Most people (we hope) know going to medical school means you’re going to become a doctor, but we figure a lot of people may wonder what happens in between. For those who do wonder, we thought we’d give you a quick summary of what the classes are like in medical school.

First year pretty much teaches you how things work. At SSOM we start off with Anatomy and Biochemistry, continue on to Physiology and Histology after that, and then finish the year with Neurology. A lot of people say this year teaches you how things should work, like a mechanic learning the make up of a car. We also get an introduction to some diseases, pharmacology and epidemiology, but much of this is gone into deeper during second year.

The second year at SSOM takes everything learned first year and shows you what can go wrong. The bulk of the classes are Microbiology, Pharmacology and Pathology, with other topics interspersed throughout the year. At the end of second year, students to a short preceptorship at with a rural physician and then take their STEP 1 boards.

Third and fourth year are probably the most looked forward to, because this is when we get to start taking our knowledge and putting it into practice. These years are done on one of three campuses, Sioux Falls, Yankton and Rapid City. Aside from the clinical rotations during these two years, students also get the opportunity to take elective courses, study abroad and do externships at other schools in the country. At the end of fourth year, boards are taken, residency matches are set and that M.D. is finally at the end of our name!