for me to work that hard on it.