So, one year of medical school finished, just five more to go. What have I learnt this year? As well as a load of useful medical things, and how to do my own washing and cooking, I have learnt some things they don’t tell you about in the prospectus…
- That it is entirely possible to be a little bit disgusted and fascinated at the same time (thank you, anatomy class)…,
- …but that doesn’t mean most people want to hear all about it during dinner (sorry, mum),
- Cramming an entire year’s worth of work into five days of exams is both possible, and seen as the best course of action by the exam board – obviously,
- The general public is eager to help medical students in any way, whether it is being a simulated patient, or giving us money during RAG week,
- Lots of lovely new words like dyspnoea, amenorrhoea, haematuria and steatorrhoea,
- How to spell diarrhoea (finally).
- That the more diseases we learn about, the more of a hypochondriac I become.
- That the first question everyone asks when they find out you are studying medicine is, “Do you know what you want to specialise in?” For the record, no I don’t!
- Scrubs are excellent outerwear for snowball fights.
- Medical students can be kind of cliquey, but as long as I’m in the clique I don’t mind.
- That it is probably a good thing that the medics’ bar is next door to the A&E department.
Most of all I have learnt that medical school is definitely where I belong (well I passed my exams, at least), and I can’t wait for the next 5 years.
Frances Dixon is a medical student at Imperial College School of Medicine, London.