Studying Medicine – The Most Common Myths

A lot of myths have grown around studying medicine and dentistry (commonly referred to as medicine) in society, which are often closer to urban legends than the truth. 🕵🏻‍♀️ Countless movies, TV series, TV shows, and family stories give them a certain note of horror that can effectively overshadow the bright sides of medical studies with a cloud of false beliefs. 🌫️ After all, it's a well-known fact that the best source of knowledge about medicine is Grey’s Anatomy and the daughter of grandma Mary's friend, who said that the step-uncle of her second husband's brother-in-law said that med school is a nightmare. So let's consider what the most common myths about medical students are and why they are worth breaking. 👩🏼‍⚕️ In this article, I will base my writing primarily on my own experiences, because I was able to experience many things empirically, "first-hand". 🤭

Medical students have no time for anything

This is one of the most common myths about medical students. Yes, it may happen that the beginning of your studies will involve less free time, which results, among other things, from the difference between studying in high school and university. 📚 Remember, however, that your brain is an amazing machine and quickly adapts to a new situation. You won't even notice when absorbing a large amount of material in a short time becomes second nature to you! 🧠 At university (medical and otherwise), you have exactly as much time as you make for yourself. The final result is what matters most, not the time spent studying. If you practice effective learning, studying will be much more pleasant and will take less time. ⏰

Note: If you are not familiar with the proprietary Effective Learning Course offered by Bethink, we encourage you to check it out! Access to the course for 6 months is completely free.

I also spent my first semester of studies learning how to learn in order to actually learn. When I managed to develop my own way of studying, life became simpler and more beautiful. In med school, there really is time for passions, meeting friends, pursuing another degree, or having a part-time job. A lot of students develop their interests in science clubs and other student organizations. 🎨 As an older colleague, however, I recommend not taking on too many responsibilities at the beginning of your studies and being understanding with yourself if things don't go your way sometimes.

Medical students don't sleep because they study day and night

As I mentioned earlier, the amount of time you need to study is an individual matter. What one person learns in an hour might take another person three hours. That is why it is very important to understand early on in your studies how you like to learn and at what times you do it most effectively. It is impossible to learn everything (unless you are a lucky one with a photographic memory 📸). Selecting the most important information can make studying and life easier. 📖

Do students pull all-nighters to study? Some do, yes. Do they have to do it? Absolutely not! Although I sometimes studied at night myself, it wasn't out of necessity, but rather from my penchant for daytime procrastination. 💤 I know many people who could count their all-nighters on the fingers of one hand, just as I know people who studied mainly this way. 📚 Looking back, I think that in the vast majority of cases, it is a matter of choice and time management. I achieved the best learning results when I simply started getting enough sleep. Sleep is very important for memory consolidation, and sometimes an extra hour of sleep will help you more than another hour of studying on fumes.

There is a rat race in medical school

Everywhere you can find people who crave competition and will treat you as competition on the job market. The comforting fact is that there is only a handful of such people, and the vast majority of students are supportive and helpful. Remember that you are all in the same boat, you probably have similar problems, and you are learning how to cope with a new situation. In my opinion, there is nothing more valuable than the support of classmates who are going through the same difficulties as you, and the advice of older students who have already been through it. 😊 Their tips can be an invaluable help – so it is worth taking advantage of them.

As for me, I never experienced a situation where someone I asked for help refused me. It worked both ways – other people could also count on my support. 🤗 Although there are exceptions to this rule everywhere, in my opinion, the medical student community is very supportive, which can even be seen in groups uniting students from all over the world. Unhealthy competition brings nothing good to your studies, which is why it is worth cultivating student solidarity. It can result in beautiful, lifelong friendships.

Everyone wants to fail you

At university, there are exams that we consider very difficult to pass, as well as instructors who seem to take satisfaction from the inflated difficulty level of their subject. 🔩 Lecturers at universities are different – more or less demanding – and have their quirks; they like to ask about irrelevant (in our perception) things, but ultimately most people successfully pass even the most difficult exams. 📈 As my friends and I used to say – they can't kick us all out. Sometimes passing a subject requires taking a retake exam, but after all, no stress – that's what second terms are for. 😉

Instructors are only human and probably also have no desire to write a thirtieth retake test just to put someone in their place. 👃🏻 After all, incredibly difficult exams bring nothing positive to our knowledge and competence. Can they happen? Unfortunately, they can, just like in any major. Remember one important thing – the university regulations should contain a clause regarding low exam pass rates. 📜 Depending on the university, in such a case, the exam may be repeated, and its level should be verified by the Dean's College.

In the case of a difficult test, as students, you can submit a letter to the instructor requesting a lower passing threshold. 📝 Lecturers often agree to such requests from students to allow more people to pass the exam, which in itself proves that instructors don't necessarily want to kick everyone out. 🚯

You can be too old for medical school

The age variation at university is huge, starting from people who have just passed their high school graduation exams, to those who already have another degree – or even several – behind them. 👩🏽‍🎓 There is nothing wrong with starting university later than directly after high school – it does not determine your academic abilities or whether you are a good fit for your chosen major. Getting into med school on the third try is just as great an achievement as getting in on the first try. 🏆 In my opinion, there is no such thing as "being too old for university." The very pursuit of realizing your dreams of your chosen major proves your determination and strength of character. 💪🏼

Medical students know everything

🚨 Spoiler alert – it is impossible to know and learn everything. 📣 One of the most important skills at university is the ability to select information. I really wish someone had told me this at the beginning of my academic journey. Trying to literally learn everything by heart usually ends in frustration, fatigue, and one big failure. 🤷🏼‍♀️ It may seem to you that there are people who remember everything, but I assure you that this is not the case. You can know more or less, but there is always something we haven't managed to absorb.

My advice – start by learning the basics to form a solid foundation for building further knowledge. Well-thought-out learning yields long-term results, which are definitely more durable than those obtained by trying to cram everything at once. 👷🏻

Medical students are snobs

How do you recognize a medical student? They will tell you themselves. 🤪 The fact of studying a medical major usually comes up quickly in conversation, but we would have to lie in response to the question "what do you do?" not to mention it. 🧐 Conversations between med students often revolve around their studies not because we are snobs, but because studies make up a huge part of our lives that we are proud of. 🤗 Talking to someone who has similar experiences and complaining about certain topics allows us to relieve some everyday stress.

Remember that people outside the medical circle may not be interested in the twentieth conversation this week about an entry test in anatomy, physiology, or another subject. 🎪

Medicine is only for the "smart" ones 🧠

When I started university, I heard from my sister that university is for the persistent. Now, after almost 6 years of studying, I can sign my name under these words. 🙌🏻 Are there smart people in med school? Yes! Does that mean that if someone is struggling in med school, they are not smart? Absolutely not! I believe that the recipe for educational success is choosing the right path for yourself, perseverance, and awareness of your predispositions. ✊🏽 Although I would never say that medical studies were a piece of cake for me, I did quite well in them – whereas I cannot imagine myself studying computer science, for example. 💻

The main boss of the first year – Anatomy

Probably the most myths have grown around this subject, used to scare potential med school candidates as early as high school. Stories about thick, massive tomes of books that you must know inside out, fainting in the dissection room, and other legends can be put... in our pockets. 👖

Anatomy is a vast and important field, but it can be really interesting and enjoyable. Those thick tomes of books actually contain a lot of less important information that, apart from the test, you will probably never need again (unless you like trivia). 🤔

Keep in mind that you can always use our Medcourses Anatomy Course. It was created precisely to make learning easier for first-year medical students – they collect and constantly update information from all sources needed to pass exams in these subjects. 🫀 They also contain knowledge going beyond the basics. Read more on our website. 🌟

You don't have to start studying during the holidays at all. Anatomy can be learned, and heck, it can even be passed on the first try while studying during the academic year. Basic knowledge of anatomy can be useful in later years of study. A good method is learning from the general to the specific, frequent repetitions (❗ + retrievals, i.e., recalling information backwards – from materials we covered some time ago), and maximizing the time spent in the dissection room. ⏰

Since we're on the topic of the dissection room – is it true that the dissection room is scary and at the beginning everyone faints during classes? 👻 This is untrue. The first classes usually start with osteology (i.e., bones). Thanks to this, you can get a little accustomed to the place and interacting with human specimens. It is only in subsequent classes that we come into contact with the so-called wet specimens (i.e., tissues preserved in formalin). 🫁 It may happen that someone feels faint or even incidentally faints. The dissection room can sometimes be stuffy, a lot of time is spent standing, and the specific smell of formalin can make you nauseous, especially at the beginning. 🤢 However, this does not happen as often as in the stories. In my year, it happened once to one person out of 365 students. What's more, it doesn't mean that someone is "not fit for it," as you can sometimes hear. Everyone has the right to simply have a worse day, feel under the weather, or faint for a completely different reason. Anatomy classes are not scary, nothing weird happens there, and the place is far from being a setting for horror movie scenes. ☠️

If, despite everything, you are stressed about your first visit to the dissection room, get yourself a photographic anatomical atlas. It gives you the opportunity to get used to the appearance of anatomical specimens in safe conditions, without the unpleasant smell of formalin in the background. 📖

Non-stationary studies are easier

"I pay, therefore I demand" does not exist at the university. Non-stationary (fee-paying) students have the same academic level as stationary (full-time) students. What's more, students of both study modes often take exams together, having the same questions, so there is no question of preferential treatment here. Additionally, exam papers are rarely signed with a name and surname, and instead, a student ID number is used, which increases anonymity. 😶‍🌫️ You can read more about the differences and similarities between stationary and non-stationary studies in our other article regarding study modes and costs.

Class representatives have secret access to exam questions

It would be beautiful, but from personal experience, I know it's not true. Class and year representatives usually have few privileges due to their function (or even none at all), but they do get quite a few extra duties added to their already intense student life. As an ex-class representative, I officially deny the circulating rumors that reps have pre-release access to questions that they don't share with their classmates. We meticulously pass on all materials and tips from instructors to our classmates. 🥰

Summary

I hope I managed to debunk the most frequently circulating myths about studying medicine. From experience, I know that they can cause a lot of stress even before starting your studies. I'm curious, which myths have you heard so far? Or maybe you know other interesting legends about studying medicine? 🧙🍄