Advice and life of a new medical student (written by Francis Kim)

Life of a new medical student:
1. You will have never studied so much in your life.
2. Anatomy lab will forever change your viewpoint of the human body.
3. Free weekends have never been so valuable due to the fact that they become very rare.
4. You will start studying weeks before an exam.
5. Medical knowledge somehow becomes merged with your sense of humor.
6. You will have never partied so hard after an exam.
7. You start to learn what it means to empathize and care for a patient.
8. You will accomplish the seemingly impossible task of taking a medical interview and a physical exam.
9. You will feel how cool it is to be a doctor once you first don your white coat while seeing a patient.
10. Hopefully, you will be glad you chose this profession.

Advice for the new medical student:
1. Determine whether you study best alone or by attending all the lectures.  Nevertheless, try to attend the lectures.
2. Since all the test questions come from the professors, focus on the material they teach; don’t try to cover everything.
3. It is impossible to learn everything; focus and study the most important concepts. Then, if you have time, cover the rest.
4. Never fall behind in your studies.  You will seriously regret it if you do.
5. Study as if your patient’s life depended on it.
6. Have fun, relax, and spend time with your friends after an exam. Then, start studying again.
7. Make sure you have some extracurricular activities that you really enjoy that will enable you to relieve your stress.
8. Exercise and eat right.  A healthy body equals a healthy mind.
9. Don’t get too caught up in your grades.  Just make sure you know the material because it will come up again on the boards.
10. Maintain your sanity while you study by taking breaks, studying with friends, maintaining a good sleep schedule, and scheduling a reasonable study time table.
11. It has been a long and hard road to get where you are, so enjoy it and be thankful for the opportunity granted to you.