How hard is medical school? I've heard grissly difficult things. Specifically, is it true?

Answer 1

It is tough. Even for the smartest person and fastest learner, the amount of material you are required to master will require you to work hard and study long hours. How your life will be as a medical student depends on how well you manage your time, how quickly you learn, and how important it is to you that you always acheive the highest grades. The fact is, in a typical medical school class, you already have the best of the best students there, otherwise they will not have made it in. However, you should know that many medical schools run their classes like pass/fail or will issue grades but passing is considered a true (not curved) 75%. Remember this: the toughest part will probably be GETTING INTO medical school, not BEING in school itself. After you are admitted already, all you have to do is pass, or as the students joking say..."C=MD". The only reason you have to achieve A's and B's is for your own principles, or if you plan to enter into a competitive residency (such as gen surgery) and thus you will be competing and compared with your peers. With "passing only" study efforts and a good capacity to retain information, you will probably have a fairly balanced life - get in 16-25 or so hours of studying each week.