In what is apparently a hazing ritual, the Ph.D.'s of the Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology Department traditionally schedule the doctor-in-training's first exams into a gauntlet of four exams on one day, which has come to be called "Black Monday." It would be quaint to see such a thing at the turn of the 21st century, were it not such a difficult beginning to one's medical school years. So until the Renaissance comes to Louisville, "Black Monday" is something to be taken in stride. When looked back upon it, most students would agree that it was not such a horrible experience afterall.

Think of Black Monday as your rite of passage into medical school. Black Monday (you'll also hear it called Marathon Monday) is four weeks from your first day of classes in the first year and involves back-to-back exams in every class: gross anatomy lecture and lab and M & D (histology & embryology) lecture and lab.

We all have been through it, and, once we have, we tend to look back on it as a positive experience in a military-boot-camp kind of way. Black Monday does two things: it teaches you that you have to keep up because you can't put studying off until the night before a test like you could as an undergrad, and it really bonds your class. After the last test, the second-year class will throw you a big party, and it's an amazing feeling to have your first four med school exams behind you . . . and to have survived.

Here are some practical tips that we've found help you survive Black Monday and any other exam day down the road:

1) Keep up with your classes as much as possible. Someone once remarked, "The only day you'll ever be caught up in med school is the first day of class," and by and large that's true. But at least read over your lecture notes when you get home each day. Ideally, try to read lecture notes before going to class. Go to class as often as possible, and study as much as you can each night without going crazy. Weekends are a great time to catch up (on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, the gross lab is a popular place). That said, be reasonable with yourself. Watch ER or Scrubs on Thursday nights, go to BW3's on Monday nights with your friends to watch Monday Night Football, go running, or take your dog to the park. The more relaxed you are, the more effectively you'll use your time when you do sit down to study.

2) Do old exams! You'll hear this again and again, but it's probably the best advice we can offer. Exam questions are recycled, and you'll often find the exact question, word-for-word, on the exams you take. This is especially true in gross anatomy, but you'll see repeat questions in almost every subject. And, if nothing else, it's an excellent way to organize your study efforts.

3) Go to practice practicals (especially gross anatomy). Your class president will set up practice practicals in the gross lab, and your histology T.A.'s (students in your own class who may have excelled in the course in undergrad) usually set up practicals as well. Go to these even if you think, "I know nothing. I should just use the time to study instead." They will look surprisingly familiar on exam day. It doesn't matter that you aren't prepared yet (it would be wonderful if you were, but this seldom happens). You'll see arteries and muscles and mitochondria and Nissl bodies like you're probably going to see them on an exam, and there is no substitute (not all the color atlases in the world) for this. So go, don't despair if you miss a bunch, and then go home and study some more. If you're lucky, one of the "tagged" from a practice practical may still be there on the exam day for gross. Easy points!

4) Review sessions can be a big help. This is especially true in the gross lab. The lecture and lab right before a practical exam, all the professors will be there to answer your questions, show you clever ways of showing you nerves of the brachial plexus, and explain what may not have made sense before.

5) Keep your sanity. The weekend before Black Monday, you may be a little stressed. Call your second year for tips. Take old exams. Try to avoid the gross lab after Saturday (on Sunday, it becomes a fairly insane place). By all means, get some sleep the night before, and do all the other things your mom would suggest (eat breakfast, set two alarm clocks, bring an extra pencil in case one breaks). It's a long day but there will be plenty of fun in store afterward. You will be approximately 3.1% complete with medical school.

Black Monday is, in some ways, your first day of medical school, and it's exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. But we all make it through the day and come out of it as seasoned, exam-taking experts. Relax, study hard, and remember that these exams, while definitely important, won't make or break your grade, your career, or your life. If you don't do as well as you would have liked, you can always make up for it on the next one.