Study in medical course and be a
doctor are my superbly dreams. I don’t know if I can made it to be a doctor
because I still need to refer my SPM result which will be revealing soon. But
no one can stop me to be who I want to be. If Allah willing it. So here is some
information to be share and also as a reference for me too. To be a highly successful
medical students is not easy but its possible. Everyone can do it if they
willing too. So let check it out what exactly the highly successful medical
students habits.
Habit 1: Learn how you learn. Then
just do it.
Medical school can be a bit of a
shock. We all know it will be hard, requiring long hours, but the sheer
enormity of knowledge we need to master (or at least make a passing
acquaintance with) can be overwhelming. You will need to figure out how you
learn best, and most efficiently. Is it taking copious notes in class? Drawing
pictures of dissections? Re-listening to lectures on your iPhone while out for
a run? I was a solitary studier all through college, poring over all the
required reading and taking notes. I tried to continue this pattern in medical
school. This worked fine during the first term, which was largely a review of
basic science principles I knew well already. However, after getting my results
back on the first anatomy exam at the start of our second term, I realized
something had to change. My response was to join a study group. While I might
have avoided my areas of weakness when studying alone, in a group, we’d be sure
to go over all those annoying branches of the brachial plexus. This is a habit
that will help you beyond medical school. The field of medicine is one of
life-long learning. We will constantly need to update our knowledge of our
field by reading journals, attending conferences, and discussing interesting
cases with our colleagues.
Habit 2: Look beyond your books.
You
may feel like you need to study 24/7, but if you never leave the library, you
will miss out on a lot your medical school has to offer. Join clubs, get
involved with student government, sign up for a committee. Not only will you
contribute to the culture of your medical school and help make it a more
enriching place for other medical students, you never know what connections you
might make. One of my peers who joined the student government found herself
rubbing shoulders with many faculties, including department chairs. When she
decided she was interested in radiology, she was able to set up a time to have
an informal chat with the department chairman, as she already knew him. By
being involved, you will be learning how to network and establish connections
that will serve you throughout your career.
Habit 3: Give back.
We all spent
time in our pre-med years scurrying amongst volunteer experiences in an attempt
to become a better applicant, er, and to give back to the community, of course.
Don’t stop with that acceptance letter. Medical school provides lots of
opportunities; you have a chance to contribute to the community, make
connections, develop new skills and, yes, they can go on your residency
application. I served as a co-director of our student-run free clinic. It not
only gave me a chance to work on my leadership skills, but also helped me
discover that I enjoy the administrative aspect of medicine as well, something
that impacted my career decisions.
Habit 4: Be adventurous, both
professionally and personally – you never know where it may lead you.
What you
may not realize at the beginning of medical school is how quickly the time goes
by and how soon you will need to be making decisions about your specialty.
Early exploration can be invaluable in helping you make your decision. The
summer between first and second year, another of my colleagues had the
opportunity to do a research project with the ophthalmology department.
Although it wasn’t a specialty she was particularly familiar with, she liked
the people she was working with and threw herself into the project. She found
her passion and is now starting her ophthalmology residency. Many medical
schools offer opportunities to go abroad. Even (especially!) if you’re not an
international traveler, these can be great experiences, exposing you to other
medical cultures.
Habit 5: Recognize your own
strengths (and weaknesses).
To get into medical school, you’ve likely been at
the top of your class most of your life. The thing about medical school is that
all of your classmates have as well. And, when grades come out, not everyone
can be at the top of the class. For me, this moment was rather sobering – and
demoralizing. Allow yourself not to be really good at everything. Work on your
weaknesses so they don’t become your Achilles’ heel, but don’t dwell on them.
Instead, feed your strengths. Nowhere in my Dean’s letter does it say, “And she
is not so great at anatomy.”
Habit 6: Establish a circle of
mentors.
Some schools have formal mentoring programs, connecting students with
faculty or senior medical students with junior medical students. Take advantage
of these. If your school doesn’t have one (and even if it does), be on the
lookout for others who may serve this role – you’ll meet many if you follow
Habit 2. For me, my mentors come from various backgrounds and fields – a
radiologist, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist, a bench scientist and a number of
more senior medical students, to name a few. Other medical students can provide
invaluable advice on issues they recently dealt with, ranging from how to study
for boards (“Make a schedule!”) or how to survive surgery (“Always eat
breakfast!”). Faculty mentors help to provide perspective; they’ve seen many
students go through the ups and downs of medical school and can give a broader
view, or at least assure you that how you’re feeling is not unique. That time
back in first year when I did poorly on my first anatomy exam? It was one of my
faculty mentors who encouraged me to join a study group. Now, sorting through residency
programs, my mentors have helped me weigh my options and look at my priorities.
Habit 7: Take time for you.
You are
more than medical school – you were before and you will be after. Take time to
nurture your relationships, with friends, family and significant others. You
may feel all that you are up for after a week of courses is studying in your
pajamas interspersed with watching cat videos online, but take a real break and
go grab coffee with friends. Take care of yourself. Go to the gym, cook a real
meal on occasion, take a walk. Your life should not go completely on hold while
you are in medical school. Finding that balance is critical for your career. A
friend who graduated last year was weighing his options for residency,
including going to his “dream” institution. In the end, though, he realized he
would be happier going to another institution that would keep him close to his
family and friends. Now, as he slogs through intern year, he is buoyed by his
support system. Give yourself the chance to flourish and your career will as
well.
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