₦airaland Forum

Hello everyone 👋🏽
I’m a fellow medical student, and honestly… 2nd MBBS humbled me in ways I never expected 😅.

Looking back, there are so many things I wish someone had told me earlier especially about how to handle the workload, study smarter, and avoid wasting time on the wrong materials.

So let me ask:
What’s one thing you wish someone had told YOU before entering 2nd MBBS… or before starting clinical postings?

It could be about:

Anatomy

Physiology

Biochemistry

Pathology

Pharmacology

Study techniques

Mental health

Time management

Anything at all


I’ll go first:

Mine: I wish someone told me that summarizing each topic with past questions into a clean, organized jotter would save me HOURS of confusion during exam season. I used to read whole textbooks without direction until I later discovered that structured notes coupled with past questions and "must knows" make all the difference. And to add to it... There are always must knows for every course in med school and knowing them is also key.

Now over to you...
What do you wish you knew earlier?
Your answer might help another student survive. 💛

Following this discussion. Really want to hear from other med students.

Very interesting thread. Sometimes smarter way of studying is the difference between the excellent students and the average students.

How many medical students are in nairaland?

Strike is currently affecting their Industry.
If you can, JAPA

Nah who eventually pass go see patient, so try to pass by all legit means in the book.

Crossing over to the clinical phase is sweet, you must strive to get there.

I hate biochemistry with passion. I had summer classe because of the annoying course. I had to make the female lecturer my friend before I scaled with a C-.

That 2nd mbbs is the toughest exam you will ever write in your life time...

Being intelligent isn't enough to scale through MBBS, it's almost impossible to fully assimilate all materials before MB sets it due to limited time factor and bulkiness of materials that needs be read.
Work with past questions and study what you can fully assimilate, hopefully your question comes from a familiar topic you can attempt

...I vividly remember many years ago when I did my 2nd (Part 1) MB , in 2007 University of Port-harcourt.
Yes, you have already read everything that needed reading from your 200L, which summed up the CA (continous assessment). The only headache was putting all those stuff together before your exam.
Well, needless to say it required hours and hours of studying your notes. If you read well, it is very possible. Good luck.

Omoh,, medical school is not easy .., buh d truth is dt one can perform impressively if u read consistently combining combining paste questions n asking d right questions on study areas because been intelligent is not even enough coz u will be thrown offguard n confusion sets in …only pathology alone covers preclinical works n more however be stingy with ur study time

Master the act of cramming (memorising)
That's the most important thing.
People will say learn to understand, but...

Study Groups
Mnemonics
Eat when you can. Sleep when you can
Dressing is psychological
Understand that stress is a requirement

I remember back den when i was studying for 2nd MBBS exam i thought i could download d informations within d 2-3months given becoz av not been taking reading serious… it was dawn on me when i look at d accumulated workload on me n its not like i can tell sombdy to read dis part for me coz U RE ON UR OWN….i was literally crying n reading coz maybe i could not cover as much as needed n also d associated pressure dt comes with d exam buh had to grind Day n Night coz never wanted anything like resit in my papers buh Thank God its all came through…buh in all these d earlier u start reading d better ur chances of making a good result…

i see shege for my housemanship with my strong head professor, dude hated my guts and fear me taking his position in the other room. man backbench me thar year and i turn to server , everytime chinedu bring me this bring that.

the med field is more of practice than theory, all those cramming text books no go anywhere , my lab rat that year nearly kpeme because i forgot to locate the

LabStores:
Master the act of cramming (memorising)
That's the most important thing.

Do not cram or memorise, try to understand the subject matter.

I didn't study medicine; my academic background is in Aerospace Engineering.


Study techniques: In today's world, you can use recording tools on your phone to capture lectures during class and use them for your revision. I use this technique at work; there are some paid tools, such as Otter.AI and Owl.AI, and many free tools that record and provide a transcript.


Mental health: Always try to maintain a work-life balance. Long walks, the gym, and family gatherings are essential. Also, be careful what you eat; avoid heavy foods and stick to an occasional water diet and fruits.
Visualised your future: I always wanted to be an engineer and pilot; that was the driver to work hard.

Time management: This is everyone's weakness. Don't procrastinate, do. You must revise immediately after a lecture; do not pile up the workload.

You dont have to read the whole note to pass every topic has key point ☝🏽 identify the key point master it you are good to go

Reading alone would not make u a doctor,you need to go to the bed side- Sir William Osler.

We always reinterpreted it to mean that jacking alone was not the main thing, u needed rest

An important part of reading is resting

Resting involves sleeping

It involves good to chill and relax

Back then in medical school, people believe that medicine is all about reading but I knew after reading u need to unwind, if not ur engine go just knock

Back then in school, every set had at least someone who went mental because they couldn't cope with the stress

So then we hosted house parties to blow off steam during our days in medical school

Funny enough when I see my former colleague, we do not discuss about the books we read, it's the fun we had in school that we reminence about

MedAnon:
Hello everyone 👋🏽
I’m a fellow medical student, and honestly… 2nd MBBS humbled me in ways I never expected 😅.

Looking back, there are so many things I wish someone had told me earlier especially about how to handle the workload, study smarter, and avoid wasting time on the wrong materials.

So let me ask:
What’s one thing you wish someone had told YOU before entering 2nd MBBS… or before starting clinical postings?

It could be about:

Anatomy

Physiology

Biochemistry

Pathology

Pharmacology

Study techniques

Mental health

Time management

Anything at all


I’ll go first:

Mine: I wish someone told me that summarizing each topic with past questions into a clean, organized jotter would save me HOURS of confusion during exam season. I used to read whole textbooks without direction until I later discovered that structured notes coupled with past questions and "must knows" make all the difference. And to add to it... There are always must knows for every course in med school and knowing them is also key.

Now over to you...
What do you wish you knew earlier?
Your answer might help another student survive. 💛

You really have to read wide when the exams are still far but when it's getting closer to the exams, you can streamline your focus to some important areas especially areas of emphasis from your lectures & postings. Study past questions too. That helps a lot lot.

I always pity medical students. They pass through a lot of stress studying and they even pass through bigger stress when they start working. Majority of them don’t have life but they are much appreciated.

You see that path and pharm it's the toughest exam
For clinicals just know the common cases and be smart.

Johnson225:
Being intelligent isn't enough to scale through MBBS, it's almost impossible to fully assimilate all materials before MB sets it due to limited time factor and bulkiness of materials that needs be read.
Work with past questions and study what you can fully assimilate, hopefully your question comes from a familiar topic you can attempt

Isn't this messed up tho.

A doctor, reading past questions to pass an exam like he i graduating to go push buttons or drill holes in a wall.

I feel medicine shouldn't be about "passing exams" as you just stated.

NOTE: I'm not saying you're wrong or poorly taught. I'm just thinking out loud that if as a computer scientist, I need to look at past questions to pass exams... a medical student's line is alot more vital to just be hinged on passing an exam, even worse, relying on past questions in an ever changing world.

tuoyoojo:
Reading alone would not make u a doctor,you need to go to the bed side- Sir William Osler.

We always reinterpreted it to mean that jacking alone was not the main thing, u needed rest

An important part of reading is resting

Resting involves sleeping

It involves good to chill and relax

Back then in medical school, people believe that medicine is all about reading but I knew after reading u need to unwind, if not ur engine go just knock

Back then in school, every set had at least someone who went mental because they couldn't cope with the stress

So then we hosted house parties to blow off steam during our days in medical school

Funny enough when I see my former colleague, we do not discuss about the books we read, it's the fun we had in school that we reminence about

I read this or watched, can't remember. STEM students party the hardest.

chimex38:
Strike is currently affecting their Industry.
If you can, JAPA

Hahaha 😭 I feel you! Strikes really throw everything off. Honestly, if you can JAPA and still keep up with your studies, you’re a legend 😅

keemsleek:
I hate biochemistry with passion. I had summer classe because of the annoying course. I had to make the female lecturer my friend before I scaled with a C-.

I feel you bro. Biochemistry really tests your patience. But building a small strategy or connections sometimes saves your life in med school 😅 How did you even survive the summer class grind?

pasol4real:
That 2nd mbbs is the toughest exam you will ever write in your life time...

No cap, 2nd MBBS really humbles you. Everyone goes through some level of panic before exams. Which subject nearly broke you the most?

Johnson225:
Being intelligent isn't enough to scale through MBBS, it's almost impossible to fully assimilate all materials before MB sets it due to limited time factor and bulkiness of materials that needs be read.
Work with past questions and study what you can fully assimilate, hopefully your question comes from a familiar topic you can attempt

Yes! This is so true. Past questions are honestly lifesavers. Even when you feel overwhelmed, focusing on what you can fully understand makes all the difference. Fr

keletex2000:
...I vividly remember many years ago when I did my 2nd (Part 1) MB , in 2007 University of Port-harcourt.
Yes, you have already read everything that needed reading from your 200L, which summed up the CA (continous assessment). The only headache was putting all those stuff together before your exam.
Well, needless to say it required hours and hours of studying your notes. If you read well, it is very possible. Good luck.

Wow, 2007 😳 that takes me back. Consistency really is key. If you read your notes properly and connect everything, it’s possible to do well. Which study technique worked best for you back then?

Donwealth25:
Omoh,, medical school is not easy .., buh d truth is dt one can perform impressively if u read consistently combining combining paste questions n asking d right questions on study areas because been intelligent is not even enough coz u will be thrown offguard n confusion sets in …only pathology alone covers preclinical works n more however be stingy with ur study time

Yes o! Consistency plus smart strategy beats just intelligence any day 😭. I swear combining past questions and active questioning of topics saves sanity. Which subject do you find most confusing still?

YesNoMaybe:
Study Groups
Mnemonics
Eat when you can. Sleep when you can
Dressing is psychological
Understand that stress is a requirement

😂😂 This is golden advice! Study, eat, sleep, repeat. Stress is unavoidable but we can manage it with the right habits👍👍