Yr 1- Semester One Review

We all should’ve seen this one coming, the culmination of my first semester’s experience. 

Interestingly enough I have been putting off writing this article.  I guess it was because I was so relieved to be over with the whirlwind of exams. So you may be wondering why am I writing now. Let me clear the air while I’m ahead, it’s not because I’m ready to make a New Year’s resolution or start reminiscing of all my accomplishments this year. 

Strangely enough it’s because of a movie I just watched, Patch Adams, which reminded me of why I even want to become a doctor. I was able to relate to Patch and everything he stood for. I don’t want to be a spoiler but Patch found himself so passionate, enthusiastic and ready to impact the life of each patient in a system where his peers were notably more focused on grades and his superiors saw each patient as a disease rather than a person. Oddly enough, though the movie was created in 1999 and based on a true story, the same rigid scheme of things exist generally. 

However, I can’t go without saying how proud I felt to see the correlations of  Patch’s advocacy and my ethics course, PECH. Whilst some may not see the value of it, it is my opinion that it truly is the sail to our boats; that is a guide to how we internalize and apply all the theory we are submerged in to truly help improve the quality of life of the patient. 

This first semester was a learning experience to say the least. You learn new information constantly;intricate details of what happens on a microscopic level, you learn about yourself; how you learn, what works for you, what doesn’t work, when you need to listen to your body and take a rest, you learn about your peers; those who are genuine and those who help you in any way they can, you learn time management, you learn how to trust God more and you learn that it’s okay to fall once you pick yourself back up. Most importantly you learn how to deal with things not going as you planned and roll with the punches as they come. 

In this blog  I intended to help potential med students be better prepared when deciding on a career/ choice of study and as a med student I think that when I prepare you mentally, it’s far more valuable than telling you the content of the syllabus. 

That’s because your mindset and approach to situations are far more important in determining the outcome. Both of which are fueled by your passion, whether it is the love of science and/or the love of helping others. Needless to say, to see the journey through you need the passion to sustain you when seas get rough. 

Academically speaking now, it may at first seem as if you are learning things in isolation but in fact everything is linked in one way or the other. For all my potential med students, a word of advice is to not put Biochemistry on the back burner when studying for your 10A spotter because those G protein coupled receptors are going to pop up in 10B pharmacology for you. Another piece of advise is always try to learn more than what’s in the lectures for safety especially when preparing for your spotters because that’s the time you’re gonna see never before seen content (Especially for 10B). Also it’s always a good idea to talk to someone in a higher year than yourself when preparing for spotters as the could better help you decipher what to focus on and the style of the exam, don’t try to prepare for finals when it’s spotter (something I learnt the hard way). 

Generally speaking, I enjoyed this semester. I enjoyed all the concepts and just the feeling of fulfillment I got from doing/ starting what I believe is my purpose in this life. I would admit that it can be really isolating at times especially from family during exam prep but in the end you recognize that sacrifices have to be made to get where you need to be. Trying to stay active can also become difficult but you have to hold yourself accountable and once you recognize the difference in your cognitive skills and emotional wellbeing, it shouldn’t be that hard to stay consistent. 

What can I say more but stay tuned for next semester... 



Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 30, 2019 at 8:50 PM

    Yesss! I felt this post on a spiritual level. We made it through the beginning. Keep pushing. You've got this

    ReplyDelete

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