A student doctor offers their thoughts on how to make the most of your time at medical school.
First of all – it’s a real achievement to get into medical school. All the hard work has certainly paid off!
I would like to say it gets easier, but that would be a lie, so instead I will say you’ve started out on an exciting and eye-opening career. Here are my suggestions of how to get the best out of it in the initial stages.
Work-life balance
Having a good mix of friends, both ‘medic’ and ‘non-medic’, is the best-case scenario. Whether you meet people by getting involved in union societies or in your accommodation, ‘non-medics’ can be an especially great support at exam times when medics are a little stressed out and, truthfully, it’s nice to not talk about medicine all of the time.
Joining medic societies is a fantastic way to make friends on the course, which tends to be very close knit and gives a good support network of people who are having the same or similar experiences as you.
Joining academic medical societies is also a good start for getting an insight into specialties or career paths that may interest you. These societies are a great CV booster, by demonstrating interest, providing a platform to meet professionals in the field, opening up research opportunities, as well as giving access to support from older students for revision, both one to one and through organised study events. I know first year seems early to start thinking about this, but believe me, getting started early is key and relieves the pressure in later years when the application for internship jobs is looming.
Learn how you learn
In medical school you’re expected to learn an extensive amount of subject matter in a relatively short period of time, so it’s important that you find a study method that suits you as soon as possible. This prevents you spending large chunks of time experimenting with different methods and potentially stressing out if nothing’s going in.
Methods can range from drawing diagrams or simply writing up extensive notes. I find that making flashcards suits me the best as they condense the information and go some way to replicate the quick-fire nature of multiple-choice questions.
Everybody is different and will therefore have a different study method that suits them. It is perfectly ok to ask for revision tips from someone else, but don’t blindly adopt their methods as they won’t be tailored to your needs. So, no matter what anyone says, stick to your guns and learn the best way that suits you.
Support network
Support from friends and family is fundamental. Be sure to lean on your family for support and look to build yourself a buddy system, for me that involved building a network of similar people throughout the different year groups. This creates a fantastic support network, allowing you to meet different people throughout medical school and learn from their infinite wisdom and undoubtedly amusing mishaps. Buddies or parents can usually lend a helping hand, a set of revision notes or textbooks, so make the most of this and don’t forget the social aspect and have some fun with your folks.
Clinic placements
My best advice for your clinic placement is to have FUN. You are not expected to be a fully qualified doctor with an encyclopaedic knowledge of medicine; as long as you keep up to date with your course and clinical teaching, you should know enough to answer the dreaded questions from the enthusiastic consultant. Enjoy your time in clinics – take up any opportunities to see exciting things, speak to patients and staff and try to show your enthusiasm as this will pay off.
Exams
Exams come round quickly, so just remember to work in a way that suits you and don’t feel pressured by the way other people learn, or what they appear to know. The exams are very different to high school where there is a finite amount of knowledge required. At medical school you could go on learning new information for eternity, so all you can do is work hard, take breaks and you will be fine.
Although your grades may be a large concern, it’s important to keep in mind that they do not define you, so don’t get hung up if they’re slightly lower than other people’s. As long as you pass all your assignments and final exams you’ll make it through medical school and leap straight into the career as a doctor that you’ve always wanted.
Aim high, if that’s the kind of person you are, but remember in the end (and I still struggle with this one) the standard of the exams is such that you do only need to pass and advance to the next year. Maintain a healthy work–life balance, as your sanity is more important than knowing every little detail. Medicine is so vast that, really, it’s near impossible to know absolutely everything.
Good luck in everything you do and remember – try your best to enjoy every moment, as medical school really comprises some of the best days of your life.