worried I might fail the med exams :(
I am going into medicine this year, and have been checking the books that my friends said they are using for years 1 and 2. I have been quite surprised by the amount of information we need to memorise in the pre-clinical phase - It's literallly whole books like K&C , Gray's and others for biochem, pharmacology etc. There's plenty, plenty of things to learn, which when compared to the 2-years-duration A Levels, seems way way more. Anatomy seems overwhelming with so so many new terms to memorise.
I was wondering: do you need to have a super memory to succeed at medical school? coz I dont really have one, and my memory seems really poor - I forget so many things and have trouble retrieving from my memory. But that didnt prevent me from getting very good grades that ensured I got a place for medicine.
I am afraid I might not be able to memorise all that information and could fail my exams. What are your thoughts about this? Please help.
I was wondering: do you need to have a super memory to succeed at medical school? coz I dont really have one, and my memory seems really poor - I forget so many things and have trouble retrieving from my memory. But that didnt prevent me from getting very good grades that ensured I got a place for medicine.
I am afraid I might not be able to memorise all that information and could fail my exams. What are your thoughts about this? Please help.
I felt exactly the same as you before I started in September, and still feel the same. I've found this year to be hard, not in terms of concepts but with regards to the volume of information, as you said. There isn't anything I can say except hard work pays off (most if the time). I worked consistently throughout the year, and learned things as we got taught them and this helped during revision at the end of the year. If you take it bit by bit hopefully it won't seem as bad. Remember to enjoy yourself too though 
Think back to how you felt as a year 10/11 student looking at A Level books - they looked ridonkulously detailed until you started going through stuff and realised it wasn’t that bad! This is exactly the same with medical school text books - they look daunting from the outset but once you start, you'll be amazed just how much you've been taught by the end of first year alone.
Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT to cover (especially in second year when you're technically expected to recall everything taught in both years) but think of all the dodgy GPs and stuff you've met before - they've done it and passed that stage, what makes you think you can’t?
A decent memory will be useful for some aspects of the course - there is a fair bit you just have to know especially in the pre-clinical years because they will examine you on it. I'd imagine it'll be less memorising and more application in the clinical years though.
Lastly, don't be so negative (just yet). You don't want to be one of those medical students who stress over absolutely everything and end up doing yourself no good in the long run. Chill, enjoy it, it’s a learning curve - don't be too hard on yourself before you've even started - no one is expecting you to know absolutely everything there is to know about medicine, just enough to try and keep your patients alive really. Seriously, just work as hard and consistently (or maybe just a little bit more) as you did in year 13 and you should be fine in medical school.
Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT to cover (especially in second year when you're technically expected to recall everything taught in both years) but think of all the dodgy GPs and stuff you've met before - they've done it and passed that stage, what makes you think you can’t?
A decent memory will be useful for some aspects of the course - there is a fair bit you just have to know especially in the pre-clinical years because they will examine you on it. I'd imagine it'll be less memorising and more application in the clinical years though.
Lastly, don't be so negative (just yet). You don't want to be one of those medical students who stress over absolutely everything and end up doing yourself no good in the long run. Chill, enjoy it, it’s a learning curve - don't be too hard on yourself before you've even started - no one is expecting you to know absolutely everything there is to know about medicine, just enough to try and keep your patients alive really. Seriously, just work as hard and consistently (or maybe just a little bit more) as you did in year 13 and you should be fine in medical school.
OP: You make it sound like they throw everything and the kitchen sink at you in Week 1, Term 1! You'll start with the basics (and the basics will become the bane of your life...), and then arguably it's less rote learning when you can extrapolate using those first principles.
That comes a bit later on though - it's fair to say that the majority of pre-clinical is just memorising lots of facts, but everyone finds their own way of learning eventually, and you'll be surprised at how hard you can push yourself when you do. Don't worry, you'll be fine.
That comes a bit later on though - it's fair to say that the majority of pre-clinical is just memorising lots of facts, but everyone finds their own way of learning eventually, and you'll be surprised at how hard you can push yourself when you do. Don't worry, you'll be fine.
(edited 12 years ago)
There's no denying that there's a lot to remember and learn in your first year at med school! But it is also important to note that if you look at the content of any uni course in one go, it is going to look scary (and I mean K and C would frighten the best of us!).
I found the content quite overwhelming at first, but the best thing to do is to remember how you felt doing A levels in comparison to GCSE's. Every time you step up a level there is more to learn and it gets that bit more difficult, but it isn't impossible
It's all about sticking to the studying techniques that work best for you.
I know what it is like to worry about things like this, but there is no point getting stressed out before you've even started Instead try and be excited about all the things you will be learning etc, even if it seems like a lot, it is totally bearable if you are interested enough
Finally (lol) what I think is the most important thing to remember is (this will hopefully answer your question) that in demanding courses like Medicine, Law etc, it is true that a good memory helps, but it isn't essential. As cheesy as this may sound it is determination that gets you through exams. My memory isn't great, but a motivation and hard work can always make up for that
Message me if you have any other questions (I know what it's like being the anxious 'about to go into medicine student', I really used to live on these forums XD )
I found the content quite overwhelming at first, but the best thing to do is to remember how you felt doing A levels in comparison to GCSE's. Every time you step up a level there is more to learn and it gets that bit more difficult, but it isn't impossible
It's all about sticking to the studying techniques that work best for you.I know what it is like to worry about things like this, but there is no point getting stressed out before you've even started
Instead try and be excited about all the things you will be learning etc, even if it seems like a lot, it is totally bearable if you are interested enough Finally (lol) what I think is the most important thing to remember is (this will hopefully answer your question) that in demanding courses like Medicine, Law etc, it is true that a good memory helps, but it isn't essential. As cheesy as this may sound it is determination that gets you through exams. My memory isn't great, but a motivation and hard work can always make up for that
Message me if you have any other questions (I know what it's like being the anxious 'about to go into medicine student', I really used to live on these forums XD )
Original post by billet-doux
x
Original post by Medicine Man
think of all the dodgy GPs and stuff you've met before - they've done it and passed that stage, what makes you think you can’t?
hehe nice analogy
Thanks for the reply. I see you have completed the first 2 years, so its nice to see the situation isnt that bad as I thought in the 2nd year as well. Original post by Blatant Troll
x
Yes I think you are right in that I'll have and will succeed in pushing myself to doing it and that we learn the basics in the first few weeks that should help to make it easier after. Thanks
Original post by Popsiclepop
x
I'll remember to message you if I got any of such questions
your message did bring a smile to my face Thanks everyone for the motivational messages. That was very very reassuring and renews my determination to do medicine.. I hope my uni mates are great like you
In honesty, alot of the detail you find in textbooks you'll only need to remember for specific examinations.
It's alot easier if you break it into chunks and try to understand core concepts as oppose to memorise everything.
You'll notice that unlike at A-level, there are themes that occur throughout medicine, and as time progresses, you'll begin to integrate your knowledge of different systems and that makes it a hell of a lot easier.
For example- you could memorise that Right heart failure is most commonly as a consequence of Left heart failure and this leads to oedema in the peripheries.
Or you could work your way through it using what you know-
Left Heart Failure -> Pulmonary Congestion -> Increased Pulmonary Pressure -> Right Heart pumps harder -> Eventually fails -> Blood accumulates in veins -> Venous Congestion -> Starlings forces favour tissue fluid formation.
Medicine is hard, but once you realise that alot of the stuff is just the same core principles applied in different settings, it's not so bad. That being said, you'll learn alot of irrelevant crap depending on what med school you go to which will require some degree of memory, but it's manageable.
It's alot easier if you break it into chunks and try to understand core concepts as oppose to memorise everything.
You'll notice that unlike at A-level, there are themes that occur throughout medicine, and as time progresses, you'll begin to integrate your knowledge of different systems and that makes it a hell of a lot easier.
For example- you could memorise that Right heart failure is most commonly as a consequence of Left heart failure and this leads to oedema in the peripheries.
Or you could work your way through it using what you know-
Left Heart Failure -> Pulmonary Congestion -> Increased Pulmonary Pressure -> Right Heart pumps harder -> Eventually fails -> Blood accumulates in veins -> Venous Congestion -> Starlings forces favour tissue fluid formation.
Medicine is hard, but once you realise that alot of the stuff is just the same core principles applied in different settings, it's not so bad. That being said, you'll learn alot of irrelevant crap depending on what med school you go to which will require some degree of memory, but it's manageable.
I've found it pretty tough so far, but it's the same for everyone, so if you put the work in you should be OK.
Original post by reaper246
- It's literallly whole books like K&C.
Anybody who tries to learn K&C for pre-clinicals is a fool. It's a clinical textbook.
Honestly, getting through pre-clinicals doesn't require that much effort, at least where I am. I worked moderately during term-time and then revised like crazy for a few weeks before exams.
Original post by Medicine Man
Think back to how you felt as a year 10/11 student looking at A Level books - they looked ridonkulously detailed until you started going through stuff and realised it wasn’t that bad! This is exactly the same with medical school text books - they look daunting from the outset but once you start, you'll be amazed just how much you've been taught by the end of first year alone.
Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT to cover (especially in second year when you're technically expected to recall everything taught in both years) but think of all the dodgy GPs and stuff you've met before - they've done it and passed that stage, what makes you think you can’t?
A decent memory will be useful for some aspects of the course - there is a fair bit you just have to know especially in the pre-clinical years because they will examine you on it. I'd imagine it'll be less memorising and more application in the clinical years though.
Lastly, don't be so negative (just yet). You don't want to be one of those medical students who stress over absolutely everything and end up doing yourself no good in the long run. Chill, enjoy it, it’s a learning curve - don't be too hard on yourself before you've even started - no one is expecting you to know absolutely everything there is to know about medicine, just enough to try and keep your patients alive really. Seriously, just work as hard and consistently (or maybe just a little bit more) as you did in year 13 and you should be fine in medical school.
Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT to cover (especially in second year when you're technically expected to recall everything taught in both years) but think of all the dodgy GPs and stuff you've met before - they've done it and passed that stage, what makes you think you can’t?
A decent memory will be useful for some aspects of the course - there is a fair bit you just have to know especially in the pre-clinical years because they will examine you on it. I'd imagine it'll be less memorising and more application in the clinical years though.
Lastly, don't be so negative (just yet). You don't want to be one of those medical students who stress over absolutely everything and end up doing yourself no good in the long run. Chill, enjoy it, it’s a learning curve - don't be too hard on yourself before you've even started - no one is expecting you to know absolutely everything there is to know about medicine, just enough to try and keep your patients alive really. Seriously, just work as hard and consistently (or maybe just a little bit more) as you did in year 13 and you should be fine in medical school.
i agree with him...
dun be too negative..once u step into the medicine world with open heart..insyaAllah..u will be find..dun wory..u just need to be prepared to digest all sort of things that will be given..
the most important things to me is..How u going to relate what u have learn...
just chill out k..
all d best..
Original post by reaper246
Original post by reaper246
I am going into medicine this year, and have been checking the books that my friends said they are using for years 1 and 2. I have been quite surprised by the amount of information we need to memorise in the pre-clinical phase - It's literallly whole books like K&C , Gray's and others for biochem, pharmacology etc. There's plenty, plenty of things to learn, which when compared to the 2-years-duration A Levels, seems way way more. Anatomy seems overwhelming with so so many new terms to memorise.
I was wondering: do you need to have a super memory to succeed at medical school? coz I dont really have one, and my memory seems really poor - I forget so many things and have trouble retrieving from my memory. But that didnt prevent me from getting very good grades that ensured I got a place for medicine.
I am afraid I might not be able to memorise all that information and could fail my exams. What are your thoughts about this? Please help.
I was wondering: do you need to have a super memory to succeed at medical school? coz I dont really have one, and my memory seems really poor - I forget so many things and have trouble retrieving from my memory. But that didnt prevent me from getting very good grades that ensured I got a place for medicine.
I am afraid I might not be able to memorise all that information and could fail my exams. What are your thoughts about this? Please help.
Don't set yourself up to fail
you could be brilliant. Give it your best shot!Quick Reply
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