That Time of the Year...Again.

So Freshers Week is literally right around the corner. You're sitting in front of your computer/packing/feeling excited and nervous/etc. A million questions race through your mind: What's medical school going to be like? Am I going to make any friends? What is Freshers like? Will I be able to cope? Will I get homesick?

I am probably considered an "oldie" at university now since I am now in 4th year. Most people who started university with me in the UK have all graduated now...most are working as well...and I'm still in school. I've been through 3 fresher weeks now - I think I can safely say that I'm fairly confident about what goes on in Freshers and what students are usually concerned about. Let's crack a few FAQs. 

What is medical school going to be like?

Medical school is going to be challenging, physically and mentally tough, tiring, and most importantly - FUN. At the end of the day - we are medics. We work hard and party hard, BUT it is essential to maintain a good balance between the two. Don't want to work too hard to the point you burn out within first year, but at the same time not party so hard you end up flunking the year. In the first few weeks of school, it will mainly be a lot of introductory lectures. Unfortunately, your first few weeks will probably be a bit of a shock. First 2 weeks - you'll still be either hungover or on cloud 9 as you are still coming to terms that you are in medical school. Then week 3 comes around and so on...you're in lectures from 9am-5pm. You want to be seeing patients and learning clinical things, etc. Here's the truth - everyone has to take baby steps first so you'll probably spend quite a bit of time learning the basics. The science of medicine more than anything. 

How do I make friends?

I cannot stress the importance of getting out there. Don't just stay in your accommodation. Go out and socialize! I do understand drinking/alcohol culture is not everyone's "cup of tea", but not all socials need to be at a pub/bar/club. In your first week (Freshers Week) there will be a lot of fairs. There will be a medical freshers fair, union freshers fair, sports fair, etc. Go to the fairs and join some societies! Remember all the freshers that attend these fairs will also be looking for friends. Thinking back, in the first few weeks of university was quite overwhelming. Every one seems a bit too friendly. You get so many numbers and emails from people you only say "Hi" to. Great place to start is at your first medical lecture. Go meet your classmates! You'll be stuck with them for the next 5-6ish years...so it's not a bad idea to start getting to know them. If you are a shy person, just think about it - everyone is looking to make friends. To be entirely honest - I used to be quite shy and the week before starting medical school - I was pretty nervous. I didn't know if I will be able to make friends. I'm not exactly the best person to initiate conversations. I can actually be quite quiet and can happily stand in the corner and watch the world pass by. Seeing how I'm in a new country, new school, etc - I knew I have to step out of my bubble and really try hard to make the first move and meet as many people as I can. Not sure what to say? Here's a start: "Hi! My name is _______. So where are you from? Liking *the university/city* so far? How are you finding it?" 

Do I have to party every single day to make friends?

No. I did not go party every night. I think I went out twice (?) during Freshers week. BUT a great way to get to know your flatmates is probably to hang out with them, but know your limits. Sometimes you feel really pressured to go out, but if you aren't comfortable going out - then don't go! Just tell your friends you're going to take it easy for the night and need to finish unpacking. It isn't a crime to take it easy and most people should understand. However, I do HIGHLY recommend going to the Medic Freshers Party. I've been to the union party and the medics party 3 years in a row during Freshers week. The Medics' Party is a lot better. Plus it gives you another chance to meet more of your classmates and probably upper years such as people like me who don't want to give up on Fresher parties! I still fondly remember my first year medics freshers party. The people who I met at the party are still my great friends 3 years later. All I can say about these parties is just to enjoy yourself. Let loose. You're a fresher only once - just go for it! You're away from home. You're officially a medical student! I think these are good enough reasons to celebrate!

I got the welcome pack and everything seems really confusing and overwhelming! What to do?!

Just relax. I have always found the welcome packs overwhelming and exciting. Things start to feel real when you read through the welcome pack. I still remember reading mine and going: "wow...I am going to university. I'm going to be a medical student in a few days. There is a lot of stuff to know...crap." Essentially what schools tend to do is try to cram as much info in a welcome pack as they possibly can. It isn't a bad idea to give it a read before you start university, but you don't have to know everything in it. Introductory lectures/induction will probably cover most of it. How I've always seen things is to just "go with the flow". Just remember if you are feeling scared/nervous - there will probably be quite a lot of other people feeling the same thing. You're not the only one on the boat. 

All in all - in a way Freshers week is overhyped. Keep your expectations low, and you won't be disappointed. How much you will enjoy Freshers Week is solely down to you. You control your life so you go out as much as you need to. But like I've said earlier: you're only a Fresher once so enjoy your time. Celebrate your week. You deserve it. You got into medical school - which was certainly not an easy task. Just think how far you have come to get here. It's also a fantastic time to get to know lots of people. Go join societies and get to know people from other courses. You are at university for 5-6 years so it is important to make the first good step. Relax and just go with the flow! Be excited. It will be a very fun 5+ years of university. It will go by quickly so enjoy it. 

Good luck and enjoy your Freshers week. Also congratulations for getting into medical school.  

Placement 2 - End of Week 2

Holy smokes what a crazy week. To be honest though there isn't much to talk about placement as I only went in 3 out of the 5 days. Well actually more like 2/5. On Monday I had my clinical skills assessment so I spent the whole day pooping myself and practising before my assessment. I was so nervous it was kind of ridiculous. I was nervous because I felt that I haven't had enough practice yet and there's just so much to think about whilst doing a clinical skill.

So it was finally my turn to do the assessment and thank goodness the assessors were REALLY nice. It was really informal and they told me that they don't expect me to be a pro at it and will guide me through each skill. Essentially I was tested on hand washing (easy), vital signs (BP, temperature, pulse, SpO2), venepuncture, cannulation, drug mixing, and finally setting up an IV drug. I didn't mind doing any of those EXCEPT for drug mixing and setting up an IV. I haven't done either of those skills since last year and I didn't get a chance to practice either of those skills prior to my assessment. I nearly started sweating bullets while doing those two skills but thankfully everything came back to me and I managed to pass all my clinical skills. That means I can officially do all of these clinical skills on real patients in the hospital as long as I am supervised.

Tuesday - standard - ward round and clinic. Clinic was really interesting. Saw 2 patients which some interesting case histories. Ward round...was a pain. Dr B was doing ward rounds which meant another grilling session. Also what I have realized is that he is PAINFULLY slow at doing ward rounds. Dr Y takes 3 hours to do a ward round....Dr B takes 4.5 hours and has the same amount of patients to go through. Anyways while Dr B was finishing writing notes in the patient's notes, my partner and I talked about the patient and the physical signs that we saw. Out of no where, Dr B turns around and snaps at us. He told us off for talking and said that if we keep getting distracted/aren't interested we can go to the library and do something else. My partner and I were like "....what?" We were confused because we were talking about the patient and what we saw, so we weren't distracted and obviously we are interested; hence why we were talking about the patient. Obviously Dr B was a bit grumpy today. The way he snapped at us really bugged us as it was uncalled for. So my partner and I had two choices: a) Piss him off more and just leave and go follow Dr Y or b) Bombard Dr B with loads of questions to show him we are interested and obviously to annoy him as much as possible. We chose to go with plan B and cue the waterfall of questions. We literally asked him about EVERYTHING. We looked at a patient's drug chart and asked Dr B about why he would prescribe these medications and why not alternatives. We started asking about the mechanisms of different drugs. I'm pretty sure Dr B got the idea that my partner and I were doing this on purpose and Dr B blazed through the rest of ward round. I guess that's one way of getting things done fast.

Wednesday - I didn't go to placement as I was helping out at the Medic's Fresher's Fair, which was quite tiring. Started setting up quite early and then had to wait for the fair to finish as I also have to help put away stuff. It was really nice meeting the new medics. Then I had an age crisis as some of these freshers look really young. I mean I saw some who barely even look 16 years old! It was crazy. We also got to showcase the Fresher's Video that we made. It turned out quite well and I think (hope) that the freshers enjoyed it.

Thursday was the usual, BUT Thursday night was the night of Medic's Fresher's Fever! I was really excited for it as there was going to be a hot tub and sand at the venue. In the end - I must say this was the best Fresher's Fever I have experienced. It had a really good vibe and for once all the Fresher's stayed til the end! The last two Fresher Fevers I went to, people left 2 hours into the party and essentially used the event as a pre-drink before going to another club. This time - people stayed all the way until the venue closed. I was so glad I got Friday off as there was no way I would've been able to go to placement. I got to get Friday off as there was another freshers event that I had to help out at: Buddy Scheme. That didn't start until 3pm....and I thought I would definitely be able to wake up for that. I ended up waking up at like 2:15pm and was literally running around my flat trying to get ready to get my butt out of the door. But yeah this week has been quite interesting. Highlight of the week must be Fresher's Fever. Yeah yeah I know I'm getting too old for it, but seriously it was amazing. Definitely a memorable night.

To the FUTURE medics!

I just wanted to quickly post out a congratulations to those who met their offers to get into medical school! As summer holiday slowly comes to an end (noooooo!) - that means freshers is getting closer! Get ready for a great time and don't be too nervous! Personally before freshers I was really nervous especially being an International student. I was scared I was not going to make any friends and will be going through freshers as a very lonely medical student. Those who are worried about friends in uni - DO NOT WORRY! You will find that during Freshers everyone is quite friendly as most will be in the same boat as you - looking for friends! The first people you'll meet will probably be your flatmates so get to know them and don't be shy! Be open-minded and don't be afraid to start up conversations. However, don't always just stick with your flatmates - open up and get to know your course-mates and join societies so you can meet more people! Trust me the thing you'll be worrying about during Freshers are peoples' names. I found myself saying "Hi" back to people who I have met but can't remember their name. Also later on you'll realize half the people in your contacts list on your mobile will be people you don't even remember meeting! Haha.

Freshers is a time where you will probably be both really excited and maybe a bit nervous. Pretty typical feelings. If you aren't even excited for Freshers because you are scared/nervous - don't be. Hopefully you'll find it enjoyable and a pleasant experience. However I think I've mentioned in my earlier posts (in my blog) from the beginning of last year where Freshers was a bit "overhyped". I still believe it is but every one is different. I am not the biggest party animal so I didn't go to a lot of Fresher parties - but in general I still had a great time and many of the people I met during Freshers are still my friends now and we all get along quite well!

And by the way - moving in is alright but remember don't take a lot of stuff that you do NOT need. You will regret it when you have to move out. I personally thought that I brought wayyy too many clothes with me. I probably only wore half the clothes I brought and the other half just clogged up space.

Anyways I don't want to make this post too long - but I'll link you to my previous posts where I wrote about my Freshers week and updated it pretty often:

http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009/09/freshers.html
http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html

I hope these previous blog posts will help and ease some nerves. I think you'll find the second link useful as I charted out each day of my Freshers week.

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Just post in the comment box and I'll reply back to you in the comment box asap or if you want you can leave me your email address and I can email you back.

Get excited for FRESHERS and a new chapter of your life!

FRESHERS WEEK - SEPT 25, 2009

Luckily our first lecture of the day was at 1pm so most of us could get over/recover slightly from any hangovers. When I got to the lecture theater, half the class was holding a water bottle which I found pretty hilarious. Schedule for the day was just:

1:00pm - 2:00pm : Summing Up Introductory Activity

Pretty easy day to be honest. Anyways by 1:15pm our lecturer still hasn't showed up and people started to get bored. People started throwing paper planes and paper balls around the room. It was quite the scene. Things flying from side to side, from back to front. By 1:40pm a MedSoc rep. noticed that our lecturer was still not here and contacted the med school that there are 250 students are impatiently waiting for their lecture. So at around 1:50pm our lecturer shows up and everyone was really bummed out for obvious reasons. The lecturer was pretty considerate and just rushed through the conclusion of our task and went over the answer. The diagnosis for our case study ended up being H1N1/Swine flu and the differential diagnosis was just the common flu. Lecture ended at like 2:10pm which was REALLY fast. We all ran off pretty fast back to our flats.

After the lecture I quickly went over the student union to check our the Sports Activity Fair. There was SO MANY PEOPLE! By the time I finished my late lunch (after lecture) and got INTO the sports fair, the stands were starting to pack up. I didn't get to see much and was interested in signing up for some stuff but sadly they were all done for the day and took away their sign-up sheets.

Oh forgot to mention: I could hear the beginning of freshers flu flying around the class (oh no!). Nice short post as I didn't do anything interesting and just went home and took a nap.

Tip of the day: Load up on vitamin C during freshers week if you want to avoid freshers flu. No guarantees though. Oh and party really hard during freshers week because you won't be able to party as hard during actual uni time...too much work. Oh and if you really want to go sign up for stuff at a fair and you know you'll be in a rush after your lecture to go to the fair...just go before. It makes life much easier.

Side note: Hopefully most of you have already submitted your UCAS application for medical school by now or putting in the final touches to your personal statement. Good luck!

FRESHERS WEEK - MEDICS FRESHERS FEVER

WHOA WHAT A PARTY! This party has always been hyped up as the best freshers party in the entire freshers week. Wow they actually lived up to their word! First, it was a beached themed party. Second, it was a FOAM PARTY. The party technically started at 7:30pm but people didn't start going until 8:00 pm. We were told to make sure we put out phones into plastic bags or else we won't have one by the end of the night. I met up with my friends and stuff so when we got there we went straight to the bar. They were having a special and drinks were 1 quid! After sitting around for an hour or so the party really started to get going as the doors were closed and everyone started dancing. Sometime through the middle of the party they started letting loose the foam cannon and wow the party just got 1000x more fun. Some people did drown in the foam though...here's a good tip: KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. Gotta admit I didn't exactly abide by that tip and did choke on the foam a couple times. The foam was pretty much all the way to your knees so it was pretty deep. Everyone was having an amazing time and it was so much fun to play with the foam. I know that some people were really shy and didn't want to dance and stuff but eventually they did join in. By the end of the party they were really partying it up and regretted that they didn't join in earlier. I can't really remember much about the exact details of the party but at around 12am we switched venues and went over to a nightclub.

All I know is that when you are wet and you have to walk 2 blocks in the middle of the night...you will freeze into a block of ice. Other than freezing I gotta say that the after party wasn't as fun and exciting. By that time everyone was really tired and soaking wet. Majority of the people started leaving within the first hour of after party and my friends and I also decided to call it a night.

All in all it was an awesome party and probably the best one I'll have this year...but I truly hope there will be a party later on that will top Freshers Fever.

FRESHERS WEEK - SEPT 24, 2009

Right so today again was pretty hectic and I have been super super excited for the entire day as tonight is the medics FRESHERS FEVER FOAM PARTY!!!! Anyways I had to get through two lectures for the day which isn't too bad. Here's my schedule for today:

11:00 pm: Dissection Lecture
2:00 pm: Small Group Work

So first lecture I had was at the dissection room in another building (not med school). Today's lecture was mainly based around the dissection activities that we will have pretty frequently throughout the year. However, the dissection room is the hardest place to find. I was with a group of people and it took us 30 mins to find the room. Apparently they made the room to be super hard to find so people of the public will not accidentally walk into the room as we do full body dissections (hence many cadavers). When we got there none of us were really prepared to see anything. We thought it was going to just be a quick introduction, set some rules, and ask some questions......NOPE. When we walked in there were two gurneys in the middle of the room with a cloth covering each one. None of us really thought much about it. Let's just say when it was unveiled many people weren't exactly "ready" and didn't exactly feel too well. We'll leave it at that.

However I am very glad that I managed to get into a university which does full body dissections as the amount of things you learn from dissections are priceless. Being able to see where things are in a real human body and how things are connected just makes the learning process so much more interesting and in depth. I am truly excited for dissections and I am really looking forward to it.

After the dissection lecture we had a two hour lunch break. Had some lunch at the student union with some peeps. Lunch was okay....nothing special. Kinda disappointed because people kept hyping up the cafe. Anyways after lunch there was the official university Activities Fair. Went to go check it out and joined a few societies. It wasn't that great...again had to fight the crowd and got bounced around.

At 2pm I went over to my lecture and it was so DULL! All we did was discuss in small groups about the case study that we got on Monday....yup did that for an entire hour. The discussing itself within the group probably took 10 minutes MAX. Was so glad when the lecture was over. Made some plans with my friends to meet up before going to the party tonight. Then I went home to get ready and chill.

The medic's freshers party was SO AMAZING that I have to give it its own post. Please see the next post for details about the party. If you don't give a crap about it...don't read it. :) Again here's another tip for freshers: TRY to look ahead of time which societies you want to join at the university. It makes signing up so much easier and faster as you don't have to wander around looking for stuff to catch your eye...plus less pushing around. Pretty much you go in sign up and leave. Simple.

FRESHERS WEEK - SEPT 23, 2009

Sweet I have been waiting for awhile for this. It was medics freshers fair - clubs/societies for medics. There are societies ranging from surgical society, to medsex (?!), to medics sports teams. The British Medical Association and the MDU were there for us to sign up and they gave freebies which was a oxford clinical medicine handbook (which i heard are really useful as they are pocket sized). Plus today we got our MedSoc membership cards which costs 50 pounds (10 pounds a year for 5 years) and our white coats, dissection kit, and the most important: Medics Freshers Fever ticket/wristband!!!

Other than fighting the crowd and almost dying from suffocation (no air conditioning in the halls - imagine 250 students crammed in a small area), I managed to join a few societies. I joined the surgical society, st.john's ambulance, BMA/MDU memberships, medics hockey, and medics basketball. Quite hefty right? I know some people who joined every single society that was there! After being pushed around I met up with friends and we decided to chill and have some food/recover from being pushed around.

Today was a pretty light day...no lectures at all. Just another day for me to get to know the city. Speaking of getting to know the city, I got majorly lost today. I decided to take the bus and somehow took the wrong bus and ended up in this really weird place. Asked some people for directions and took another bus back towards the right direction..and walked for like ages to get back home. It was pretty ridiculous. But like I said...best way to get to know a place is to get lost and find your way again. Not much to post today but I will leave you with another tip:

During Freshers Fair/Activities Fair, join as many societies as you want. You can always not go to them. Societies are the best way to get to know people and especially medic societies help you to get to know upper year medics so if you have any questions about the course you can always ask them.

I notice that UCAS applications are almost over so good luck to everyone who is applying! Stressful times.