If you feel a bit underwater during the opening months of medical school, don’t panic. There’s a reason the transition to medical education is often compared to drinking from a firehose.
“The sheer volume of what you’re supposed to memorize—from enzyme names and embryology timelines to neuroanatomy pathways—can feel massive and unrelenting,” said Myra Aquino, MD, MPH, senior content strategist at Sketchy Medical.
The good news? You don’t need to master it all at once. Dr. Aquino shared insights to help first-year medical students find their footing as they take on their biggest academic challenge yet.
Perfectionism is pointless
As accomplished as most medical students are upon entering medical school, the transition represents a whole new ball game. Dr. Aquino tells students to expect to be overwhelmed and not to get discouraged if the material doesn’t stick right away.
“Med school isn’t about mastering everything the first time,” she said. “Like language learning, studying medicine is all about exposure, pattern recognition and repeat patient encounters. Your job isn’t to know it all right away. It’s to get familiar enough so that you can pass your exams, and when you see it again it clicks a little faster.”
Study habits may need to shift
What worked for you in college, particularly if you were into all-nighters, might not work for you in medical school. To make that material click, Dr. Aquino urged students to lean into study methods that emphasize spaced repetition and active recall, both key tenets in Sketchy’s methodology.
“It’s important to build a daily study routine that prioritizes consistency over intensity,” she said. “That might mean watching a Sketchy video or two or reviewing high-yield lecture topics within the first 24 hours after the material was covered in lecture.”
When you join the AMA as a medical student, you can choose to receive 25% off any Sketchy Medical plan. A Sketchy Medical subscription includes access to 1,000-plus video lessons, over 10,000 practice questions and more than 70 patient-case simulations—with new cases added weekly. Sketchy combines visual storytelling and AI-powered case simulations to help students learn faster, retain more and confidently prepare for real-world clinical challenges. Learn more about why Sketchy works.
Plan for now—and later
Your immediate priority in medical school is to pass end-of-block exams, but building the foundation of knowledge early will be a factor down the line for board exams such as those in the United States Medical Licensing Examination and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination series.
“Block exams reward depth, while Step 1 and other board exams reward breadth,” Dr. Aquino said. “For each lecture, I would say, learn it well enough to pass, but tag the Step 1-relevant stuff in your review system for later.”
Dr. Aquino highlighted that Sketchy videos focus on high-yield board topics, making them ideal for long-term retention. A quick 15–20-minute rewatch later in the semester can help you remember concepts covered weeks or even months earlier.
Be deliberate with your time
As a first-year medical student, the transition is going to be stressful. Given that reality, Dr. Aquino advised that it’s best not to go overboard with extracurriculars. You must prioritize your education, but don’t make it everything. A sustainable daily study plan will give you time for other activities for a well-rounded medical school experience.
“Make sure to hit the gym, go to social events, which students like to schedule after exams to blow off steam, and connect with your classmates,” she said.
Don’t get too detailed
Time is valuable, and maximizing it while you study means focusing on the big picture.
“Trying to understand absolutely everything in the lecture … can be a big time sink,” Aquino said. “Try to keep your focus within the scope of what is being taught in lectures, and what’s likely to get tested.”
In these early months of your undergraduate medical training, falling behind is an inevitability. Dr. Aquino tells medical students not to panic.
"Just keep iterating your study approach, keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to reach out to upperclassmen for advice," she said. "They’ve got hacks you won’t find in a syllabus."
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