Summer reading before medical school

Hi, I was hoping I could get some advice from current medical students about things I could do to prepare before I start medical school. I'm on a gap year and by the time I start the course I will have been out of school for a year and 5 months :eek:

So I would like to review stuff that would be helpful to know and that would help me ease into the course :yep:

Specifically, what was the background knowledge that helped you when you started the course?

Thanks in advance :jumphug:

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Reply 1

SahilB91

Good thread! *subscribes* Btw do you mean like textbooks or popular science or something else? :smile:

Reply 2

vanilla camel

SahilB91

Good thread! *subscribes* Btw do you mean like textbooks or popular science or something else? :smile:

I mean anything and everything that would give me/us an advantage. Like maybe we should be brushing up on acid and bases or the krebs cycle. I even have a copy of gray's anatomy which I'd be happy to read parts of if it'll give me a good head start. I want to hit the floor running :yep:

Reply 3

Hydromancer

vanilla camel

I'm currently going through my biology and chemistry revision guides and doing past papers :rolleyes:

in order to just refresh the basic concepts. I'd like to see what other people have to say.

Reply 4

SahilB91

vanilla camel

Snap! I also do :smile:

(have a copy of Gray's)

Yeah I am probably gonna just read it whenever I have time or am really bored. I am not too sure how PBL will work and how we need to study etc, so I don't want to learn stuff and get to Manchester and find out I learnt a load of stuff for no reason. Although my friend says the higher you finish in your year the better, :confused:

(can a medic confirm this) so I am gonna try and motivate myself. :yes:

Reply 5

SahilB91

Hydromancer

I'm currently going through my biology and chemistry revision guides and doing past papers :rolleyes:

in order to just refresh the basic concepts. I'd like to see what other people have to say.

oooufff past papers! Muy serioso!

Reply 6

Hydromancer

SahilB91

Snap! I also do :smile:

(can a medic confirm this) so I am gonna try and motivate myself. :yes:

from what I understand under the current UKFPO application thingy (for when you apply for foundation training) you get points depending on your ranking in med school.

Reply 7

SahilB91

Hydromancer

from what I understand under the current UKFPO application thingy (for when you apply for foundation training) you get points depending on your ranking in med school.

Oh really

so it is quite important them. I am motivated again!

Reply 8

Smile88egc

At PMS they only rank us on our performance in the last 3 years of the course so you can chillax for the first and second years. Blanket reading of science won't do you a lot of good, you need to be able to apply it clinically to remember it well.
My advice would be to do more work experience type stuff, oh and earn some money, 5 years of uni is damn expensive!

Reply 9

vanilla camel

Smile88egc

Well, when you began didn't you spend the first few weeks/lectures getting up to speed on basic science? There must be some background knowledge that would be good to have before starting, right? Because I really don't want to start struggling at the beginning of the course just because there's stuff I don't remember :no:

Also, how would doing more work experience be of any help when it comes to understanding the science/theory of medicine?

This is for anyone to answer - could you give specific topics that were or would've been useful to know at the beginning of the course?

Reply 10

Mushi_master

Why is this in the current medic forum?

Anyway, chill out guys - spend the summer doing something that isn't medicine, you'll be spending atleast the next 5 years at uni studying it, then hopefully working it for the foreseeable future. Earn some money or something.

I was out of school for over 2 years before I started, and I'm doing fine!

Reply 11

HotCoco.

Hydromancer

I'm currently going through my biology and chemistry revision guides and doing past papers :rolleyes:

in order to just refresh the basic concepts. I'd like to see what other people have to say.

You make me feel guilty. :o:

Reply 12

Hydromancer

HotCoco.

You make me feel guilty. :o:

I presume you're still doing A-levels then :rolleyes:

Reply 13

Woody.

Quite a few people have told me to just relax and enjoy the summer. Being keen is good, I imagine, but, as stated, you're going to have 5 years of the stuff, so taking this time after A-Levels to have a nice relax may be a good idea.

Reply 14

Onychophagia

Woody.

I think the OP is worried because she's been on a gap year.

Well done on the UCL offer btw. Firm? :grin:

Reply 15

Becca-Sarah

Gap year isn't a problem - the guy who came top of my year last yr had been out of formal education for 10 yrs!

Chill out, have an awesome summer... Remember you don't get long summers all through med school - this summer will be my last proper summer holiday - so make the most of it! You'll only end up re-learning anything you do learn anyway.

Reply 16

vanilla camel

Okay, well then I think I'll just skim through my old biology and chemistry notes before I start, just so it's fresh in my mind. Thanks for all of the replies :smile:

Reply 17

Sanjetti

Onychophagia

I think the OP is worried because she's been on a gap year.

Well done on the UCL offer btw. Firm? :grin:

Well done on your offers mate! Which of the four is your top choice?

Reply 18

Phalanges

I read Survivor, by Chuck Palahniuk, the summer before I came to medical school. It was jolly good, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone.

Reply 19

JCM89

I don't think any reading is strictly necessary - except for non relevant degree types going for graduate entry. If you feel that doing something will help you feel more confident after a gap year then I'd say looking at something like 'Anatomy at a Glance' wouldn't do you any harm - nice clear pictures, key points, and no waffle.