Like most first years, anticipating their first day of med school, I had spent that summer delving into the depths of YouTube and medic forums to find out what it was actually gonna be like. From what to bring, to what to expect, by the end of my research, I thought I had a pretty good idea, come September. I did not…
- It is a lot harder than I thought
This may be the most universally agreed-upon point on this list. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t under the assumption that this was going to be easy but I did fall into the age-old trap of believing that “getting in was the hard part.” As someone who had done well all throughout school, the sense of feeling out of my depth was pretty alien to me, however, that feeling and I, became very good friends, very quickly. For any future med students reading this, this might all sound a bit intimidating. Truth be told, the workload hit me like a truck at first. However, with some organization and working smarter, not harder, Medical school is not an impossible mountain to climb. You got this.
- How many students there actually are
Now this may be because I went to quite a small sixth form but I couldn’t believe how many other students were in my year. I think my cohort is around the 300 mark which is pretty average for medical schools in the UK, however it feels much larger. So large that 3 years in, I still see faces that I have never seen before. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and lost in the crowd and my honest advice would be to just be yourself. It’s a real struggle not to get hit with imposter syndrome, that feeling like you don’t belong. But hey, remind yourself of all the hard work you’ve put in. You earned your spot just like the next person.
- How quickly the time passes
One of the most daunting aspects of Medical school is the sheer length of the course. 5 years. 260 weeks. 1826 days. When I first stepped into the lecture halls, the road ahead seemed endless. The volumes of information, the countless hours in the library, and the rigorous clinical rotations ahead felt like a marathon with no finish line in sight. However what I have come to learn is that Medical school isn’t just about learning the science behind the human body; it’s about personal growth, resilience, and adapting to the real world. As I approach the halfway landmark, it amazes me how quickly the pages of my Medical school story are turning and how easily time seems to slip through your fingers. My advice to any current or prospective medical students is to enjoy every second of it as these 5 years will gift you memories that stay with you for a lifetime.
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