Getting to know the Acronyms

As a medical student you are going to quickly find out how many acronyms are used both inside and outside the classroom.  There are acronyms for the classes (MSK), the Clubs (SOMA), the Exams (COMLEX), and more!   To help you become more familiar with all of the abbreviations, we've put together this list of acronyms used at RVU and other Osteopathic schools:

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Managing your Time

One of the biggest challenges we've seen with students who are struggling in medical school is how they manage their time.   Many students believe that the same time management skills that they used in their undergraduate education will work in medical school.   This may or may not be true.  To handle the volume of information that you will be memorizing, you have to be more precise with how you use your time than at any other time in your life.  While there is no one "perfect" schedule and it will depend on your personal preferences (are you a morning person or night owl), you should treat medical school like a 50-60 hour per week job ... 8 to 5 (8 hours), plus another 2-3 hours in the evening to study.   Once you subtract 7-8 hours for sleep, you still have 6 hours for personal stuff ... eating, working out, family time.   The key will be the discipline to follow a strict schedule, and the wisdom to know when you need to adjust.  As you compare notes with your classmates and the 2nd year students, you will find the schedule that works best for you.

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Getting ready for Musculoskeletal Course (MSK)

For the class of 2022, your first experience with medical school will be with the Musculoskeletal (MSK).  This class will be one of the most challenging within the first year curriculum.  While there's only so much you can do with little more than 4 weeks before the semester begins, here are a few links which may be helpful to begin familiarizing yourself the human body.  Otherwise, enjoy your last few weeks of freedom!
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