We are quickly realizing that med school has no breaks. Last week, we had our first block exams. The rest of the week was new material. We all tried to study over the weekend, but we were just so burnt out that it wasn't really possible. We now have an Embryology exam on Wednesday (we haven't yet been tested on this subject) and Histology and Gross Anatomy the following Monday (the much more difficult classes that we need to focus on). The week after block exams is really the week before block exams.
Medical University of the Americas is working on getting California approval. New York, Florida, and California are major states to get approval to practice in, and California is the only one this school hasn't made it into. One of the apparent requirements to get California's approval is to require 90% attendance for classes. In a given semester, that means that for most classes, we can only miss one lecture. This is a big downer because, particularly for Embryology, time would be better spent studying at home than showing up to class. We spend 10 hours at school every day, minimum. That doesn't include waiting on and taking the shuttle buses or the TA sessions. Then it's going home and working out, then vegging out for 30-60 minutes, then trying to review slides and preread for the next day without passing out. The rhythm I've fallen into is a little over six hours of sleep per night. More or less, and I actually can't focus well in class. However, it also leaves me beat when I get home. I still don't know how to solve that issue...
The dead tired feeling at the dorm doesn't experience relief really, 'cause I have a roommate. I'm always conscious of his presence. I need time by myself. If I could nap and study in my own little area without having to take note of what was going on with him, I feel like I could really be on to something. My study habits would likely improve notably. Next semester, I'll be close to campus with an apartment with MY OWN ROOM, and that should be a game changer. I hope...
It's kind of a constant feeling of being behind. Every bit of info we cover is pretty important for us in the future as doctors, so it's a bad feeling to be behind. I mean, it's not like I want to leave behind any of this info when I'm practicing, yet how could I possibly retain this stuff except by constantly utilizing the information in a clinical setting. Clinicals and residency are the only ways to get this stuff stuck in the ol' noggin. Till then, it's just a desperate struggle to get there.
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