The Unofficial Guide to First Year - University of Oklahoma Health ...

UNOFFICIAL GUIDE
to school! Students may make appointments at the Family Medicine Center (900 N.E. 10 th
Street, not far from the library) by calling (405) 271-2577. Routine visits are covered by
your student fees. The providers at the Family Medicine Center have a great deal of
experience with students and can help you with medication and/or stress-reduction
strategies. Your provider can work with your counselor to achieve the best results. Again,
your medical records are totally confidential.
Should you find yourself in academic difficulty, the most common and most devastating
mistake is to wait to ask for help, hoping that things will get better. Should you fail to pass
a “mini” exam, you’ll be counseled – not as punishment, but to help you to develop a
strategy for change. When you know you’re in trouble, first ask for an appointment with
your instructor – if anyone knows how to “dig out” of a difficult position, your instructor
knows – and most are extremely friendly and sympathetic. Should you need additional
help or if your instructor refers you, get in contact with the Office of Student Affairs in the
Dean’s Office. Academic counseling and tutoring are available to you, free of charge in
many circumstances. Remember – don’t wait until it’s too late!! You can often recover from
one bad block exam – two bad block exams is a much more difficult situation.
What comes next? Sorry, the pace of medical school never slows. Your ability to manage
school, however, will improve. Your skills to absorb and to retain large quantities of
material will improve with experience. You’ll develop a “sixth sense” of how to cull likely
test questions from material. You’ll develop a study routine that works for you. Block
exam week is never fun but you’ll know how to manage surviving the week after you’ve
experienced a few. School does get better!! By your second semester of first year, you’ll be a
seasoned veteran, ready to tackle a new semester. Best of luck to you!
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