How to compensate for my lax approach to my studies.

Stompbox

I'm in a bit of a pickle; I recently finished my second year of medicine but I've passed these years with an unproductive apathy towards my course. My attendance has been dismal thus far (which I attribute to a dastardly composite of laziness and an errant concentration span that renders redundant any lectures I do sit through) and passing of exams is achieved through inhuman cramming sessions ('sessions' is too light of a word, perhaps 'bender' would be more appropriate) in the two weeks before the exam. While this approach provides temporary respite from the wolves at the door, I'm now concerned that by neglecting the assimilation of information to my long-term memory, I'm gonna be hopelessly incompetent whenever I actually find myself in a position of professional responsibility. By failing to fashion for myself a solid foundation of medical knowledge, I'm worried that I will never truly strike out as anything but a second-rate doctor (this worry isn't so much out of concern for my own inferiority, rather a genuine concern for patients to whose care I will be entrusted).

So I'm trying to amend my attitude; I'm hoping that I can find (or someone here could provide me with) some online resource that presents a stripped-down, skeleton summary of the absolutely essential material I should be able to recall by year 2 of medicine. Does such a resource exist? Revising past lecture notes is not a possibility as attempts to sideline all the superfluous information wouldn't be very time-effective.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

PhysiologyRocks

First of all, you have plenty of time to rectify this. I don't know any specific online resources, but I do know how you can learn what you need to know quickly.

For physiology, get a relatively basic book such as Vander or Stuart Ira Fox. Alternatively, student nurses often use combined anatomy and physiology books. If you know a student nurse, he/she could direct you towards a reputable one (some can be a little dodgy). A good working knowledge of these subjects should suffice, and if you ever have the time to cover them in more detail, you can go back to the scarier books. A short clinical biochem book should do the same.

Regarding clinical stuff, practice a few exams on pillows and get a friend to run through a few histories. Remember your surgical sieve regarding diagnostics and you can't go too far wrong.

You should be fine! And congratulations on passing second med.

cambridge

just go through first aid for the usmle step 1 and some of step 2

papajimsmooth

It will be beaten into you when your in the hospitals so dont worry, I was in the exact same situation as you. It will all work out in the end so enjoy your holidays, you will miss them when there gone

kingofkong

don't worry too much

i found the preclinical stuff is more enjoyable the more you make an effort with it

use the USMLE books like already mentioned, you could try the 3 week Doctors in Training program, after that I wouldn't waste your precious time off

Cliona99

This guy:

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/

has an ebook called something like ''study less, learn more." Might be a help for next term.