I'm starting medical school next week 😊

Hello friends,

It’s the night before I move back to NYC for yet another school year! 🙌

“But wait, Caroline, didn’t you just graduate?!”

Why yes, dear reader, I did. I even got my diploma in the mail a few weeks ago. Allegedly. Still haven’t opened the box so can’t be too sure… 👀

Anyway, in just a few days, I’ll be starting medical school as an M1, which is med slang for “first-year medical student.” I thought I’d write today to share how I’m feeling.

☝️ But first, a couple of updates

1) They see me rollin’… 🚗

I may or may not have been more nervous for the road test than for the MCAT. But I passed!! I can finally run errands using a CAR!

The test took a total of 5 minutes, but they don’t tell you if you pass until 6pm the day of. My tester must’ve been a Lady Gaga fan because he had on the strongest poker face I’ve ever seen. Which made passing all the more exciting.

If you’re taking your road test, here are some tips that helped me:

1. BE CONFIDENT. The tester is probably more nervous than you are since they’re getting in a car with someone who might not be able to drive. So smile, be courteous, and show them that you’re comfortable operating a vehicle.

2. Remember: SAFETY is above all. Check your mirrors and blind spots often, etc. Stay under the speed limit, but ALSO don’t go too slow because that could pose a danger too. Leave a safe braking distance, and accelerate smoothly (otherwise your passengers might get nauseous 🤢).

3. Try not to be frazzled by any critiques or small mistakes. Consider them reminders to be more careful for the rest of the test.

I doubt I will need to drive anytime soon in the city, but it feels good to have the option :D

2) Girls’ trip!

I’ve been advised that the summer before medical school is the last free summer… for the rest of your life. Just kiddingggg. Or am I. HAHA.

So, with that in mind, Mama Chen and I traveled to London, Madrid, and Copenhagen! It was my first time in Europe (you can follow our trips day-by-day on my Instagram!).

We love the roundness and convenience of London (buses and tube) + the liveliness of Madrid (11pm seemed like just the start!) + the safety and openness of Copenhagen (though do not underestimate the wind chills of a good ol’ Scandinavian summer).

💭 Thoughts on starting medical school

Since I was a kid, I’ve always looked forward to new school years. And this time is no different :) My Courseworks dashboard is repopulating with all new classes. And we got some assignments already—readings on the social history of medicine, a science lecture, HIPAA trainings, etc.

Priorities

People usually compare medical school to “drinking out of a firehose.“ But I also know students who’ve said that med school was less stressful than college for them, so I think it really depends on the person (and their mindset).

Talking to students can been impactful in that you’re learning from their experiences, but also witnessing that another human being has survived and thrived in what you’ll be going through. The importance of the latter cannot be understated.

Upon reflecting on everything I’ve gathered, I’ve decided to just (1) do the best I can, (2) try to figure out which study methods work best for me, (3) carve out recharging time, and (4) prioritize forming strong relationships with my classmates, mentors, & patients.

What’s happened so far

I’ve been assigned into my advising group with my super awesome faculty advisor, some M2 student advisors, and a bunch of my classmates. It’s really cool to learn about everyone’s background (at least one person in my group is a few years older and ALREADY MARRIED 💍).

My friend B who is at another medical school has already started orientation and tells me to savor the last few days of sleeping in. Must… set… early… alarm… ⏰

Last thoughts

There’s this pre-orientation program called PSOOP (pronounced "pea soup”) which consists of a 1- or 2-day hiking trip. I didn’t sign up for it but I think a good number of my classmates did (maybe half?). They’ll be returning tomorrow night so hopefully campus is lively when I move in. Also I think medical students and dental students will be taking a bunch of classes together first year since our pre-clinical schedules are similar. Should be fun to make dentist friends!

I’m writing this now without a single day of medical school under my belt, so please take everything I say with a heap of salt. Stay tuned as I gain more insight to share as the weeks go on!

💘 Tangent

My mom just stopped by and said that I seem happy whenever I write. I smiled at that. Hopefully this newsletter continues to be an outlet for my random thoughts in the coming years (as well as a source of information for you!).

Also, life hack for when you want to watch a movie but don’t want/have time to sit through it: there are MOVIE SUMMARY channels on YouTube. What?! Ikr. They’re pretty good with summarizing a wide variety of international movies too. Basically condensing 2 hours into 10 minutes. I’ve spent longer that I care to admit watching them the past few days heheh…

🎥 Latest Uploads

Here are a couple of recent relevant uploads from the channel 🙂 

That’s it for today. I hope you enjoyed this issue. As always, cheers to being inbox buddies!

❤️ Caroline

P.S. If you have any feedback/comments for me, please reply to this email or contact me on my website: carolinechen.me. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts on content, what you find useful, and what can be improved with some “re-thinking.” :D