Every person dreams of achieving great things in life. To do this, you need to choose a profession that you would like and benefit people. Many people want to connect their future with medicine. Yes, I want to become a doctor or a nurse, they say because even in ancient times there were people who could relieve pain, and heal from serious illnesses. In ancient times, when epidemics and wars claimed the lives of millions of people, it was doctors who stubbornly searched for ways to get rid of and protect against dangerous diseases. For high school graduates and everyone else who chooses medicine as their future career, it is sometimes difficult to navigate what to look for when entering medical school. Let’s look at important scientific subjects, useful techniques, and tips today.
Study
Deep knowledge of core subjects (chemistry and biology) will provide training in the biology and chemistry class. If knowledge is not enough, then you should contact a tutor. An ideal option is if a teacher of the selected faculty will conduct classes. He structures the schedule in such a way that it will become easier to study in the first courses. Here, it is recommended to pay attention to anatomy and microbiology. Also, do not forget about self-study. There are now many online resources such as apps like Osmosis that you can find on the Play store, to help you better prepare for medical school.
It is better to spend free time studying foreign languages and Latin. The opportunity to participate in the largest foreign internships depends on the level of vocabulary and terminology. This greatly increases the value of the student in the eyes of future employers, broadens their horizons, and makes it possible to stay to study abroad. A study of Latin will significantly reduce the burden of studying in college. However, it is better to choose a specialized course in medical Latin – knowing the terms, and mastering the basic rules of grammar will help save a lot of time in the future.
Memorization techniques
The sooner you start developing memory, the better the result will be. Memorizing poems by heart helps to memorize voluminous data, terminology, and algorithms in the future. Medical students practice using mind maps or drawings to understand and assimilate vital information. People with good visual memory should write original sheets with their own hands: when writing, the memorization process is much more efficient. In addition, funny counting rhymes, and interesting phrases will help you remember accurate complex data. You can learn how to take notes to manage to write down lectures on your own because there is enough information on the Internet.
Helpful Hints
Former medical school students recommend watching medical series and reading medical books. They learned these things from their own learning experience. But you should understand that whether or not to watch popular series on medical topics is a personal matter for everyone. There are pros and cons here. On the one hand, such films often stir up interest and curiosity, stimulating one to dive deeper into the topic and study new information. On the other hand, the things usually shown in the movie do not quite correspond to the realities of medicine. For example, House (TV series), whose protagonist has a fantastic intuition, shows the composure of a real doctor and true clinical thinking. In this case, the plot is built around rare diseases and unusual pathologies.
From the numerous fiction on near-medical topics, “Strong Medicine” and “The Final Diagnosis” by Arthur Hailey pay attention. Moreover, it is useful to read autobiographies of famous neurosurgeons who talk about their profession and life. These are “Do No Harm” by Henry Marsh and “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi. The authors tell the stages of formation, the history of doubts, victories, mistakes, and ambiguous cases from practice.
Final word
Since the beginning of the epidemiological time, online learning has become the main source of obtaining new knowledge in medicine before entering medical school. There are many specialized videos, podcasts, and scientific films on medical topics on the Internet that give an idea of the work of a doctor, basic skills, and competencies. Nevertheless, do not forget that information should be treated critically, always question the authenticity of the content, and do not trust unverified sources.