Year 2 medical student, Libby shares an insight into her experience of being a first year medical student, obstacles met and overcome along the way and tips for new students.
Hi everyone! I’m Libby, I’m a medical student ambassador, and a second-year medical student. I came straight into medical school from high school last year, and have struggled at times with the increased workload, balancing this with the rest of my life, and with imposter syndrome. After having time this summer to reflect, I wanted to share some insight on how I coped in first year and what worked for me, with hope it may support some of the incoming first year with their transition into medical school.
Workload
The workload is undeniably hefty, but despite what the more sceptical parent/friend/other may say, it is still very possible (and important!) to have a comfortable work/life balance. Prioritisation is critical; in the first semester you’ll get a feel for the high-yield material to focus on, and what drains your time. I personally never got through all the given work, and imagine doing so would have caused burnout. Setting work boundaries is also very important; for example, I have a ‘no work after 9pm’ rule to allow me to wind down for the evening.
Study breaks
When I first came to uni, I found I had to make a more conscious effort to take regular time off studying – it’s too easy to get bogged down in work and forget to take a break. I like to plan my study breaks in advance as having something to look forward to improves my focus. However, if I’m struggling to study, taking an impromptu evening off to reset is often the best thing for my mind.
As an outdoor enthusiast, I would always advocate that anything outdoors makes an excellent study break. I love a good walk, run, or cycle around Arthur’s Seat or Braid Hills to clear my mind. Making time for socialising is vitally important too, and joining societies can be a great way to meet new people. I’m part of the student surgical society and the running and wild-swimming clubs. Make the most of freshers’ week and the first semester to try out as many societies as you want!
Study Tips
I also find varying my study location for a change of scene can increase my focus. The medical student common room, main library, and local cafes are among my favourites. And I use the ‘5-minute rule’ for procrastination. By challenging myself to work for just 5 minutes, I’ll either settle into work and can continue, or I will have established that I’m not in the right headspace and can walk away knowing it is for the best, and having done five minutes of work when I wanted to do none!
Imposter Syndrome
Finally, I want to share a bit about imposter syndrome, as this affects so many medical students, myself included. Keep in mind that everyone studies using different methods and quantities. And everyone in the year is likely feeling the same; I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single classmate who hasn’t doubted their abilities at some point over the year. My best piece of advice is to talk to someone about it – classmates, friends, family, tutors – a problem shared is a problem halved!
Words of wisdom from some of my classmates:
“If you’re struggling, talk to someone on the course about it – chances are they’ll be feeling slightly similar and might not have had the opportunity/confidence to bring it up beforehand… And arranging to meet people outside lectures to go in together can make things seem less overwhelming and lonely!”– Hannah
“Don’t panic about the workload or the difficulty of tests, essays, etc… Ask questions from tutors when you don’t fully understand (especially in anatomy)… and when writing essays just follow the given instructions without overcomplicating things so they remain as simple and manageable as possible.” – Ruairí
“Enjoy life aside from academics, one can’t just cram loads of info revising like 5+ hours a day… Provided that one understands the lecture content (no need to know them by heart) in normal school days, that should be fine” – Victor
“Don’t compare yourself to others in your year and always seek out any advice or guidance you need from the medical school, especially around exam times” – Caroline
“Learn to unsee the competition from peers, it’s not necessary… don’t gloat about test results or hours spent in the library, and steer away from people who do… don’t make medicine your entire personality – join societies, go out, go to SNIMS, adoption and revenge nights, those will be the happy memories you will remember from first year, not the hours spent in the library” – Alex
Good luck to everyone starting out at medical school this year, you’ll smash it!
Libby.
