M1 Courses
Remember to ask your M2 family how to handle each course when the time comes. Don't be afraid to change study routines if what you're doing just isn't working.
Scientific Foundations of Medicine (MS1 Fall Semester)
Stuff to buy/consider:
Applied Medical Sciences (MS1 Fall Semester)
Stuff to buy:
Applied Medical Sciences (MS2)
Longitudinal Curriculum
Practice of Clinical Medicine (PCM)
Previously Foundations of Clinical Medicine (M1/M2), this class teaches you how to be a doctor and is all year long. It emphasizes how to develop rapport with patients, take histories and do all the physical exams. Every other week you meet with a small group led by a physician and a fourth year student and they guide you in your learning of all these skills. Beginning in the second year, on alternating weeks you meet with an assigned area physician. M1 students are eligible to check out a stethoscope during the first phase of medical school - a limited supply is available from the Curriculum Office on a first-come, first-served basis. M2, M3, and M4 students are required to purchase or have access to a stethoscope.
Starts with Boot camp the second week of school
Stuff to buy:
Scientific Foundations of Medicine (MS1 Fall Semester)
- Molecular Basis of Health and Disease
- Principles of Physiology
- Principles of Autonomics and Pharmacology
- Immunity and Infection
- Foundations of Disease
Stuff to buy/consider:
- Physiology, Linda S. Constanzo. Easy to read, clear concepts.
- BRS for Physiology- great summaries and practice problems (a MUST for the Boards)
- Lange Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology (In past Immunology courses, the "big picture" has been missed and Lange is a helpful way to get this information to give context for the details covered in class)
- First Aid for the USMLE Step 1: a must. Used for Step 1 preparation, but you will get the most out of it if you read and annotate it as you go through each block. Contains high yield information and great visual aids.
- SketchyMedical (formerly SketchyMicro). Excellent explanations of microbes that will get you through bacteriology/ the Infection part of "Immunity and Infection".
- Pathoma . Dr. Sattar explains high yield pathology concepts. Great to review class material and study for boards.
- *UWorld Qbank: Many call this the best test preparation for boards. Expensive, but contains thousands of board style questions that you can use to prepare for class exams as well. Up to you when you want to purchase it, but you really ought to purchase it. A bulk purchase should be organized by the curriculum office at the start of spring semester.
Applied Medical Sciences (MS1 Fall Semester)
- Marrow and Movement
- Glands and Guts
- The above courses include Gross Anatomy, Hematology/Oncology, Histology, Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Reproduction
Stuff to buy:
- Netter’s or Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy (only get one)- theses are illustrations
- Grant’s Dissector (One for the group that you can get “dirty”)
- Rohan's Atlas (pictures of actual cadavers)
- An app that is useful for iPads and Macs is Visible Body 3D Human Anatomy Atlas. Essential Human Anatomy 3D is also an excellent choice, though quite a bit pricey.
- Dissector kit (two per group is nice — purchase scalpel blades at the MCV campus bookstore).
- Gloves (buy a couple of boxes to share with your group. Recommend nitrile glove—even better if double-gloving with latex. Purchase gloves on Amazon or Costco)
- Scrubs (a couple pairs)
- Goggles/safety glasses - required
Applied Medical Sciences (MS2)
- Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Renal
- Mind, Brain, and Behavior
- The above courses include Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Histology, Psychiatry, and Neurology.
Longitudinal Curriculum
- Practice of Clinical Medicine
- Physician, Patient and Society
- Population Health and Evidence-Based Medicine
- Healing with Empathy, Acceptance, Respect, and Integrity (Project HEART)
- Geriatrics
- Point of Care Ultrasound
Practice of Clinical Medicine (PCM)
Previously Foundations of Clinical Medicine (M1/M2), this class teaches you how to be a doctor and is all year long. It emphasizes how to develop rapport with patients, take histories and do all the physical exams. Every other week you meet with a small group led by a physician and a fourth year student and they guide you in your learning of all these skills. Beginning in the second year, on alternating weeks you meet with an assigned area physician. M1 students are eligible to check out a stethoscope during the first phase of medical school - a limited supply is available from the Curriculum Office on a first-come, first-served basis. M2, M3, and M4 students are required to purchase or have access to a stethoscope.
Starts with Boot camp the second week of school
- Vital Signs (BP, Pulse Oximetry)
- History Taking
- Physical Exam Overview
- Work with a Standardized Patient (SP) at the end of the week
Stuff to buy:
- Bates Guide to the Physical Examination - a MUST have—ask your M2 family about this
- Stethoscope – required for preceptorship. You will need it for all of your clerkships so it is strongly recommended that you buy one early. Cardiology III and Littman Classic are the recommended models. M2, M3, and M4 students are required to purchase or have access to a stethoscope.
General Studying Tips
- Pre-reading is key to getting the most out of lecture. It helps to have an idea of what the professor is talking about...
- Lots of practice questions are key! Make sure you do the self-assessments multiple times.
- Some people learn better alone. However, it is often helpful to review and synthesize big picture concepts with a focused group.
- Don't waste time trying to figure out fancy ways to re-write notes, etc. Just drill powerpoints, supplement with pathoma/first aid/ youtube videos. Also, focus on the big ideas - going through the material several times over is more helpful than spending countless hours on a single topic at a time.
- Don't worry about what other people are doing, and when you are feeling overwhelmed, anything is better than nothing. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Professors and upperclassmen are here to help!
- Don't fall behind! Set a goal for yourself (in terms of what and how much you will study each and every day). Hold yourself accountable.
- What has worked in the past may not work before. Don't be afraid to change study strategies if yours is not working!
Study Spots
MCV Campus
o 2nd Floor: Study rooms, tables, and a quiet room (whisper only)
o Stacks if you want to disappear
o Basement: Multimedia collaboration room with lounge furniture (whisper only)
o Disclaimer: Lunch hour (12-1) can be very noisy when the dental students are eating lunch
o 2nd Floor: Study rooms, tables, & computers (talking allowed)
o 3rd Floor: Study rooms , tables, & computers (whisper only)
o 4th Floor: Tables, computers (no conversation), & John Mapp Graduate Study Room (Secured by card reader, get card from front desk or email [email protected] with name, eID, & prox # for access using your VCU ID)
How to decide where you study
Now that you are in medical school, studying should be your main priority. Many people benefit from group studying. If you are the kind of person who works well with others and isn’t easily distracted, find a group of 2 or 3 more of your peers who you get along with but who also will push you. It is easy to blow off the material if you find a study partner who is less driven than you and terrifying if you find one who guns way harder than you, so try to strike a balance with someone who will help you do your best. There are an abundance of study locations on campus, depending on what environment you feel most comfortable in. If you work best with white noise and the occasional social breaks, Hunton Hall is a great location. The first floor of the Tompkins-McCaw library, Larrick Student Center, most floors in MMEC in addition to the VCU undergrad library first and second floors also will have a bit of background noise. The VCU undergrad library is a good place for denizens of The Fan, and is usually open later than TML (Tompkins-McCaw library) and offers a graduate student room on the top floor and a Starbucks on the bottom. If you like to be somewhere in the middle noise-wise, the second floor of TML and the top floors of the VCU library are whisper only. If you need total silence, the TML stacks, the 8th floor of MMEC, as well as the study room on the 6th floor of Sanger are where you belong.
Off campus
- McGlothlin Medical Education Center: 24 hour access via your student ID to study spaces throughout the building. No computer labs.
- Sanger Hall 8th floor - Secured by door code. Ask an M2 or check with the Curriculum Office for the code.
- Tompkins-McCaw Library (if you want to mingle with dental, nursing, and pharmacy students)
o 2nd Floor: Study rooms, tables, and a quiet room (whisper only)
o Stacks if you want to disappear
o Basement: Multimedia collaboration room with lounge furniture (whisper only)
o Disclaimer: Lunch hour (12-1) can be very noisy when the dental students are eating lunch
- Hunton Hall: 2nd and 3rd Floors (private study rooms) and open tables
- Larrick Student Center: Large main room with tables and outlets and plenty of sunlight. Can be noisy with undergrads eating.
- James Branch Cabell Library:
o 2nd Floor: Study rooms, tables, & computers (talking allowed)
o 3rd Floor: Study rooms , tables, & computers (whisper only)
o 4th Floor: Tables, computers (no conversation), & John Mapp Graduate Study Room (Secured by card reader, get card from front desk or email [email protected] with name, eID, & prox # for access using your VCU ID)
How to decide where you study
Now that you are in medical school, studying should be your main priority. Many people benefit from group studying. If you are the kind of person who works well with others and isn’t easily distracted, find a group of 2 or 3 more of your peers who you get along with but who also will push you. It is easy to blow off the material if you find a study partner who is less driven than you and terrifying if you find one who guns way harder than you, so try to strike a balance with someone who will help you do your best. There are an abundance of study locations on campus, depending on what environment you feel most comfortable in. If you work best with white noise and the occasional social breaks, Hunton Hall is a great location. The first floor of the Tompkins-McCaw library, Larrick Student Center, most floors in MMEC in addition to the VCU undergrad library first and second floors also will have a bit of background noise. The VCU undergrad library is a good place for denizens of The Fan, and is usually open later than TML (Tompkins-McCaw library) and offers a graduate student room on the top floor and a Starbucks on the bottom. If you like to be somewhere in the middle noise-wise, the second floor of TML and the top floors of the VCU library are whisper only. If you need total silence, the TML stacks, the 8th floor of MMEC, as well as the study room on the 6th floor of Sanger are where you belong.
Off campus
- Library of Virginia
- Main Richmond Public Library
- University of Richmond Law Library
- University of Richmond Undergraduate Library
- Henrico County Public Libraries
- Shockoe Espresso
- Lift Coffee Shop & Cafe
- Captain Buzzy's
- Cafespresso
- Urban Farmhouse
- Barnes & Noble
- Panera Bread
- Starbucks