Induction & Freshers Week

My NUS Card!

At freshers fayre I made the classic mistake of joining every club and society going and believe me there are many, almost anything imaginable. I felt guilty about receiving all manner of freebies, so the least I could do was handover my email address in return for USB drives, medical books & dictionaries, bags, lanyards, pens and chocolates galore.

I’m positive however that I didn’t sign up for the “Harry Potter Society.” Maybe the clubs and societies trade email addresses with each other or maybe they acquired my email by magic? Anyway I’m still getting emails from ‘Dumbledore’ and I’m suspecting a few admissions to A&E (ER) from faces smashing into platform 9 and 3/4.

Enrolling was pretty painless and I’m now a proud owner of an ID card which has my name, my photo and the words “medical student” written underneath – physical proof! I’ve also received an NUS card which entitles the holder to student discount at lots of shops – brilliant!

The head of school gave a talk about “Professionalism” and how we all have to be more responsible than other students so the less said about the Freshers Week antics, the better…

10 Days Left Until Medical School

Just over a week to go before registration and freshers week. I’ve enrolled online and I’m even able to download timetables and lectures already. Amazing! We didn’t have this when I did my first degree! We didn’t even have internet or email. Can you imagine that? Looking forward to seeing further advances in university education compared to 20 years ago!

Through the wonders of social networks I’ve met a few of my classmates already, both online and in the pub (well, several pubs. Actually many pubs to be truthful). Most are graduates and some have first degrees in areas as diverse as music, architecture, physics, business… so we’re a random bunch. It’s great to talk with people who have gone through the same experiences as you to get into medical school. I’m the oldest so far though.

Whilst we grads are mostly stressing about funding and maintenance loans, the school leavers are talking about which events to go to at Fresher’s week. I’m not sure I’ll keep up with the youngsters on a 3-legged pub crawl dressed in a toga.

I keep thinking about whether I’ll really be able to keep my head above water in a sea of 18-year-old geniuses? I hope this will help:  Survive Medical School – Top Tips for Tomorrow’s Doctors ” from the Student BMJ. (1)”

1) Malik S, Zarsadia P, Walker J, Mead-Robson A, McCann K. Survive Medical School, BMA, 2009.