Surviving Year One (As an I.M.G.) 101!
Hey guys!
My name is Jen and I’m an MS2 student at Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica. I’m currently at home studying for Step One. It’s an honor to be writing a blog post for you so I figured I’d let you know more about me and my experience as an IMG, as well as studying techniques I’ve used/have learned from my friends. Firstly, I got my undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo: Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Some of you may be wondering how I became an IMG student and I can honestly say it was by choice. I knew getting into medical school in Canada and the United States was difficult and I didn’t want to apply for several cycles before getting in plus I wanted to go somewhere different and travel. That’s how I ended up at Ross! I personally believe there is nothing in this world that can prepare you for medical school. I read so many forums and books – you name it, I read it – and I still had my mind blown when I started school. It’s a lot of hard work and takes a lot of perseverance but from the patient encounters I’ve had up to this point it’s been so worth it!
You may be wondering how do I study? Do I go to class? Do I watch online? I had all those same questions and there is no simple answer because everyone is so different. When I started medical school I found it was very important to figure out what kind of learner you are: visual, kinesthetic, auditory etc. Once you’ve figured out your learning style, you can begin to figure out how you retain information best. For example, I am a visual learner so this was a typical day for me: -MORNING WORKOUT – I think being physically active in one way or another during medical school is so important -Class – I would go with my iPad and my slides downloaded so I could annotate while the Professor was lecturing -Lecture Review – I would take pieces of blank paper and go through the lectures rewriting important points, redrawing important pathways and figuring out silly mnemonics to help me remember the information -Questions Questions Questions – Now that I’m studying for boards, the advice I’ve received multiple times has been to use limited materials. Find yourself a program or book that you like and you learn best from and stick to those! As I mentioned earlier every student is so different and learns differently so what may work for your friends may not work for you. I found that I figured out what videos and books I liked during my first two years so by the time boards studying came along I knew what programs would work best for me.
Furthermore, it’s SO IMPORTANT to take care of your mental health along the ride. I’ve been there and done that with burnout by the end of a semester and it is tough. A close family friend once told me that you should book a daily appointment with yourself for 30-45 minutes to allow yourself to regroup. For me, that was taking time out of my schedule to go to the gym and let off some steam. For others it could be reading a leisure novel, painting, drawing, playing a sport, going for a walk, playing with your pets, cooking… the list can go on forever! I hope my words have helped some of you reading this. Best of luck to all of you on your medical journey!
Jen
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Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jennnnh