5 Mistakes Freshers Make in Medical School

Are you a newcomer in medical school? and worried about your survival? Then you’ll find these Tips Very useful which students usually learn by experience.

When you’re in a new environment you either have to get used to it or give up before you even try, you have choice to do that.Third option is to get guidance and use it to get along. Not everyone’s lucky to have a friend who is already studying there or relative who lectures in the university, so i tried to get everything together that’ll definitely help you if you follow this advice. These Tips are either experiences or observations which are very common but no one bothers to explain them to newcomers.


1) Ditching First day of School:

Students have this concept in their minds that first day is all about welcome speech from Principal and introductions from lecturers and fellow students. Well,that’s also true but i remember when i was a fresher our principal gave us,like 3 hours ‘welcome speech’! and he talked about how medical profession started, developments in it, contributions of known researchers and why this profession is important.Later on we realized that in that speech he covered ENTIRE first chapter of anatomy…See, students who didn’t come that day missed it! There are lots of other things that are mentioned in those introductory classes that no one would mention again and that may prove to be your loss in the future. Also,its not like Lecturers start their lectures as soon as they walk in class, rather in first class they give you advices to survive in your carrier( which no one would ever tell you after that) and they tell you which books to follow etc.(which your friends may tell you if you ask them).
I have made it golden rule for myself that NEVER MISS FIRST AND LAST CLASS in entire academic life because you never know what you might miss.


2) Being Quick in making friends:

Sometimes it happens that you make it into medical school but your friends couldn’t, so its natural you’d like to have company in your classes. Actually making friends is useful because you learn more from discussions, make friends and become ’study buddies’. But mistake is when you befriend someone you don’t know much about because classes just started and you sat with that person in couple of classes and talked a little, while professor was sipping his tea but by the time you realize that that friend of yours is a selfish jerk who just knows how to take advantage of you. So, i suggest that take it slow and merge with whole class. Be communicative,Share your ideas with others and be patient to listen to others’ ideas. This way you’ll get to know more people and their line of thoughts, so be more friendly with people who share your ideas and discuss your lectures together.


3)Waiting for deadline to submit your assignment:

In a medical school there’s always a large population in single class, so you’ll have to make your way up on your own and stand out in that crowd, but with positive approach and professional attitude. One of the tricks is that when you’re given an assignment with a time limit, try finishing it as soon as you can. Put more effort and submit it way before deadline rather than on the last day. So that professors can count you with those few ‘hardworking students with serious attitude’ in your class.

4)Hesitating in asking questions:

Ask questions whenever they pop in your mind. Discuss them with your professors after class, during break, or whenever you’re free.Ask questions in your class when professors allow questions. Do not ever hesitate to ask question thinking that:

a) What other students would say! everyone’s like you and you’re giving them advantage by asking because when you ask a question other students think ‘that was in my mind’ or ‘yeah, i didn’t think that before’ OR

b)You may think that professor would be bothered. That’s right, there are some teachers who do not welcome questions but that ratio is very low. Still some teachers are annoyed when questions are asked in middle of a lecture and there are also those who happily welcome every question anytime. You’ll have to recognise the type on your own OR you can also ask your seniors.

If you’re not confident enough to discuss with your teachers, do it with your seniors or your friends, anyone who you think can help. NEVER BOTTLE UP YOUR QUESTIONS or they might become your weakness by time.


5)Not reviewing every days’ lectures:

''In the beginning i didn’t review lectures back home, because i thought that they were very easy and i understood them well, but when i started to prep for my finals i couldn’t even recognize the conten''. This is what happens 99.9%. The trick to remember your lectures is to preview, review and add material in your notes from references. That’s what you should be doing because medical profession is not learning and then forgetting, saving lives is very responsible carrier. if you chose to do it , put your heart in it, sacrifice your time so you can be happy with your decision when someone leaves your hospital walking on their own feet who came on a stretcher.


You are in medical school because you deserve it, do not be dishearten if you can’t seem to get along with this life because in the beginning everyone’s like that.