Overview of the Curriculum * Orientation 2018
During the Class of 2022 Orientation, Dr. Wells and Dr. Linton/Montemayor shared with the students both a 4-year overview and a detailed overview of the curriculum for this upcoming year. Their presentations are available here:
Advice from 2nd Year Student Alexander Hetrick:
Hi guys! I’m sitting here enjoying my morning coffee, and I decided to drop a line cause I know many of you are anxious to buy your shiny new med school gear, as well as figure out what awaits you this year. I want to give you the lowdown on how I recommend you go about your purchases and give some additional insights as well. This is not all-encompassing, and I recommend also talking to other 2nd years:
1. DO NOT BUY BOOKS. You do not need to buy a single book, as all exam material is based off the instructor ppts, and you honestly will be so busy trying to digest that info you won’t have time to open the book. But if you really want it, the PDFs of all the texts are circulating around campus, and everything can also be found through the library.
2. Scrubs are what you want them to be. If you want some super cheap scrubs for lab do it. I personally bought a couple pair of the more expensive FIGS scrubs cause they are supremely comfortable, and I want to use them later on. No worries, the smells come out! As for a lab coat, about half the class wore one, and the rest didn’t use them during dissection. It's optional, and I personally didn’t like them cause the sleeves soak up everything! Have a pair of shoes devoted to the lab for the year, and also some thermals to wear under your scrubs cause it gets cold! For OPP it's just gym clothes.
3. Welch Allen will royally rip you off when it comes time to buy your doctor gear. The only thing you should invest in is your stethoscope. For the rest, I bought all the cheapest stuff I could find that was decent quality on Amazon, and spent about $300, while many others spent over $800. I am completely happy with my purchases, and recommend them! I've attached a pdf of the gear I bought with links. My lab dissection kit and gloves are also on there. Suture kits and stuff will be the second semester. Seriously, there is no need to break the bank on this one.
4. You will get $200/semester at the schools print center, so no need to buy a printer.
5. Both Macs and PCs work, so its up to personal preference (I personally love my macbook). The only computer app you NEED is the free Examplify test taker. Though I would also recommend getting the 3D4 Medical Complete Anatomy. It's an excellent reference, and I believe if you contact the publisher you can receive a school discount. Another app I might suggest is Grammarly, which is a super powerful grammar/spelling/etc. checker for writing. Making sure your emails, applications, and all other writing to faculty is professional is a habit you need to start if you haven’t already. Finally, the only reference site I utilized for 1st yr coursework was Dynamed, which you will be granted access to through the school's library online.
6. School dress is business casual 8am-5pm, with casual Fridays. This isn’t a hard one guys, as it just means a collared shirt, pants/jeans, and close-toed shoes. Some people take it all the way to super professional, and others rock the jeans and a polo. For women a nice top and pants (check specifics with upperclassmen). I think most women wore a blouse and nice jeans. This is already a lenient dress code, though pants can be brutal in the Utah heat. But follow it. Don’t show up in T-shirts, shorts or sandals except on Fridays. Its a really stupid thing to be written up for and have on your record for residency programs to see. If you are coming to campus just for lab, it's acceptable to come in your scrubs or PCM clothes, as long as you are just going to and from lab, and not hanging about.
7. You guys are starting with MSK which is the hardest course during your first semester. The reason it's at the front is so you can entirely devote your time to it and not worry about other courses. Its kind of a trial by fire situation, but don’t freak out. Stay on top of the material from day 1, and don’t get comfy even if you have had anatomy before. If you haven’t had anatomy, don’t worry, they start from the beginning.
8. We are pretty relaxed here in that we don’t compete with each other. This is a great school because we all want each other to succeed, so we share resources, collaborate on study guides, etc. THIS IS NOT A SHARK TANK!
9. Your study habits from previous education are 99% likely to not work for med school. Sorry, it sucks. Your first two weeks will be spent adjusting to different ways or learning, and you need to be completely open to self-reflection during this time to find out what strategy is going to carry you through the course. Then you have to do the same thing for the next course, as they are all different and require new methods to tackle them. Don’t get stuck in a mindset if it's not working just because it has worked in the past. Also, don't let one lousy grade destroy your motivation. Your concept of what a good grade is going to change drastically from your time in undergrad. I was an A/B student in undergrad/grad school, but now my mantra is “C’s make Degrees!”
10. Med school is a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you schedule some YOU time (not just family time) to decompress. Otherwise, you will most certainly burn out. The first year is the most intense, and the devastation comes in waves. Self-maintenance is critical for getting through it. Also, when you have breaks/holidays, make sure to spend some of it doing nothing at all. If you try to pack too much excitement, you won’t get the needed time to destress and ready yourself for the next wave.
11. Last, do not worry about USMLE/COMLEX, Rotations, or Residencies. There is nothing you should be doing for these your first year, and the only thing you should focus on is searing as much of your class info into your brain as possible.
Even though the first year will be one of the toughest ordeals you have gone through, it is gonna be awesome! If you guys need any help, reach out! Make sure to thoroughly enjoy the rest of your summer, and don’t try to study ahead! These are your last few weeks of freedom for a very long while
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:
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.
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!
- https://www.getbodysmart.com/
- http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
- https://www.zygotebody.com/
- http://www.dr-asims-anatomy-cafe.com/anatomy-links/
- https://medlineplus.gov/anatomy.html
- http://www.anatomyatlases.org/
10 Habits of Highly Successful RVU Students
- Maintain a “big picture” perspective. They are mindful of the importance of what they’re learning and understand that the pay-off for their sacrifice and hard work will be the ability to accurately diagnose and treat their future patients.
- Have a “deep” approach to learning that guides how they study. They are intrinsically motivated to learn as much as possible. They avoid rote methods that are based purely on repetition and rehearsal, and instead strive to develop an organizational framework for new knowledge that focuses on ways to integrate what they’re learning with what they already know.
- Avoid “cramming” for exams. They keep up with the material and have a regular study routine. Many successful students plan to not study the day or evening before the exam. They put their books away early because they know they are prepared. One routine that has been proven successful with students is adapting to a power study hour.
- Self-regulate effectively. They set goals, plan, monitor their own progress, seek feedback from multiple sources, and make adjustments as necessary. They are generally self-aware and have well developed metacognitive skills. They know what they know and they know what they don’t know.
- Manage their life well. They are organized and time efficient without sacrificing effectiveness. They understand the difference between important and urgent and are good at prioritizing. They know what needs to be done and they do it.
- Maintain balance in their lives. They understand that by prioritizing well they will still have time to do the things that are important to them and the things they love to do, including hobbies, socializing, maintaining relationships, spiritual enrichment, volunteering, participating in school and community, etc. They also know that sleeping, eating a healthful diet, and exercising are not luxuries, but rather important activities for maintaining emotional, cognitive, and physical wellbeing.
- Continually strive for self-improvement. They seek feedback from external sources on their performance, take advantage of opportunities, and aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone to learn a new skill.
- Delay gratification. They know that the reward comes after the hard work.
- Practice what they want or need to learn. They know that deliberate practice is required to learn anything well.
- Have a positive outlook. They are resilient and see mistakes as a growth opportunity, not the end of the world.
Source: com.msu.edu/students/academic_guidance
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