An altered attitude about studying
by Lorien E. Menhennett
In the flurry of ob/gyn, I neglected to share this news:
That image comes from my score report for USMLE Step 1. I have never been so happy to pass a test in my life. The six weeks of studying for Step 1 were brutal and often demoralizing. The amount of content tested is more than anyone could ever possibly learn. Much of it is clinically irrelevant, which made it harder for me to motivate. But I slogged through. And thankfully, I never have to think about Step 1 again. Later I will take Step 2 and Step 3, but my understanding is that these exams aren’t so bad.
Medical school, you see, is full of tests. This includes clerkships. At the conclusion of each rotation, we take a comprehensive, multiple choice exam called the “shelf.” My ob/gyn test is tomorrow. It covers everything I’m expected to have learned during these six weeks. Everything from delivering a baby (and all the possible complications that entails) to diagnosing uterine cancer to dispensing appropriate contraception to dealing with sexually transmitted infections — and all manner of women’s health issues in between. Some of this, we learn during our actual time in the clinic or hospital. But there is still book learning to be done.
In the last six weeks, I have spent many weeknight and weekend hours poring over ob/gyn review books and doing practice questions. In doing so, I realized that my attitude about this kind of studying — clinically applicable studying — is markedly different from how I felt while studying for Step 1. I’m finally learning real medicine. I don’t just want to pass. I want to surpass. My future patients are counting on it.
Lorien – Exactly! You would be surprised at how many of my (usually traditional student) classmates did not get this. In fact, some residents don’t seem to grasp that they are studying for taking care of people, not primarily for the test. You have to know it BETTER than the details you need for the test, often. I find myself filing away clinically relevant info (that I’m pretty sure they will never ask on the test). In the throes of studying for family medicine boards which I take in a week and a half, so hoping I have filed away what IS relevant 🙂
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Exactly. Caring for patients is the ultimate “test,” more important (and more difficult) than any multiple choice exam will ever be.
Best wishes with your board exam! I know you will do well.
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Licia–agree with you–that perspective always the best….
PS–can you contact me via email–trying to reconnect you with postbac program rdp5p@virginia.edu
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Thanks for sharing Lorien – I agree on many levels.
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You’re welcome. And thank you for the feedback! It’s encouraging to hear from like-minded people.
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It’s so easy to forget that we study to save lives isn’t it ? We just need to remind ourselves once in a while 🙂
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Yes, precisely. It’s important for me to remember that I went into medicine to take care of patients, not to score well on a million tests. But medical school is such a competitive environment — sometimes the patient care aspect gets lost, I think. It’s wonderful to hear from people of the same mindset.
And thanks for commenting! I always appreciate feedback.
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Thankx for sharing your experience…… Would you let me know good hospitals for getting a General Surgery or Ortho clerckships. I would be very thankful to you
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I only have experience with clerkships at my own school. So I would recommend talking with your medical school advisor and seeing what they recommend. Best wishes to you!
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Thank you Lorien
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Of course! Glad to help anytime.
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