Five Tips for Tackling Your First Day of Medical School

If you’re like many aspiring doctors who worked long and hard to reach their goals of earning admissions to medical school, you may feel like it’s all been leading to this: Your very first day as a med student. And while it’s an exciting time, it can also be an intimidating one. Why? Because in some respects it’s truly the “first day of the rest of your life,” so making it a good one is important. We’ve rounded up five tips aimed at helping you get off to an amazing start.

1. Arrive Early
Nothing terrible has ever happened from being too early. Make sure to allow plenty of time to get to your first class with several minutes to spare. Not only will this help you avoid the dreaded late-entry and any accompanying last-minute fluster, but it also allows you time to acclimate and settle into a new classroom setting. Have a favorite place to sit, meanwhile? Arriving early is the best way to secure your spot.

If you’re not familiar with the area, pay a visit to the campus a day or so before to make sure you’ve got the finer points covered -- from the building’s location to where to park. And while your GPS can help you get where you’re going, bring a map...just in case.

2. Pack Smart
Getting to class on time is only one part of the equation. Will you have everything you need once you get there? Some day you’ll use all those fun doctor tools like stethoscopes, reflex hammers and tongue depressors, but your early days of medical school will be spent in the classroom. More likely than not, your school will have provided you with syllabi, reading lists, and other essentials to stock up on in advance. While required texts can be expensive, they’re required for a reason. Secondhand options can help you save some money, but start looking early as you won’t be the only one in search of a deal.

And don’t forget the same school supplies you’ve relied on throughout your academic career: Notebooks, highlighters, pens, binders, sticky tabs, and more are essential to staying organized. Many med students also discover that they can’t live without their smart devices as well as dictaphones for recording lectures.

3. Reach Out
While you may feel very alone on your first day of medical school, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat as you are. Rather than viewing your classmates as your competition, see them as your potential collaborators, instead.

Your medical school will offer orientations, mixers, and other events aimed at promoting socialization. Put yourself out there! Being social can help you make friends and build a support network. Plus, you never know who will become your best study partner...or a lifelong friend.

Even if you prefer to study alone, there are unbeatable benefits to joining a study group -- particularly as exam time approaches. From sharing notes to trading tricks and techniques, working with others amplifies your collective brain power.

4. Accept That Your Journey is Just Starting
Getting into medical school is a huge accomplishment of which you should be very proud. But as soon as you step foot on campus, it’s time to check your ego at the door and start again from scratch. Don’t suddenly start thinking of yourself as a “doctor” just because you’re now in medical school. At the end of the day, you’re still a student with a lot to learn. The more willing you are to accept this fact, the more open you’ll be to the medical school experience and all of the opportunities for learning that it sends your way.

Also, be prepared for everyone you meet to start asking you for medical advice. Even if you think you know what you’re talking about, play it safe, keep your diagnosis to yourself, and remind them -- and yourself! -- that you’re not a doctor yet.

5. Practice Restraint
Medical school is an extreme marathon, not a sprint. While you may be tempted to throw everything you’ve got into being the best from the get-go, are you capable of sustaining this pace over the next four year? Before you even attend that first class, establish a schedule which blocks out time not just for attending class and studying, but also for other essential parts of a healthy, happy life. Building in time for exercise, hobbies, spending time with friends and family members, and other recreational pursuits will support your academic endeavors by heading off burnout.

One last thing to remember when prepping for that first day of medical school? Managing your own expectations is an extremely valuable part of the process. Your first day might not go as you expected, and that’s okay. Whether the first day turns out to be the most amazing day of your life or falls completely flat, you’ve got plenty of time to turn things around. After all, it is only the first day.