A Caribbean medical school is a marathon of hardcore studying, clinical rotations, research, and cultivating new skill-sets. During medical school, you will also have to study for the USMLE Step 1 and 2 and prepare for your residency. Many medical schools focus on teaching you things you are required to learn in order to practice medicine, be it an anatomical term, a drug name or the normal range for a pulse rate.
Accomplishing all these tasks may seem overwhelming, but the key is to find some effective ways of dealing with the Caribbean medical school workload in order to secure stellar grades and cultivate skills needed to become a competent physician. Here, I have listed a few effortless ways to help you manage your medical school workload and stay ahead of the curve.
Go Through Your Undergraduate Courses
The basic sciences programs concentrate on strengthening the key topics that you have already covered in A-level biology and chemistry. The curriculum aims at helping you recall the basic principles and then add more details gradually. If you have a solid background, it will require less work during medical school and help you cope with your Caribbean medical school workload. You can be prepared for medical school in advance by simply going through all the relevant topics to stay up-to-date with the curriculum.
Find Useful Resources
Be it learning a new concept from a textbook or getting to grips with a topic by watching YouTube videos, there are a massive amount of resources available to help you get a head start with your medical school workload. You can learn anything you find difficult or don’t already know. For instance, if you find learning anatomy intimidating, you can find different coloring books and flash cards as well as YouTube channels that use 3D anatomy models and posters to make it easier and simpler for students to learn complex anatomical structures. Similarly, you can find effective techniques to learn pharmacology, physiology, chemistry, and other subjects that you find difficult. Knowing what techniques work for you will be greatly helpful in the long run.
Stay Organized
The mountainous workload that students are exposed to in a Caribbean medical school may seem intimidating, but if you have an effective plan in place, you can stay ahead of the game and manage your workload. In fact, organization is the key to succeeding in medical school. From organizing your notes, class assignments, and exam schedule to participating in extracurricular activities, create a schedule that works for you. When you have a study schedule, you can easily figure out how many hours you have for eating, sleeping and extracurricular activities. It is advised to find a balance that works. Stay up-to-date with your reading and lectures. It will be worth it to avoid stress around exam time.
Watch YouTube Videos
During the first few months of your medical school, you are expected to learn and understand a host of new terminologies that your professors will usually use in their lectures. To get a better understanding of these medical terms and concepts, you can subscribe to medical YouTube channels that provide educational videos and online guides that make it easier for students to understand intricate terminologies and concepts. This will surely help you improve your academic knowledge and secure good grades.
Find Time for Yourself
Believe it or not, medical school workload is hefty. Knowing when to study, sleep, eat, and take a break and concentrate on yourself is crucial. Learning what makes you happy and what activities you should partake in to rejuvenate your mind is important to prepare yourself for medical school challenges and get a head start on the work. If you have a clear idea of which study technique works the best for you, it will make the transition from undergraduate to medical school easier. And if you know what makes you truly happy, you will easily start medical school with a bang.
Cope with Stress
Staying ahead in medical school is not an easy task and there is no denying it. There is much content to learn, no mark schemes, no spoon-feeding, plus the stress of living away from home for the first time, and financial hardships can make it extremely difficult for Caribbean medical students to control their nerves and juggle the workload. Take it as a learning opportunity and find some effective ways to alleviate stress and deal with all the responsibilities of medical school. Creating a study schedule, getting enough sleep, and making time for activities you love most can do wonders and help you manage medical school stress. regardless of how busy you are, set aside some time to relax, it will make things more manageable.
Over to You
Medical school can be panicky and overwhelming at times. But staying on the right track, following a strict schedule, finding useful resources and getting your stress level under control can help you manage medical school workload and stay on top of the game.
