Clin Med advice

[Boulderunner]

man this class is overwhelming. getting hit with 150 slide powerpoints everyday, with so much info there is just no way to memorize it. Im not sure how to approach it. for all my other classes ive just memorized the powerpoints but I cant for this class. The profs keep telling us not to worry and jsut get the big picture but when the previous class took the first block exam almost everybody failed. I feel like this class is a bit of a waste of time, as we could spend this time reviewing the previous five semesters worth of material to get ready for the step. they told us that they decided to increase the intensity of the class because students in rotations didnt feel like they were getting enough clinical exposure, but giving us massive powerpoints loaded with extraneous info isnt really going to help. Anybody got any advice on how to approach this class and do well in it without blowing Path 2 off (which by the way is kicking my....)

[darkmansaad]

give up
seriously...give up....try to pay attention in class then cram before exams. path 2 is more important for usmle. clin med will have avg 5 point curves on first 2 exams so as long as ur not bombing u'll be fine. clin med can be helpful for step 1 prep but you should be focusing on path and possibly kaplan but i heard ur kaplan schedule is screwed this semester. dont even try to get an A, i aimed for pure mediocrity and pulled an 85 and just try to absorb what you learn in class.

[Boulderunner]

wow, yeah you pretty much just confirmed my suspicion. It seems like this class is going to be like Physical diagnosis. I remember i studied really hard for one PD exam and then did just mediocre, and then another exam i crammed for literally 2 hours and pulled a 98. It was completely random. Id rather invest my effort in nailing the path shelf and prepping for the step then trying to get that A in clin med.

[KingMo]

I second what Darkman said. You can't really do well in the class. Even trying to learn in that class is a frivilous attempt. That's not to say I didn't learn anything, because I did learn some stuff. But what I learned was not a worthwhile investment to the time this class requires. The course has numerous flaws.

So learn what you can, aim for mediocrity, and focus on Path...it's much more fruitful.

I was in the previous class, btw...that first exam was a good time.

[KarmaInsight]

There was a huge curve at the end and no one has ever failed as far as I know. Advice: do like Darkman said and study path2.

[JeebusLives]

i think our class has a repeater

[KarmaInsight]

i think our class has a repeater

True, but he dropped before the end. Overall they just want fear, then they hook up the masses and pass everyone. #1 rule don't drop.

[JeebusLives]

Didn't they make a new policy of no curves recently? This may have been a rumor.

[darkmansaad]

rule #1 of saba

if you are told its a fact = its a rumor
if you are told its a rumor = it is complete *****
if you are told in no way shape or form is this happening = it has already happened

the only way to deal with this is work on your max bench press and walk around shirtless to deflect attention away from rumors to your pectoral muscles. then to distract yourself from rumors, drink more heineken

[huxald]

rule #1 of saba

if you are told its a fact = its a rumor
if you are told its a rumor = it is complete horses**t
if you are told in no way shape or form is this happening = it has already happened

the only way to deal with this is work on your max bench press and walk around shirtless to deflect attention away from rumors to your pectoral muscles. then to distract yourself from rumors, drink more heineken

Do you have time to work on you rmax bench press during rotations?

[darkmansaad]

as you move forwards in medicine, the herbs surrounding you get smaller and weaker. thus, even maintaining your max bench press keeps you moving to a higher percentile

comparable to a 215/85 USMLE score, in a few years it would be 220/99 due to the relative atrophy of herbs surrounding you

[wolfvgang22]

Actually, saad I think the step 1 keeps getting harder, but maybe I'm wrong about that. ;)

On topic, its unfortunate that the schools response to basic science grads complaints that there is not enough clinical exposure on the island is to throw more powerpoint lectures at students rather than find a way to give students more of hands on in-clinic experience with patients that many of us were lacking on entry to clinicals. This is one of the main advantages U.S. schools with teaching hospitals have over us. I think the advice to focus more on Path 2 is right on.

[huxald]

as you move forwards in medicine, the herbs surrounding you get smaller and weaker. thus, even maintaining your max bench press keeps you moving to a higher percentile

So the moral of the story is get the max-ist bench press as early as you can, and let the herbs kill themselves off?

Or maybe you end up losing yourself in your own herb-iness. :D