In this second study in our series of rather un-scientific studies on medical student habits, we examine medical student class attendance during the first two years of medical school. There has been anecdotal evidence of medical student attendance in class declining as medical schools adopted an attendance-not-required-except-at-certain-special-classes policy. To obtain actual data on this phenomenon, we conducted a longitudinal study of medical student class attendance habits during the first two years of medical school. Results were collected by the same carefully-placed-disguised-as-medical-students scientists as in the medical student hydration habits study. These scientists simply recorded the number of medical students attending class everyday in addition to their recordings of medical student beverage choice. These scientists followed the entering classes of 2005, 2006, and 2007 for two years to obtain the following results.
Medical student attendance at class starts high at the beginning of every quarter but drops off as the quarter progresses, with the end of each quarter seeing the lowest student attendance. Fewer medical students attended class by the end of quarter six when compared to the end of quarter one. This drop-off in attendance may be explained by the fact that most medical students were freaking out and cramming for the USMLE Step 1 by the end of quarter six.
Special notes:
1. There was not 100% attendance in orientation activities, showing that even at this early point, it seems that some medical students already think they are above attending hokey group activities.
2. Surprisingly, attendance was not 100% for ethics, a required attendance class. This result may be due to failure of these students to realize that attendance at this class was required, but is unlikely as the trend continues throughout the second year of medical school. The more likely explanation is that a small minority of first- and second- year medical students do not believe ethics is an integral part of their education because they need that time to study to score >260 on the USMLE Step 1 to be competitive for the ROAD specialties and/or think they already know everything there is to know about medical ethics. This group likely includes the same group of students that were above attending orientation activities. We are currently in the process of determining how they got away with not attending this and other required classes.
Related posts:
- first- and second-year medical student hydration habitsMost future physicians are pretty health-conscious. However, with the stress and lack of sleep that comes with medical school, it is conceivable that even the most health-conscious person will ultimately give in to some not-so-healthy habits. In this first of a series of rather un-scientific studies, we conducted a longitudinal study of medical students’ hydration habits during the first two years of medical school. Results were collected by carefully-placed-disguised-as-medical-students scientists who simply observed and recorded what beverage was on each student’s desk on each given day. These scientists followed the entering classes of 2005, 2006, and 2007 for two years to obtain the following results. Medical students’ beverage of choice shifted from predominantly water to coffee during the first two years of medical school with the majority of students drinking mostly coffee by the beginning of the second year of medical school. The switch to mostly coffee drinking persisted until the end of the second year of medical school after which most study subjects were lost to follow-up as they disappeared to cram for the USMLE Step 1. ...
- to go to class or not to go to class…So I thought I would elaborate on some of the points brought up in the last post. I don’t know about other med schools, but at mine, certain classes during the first two years of med school were met with pathetic med student attendance. It only makes sense that the less “useful” or not so well-taught classes would meet this fate since the limited amount of time allotted to freely studying for the USMLE Step 1 just never quite seems like enough to the frazzled med student. But is this trend an acceptable one? It is certainly difficult to find the right balance between time spent in class and time left aside for studying/having a life (okay, I’m just delusional…what life?). Unfortunately, we can’t have it all. So we’re left with choosing to do what works best for us, which for some of us means not attending class. As I saw fewer and fewer of my classmates attending class, I began wondering if I was missing out on some secret strategy for success. So I decided to try it out for myself one quarter. And it was nice. Sleeping in and staying home in my PJs all day. Studying. Maybe I got it wrong. Maybe I was supposed to not go to class but keep the same schedule. But it didn’t work for me. Well, it did in that I still passed all my classes. But it didn’t in that I didn’t feel like I really learned anything that quarter....
- oh how i miss medical school…So I’ve been away from medical school for almost two years now and I’m suffering from major burnout withdrawal. Yes, I WANT to be burnt out. I WANT to go to class at 8am. Come home at 4pm if I’m lucky. And study. Maybe eat. But mostly study. Go to bed at 2am and wake up at 7am to do it all over again. And again. And again. All the while still feeling woefully inadequate and undeserving of the trust placed in me by patients who trust me, a complete stranger, with seeing and caring for them at their most vulnerable. When I was going through it, I despised it. I was wrong. I miss it. I crave it. So much that I try to turn my current non-med student life into my med student life. But I can’t. So I’ll write about it instead....
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