Thank you so much Dr.Webb! You are the first to make an actual breakdown video about finances while in medical school!! I know exactly how to plan now.
Hey Dr. Webb. I'm a non traditional student who's going back to school starting in January. I'm looking to become a primary care physician after years in finance. Any advice for making the segue from banking to medicine?
Hi Dr. Webb. I’m a premed student hoping to become a surgeon one day. I have a bit of an unrelated question. Sorry if you’ve been asked this before. How hard would you say your medical school experience was compared to your undergrad personally? Harder, way harder, comparable, etc? I’ve been able to pull off a 3.7 for my first two years of undergrad, but had to work extremely hard (as in no social life at all) for it since I’m not really that gifted. I’m asking to get a feel for what I’m getting myself into if I continue in this route. Thank you in advance. Love your videos.
This is a topic near and dear to me, so strap in. Dr. Webb has a video on this topic -- name escapes me at the moment, sorry. While there are a few similarities, med school is so much different than undergrad in just about every way. To get a sense of the workload, however, it would be comparable to an undergraduate semester in which you are taking about 30 credits. Think about taking an entire undergraduate science course within two to four weeks. It sounds unreal, but it's doable, obviously. If you know you have to become a hermit in order to succeed in undergrad, that is definitely something worth considering when deciding to go to med school. The course load is significantly heavier, yes, but to add doom and gloom, the pure gravity of some exams is more significant too, which adds to the emotional strain. If you haven't refined your study habits such that they afford you free time now -- while you have the relatively lighter course load -- talk to someone in your school's advising office or your professors about more efficient study methods. These methods will also help you study for the MCAT, which is of course still a requirement to even have the problems I've mentioned above, that is, you have to get in to med school first before the doom and gloom even begins. Now is the time to nail down the bulk of your efficient study method. There will be little time for this kind of refinement after about a month in your first year of med school. Last thing. Sometimes we strain our minds studying when we refuse to come up for air, thinking if we only study longer we'll learn more. This is simply untrue. Usually, a person can handle about eight to ten hours, max, of studying each day, and retain most of what they studied. *These are upper end numbers and one must work up to this level.* Realistically, after four to six hours, we are wasting our time and falsely convince ourselves our efforts are meaningful. Some people are of course exceptions to this general rule -- Dr. Webb seems to be one of these people who could read and reread and log a dozen hours studying daily for months at a time. Again, these people are the exception, not the rule, and that amount of that style of studying is not necessary to be a successful med student and future surgeon. Know what works for you. For most, studying for fewer hours (4 to 6) daily but more consistently (at the same time and place every day) will pay off more. Yes, even in med school, though working toward the upper end of these "limits" is likely required. Okay, super last thing. I say all that to tell you this. This is wisdom someone in med school gave me. Sometimes, if you stay in and study for an extra three or four hours, you'll increase your score on some test by a point or two. _You_ need to decide if that point or two is worth the fond memories you'll create and sense of enrichment you'll gain by spending time outside of your hobbit hole, enjoying the world with friends or family for a couple of hours. Choose friends and family.
Hey Doc, I was wondering if you knew anything about the loan system down here in Australia. The Australian Government pays for our tuition and has social welfare schemes to assist us young people with rent etc but these schemes don't amount all that is needed and I really have no idea how I am going to support myself should I move away from home and the ANU for my med school years, and not work a job... My parents would not really be able to provide a lot of support, but I am fine with taking out loans and working to repay them.. If you know anything or could describe how US students go about receiving loans, please let me know!
Thank you so much Dr.Webb!
You are the first to make an actual breakdown video about finances while in medical school!!
I know exactly how to plan now.
Great advice. Big differences in needs and wants. Adopting frugal methods can help you a lot during medical school. Another great one.
Hey Dr. Webb. I'm a non traditional student who's going back to school starting in January. I'm looking to become a primary care physician after years in finance. Any advice for making the segue from banking to medicine?
I have a bus pass for school and can go anywhere anytime for about $220 for a semester but this is for community college
Hi Dr. Webb. I’m a premed student hoping to become a surgeon one day. I have a bit of an unrelated question. Sorry if you’ve been asked this before. How hard would you say your medical school experience was compared to your undergrad personally? Harder, way harder, comparable, etc? I’ve been able to pull off a 3.7 for my first two years of undergrad, but had to work extremely hard (as in no social life at all) for it since I’m not really that gifted. I’m asking to get a feel for what I’m getting myself into if I continue in this route. Thank you in advance. Love your videos.
This is a topic near and dear to me, so strap in. Dr. Webb has a video on this topic -- name escapes me at the moment, sorry. While there are a few similarities, med school is so much different than undergrad in just about every way. To get a sense of the workload, however, it would be comparable to an undergraduate semester in which you are taking about 30 credits. Think about taking an entire undergraduate science course within two to four weeks. It sounds unreal, but it's doable, obviously.
If you know you have to become a hermit in order to succeed in undergrad, that is definitely something worth considering when deciding to go to med school. The course load is significantly heavier, yes, but to add doom and gloom, the pure gravity of some exams is more significant too, which adds to the emotional strain. If you haven't refined your study habits such that they afford you free time now -- while you have the relatively lighter course load -- talk to someone in your school's advising office or your professors about more efficient study methods. These methods will also help you study for the MCAT, which is of course still a requirement to even have the problems I've mentioned above, that is, you have to get in to med school first before the doom and gloom even begins. Now is the time to nail down the bulk of your efficient study method. There will be little time for this kind of refinement after about a month in your first year of med school.
Last thing. Sometimes we strain our minds studying when we refuse to come up for air, thinking if we only study longer we'll learn more. This is simply untrue. Usually, a person can handle about eight to ten hours, max, of studying each day, and retain most of what they studied. *These are upper end numbers and one must work up to this level.* Realistically, after four to six hours, we are wasting our time and falsely convince ourselves our efforts are meaningful. Some people are of course exceptions to this general rule -- Dr. Webb seems to be one of these people who could read and reread and log a dozen hours studying daily for months at a time. Again, these people are the exception, not the rule, and that amount of that style of studying is not necessary to be a successful med student and future surgeon. Know what works for you. For most, studying for fewer hours (4 to 6) daily but more consistently (at the same time and place every day) will pay off more. Yes, even in med school, though working toward the upper end of these "limits" is likely required.
Okay, super last thing. I say all that to tell you this. This is wisdom someone in med school gave me. Sometimes, if you stay in and study for an extra three or four hours, you'll increase your score on some test by a point or two. _You_ need to decide if that point or two is worth the fond memories you'll create and sense of enrichment you'll gain by spending time outside of your hobbit hole, enjoying the world with friends or family for a couple of hours. Choose friends and family.
Hey Doc, I was wondering if you knew anything about the loan system down here in Australia. The Australian Government pays for our tuition and has social welfare schemes to assist us young people with rent etc but these schemes don't amount all that is needed and I really have no idea how I am going to support myself should I move away from home and the ANU for my med school years, and not work a job... My parents would not really be able to provide a lot of support, but I am fine with taking out loans and working to repay them.. If you know anything or could describe how US students go about receiving loans, please let me know!
I get free access to our local zoo. Just pretend to be a koi fish in the pond and get free snacks from people throwing it to you