My First Weeks of Med-School

By Ameer Hamza

Firstly, congratulations to anybody starting medical school for the upcoming year, and to those looking into a career in medicine. This is an exciting time, and the start of a new chapter in your lives. 

There will be lots of advice and tips varying between each person. However, I don’t like telling people to strictly follow exactly what I do. Everybody will find different things which work best for them. Despite this, here is some advice from my experience, which should help you through the start of med-school.

The first and most important advice I would give to those starting, is to enjoy the experience and moment! Whilst med-school can come across as daunting, involving nothing but studying and all-night sessions at the library, there is plenty of free time. Use this wisely to relax, socialise and take a break from medicine. 

One of the major complaints’ med students have with the course is burnout from studying. It is important to have a good work-life balance. Obviously don't become a party animal by going out every day of the week but take some time out of your busy schedule to do the things you enjoy or broaden your horizons by signing up to one of the many societies the university offers. 

Medicine is a very unique course; many people will tell you how it is unlike anything they have done previously. I can attest to this, as a graduate student, this was completely different to my previous degree and A-levels. I would suggest you prepare to learn again! Firstly, the course at Manchester is structured around PBL - group sessions centred around discussion of a clinical case each week. This is complemented by lectures, anatomy dissections and labs. The way the course is designed, allows for plenty of independent study, so get used to finding information yourself, and being organised and disciplined.

Many students also have the impression they should be carting around 6 different textbooks for each topic they are learning. In practice, this could not be further from the truth! Whilst textbooks do have their place, me and many others rely on accurate online resources for the latest informatio