Let’s face it: Starting as an M1 medical student is scary. No matter how much you prepare, you’re probably going to walk in on your first day shaking in your boots. I know I was!
But the truth is, your first year of medical school doesn’t have to be so nerve-racking. As long as you know what to expect as an M1 medical student and do your best to embrace the changes hurtling your way at full speed, you can succeed and thrive!
Keep reading to find out what you can expect as an M1 medical student and learn lots of practical tips from someone who’s been there.
This post is all about the life of an M1 student.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.
Ultimate Tips From an M1 Student
Breaking It Down: Life from M1 to M4
Let’s go over a brief breakdown of the medical school timeline, from M1 all the way to M4. Keep in mind that this can look a bit different from school to school, so make sure to double check with your own program!
First Year (M1)
Your first year of medical school will be one of the hardest because it requires you to make the transition from a college student or member of the workforce to a medical student. Medical school is a lot more intense than undergraduate. The sheer amount of information you need to take in and the studying time required to do so will be a big adjustment for every student.
During your first year, you will spend most of your time settling into your routines, redefining your studying habits, and meeting new people. Remember, it’s important to strike a balance between work and fun, even in med school, so don’t forget to socialize in between studying.
You’ll find some great tips for this in this blog post!
Second Year (M2)
M2 is when medical school starts to get a little scarier. During M2, you will take the first of the three United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLEs): Step 1. The USMLE Step 1 exam is now pass/fail, but it is still an extremely daunting test. It is the culmination of your first two years of medical school, and you will dedicate most of your second year to preparing for the exam.
Unlike with the MCAT, you can’t study for just three months and expect a stellar score on the USMLE Step 1 exam. You will have to hunker down and go all out to make sure you pass.
Third Year (M3)
After you take the USMLE Step 1 exam, you will transition to your third year of medical school. M3 is one of the most fun years because this is when you usually move away from classroom study and start actually working in hospitals and clinics. It can be tough to adjust to clinical rotations at first, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll start to have fun with it.
The core clinical rotations you have to complete before graduation are:
- Internal medicine.
- Family medicine.
- General surgery.
- Psychiatry.
- Neurology
- Pediatrics.
- OB/GYN.
- Emergency medicine.
Each rotation will end with a Shelf exam, and you will need to study for Step 2 of the USMLE. Luckily, Step 2 shouldn’t take nearly as much studying compared to Step 1.
Fourth Year (M4)
M4 is the home stretch, but don’t expect to sit back and coast your way to the finish line because now you have to start worrying about the next step in your journey: residency. During the first half of M4, you’ll spend time working on your residency applications and possibly completing sub-internships at other institutions. A sub-internship is essentially like a prolonged audition or interview to join a residency program.
Around the middle of March, on the fateful day known as “Match Day,” you will receive your residency assignment. Residency will start up in July, so you can spend time celebrating, relaxing, and preparing between March and July.
My Own Timeline From M1 to M4
Again, how MS1 to MS4 are structured does depend on your school’s program.
For example, I personally took my Step 1 in MS3 and we already started with clinical rotations in my second year. This can have its pros and cons so make sure you take such differences into consideration when choosing your final school, based on your personal preferences.
What Does M1 Look Like?
Congratulations on entering your first year as a medical student! Your curriculum will look different depending on your school, but you can look forward to lots of lab work and lectures for the next year or two. Basic sciences and clinical foundation classes will make up the core of your coursework, with electives like language study and research projects thrown in as well.
During M1, you’re still in the pre-clinical phase of your medical education, so you won’t have a ton of clinical work to do. But, you will learn a variety of pre-clinical skills to set up your foundation for later years, including interpersonal communication skills and professional behavior. You can find opportunities to start doing clinical work early if you’re interested.
How Hard Is M1?
The hardest part of M1 is making the adjustment from life before medical school to life in medical school. You have to be ready to commit a lot of time to coursework and studying.
Some professors recommend studying up to 24 hours per week during your first year to get ahead of the curve, stay on top of your grades, and start developing your routines. Studying successfully in later years will become much easier if you take the time to solidify your study habits early.
If you are still one step before that, make sure to save your seat for my Free Premed Workshop where I share all the strategies that helped me get accepted.
Here you’ll learn how to maximize your chances by applying early, casting a wide (well-researched net), writing stellar essays and more. Including step-by-step instructions and tons of examples from my own application!
14 Tips for Thriving in Your First Year of Medical School
Now that you know what to expect during M1, here’s what you can do to make your first year of medical school the best it can possibly be!
1. Set Up Your Support System
No one should have to endure the stress of medical school alone. Surround yourself with friends and family to create a sturdy safety net that you can rely on when you start to feel too stressed.
Seek out fellow students and mentors as well who can offer guidance, encouragement, and understanding throughout this exciting, but tough transition.
2. Hone Your Study Habits
Studying is an essential skill for medical school, especially during M1 and M2. Figure out the study patterns that work best for you, whether it’s studying in short bursts or dedicating longer chunks of time to more focused learning.
You can even test out different techniques like active recall, spaced repetition, and concept mapping as you optimize your habits.
Even if you walk out of your first class with no idea where to start, you don’t need to panic. Everyone else is in the same boat! Try reaching out to upperclassmen for tips or watching YouTube videos on how to study in med school. Pick out techniques you think will work for you. If they work, great! If not, keep looking for something else until you find what works.
One quick study tip that I would give to everyone is to watch your lectures at 2x speed. You can slowly get your brain used to the faster by starting out at 1.25x speed, then increasing to 1.5x, then 1.75, and so on until you reach 2x. It’s the best time-saver!
For more study tips, go to my blog post How to Study in Medical School: Yes, You Can Create Life Balance.
3. Get Organized
As an M1 student, I definitely found myself wishing there were more hours in the day to get everything done.
As you start to get the hang of juggling deadlines and carving out time for studying, you’ll find that staying organized helps you stay on top of your tasks. A planner or a digital calendar lets you keep track of lectures, assignments, exams, and extracurricular activities.
You can also use it to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps, and prioritize your workload.
4. Take Care of Yourself
M1 can be draining on both your mind and your body. It can be hard to find time in between classes and studying to prioritize self-care, but it’s necessary for your health and success. Burnout is real, and the best way to fight it off is to keep regular exercise, healthy meals, and sufficient sleep at the core of your schedule.
Don’t forget to be social and dedicate time to exploring your hobbies too. A little treat here and there goes a long way for your motivation!
Another huge part of self-care is setting and sticking to cut-offs and non-negotiables. I have a cut-off time in the evening (usually around 6PM) when I stop studying to go cook dinner with my boyfriend. I also don’t study at all on the weekends.
These are my non-negotiables, and they help me maintain a healthy life balance. Your non-negotiables might be different from mine! Figure them out and stick to them to avoid burnout.
5. Be Active in Class
You worked hard to get to M1, so it only makes sense to take full advantage of the learning opportunities presented by your classes. Show up to your lectures prepared, take thorough notes, and try to participate in discussions whenever possible. This will help engage with the material and retain information better.
And don’t be afraid to ask for help from professors or other students when you don’t understand! You don’t have to know everything right away.
6. Don’t Miss Opportunities to Network
Medical school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet tons of people who have the same passions as you. From fellow students to faculty members, there are hundreds of chances to build relationships with people that could blossom into lifelong friendships.
Take the time to introduce yourself to professors, attend office hours, participate in research, and go to social events. You never know when a connection you formed during M1 could turn into an amazing job opportunity down the line.
7. Be Ready to Adapt
Like a caterpillar going into a cocoon, you have to be ready and willing to change when you enter your first year of medical school. Your old study habits might not work for you anymore, and that’s okay. You can create new ones!
This is your chance to rise to the challenge and embrace learning rather than letting yourself be frustrated by challenges.
8. Keep Your Eye on the Prize
It’s easy to lose sight of your goals in the vast sea of deadlines and responsibilities that builds up throughout M1.
Find ways to keep yourself focused on the big picture so you remember what each day is pushing you toward. Whether you choose to create and display a vision board above your desk or maintain a journal of your progress to track each little victory, try to stay positive and reward yourself often.
9. Don’t Buy Textbooks
Wait a few weeks before you make the decision to buy any textbooks. Even if you know you learn well by reading textbooks, you might not end up needing to actually purchase them.
I got one of my M1 textbooks for free, and for most of my other classes, I used resources that I found online or through upperclassmen.
Plus, a lot of exams are lecture-based, so you can get along just fine by listening to lectures and studying your notes.
10. Set Up Time-Saving Systems
Time is one of your most valuable resources as a medical student, and you don’t want to waste it on activities that you could be doing more efficiently.
The biggest time-saver I’ve found is meal planning and prep. Rather than going to the store and cooking every night, we order our groceries online and plan out our meals in advance. So, we still get to eat well, and we have more time to do fun stuff!
As you progress through M1, look for opportunities in your own schedule to batch your tasks. Even something as simple as scheduling a single block of time to answer your emails each day instead of checking your inbox all day long can help you save time.
11. Be Aware of Your Finances
You don’t have to go full accountant and set up a weekly budget, but it’s really helpful to keep track of your spending while you’re in medical school.
I use an app to see where my money is going every week. There are lots of different finance apps out there, so poke around and find one that works for you!
I also recommend checking out the White Coat Investor podcast, especially if you’re stressed about your student loans. They offer so many tips and tricks to help you manage your loans and figure out how to be successful financially.
12. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Just because one study routine works for someone else that doesn’t mean it will work for you!
There was a point in M1 where I started to doubt my non-negotiable of not studying on the weekend. I saw lots of my classmates cramming for a final over the weekend, and I wondered if I should also be studying. But, I stuck with my usual routine and passed the final just fine.
Once you know what works for you, don’t let yourself be convinced to change your routine simply because everyone else is doing something different.
For more details on how exams in M1 look like, read my blog post All There is To Know About Medical School Exams.
13. Sign Up for Clubs (But Don’t Overcommit)
A lot of the time, signing up for clubs in medical school just involves putting yourself on the email list. That means you get to go to all the fun events that come into your inbox!
I went to a bunch of skills nights during my first year and had a blast, but I might not have even known about them if I hadn’t signed up for the email list.
If you do decide to commit to a leadership position, I recommend waiting a few months to make sure you have the time to do it. And, once you’re in that position, don’t feel obligated to stick around. You don’t have to dedicate your free time to a position that you don’t enjoy doing. There will be other opportunities in the future to hold positions that you actually like, trust me!
14. Do Something That Makes You Happy Every Day
Don’t limit having fun to only the weekend! There’s no use in being miserable Monday through Friday. Make time every day of the week for at least a few moments of happiness.
My happy activity during the winter was taking my dog to the soccer field every night and watching her play. Yours could be calling your parents, spending time with friends, reading a book, or anything else you can imagine. No matter what you choose, don’t let yourself fall into a cycle of misery.
If you are about to start your first year, make sure to also check out my blog post Top 13 MUST-HAVE Essentials for Medical School so you are well prepared once your first week starts.
Final Thoughts On Life As An M1 Medical Student
There’s no doubt that M1 is tough, and it’s only the beginning of a long journey. But, with hard work, a positive mindset, and personal tips from someone who’s been there before (AKA me!), you won’t just survive your first year of medical school – You’ll thrive!
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How to Study in Medical School: Yes, You Can Create Life Balance
