Life as a Junior Doctor

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

As a learner,

rejoice in the abundance of talents around you.

Be grounded in humility.

Allow the competition not to overwhelm you
but inspire you.

As a daughter or son, 

bask in the luxury of home-cooked food on the occasional times you return home

and remain connected with your parents -
nothing is too small or too big not to tell them.

As a perfectionist,

it is wholly acceptable to do and
be less than 100%.

In your good intentions through doing, 

you will err,

and this growing pain will teach you that 

you are first and foremost, human.

As a friend,

be open and intentional 

in forging honest friendships built on

positive encouragement for each other

and continuous support during difficult times.

Your peers and you will face extremely trying, stressful periods in your early adulthood,

so graciously extend a hand when another stumbles.

As a doctor,

the limits of your humanity – of your patience, compassion and dedication will be tested.

Strive to do your best, but always, 

look after yourself.

Take that lunch break long delayed;

feel the guiltlessness in standing your ground;

and every now and then, 

treat yourself to a cuppa.

Remember, you may heal thyself too.

2. Social Life Revolves Amongst Uni Mates.

I wish I would know that my social life would suffer tremendously after getting into medical school. I have missed out on numerous occasions, whether they are birthday celebrations, marriages, vacations or even simple meet-ups with friends. Never mind that my semester breaks are getting shorter and shorter as I advance through the undergraduate study years, I have sacrificed countless nights and weekends preparing for exams which made me skipped some of the social activities such as parties held by the university.

That being said, I am mostly spending time with my group of friends in the university as we are essentially stuck together under the same circumstances. I am glad that we bonded well and we had our backs on one another at all times. Fortunately my family members and childhood friends are forgiving enough each time I decline their invitations due to school commitments.

3.You Will Feel Discouraged On Daily Basis

At times (or perhaps everyday) I would feel disappointed by myself either after going through tough exams or unable to answer simple questions asked by the lecturers and consultants in the hospitals. All too often I feel as if I have learnt nothing throughout my times in medical school and I find it a complete waste of time to spent hours and hours revising on countless notes and books where I cannot recall a single thing the next day.

Medicine itself is filled with lots of discouragement because there are a cornucopia of knowledge to learn in medical field and yet your brain can only absorb that much of information at a time. Some minor setbacks be they scoring low marks in tests or not being able to grasp a topic does not simply define us as unfit to become medical practitioners. Yes you will feel sad while you are going through failures but the main thing is to be able to reflect on your mistakes and take them as lessons for you to become a more competent doctor.

4.The Lethargic Is Constant

I thought I know the meaning of exhaustion but I was absurdly wrong until I get into medical school. I am constantly being ridiculed by my working friends for lamenting on how tired I am while attending lectures and studying. Studying for hours really drains the soul out of you, and sitting in the lecture theatres listening to lessons all the day long is even more tiring. In addition, the struggle is worse when the exams are around the corner as I would burn the midnight oil cramming books after books into my fragile blob of brain.

Unfortunately this happens to be part and parcel of being medical students and doctors. The lethargy will only get much worse when you are working in the hospital and going through on-calls. Things however improve once you become a specialist and a consultant as your working time will be shorter compared to the trainees.

5.Strike a Balance Between School and Life

Last but not least is the importance of getting a balance between school and life. To be honest I have spent most of my non-clinical years (first and second year) in my hostel, constantly reading medical books for I am worried that I might underperform in the tests. Both anxiety and stress make me skip most of my social activities which are bad for both my physical and mental health.

Upon entering clinical years I realised that all works and no play did make me a dull and exhausted human. After all my wise lecturer once told me, Why spend all your time on job that can replace you in a week? Go out and have fun. Seek a balance between school and and life. Make sure you are spending at least one hour for yourself be it on simple things such as running, watching tv or even reading comics. Also make sure you are constantly taking care of your own health. Medical career is  a marathon and not a sprint after all!"

Source: Kevin MD

Being a science-stream student since high school made me more inclined towards pursuing a science degree because I was in my comfort zone. I love interacting with people; I love the hustle and bustle of the hospital; I love running around on my feet; I love being able to help people. Putting together everything in a Venn diagram just made it more obvious that I was suited for a career in Healthcare sciences.

I remembered telling the professor sitting opposite the table during the interview that it was my sister who suddenly had an allergic reaction to the cough syrup she ingested that sparked my interest in medicine. I tried my best to look awed and inspired by that one incident. The truth is, I was not. Cliché as it sounds, I felt that I had to give them a model answer instead of the real answer.