I've written loads recently, as evidenced by my recent blog posts- I've never expected it to be this refreshing. This post is going to be a fairly short one since I realise that every bumblebee needs to be reminded of the following things about medical school. I may not be an expert (well, after all, I'm a struggling bumblebee) but reminding me of the following ground-truths did help me get through every single day:
- Take care of yourself, since your future patients rely on you. If you don't even know how to take care of yourself, how do you expect others to trust you? Eat well, dress well, take snacks with you to the hospital. Personally, when I went to the wards, I hated the idea since I laboured under the delusion that it would ruin my so-called 'professional' image. That was utter nonsense. A bar of Kit Kat or a Mars bar - anything you like. Get a can of coke during your break. One of my most distinct memories during pre-clinical years (Year 2, as I recall) was that I was at the verge of passing out during a dissection class (note: I was actually elbow deep in the small bowel, where fragments of half-digested bolus adhered tenaciously to my digits). I escaped from the room and threw my equipment to the bin and headed to the canteen. Well, I had three packets of crisps and a bottle of sprite - that turned out well. Don't be like me. Get yourself well-fed and set regular mealtimes. Don't sacrifice food and rest for the sake of clerking a few more patients. It doesn't do you any favours- rest assured, if you don't clerk with a brain, it's unlikely you can learn anything.
- Don't compare. I know it's very stressful, especially when medical school is mostly about making unfair comparisons and getting envious of others. It's very tempting to be negative: your friend might have got a distinction in whatever subject, or your girlfriend might have got an academic prize. The whizz kid who knows the answers to everything might be pocketing his tenth prize through his medical career. Professors and doctors might be biased towards these people and you feel left out. I completely understand. However, most importantly, don't let that get to you. It's easy to compare and it's easy to fall into the abyss of negativity that has claimed millions of victims in the past. Don't let yourself be the next victim. I fall into this trap daily - it's hard to concede defeat since we start from the same spot. Somehow, certain people are just naturally smarter. Well, no one is distinctively smarter than other people, except the geeks in the top percentile of the IQ nomogram. Do well because you want to - not because you're part of a gigantic competition and you think people are going to respect you more for being smart. Yes, they most certainly will - but don't make this the sole reason.
- Study everyday. Don't be lazy. Trust me on this - yes, I agree that I don't have a social life (not exactly, but you get what I'm saying) but my methods reap results. Review at least 1 topic every day. By reviewing, I don't mean browsing. Browsing only means you're so exhausted by the stodgy facts that you've decided to wing the degree. Instead of reading through thick textbooks (this is why you should never buy them in the first place - total waste of money), go to point-of-care platforms like BMJ Best Practice and other medic learning websites such as Teach Me Anatomy (I've got a page called 'Saving the Bee' which contains a trove of suggestions of learning resources). They are good in the respect of giving you the facts that you know. Nothing more. No waffling. No shenanigans. Just the stuff a normal bumblebee and future doctor would be expected to know. For instance, when dealing with meningitis in the UK, unless there is relevant travel history (e.g. to the Amazon, South East Asia, or the Indian subcontinent), I really can't fathom why it would be necessary to remember worms such as Strongyloides stercoralis and Angiostrongylus cantonensis. For pneumonia, for example, not knowing Streptococcus pneumoniae warrants the death penalty. However, knowing Burkholderia pseudomallei does you no favours (I've only seen that once - from a patient who came back from Thailand). Also, unless you're working in South East Asia, the chances of encountering recurrent pyogenic cholangitis are practically nil. So, study everyday but be cognisant of what helps you and what doesn't. Cramming unselectively isn't going to work.
- Be Happy. Remember why you've chosen medicine in the first place. There must be a reason, unless your parents forced you. Even then, there must be a reason why you succumbed to your parents' wishes and did not choose your own path. I chose medicine because I watched a soap opera and I love the idea of conferring hope to people.
Make that reason be the driving force behind everything you do.