Jottings of a former medical student

Working on The Catalyst does have its advantages. I get to read some of people's lovely articles and contributions firsthand. One of them which i find absolutely inspiring is from a former medical student here who attained many distinctions during her clinical postings. For every posting, it was either her or her husband, who was the former president of the Medical students' Society. They were the model couple. So here's some of her advice...


Looking back, 7 years didn’t seem so long. Sure, the first couple of years seemed to last an eternity, the next couple dragged on at snail’s pace but honestly the last three were more akin to a runaway train. One fateful Saturday morning, it was all over. Probably the most important question is not, how many years were spent in learning medicine but how these years were spent. The same seven years can be a holiday, jail sentence or enriching experience.Thankfully, most of mine were the latter (although with pinches of the former two for flavour). Any words of wisdom? Those bright eyed and bushytailed juniors I leave behind constantly ask. In fact,yes, there are many things this former medical student would like to share. However, all are forewarned, the following are not pearls of wisdom, merely lessons and experiences of one who has recently trodden the path …and survived.

Trust in God

Many a time, the end may not seem to be in sight. The challenges may seem too great, the hurdles too high.Though I was blessed never to have tasted true failure, the constant pressure of excelling also tookits toll. During those times, when no friendly voice could console me, I found solace in faith. For I am a firm believer, that Allah never forsakes His servant, never burdens them with something they cannot bear and created each one different with their own potential and flaws.

Respect knowledge and those who impart it

Always respect your lecturers, regardless of your personal opinion of them. Irrespective of their teaching methods, ability to captivate or serenade the audience, seemingly obvious favouritism (which more often than not are pure figments of the imagination), treat these people with respect. Their sole responsibility is to ensure that our tympanic membrane vibrated with whatever fact imparted. The rest, my friends, is wholly up to us. So, never blame a lecturer’s monotone for your lack of understanding, blame yourself for not pursuing enlightenment. Always identify early what you don’t know and quickly rectify the situation. For it is invariably true that only a fool knows not what he knows not.

Don’t stand in the sidelines… participate

Laments and sighs have reached my ears as to how dull life is for a medical student. There are sad group ofpeople who frequently complain that there is never anything to do except study and worse still claim that all activities in this university are the sole rightsof a privileged few. To them I say, they spend their days with blinkers, like cart horses with tunnel vision. There is always an activity or event brewing in the cauldron, a committee that desperately needs manpower, and there are never enough volunteers for anything! Thus, leaving the responsibility of making these events a success upon the shoulders of those whonever seem to be able to walk away from a task. I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has tobe done when it needs to be done and still manage to get on with the rest of their lives. Life is a lotl ess dull when you are actively involved in your surroundings. It also provides an opportunity for you to give instead of always receiving. An only by beingan active part of such committees and events will you learn the importance of teamwork, communication, time management and how not to crack under pressure.Things, they never write in textbooks.

Exams are not the enemy

Everybody hates exams, well, even those who don’t would not want to have one each day. But the fact of life remains, exams exist and students have to face them. The difference between each student taking an exam is how prepared they are, the results they achieve and what to do after the exam. Truth be told, medical students probably have some of the toughest exams ever invented. I think its right up there with exams for those nuclear physicists and other such impossible sounding jobs. The trick is, to study constantly. Disappointed? I’m afraid there is no magic formula. But I do believe that many people have a very narrow perception of what studying constantly actually is. Images of studious noses buried deep in the gloomy pages of thick medical textbooks may pop into mind, but that is not my definition. Every single lecture,tutorial, lab, class, discussion, seminar, casepresentation, CPC, minute spent in the ward, OT,clinic is precious. Live telecast, no instant replay.Therefore every scrap and fragment of knowledge thataccidentally or purposely floats under your nose orbites you on the behind, grab it and store itimmediately. It may seem impossible to be completely awake and aware of your surroundings 100% of the timebut even for the times that you may not be quite all there, attendance is always better than truancy. Imean that’s how they invented the term “passive diffusion” right? Don’t go through medical school being anonymous, the student the lecturers have never seen. Ask questions in class, outside class, before class, after class and even when there is no class. Never force yourself to be somebody you are not. Some people have no need of books, others read the same page 12 times before understanding the exact same thing. Remember, Allah is fair and He created us all different but equal. What is most important is torecognize early which type of person you are, so youcan stop worrying about how other people study and get on with the actual studying. This may take some trial and error but don’t give up, you’ll find out what works best for you, eventually. It took me 2 months to realize I cannot study between Asar and Maghrib, from10pm to midnight (but I managed to overcome this weakness over time) or between 4am and Subuh. So I didn’t study during those times. The only problem is everything changes once you step into clinical years.No big deal, just read and get on with life. And when it comes time for the exam, have faith inAllah and trust yourself. The most comforting thingthat I always remember during exam is that they will never ask you something that you don’t know or have never come across. All your previous hard work is just to make sure that you forget as little as possible. MCQs are your friend. I love MCQs because I don’t even have to think of the answers myself, I just have to decide if the statement is true or the lecturers are pulling my leg. Short notes are your friend. You don’t even have to worry about punctuation, just list down systematically all the facts you have already assimilated into your system. Essays are your friend. It gives you a chance to write down and show your lecturers how much you know. Just make sure yourhandwriting is neat and legible. Headings are good, spacing is important (just in case you want to add that something extra that you forgot the first time) and always pace yourself so that you divide your time appropriately. PBQs and PMPs are your friend. All the clues are there. Trust your judgement, explain your answers so that the lecturer understands. Never assume that the lecturer knows you know, prove it by writing it down. OSCEs and OSPEs are bonuses. Don’t panic, all will be well. Clinical exam. This is the time to show the examiner exactly who you are and what you’re made of. Sure, I get dinosaurs in my stomach every time I wait outside to start, but nothing beats the adrenaline rush once it all begins. The long case isyour opportunity to score because it is always the same; history, physical examination, investigations and management. Do your best to be thorough and manage your time well. This comes with practice and lots of time well spent in the wards and clinics with patients. And always present with confidence. Do not be afraid of questions, in fact anticipate them andanswer even before they are asked (this also comes with practice). Short cases, one word. Practice. And once you’re finished doing that, go back and practice some more.

Finally, I hope that all of you have as wonderful and fulfilling time in this place that I have called home for the past 7 years as I have had. See you on the other side, InsyaAllah. The view is much better from here.

Kak Hidayah