The type of lessons and lectures covered during the first year of medical school vary slightly among universities. In general, the freshman year covers the basics of anatomy as well as the beginnings of medical treatment. A typical syllabus for the first year of medical school includes biochemistry (including organic chemistry), gross anatomy, psychiatry, histology, microbiology/Immunology and neuroscience. Many subjects consist of 50-minute lectures followed by a 10-minute break and then a 50- to 120-minute lab or practicum.
Medical school is time-consuming. Most students attend classes and labs between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day. Because most of the lectures require follow-up or intensive reading to be done by the next session, students often study for hours late into the night. Computer-based homework and laboratory projects are also frequent and sometimes require the students to stay at school until well into the evening. Exams are also given every month or every 5 weeks, so students need to stay on top of the material in order to be able to keep up with the rigorous testing schedule.
First-year medical school students cannot technically work in clinical settings (this starts after the third year). However, some universities have special agreements set up so first-year students can get rotations as medical assistants. As part of their duties, they follow doctors around, jot down medical histories, conduct basic examinations (blood pressure, temperature) and act as helpers, setting up the examination room and fetching instruments or materials.
Medical students are expected to learn on their own. Lectures, assignments and labs are provided to help guide them in the approach of the material, but the actual learning process takes place mostly out of the classroom as the students work to memorize material. This is emphasized in the first year, as students are forced to learn many anatomical terms that will be essential to the rest of the career.
The volume of reading and academic work required during the first year of medical school is the number one reason for drop-outs. Some subjects require students to memorize 4 to 5 chapters worth of new information over the course of a single weekend. Most first-year medical students spend their weekends studying or revising notes, either from previous lectures or in preparation for the upcoming ones.