The Start to a New School Year

It's official, I'm an MS2! Last week was orientation for the first years. Answering their questions about classes and summer opportunities reminded me of my own enthusiasm a year ago. It's hard to believe I'm the one who can provide some insight cause, let's face it, in a lot of ways I feel like I'm just starting med school.

That's the weird thing about med school. Each year you learn more and get a little closer to being a doctor. But each year is also so different that it's like starting school all over again from the beginning. I'm not sure you ever feel like the experienced, wiser student. Maybe fourth year?

Whenever that wiser student feeling comes, I hope it's soon because second year is a bit overwhelming. There's more pressure this year to perform at your best. Most of our orientation day was spent talking third year rotations and step 1, the first test in a series of three to become a board certified physician. Step 1, as we were reminded, is only 9 months away!

Being an MS2 also means professors expect you to have some higher level of medical knowledge. In your first year of medical school, professors tend to explain medical terms as they present. Now, terms are just thrown around casually. I spent most of my first day googling different words only to be two steps behind the lecture.

I'm starting to understand the analogy of medical school to drinking out of a fire hydrant. And it's only day 2 of my second year! These are the moments when I have to step back and remind myself why I'm here and that life exists outside the med school bubble. Students say second year is hard, but, because it's more clinically relevant, interesting. So here I am, jumping in.