While googling your way into figuring out what it's like to be a medical student, I'm sure you've thought atleast a few of the following things and wondered if they're something you need to worry about. Well, let's figure it out, shall we?
1. YOU NEED TO BE EXTREMELY SMART.
I've honestly heard this statement from everyone who's ever spoken to me about medical school. In fact, it's still a running misconception among my friends and juniors but I personally believe otherwise.
During first year, this was the most striking realisation I had: there are more important things than "intelligence" about medical school. You need to be organised, have a good work ethic, be compassionate and empathetic and so much more. It becomes a matter of active recall and spaced repetition [Thank you, Dr. Ali Abdaal!] and whether or not you knew the right way to think about things, the right questions to ask, how much you understood and remembered and [surprise!] teamwork.
In my opinion, this misconception mostly arises because of high school performance. Many think that they're "probably not smart enough" for medical school if they aren't doing too well in school but it's safe to say that it's more likely that you're just utilising the wrong test-taking and study strategies or something along those lines. Don't let it stop you from pursuing medicine or discourage you from staying confident.
2. YOU WON'T HAVE ANY TIME FOR SLEEP OR A SOCIAL LIFE.
"If you want to do well in medical school, you have to forget about having a social life or luxuries like sleep." The most interesting part about this one is that I've heard it before, just in different contexts [Grade 10 (O-Levels equivalent) and Grade 12 (A-Levels equivalent), anyone?].
I'll admit it, it's quite challenging to try and balance your studies and everything else [Ever seen a meme about the hours we're "required" to spend on each?] but it's not impossible. In actuality, it's encouraged to make the most of opportunities such as societies, clubs and events in order to socialise and build a good rapport with others. Just like it's emphasised that you need to take good rest. We all need time for ourselves, for social life and sleep, it's important. I, personally, scheduled in time for myself throughout the week and found that I was able to attend events, go out with my friends and take care of myself [despite some of the occasional all/late-nighters I had to pull for tests and assignments] as much as possible.
3. IT GETS EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE.
It's hard enough to get into medical school, so it's reasonable to be worried that it's going to be a battle of the best even after you cross the Acceptance Alley. But I assure you, we're all in the same boat afterwards. It becomes more of a collective effort to do our best rather than trying to outdo one another. You'll find out soon enough that students are more than happy to help - after all, we're all in this together now!
And there are your top three myths about being a medical student! If you're a prospective medical student, we wish you all the best in your endeavours! To help you with your application, please take a look at our other posts. If you're a current medical student, stay tuned for some more exciting and helpful information on our blog! You don't want to miss out.
by nota bene.
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