The Trick.

The trick to medical school (the first two, class-room based, boring, pre-clinical years) is simple. It's not about being good at biochemistry, anatomy, or even histology. It's all about

RECALL.

If you can memorize X, Y, and the relationship between them, then spit it back out on test day, you're golden.

Now, just learn to deal with 10,000 Xs and Ys and you're really set. Again. Recall.

Specialty

And so, you mature with age. You mature in many different ways - as a student, as an automobile driver, as a member of an intimate relationship, as an engineer/lawyer, anything.

I have realized that your perspective of medicine changes so rapidly from day to day, that it's a waste of energy to funnel yourself down into a given specialty any earlier on than mid-late 3rd year or even later.

It's great to read up on everything you can, shadow, ask questions, and learn. But keep an open mind! I realized that I cannot possibly know the first thing about any specialty until I've at least spent considerable time in the hospital during oh say...3rd year and 4th year. And even then, you're only seeing a small slice of the pie (academic setting, given hospital in given state, etc). It's fine to think you're "leaning towards" one thing or another as you move through the system...

But my advice, which I'm following, is to just freaking focus on getting through years 1-2 and doing your best on Step I. Do that first. Then worry about the next step. Don't even think about pigeon-holing yourself into anything right now.

A few kids in my class know with fair certainty what they want to do. One example is an older gentleman (mid-30s) who has spent considerable time as a paramedic. He wants to go Emergency Med. and will probably stick to it.

Anyway, I just tell myself "keep your mind open, don't think about it too much."