Dear class of 2020,
We are all so excited to see you on campus, proudly donning your freshly minted white coats with radiating smiles. In order to welcome you to campus, the class of 2019 decided to put together a list of advice, reflections, and thoughts we would have wanted to know as incoming students. Remember to stay healthy, have work-life balance, and never be afraid to ask for help. Have a great year!
Class of 2019 White Coat Photograph
“Med school is difficult, but shouldn’t becoming a doctor and having lives resting in your hands be difficult? We all have our own doubts and struggles. But the admissions committee of UA COM-P choose you for a reason. You are here because you belong here. You will succeed. Try to remember that when you hit a speed bump. Or two. Or three.”
“Your classmates are your greatest allies. Lean on them, let them lean on you, and help support each other. You will make some of the best friends you can imagine here.”
“Don’t study just to get a high grade. Study to retain things long-term.”
“Take anatomy seriously! Whereas you may only need a 70% in lecture classes to pass the block, you NEED to know everything Dr. Fisher presents to you in order to pass! It all builds on itself, so keep up with the workload and get help ASAP if you feel you’re falling behind!”
“Don’t overly stress about your future medical career. You don’t take the boards tomorrow, and you aren’t applying for residency next week. However, do things that will build your CV. Example: think about picking up research outside of the SP, be involved in leadership activities, etc.”
“Protect your weekends! Best way to do this is to commit to being a Friday test taker. Don’t give yourself the option to not be ready by Friday. You will relish having the Saturday and Sunday free from studying! Besides being a Friday test taker, I suggest choosing at least one day a week to do zero schoolwork. I did that from the start, and it was a huge benefit to me. After anatomy ended, I upgraded to giving myself two days a week off (Saturday and Sunday). You can learn all you need to in the other days while still giving yourself time to live well.”
“Be confident! With hard work, you will pass your tests, and you will thrive in medical school. You are at a fantastic school that is structured to give you a good school/life balance. You can do this.”
“Always make time for yourself and for the people in your life. The medical knowledge won’t wait for you either way, but neither will life.”
“Doctoring will be tough, and you will get mad at it sometimes, but hang in there. I promise you no other school has the kind of Doctoring program that we have. Dr. Moffitt is the best. You won’t see the benefits right away, but just wait until you start CCE. You will be amazed at how much you know. I had a 3rd year from Midwestern shadow me to gain experience from patient encounters, and I was a 1st year.”
“Don’t sign up for stuff just to get CHIP hours or just to look good. Everything is time consuming, and being a med student is a full-time job. Sign up for them if you are really interested in it. Deans have said this to me at conferences: ‘We were medical students once; we know how the game is played. Don’t play the game. Change it.’ ”
“HANG IN THERE DURING ANATOMY! Classes overlap, yes, but you will make it through. Hang in there!”
“Do your best on exams. You don’t want to have to worry about passing an exam because you didn’t do so well on the previous exam. That being said, take the exam when you want and feel is the best time for you. If that means Friday, cool. If that means Sunday, that’s cool too. Do what’s best for you.”
“Communicate with your learning specialist, your career advisor, your block director, whoever you are comfortable with if you feel you are struggling more than you should be. It’s okay to ask for help.”
“About all the tests and trials in medical school, my Big Sib mentor once told me, ‘You will have never worked so hard to feel so average.’ There will be times that you feel like this and it is defeating, but remember that you were chosen for this profession. You were hand-picked. You are at the top. Continue rising!”
“Med school is hard. There are going to be days where you can’t remember why you chose this path but always try and remember the feeling you have right now. Always make time for family and friends. They are the ones that will get you through the roughest of days.”
“Dear MS1, welcome to a wonderful journey. I want to share some things I learned this past year: 1) Make time for yourself 2) Exercise 3) Make friends 4) Make time for your family 5) Don’t sacrifice your sleep 6) Say no to free food—eating pizza 3 days in a row is not healthy—and 7) Laugh when you can.”
“As difficult as medical school may seem right now with content, the most challenging part of the year will likely not be dealing with exam scores. It will come from changes in your life outside of school and from growing as a person. Know there are people who support you both in and out of school, and keep strong friendships with those who understand what school is like and also those who simply understand you.”
“Take time to take care of yourself, even if ‘taking care of yourself’ means stuffing your face with tacos.”
“Take every vacation you have and get out of Phoenix whenever you can. Keep your hobbies or whatever makes ‘you’ you.”
“Drink coffee before anatomy so you don’t fall asleep in lab.”
“This is the easiest year you will have and the most flexibility you will have for the rest of your career. Take advantage of it and just enjoy it. Thousands of people have done this before you and succeeded just fine. You will as well. Trust in the system that our school has set up for you and try not to stress.”
Dor Shoshan is an MS1 at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. He graduated from Chapman University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences. He is passionate about the intersection of science and technology with medicine—in particular, the way technology will shape the future of medicine and its perils. For recommendations about future articles, comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact at shoshan[at]email.arizona.edu