What to expect starting med school

So what is the first year in med school actually like? Depending on your background, you might have some ideas on what it will be like through friends and family. This blog is just going to focus on how I found it and what I found was unexpected.

After completing my UCAT prep  and the subsequent exam I did not expect to be able to get into med. Luckily I did, but as soon as I found out in early January I began thinking of what it would be like. Coming from a family of engineers, I had no point of reference, in fact no one in my family was in the medical field at all. There was a lot of hype surrounding medicine. I was expecting ticker tape parades, red carpets and media attention wherever I went. I was 100% wrong. Medicine is just another degree among the hundreds crammed into the campus it would be a miracle if anyone actually recognised you from the course that you are enrolled in. There was no elitist common rooms or special medicine-only areas- it was all very normal and reflective of all university courses. We had old buildings (in fact older than most other courses), we had no lockers or special study spaces (while other courses did!). Looking back on it now, I think it was good to be treated this way as it reminds you that you are just a university student and not god's gift to mankind. Of course it’s important to be proud of your achievements but I felt that this mainstream treatment keeps the students grounded and modest- as they should be!

While there are no special perks, there are some benefits. You have a very close knit cohort of only 300, so you have the opportunity to get to get to know many if not all of them. You will be within groups of people with similar interests to you. Remember these students are all high-achieving, they are all probably near the top of their respective schools and this can feel quite motivating. For others, however this can be quite a shock because while they would be used to being the "smartest" at their school, in med school they are just one of the crowd. Furthermore, I personally believe that in medicine you have the best opportunity to make the closest friends you will ever have- partially because going through all these tough times in uni is a great bonding experience.

One other thing you will encounter is a certain level of respect from people doing all other courses at uni, particularly the biomedicine students. Remember these are students who were most likely fighting hard for the position you have now and are now studying to get into the course you are currently doing. Get ready for a lot of conversations going along the lines of "So what do you study" "Medicine" "Oh wow, you must so clever!". While some can find this a little embarrassing, I think it is actually quite flattering. Of course you shouldn’t gloat but there is nothing wrong in feeling proud of your achievements!

No blog about med school would be complete however without a mention of how difficult the course is. It is not a fun thing to discuss but there are many very clever kids who drop out or find themselves failing in med school for a variety of reasons. So be prepared so you don't get caught out: stay ahead of that pass line.  

Overall if you are sitting there thinking that med school is a magical place with fairies and unicorns and unlimited parties, you are most definitely wrong- however there is fun to be had, even amidst all the hard work. What I know for sure is that I wouldn’t change my course for the world!