Study tips to succeed at SMU !

[ES21]

A 1st semester emailed me the otehr day asking how to succeed at SMU. I didnt have the "exact answer" and was wondering what you guys do to succed.

I mentioned study groups and keeping up but I am sure you guys have more tips. Please share...

[skidoc42]

Hey everone...here are a few things that really helped me out as a first semester:
1) Repetition Repitition Repetition!! If you think you've read it one to many times...READ IT TWICE MORE!
2) Take good notes.
3) Get enough sleep, I don't care what anyone says, all nighters DO NOT work.
4) EXERCISE! I walk to and from school daily, this helps me focus a great deal.
5) Take a step back now and again and just chill! Watch a movie, hang out with the friends...whatever!

Hope this helps!

skidoc42;)

[JTP73]

32 things...


I’ve learned about studying in my first semester of medical school:
32. There’s not enough time in a day.
31. Intelligence alone is not enough.
30. Endurance is worth its weight in gold.
29. Time management is critical to success.
28. Memorization helps, but understanding is critical.
27. Review even after exams are over.
26. Incorporating visual aides is helpful.
25. Books aren’t always necessary.
24. Drawing schematics helps the learning process.
23. More sleep than normal is necessary for increased retention and understanding.
22. Individualistic thinking is not required.
21. There is much more there than one could ever truly learn and understand.
20. Knowing what to know is as important as knowing anything at all.
19. Tests are not always predictors of what an individual truly knows.
18. A routine seems to be helpful.
17. Balance is difficult to achieve.
16. Monotony occurs much too often.
15. Breaks are a good thing.
14. Flash cards are helpful. Videos are excellent.
13. Working in groups allows for enhanced learning.
12. There are many sources of material.
11. Choosing the right material takes time.
10. There’s always tomorrow.
9. There’s always next time.
8. While reading, it helps to think about how specific material could be asked in the form of a question.
7. There is never enough time for sleep.
6. Organization is important.
5. Read before class, then go to class and listen, read after class.
4. Think of questions to ask well before the exams roll around.
3. Don’t wait until the last minute to study.
2. Study all the time.
1. Fishing is necessary to alleviate stress.

[Mehrdad1]

1. Study every waking minute. When you dream, dream of studying.
2. Your underwear has 2 sides for a reason use it.
3. The only easy day was yesterday.
4. Before you complain, think of all the people that would kill to have the opportunity to go to med school.
5. Never lose touch with why you wanted to become a doctor.
6. Those people that have the old exams that get higher grades than you will never pass USMLE Step 1....never.
7. Always keep up with your classes, the snowball effect of medical school is tremendous.
8. Attend class, I mean it. It keeps your schedule regular and leads to better study habits.
9. Good grades, sleep, a social life...pick 2, because you can't have all 3.
10. Stay away from other people's drama. When things go bad, don't go with them!

[p_in_da_wind]

Very helpful posts... thanks guys...

[Junito]

1. Study every waking minute. When you dream, dream of studying.
2. Your underwear has 2 sides for a reason use it.
3. The only easy day was yesterday.
4. Before you complain, think of all the people that would kill to have the opportunity to go to med school.
5. Never lose touch with why you wanted to become a doctor.
6. Those people that have the old exams that get higher grades than you will never pass USMLE Step 1....never.
7. Always keep up with your classes, the snowball effect of medical school is tremendous.
8. Attend class, I mean it. It keeps your schedule regular and leads to better study habits.
9. Good grades, sleep, a social life...pick 2, because you can't have all 3.
10. Stay away from other people's drama. When things go bad, don't go with them!

So true! :)

[MD999]

1. Study every waking minute. When you dream, dream of studying.
2. Your underwear has 2 sides for a reason use it.
3. The only easy day was yesterday.
4. Before you complain, think of all the people that would kill to have the opportunity to go to med school.
5. Never lose touch with why you wanted to become a doctor.
6. Those people that have the old exams that get higher grades than you will never pass USMLE Step 1....never.
7. Always keep up with your classes, the snowball effect of medical school is tremendous.
8. Attend class, I mean it. It keeps your schedule regular and leads to better study habits.
9. Good grades, sleep, a social life...pick 2, because you can't have all 3.
10. Stay away from other people's drama. When things go bad, don't go with them!

Great words of wisdom (especially #2) :cool:

[onesolo]

I love your post..... But what if you don't wear underware???? Just kidding

[ol' man]

1. Study every waking minute. When you dream, dream of studying.
2. Your underwear has 2 sides for a reason use it.
3. The only easy day was yesterday.
4. Before you complain, think of all the people that would kill to have the opportunity to go to med school.
5. Never lose touch with why you wanted to become a doctor.
6. Those people that have the old exams that get higher grades than you will never pass USMLE Step 1....never.
7. Always keep up with your classes, the snowball effect of medical school is tremendous.
8. Attend class, I mean it. It keeps your schedule regular and leads to better study habits.
9. Good grades, sleep, a social life...pick 2, because you can't have all 3.
10. Stay away from other people's drama. When things go bad, don't go with them!

You gotta be kidding about #8. "I can learn more at home." I've heard that since I started school.

Seriously, Mehrdad has 10 excellent points here. Anybody who claims they don't need to go to class is just fooling themselves. Wonder how well they will do in rotations when they tell the doctor there that they don't need to attend ...

[bchamp1281]

If only we all had #5 hanging on our foreheads we would all be just fine. Unfortunately at times we lose sight...

[dawgfan]

Great post! I have a lot to look forward to.

[ES21]

stay focused and keep the end in mind.

[drak]

Great post !


1. Study every waking minute. When you dream, dream of studying.
2. Your underwear has 2 sides for a reason use it.
3. The only easy day was yesterday.
4. Before you complain, think of all the people that would kill to have the opportunity to go to med school.
5. Never lose touch with why you wanted to become a doctor.
6. Those people that have the old exams that get higher grades than you will never pass USMLE Step 1....never.
7. Always keep up with your classes, the snowball effect of medical school is tremendous.
8. Attend class, I mean it. It keeps your schedule regular and leads to better study habits.
9. Good grades, sleep, a social life...pick 2, because you can't have all 3.
10. Stay away from other people's drama. When things go bad, don't go with them!

[SillyDoc]

Yeah, #6 and 10 are right on but i disagree with #8. I don't think it matters where, when or how you absorb the material so long as you do. And i don't think the general attitude projected on this thread of studying 24/7 is representative of SMU. There are plenty of people who can study for a few days and pull an A or B on any exam. it's really not a "one size fits all" thing.

[t_diddy43]

I've seen a handful of people that say 2-3 hours a day is enough until exam time. Others say they put in at least 8 hours a day. I sure hope I can be one of the former.

[medschooldiva]

as long as i get some sleep ......maybe 6 hours a night.. i'll be happy......

[Jeep23Guy]

In undergrad, my grades were decent (mostly A's and B's) but I really had a hard time with motivation. It was partially because my Dad was paying for school and partially because I wasn't 100% sure that I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted it, but almost glad I didn't get in right out of college.

I'm not a 3rd semester student at SMU and I have plenty of motivation (most of time). Part of my motivation comes from working in pharmaceutical research for 2 years. I realized that research sucks (for me at least) and I really wanted to be a doctor. The rest of my motivation comes from the fact that I'm up to my eyeballs in debt now. For the first 2 semesters, I had a cosigner, so I felt even more obligated to perform very well. I just think how terrible it would be to not be in school anymore and owe $100,000+ with nothing to show for it. Some people may say that it's a bad motivational tool, but I say that whatever works is ok with me.

[Banker794]

Find time to speak with the people you care most about. Time will go by and the patience of your family will remain but you owe it to them and yourself to stay in touch with them.