10 Ways Medical School Is Different From College

Getting your undergraduate degree can seem tough enough. It feels like not enough sleep, too much class, and a strange balance of too much or too little social interaction.

But some of us make the choice to continue on with further education and even the behemoth of upper level degrees: medical school. Medical school is different in so many ways from college and the best way to get through what is purported to be an extremely tough experience is by being prepared.

Read below to check out 10 ways that medical school is different from college!

1. You have to actually know your stuff.

In college, students often get stuck in a pattern of memorize and regurgitate. You cram for a test, take the test, and as soon as you walk out the door the information flies out of your head. Well, that won’t fly in medical school.

You spend the first two years in a similar classroom setting, but after that you are out in hospitals and clinics working with real patients. Once you graduate from medical school, people’s lives will depend on the knowledge that you are supposed to have gained while there. You need to learn the relevant material and remember it.

2. You have to take more responsibility.

When you’re in college, it’s up to you how much you learn and thus how successful you’ll beonce you graduate. But when you’re in medical school training to be a doctor, you don’t have the luxury to do poorly and to become a bad doctor. You could potentially hold people’s lives in your hands so you need to buckle down and take responsibility for your actions.

3. Medical shows will lose their glamour.

Binge watching TV shows is a staple of college life, and medical dramas and comedies are a major genre. But that glorious category of TV will be lost to you once you enter medical school. No longer will you be able to enjoy your favorite episodes of Scrubs, House, or Grey’s Anatomybecause you’ll actually understand the situations well enough to realize how ridiculous they are.

4. It’s all about hands-on experience.

After we graduate from college and start our first jobs, we’ve been trained, but usually in a vague sort of way. We know that we’ll get the hang of it. But once you graduate from medical school, you can’t just get the hang of it. You need to know what you’re doing long before that. So get used to really and truly learning your craft. You’ll have plenty of hands-on experience in medical school so that you know exactly what you need to do. The last few years you’ll spend time working in clinics and hospitals.



5. Just keep swimming.

As an undergraduate, it’s okay if you’re unsure and uncertain of exactly what you’re doing when you get started. It can take time to acclimate to the college environment. But in medical school, once you’re thrown into the water you need to bob to the surface like that! You don’t have the time or the opportunity to drown, so keep your head up!

6. Don’t be scared to ask questions.

Professors in college tell you to feel free to ask questions, but you either disregard it or don’t quite feel comfortable enough to do so. You figure you’ll be fine without asking. In medical school, you need to ask all the questions you have. You need to understand everything you’re supposed to do and have all the knowledge you need to do your job properly. Guessing is not really an option.

7. Hand sanitizer for the win.

Some people might carry hand sanitizer in their purse and use it occasionally while others might prefer to keep their hand washing restricted to the bathroom while in college. But once you enter medical school and start your hands-on experience, you’re going to be using hand sanitizer all. The. Time. Cleanliness will come close to godliness, so stock up.

8. Embrace humility.

College classes are nowhere near the same level as classes in medical school. And why should they be? You’re not learning nearly the same kinds of things. But while it’s okay to get a big head and bragging rights when you get a 97 on your English Lit paper, you need to keep yourself from getting too big a head while in medical school. Because you’re still in school and you’re still learning. You definitely don’t know everything and to think that you do could later prove fatal.



9. Confidence is a must.

While you don’t want a big head, you still want to inspire confidence in your patients with your own expertise. In college, it doesn’t quite matter if you seem like you know what you are doing or not as long as your end result shows that you do. But in medical school, if you know the material you need to show that you do. If you have the skills required of you, make sure others are aware of it. You want to perform well so that you can have a competitive edge after you graduate and are looking to start your residency.

10. You’re surround by people with similar interests.

In college you are surrounded by a sea of new people with different ages and backgrounds. Medical school is the same except you all have the same relative interest — you want to be doctors. You all might be in different stages of your schooling, but you are all united in a common goal. You’ll be with the same people day after day and semester after semester. Once you specialize, you’ll have an even more tightly knit group.

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