TIPS THAT HELP YOU SUCCEED IN CARIBBEAN MEDICAL SCHOOL:
Succeeding at an accredited Caribbean medical school such as American University of Sint Maarten School of Medicine (AUSM) requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance. But it also requires planning and a solid grasp of all the demands medical school will make on you. Every student has their own approach to med school, but below we’ll go over some general tips on how to prepare for medical school that many of you may find helpful.
1. Keep to your schedule:
As an undergraduate, you may have been able to get away with cramming the night before an
exam, or finishing required course materials all at the end. After all, medical students are typically
bright students who may not have found some of their undergraduate work especially
challenging. But this is a recipe for failure in Caribbean medical school.
It doesn’t matter how bright you are, medical school requires diligent study habits. There is
simply too much to do, and too much material to memorize for you to put things off. Preparing
for medical school means working steadily and consistently toward building knowledge and skills.
2. Lean in to your study habits:
By now, you probably have a good sense of how you learn most effectively. These can be useful
study aids when there is so much to memorize, but they are not for everyone. Some will learn
better by poring over text, or by sketching and taking detailed notes.
The point here is that what works for one student may not work for another. As you adapt to the
challenges of medical school, don’t try to reinvent yourself as a student. One of the most
important things to know before medical school is that just because a fellow student spends
hours shuffling through flash cards, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. No single
method works for everyone. Do what you know works best for you, but also experiment with
different study methods. You may just find a better way.
3. Explore the house of medicine:
You may think you already know what specialty you want to pursue, and maybe you will stick to
it. But many medical students are surprised to find themselves drawn in unexpected directions.
Talk to doctors in any specialty, and you will find some who had their hearts set on it from the
beginning. But there will also be many others who discovered a new passion in medical school.
One of the things to know before medical school is that you need to keep an open mind. Medical
school isn’t just some technical exercise, where you learn the skills needed to do a job. It is an allaround educational experience, so embrace the exploration. Be open to unexpected possibilities.
Learn more about choosing a specialty.
4. Ask for help when you need it:
Caribbean Medical school attracts bright, driven students. But Caribbean medical school is one of the most challenging
educational experiences in the world, period. If school has always come easily, you might be
discouraged if you find yourself struggling with a formidable class load.
Study groups and friends are an age-old source of help. However, good medical schools also offer
support systems and resources to help students when they hit a bump in the road.
5. It’s never too early to plan for residency:
Matching to a residency program will become a growing preoccupation during your third and fourth year of Caribbean medical school. It is a long and competitive process. It requires building your curriculum vitae (CV), gathering letters of recommendation, attending interviews, and submitting your ranked list of residency programs.
Now that you know a bit more about what to do before starting medical school, you may have a better idea of how to succeed as an “MS1”—a first-year medical student. So gather your thoughts, think about your plan for medical school, and review AUSM’s Admission Information. And, when you’re ready to start your journey, apply for admission to AUSM.
