What did I do during M1 summer?

The summer is coming to a close and M2 starts next week.  Over the summer, I went on vacation to the Caribbean, which was a very relaxing time.  I went jet skiing, swimming, sat by the pool, went kayaking, ate a lot and slept a lot.  I left for the islands just after school ended, and it was one great week.  After returning, I had one week to get my things together again to move back to school, as I was about to start a summer research project with my medical school.

During this project, I would collect data some days at a clinic, and then do some reading, data entry, etc on my own time.  In addition, I had plenty of time to watch a whole bunch of movies, catch up on TV shows, and sleep some more.  I didnt do any studying for a good part of the summer.  I would drive up to see my family and friends almost every weekend.  I even went on a mini-vacation to Dallas for a couple of days to meet with friends and spend time with family.  But, for the most part, I spent it just relaxing and working on the research project.

I did start studying a little during the middle of the summer.  I would read a chapter in my biochem lippincotts book, or in the big Costanzo Physiology book.  I would make some flashcards of things that I found hard to remember, so that I have them ready if I ever needed them for M2 year.  I studied Behavioral Science from the BRS series, as this subject was taught all over the place during my M1 year, and wasn’t very cohesive.

I made a list of books (and bought some of them) for my “Step 1 box” in which I store the materials I’m going to use to study for boards.  I read up on the actual exam, what’s involved, and also looked through First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 book, to get an idea of the depth of material.  This usually keeps me on my feet and emphasizes the amount of work I will need to put into M2 year to learn the material.

Currently I’m in the process of moving to my new apartment.  The summer has been great for the most part, especially because I just took it easy.  I’m slowly getting into the mental state for next year.

Mobile Me

I recently got an Apple Mobile Me account, and its great!  I can add events like exams, meetings, group study sessions, etc on my computer, and it automatically sends it to my phone and the web, without any need for wires and cables.  I find it very useful; I believe it also syncs your notes, email and contacts. It took a little bit to set up, but after that, it works like a charm.  I highly recommend it.