So you've completed the tiresome UCAS form, had your interview, put up with the agonising wait for an acceptance letter, and finally you are waiting to start your medical degree. But what has the 5 years of medical school got in store for you?
My experience as a medical student began almost as soon as I arrived at university. I'd barely unpacked my suitcase, pinned up my photos and posters in my room and met the rest of the students living on my corridor in my halls, and shared a first night out with them at the student union, before lectures for the medical students began. Whilst students on other courses had a relatively easy start to their courses, after a Monday 9am induction and receiving important things like student cards, we got stuck straight in to our first lectures.
Beforehand I was definitely a bit apprehensive about whether I'd chosen the right course, and I was starting at a university over four hours drive from my hometown, which was intimidating, as I didn't know anyone else starting there, and had only visited the place once, for my interview. However, I soon discovered that so many others were in the same boat as I was, and quickly made a lot of new friends, both medics and non-medics. Fresher's week held a variety of events for all the new students to attend. I remember going on a city tour, and to a well-known furniture store to kit out my room and the flat kitchen, as well as a night out every evening. Unfortunately, some of the very first lectures did clash with some daytime events, (I'd really wanted to go paintballing) but I'm glad I took part in lots of activities in Fresher's Week, as I met some great people and had a lot of fun.
The Fresher's Fayre provided us with the opportunity to sign up for societies and clubs for the year, so I signed up for hockey trials and MedSoc. I found it great to have something to do outside of medicine, and I made some great friends through playing hockey. I rarely had a problem with making games or training sessions, as it fitted in well with medical timetable. MedSoc was a great society to join, organising Friday night social events for medical students from all years.
I was allocated a Peer Dad from the year above, who turned out to be a really useful contact when it came to asking about exams, assignments and any other questions I had about the course, in particular advising me on textbooks that might be useful.
Starting lectures straight away was a bit daunting, but a lecture is really only like lessons you have at school or sixth form, with a few more people, but may be as many as 300, or more, depending on your medical school. The obvious difference is that nobody is really there to make sure that you are listening or doing the work, so it's up to yourself to make sure you attend them. A loud alarm clock is an absolute necessity for this degree! We also had seminars which reinforced topics covered in lectures, and we learnt things like communication skills and practiced in small groups with tutors. These were always with the allocated seminar group, and almost every day, which was great for making friends on the course. We kept these groups for clinical skills, where we learnt on models how to examine patients, and do things like measure blood pressure and take blood.
Anatomy sessions were a whole new concept, you'll definitely remember the first time you encounter cadavers, but it is a learning opportunity like no other, textbooks cannot even compare. This brings me on to the library, a place it took me a few weeks to discover, but I'm very glad I did. It was essential when my halls were too noisy and I had some work to do. Medicine is definitely a 9-5 day, sometimes more, with occasional hospital visits and GP surgery visits in the first two years. However, there's always plenty of time for a night out and hobbies to fit around it.
All too soon, first year was finished, and it was time for exams. I felt quite anxious in the run up to my exams, but we were well prepared for them by the medical school, who gave us some examples of what the questions would be like, and a mock exam for our clinical exam - we were expected to perform clinical skills and examinations within a certain time, and the others were written exams, testing your knowledge and data interpretation skills.
I found that quite a lot changed in second year, moving from halls into a house, and the work got harder, but even more interesting. I'm currently a third year, and having started clinical years, those first apprehensive thoughts at the start of the course couldn't seem further away. I love the course and the practicality of it. It's such a privilege to meet patients every day, to listen to their story, examine them, and learn about their condition. It has also started to feel like a real career now, being in hospitals, on wards and in clinics, with the obvious responsibilities that come with it - dressing smartly, behaving professionally in the hospital and with patients, and having a real part in a patient's hospital experience, whether it's taking blood, taking their history (asking about symptoms and medications etc.) and presenting it to a consultant, or examining them and summarising your findings to other doctors.
Overall, I'm completely happy with medicine as a course, and in the future as a career. Deciding on medicine was not as easy a task, but I'm delighted with my choice. If you don't mind some hard work, a busy time at university, but with an exciting, varied and interesting workload, then medicine is definitely for you!
Felicity Gilbert, third year medical student (Newcastle)
Received May 2010
Categories