Can all doctors out there please answer this?

Question

How hard was it being a med student for you? ( please tell me what country you are in)

Answer 1

Don't let the poster who said medical school was the easiest thing fool you. It may not be the hardest but it certainly isn't easy. I did my phase one in Malaysia and now I'm currently doing my clinicals in the University of Manchester.

The thing about medicine is, if you don't have the interest or passion in it, you're gonna find it real hard to get through the 5-6 years of study. Even that, medicine is a really vast subject and most of the time it will seem virtually impossible to memorize and know everything you need. But then again, lots of people have done it and I'm sure if you really want to, you'll get through just fine although you might have to trade in a bit of your social life once you start. :)

All the best! :D

Answer 2

USA. The first two years are basic medical science. I found these classes (with a few exceptions) to be easier than my undergraduate education. One of the tricks here is understand how you learn best (visual, lectures, lectures with notes or reading the text book). I found that I did alot better without taking notes during the lecture. I also tended to read the sylabus the night before the lecture and the textbook after the lecture.

The 3rd and 4th year are clinical. For the most part these were good years. They were fun (compared to residency) and with limited responsibility.

In my case the hard part was residency, especially the first two years. On average I had in house call 1 in 3 nights for the first 3 years, then 1 in 4 for two years, and during my chief residency every night at home back up call.

Answer 3

It was physically very tiring, n psychologically very depressing in India. till you settle with your own practice, it is unending marathon, n you have to go on.Working hours can be more than 36 hours continuous without any weekly off. Till that you just 4get that you had come to help the needy,you feel it is the worst and wrong decision you have ever taken,n life is hell. But may be when you settle n get sum time for yourself, you might get pleasure of treating needy. so those in India never opt this option

Answer 4

I went to Medical School here in the U.S.A. Truth is that it is difficult and takes virtually all of your time, especially if you are intent on learning all you can (which is important) It is not for someone who isn't committed to it. There will be several times when you wonder why you went into medicine - but overall, in the long run, it was the right choice for me.

Answer 5

I trained in India (medical school, residency, fellowship) and the US (research fellowship, transplant surgery fellowship). Medical school itself was not bad. I made my best friends in those days. Exams were probably more stressful than I remember them now but I was one of those guys in the comfort zone. I was not trying to top the exams and I was not having trouble passing so I worried less about exams than most.
Fatigue and lack of sleep became factors only during my residency onwards but one tends to get used to those things. I'm very happy with my situation now and have no regrets about my decisions ( I returned to India after my fellowship in the US).

Answer 6

i did med school and residency in the us. i can tell you that it wasn't easy, but it was certainly manageable. the amount of sheer memorization required to pass the exams is pretty much as bad as you expect. you really need to want it in order to make it through.

Answer 7

the truth is, lack of sleep. and some doctors who are your seniority, are sometimes rude. i came the philippines. but my motto is, that there is no reason to quit when you like what you are doing especially in helping other people.

Answer 8

Medical school was the easiest thing I've ever done. It's so simple to become a doctor these days. I had a friend who failed law school and dropped out of a dental academy as well. Now he's a surgeon. The worst thing is when you accidentally let somebody die and you have to act like it wasn't your fault...like when you accidenatally turn off their life support machine or over inject their medicine. All in all it's a very fun profession. It's cool controlling people's lives. I practice in New York and went to Harvard Medical School.