More often than not, shadowing is a pain. Getting the honest attention of a doctor as a pre-med student regularly ends as a futile attempt at trying to live out some dramatic fantasy. As a requirement for medical school, shadowing is a necessary evil.
Most students put too many expectations on their ideas of what shadowing will be like – I know I did – and thus leave the door wide open for disappointment. It’s not our fault! We’re entitled to our expectations and a lot of times they’re valid. Shadowing, however, is one experience that left me wanting. Does it have to be that way?
Having discovered JoMI, I am here to say: it does not. As someone entering medical school, I’m compelled to share my opinions on how JoMI can make shadowing as a pre-med, and presumably a med student, better meet our expectations.
Continue reading Stop Feeling Useless – How to Improve Your Shadowing Experience
I am a medical student, and I do not attend lectures. Given the sheer volume of information medical students are expected to learn (or memorize for examination purposes), attending a lecture can be very inefficient. Obviously, not all students share my habits, but anecdotal evidence (of my peers in medical programs across North America) suggests that a significant proportion of students (if given the option) do not attend lectures in person. Most students read the instructor’s slides (to become familiar with the learning objectives, again for examination purposes), and listen to audio or video recordings of the lectures (often at 2x normal playback speed) in the weeks leading up to an exam.