If you’re starting medical school soon, it’s normal to feel nervous. Everything’s new, you don’t know what to expect, and everyone keeps telling you how hard it’s going to be. Here, we will provide you with information about some things our expert tutors wish they’d known before they started med school, to help reduce your nervousness.
#1: MED SCHOOL IS DOABLE
There’s no denying it. Med school is challenging, but it’s totally doable. There will be times when you think it’s too much for you to handle, but it’s not. Moreover, med school can even be fun, and always remember that all the hard work you put in will be worth it in the end.
#2: REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE STUDYING MEDICINE
You need to find the thing that you’re passionate about, which pushed you into studying medicine. It could be the opportunities to save lives, or it could just be for financial security. Whenever studying at med school becomes hard, remember your main motivation, and you’ll be able to push through.
#3: BE FLEXIBLE
You may already have a learning style that works for you, but you need to keep an open mind at med school, because chances are you will need to change your learning style to adapt, or risk failing to keep up. You may struggle for the first 10 exams, but you will get there. You will find a style that works for you. If you’re really struggling, remember that you’re not alone. You can always get help from friends or a counsellor.
#4: DON’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF
At times you may feel pressured to learn and memorise every single thing, because you feel that that little bit of information could become a deciding point in a matter of someone’s life and death one day. But don’t fall into the trap of putting too much pressure on yourself. No one expects you to remember every little detail. Even when you’ve successfully become a medical doctor, you still won’t be responsible for someone’s life and death all on your own, because you’re part of a team of doctors. Just do the best that you can, and you’ll gradually get there.
#5: LEARN FROM YOUR PATIENTS
For the first year of med school, you’ll likely be force-fed books, lectures, and just theory-based learning in general. When you get a chance to get practical experience, though, that’s when it gets easier, because you’ll get to learn from actual patients. It makes it easier to remember symptoms, diagnoses, etc. You’ll learn a lot more from patients than from books.
#6: HAVE A LIFE
It’s easy to dedicate yourself so much to med school that you neglect your personal life. However, it’s very important that you don’t stop doing what you love. Remember that med school only lasts for 4 years. Your life still goes on after that, so make sure that you never stopped living.
Finally, remember that lots of fun experiencing are waiting for you at med school. Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy med school while it lasts!
For more information, check out our full article here: https://gradready.com.au/posts/gamsat-preparation-courses/things-i-wish-i-d-known-before-starting-med-school
