Medicine is an amazing, rewarding, and fulfilling course, but it is also very challenging. As a profession reliant on teamwork, now is the time to build your network and collaborate. You will be bombarded with opportunities and experiences as you enter medical school so it’s important to see through the fog of possibilities and find clubs that resonate with you!
You might be wondering why I started with this. That’s because I think that entering into any new environment is the perfect opportunity to reset and realign yourself. The challenging nature of this course means that you must be adaptable to give yourself the most room to grow. If you are coming straight from high school, university is a completely different ball game – it is a huge social change to go from seniors in high school to freshers and you may lose touch with old friends, but you will find new friends.
Your high school study methods may no longer work at uni and, though you may have graduated at the top of your cohort, you will likely be surrounded by others who did the same. If you have switched into medicine, you will certainly experience very similar changes since medical school tends to be slightly cut off from other courses. These are all changes that should be celebrated and embraced – there is great value in maintaining relationships and you should be immensely proud of all the experiences that have led you to this point. Use that as a platform to pursue the wealth of new opportunities and friendships that medical school can offer you.
“Why medicine?” is certainly one of the most dreaded interview questions you can hear. However, this question becomes even more important now that you are studying to become a doctor. Finding a purpose in medicine may be harder than you think: it is so, so easy to get completely lost in the textbooks, theory, OSCEs, and OSPIAs that you can slowly lose sight of the love and passion that drove you into this course to begin with. We all want our doctors to be both skilled, proficient, and motivated. This all starts with finding a purpose and passion that you really believe in, and while these will be different to your peers, professors and parents, that’s ok – your purpose should be very personal. A wonderful way to find something you love and other like minded individuals is to join clubs. They all do amazing things, but how do you choose the ones that best suit you?
Inspiration can come from any place. In medicine, you can find inspiration in a variety of people, ranging from friends, tutors, professors, or club leaders. Finding people who influence you to do better academically, physically, mentally, and spiritually will stand you in good stead and figure out what they do and how that can be applied into your own life to mould your own habits.
Mentors mean different things to different people – when I say to be mentored, I mean to ask for guidance and help. Meet with others, especially older years, and ask for advice on academics, or which clubs they recommend. This can serve as a great guide for which special interest groups are on offer to you and which enhance your medical journey the most.
Try that new thing you have never done before! Take up dancing with your friends, join a revue, or even try out singing. There are a lot of different clubs that target all forms of special interests, and medicine is a course that thrives by producing holistic and multifaceted medical professionals. There is great value in expanding your horizons even if you find out that you are not so great at it! It’s about the soft skills you learn along the way that help make you a better student and a better doctor.
Medicine is a congregation of high achievers. It is often extremely difficult to feel a sense of self worth and you may be rejected from positions in clubs that you hoped you’d get. That is OK! Rejection is not a reflection of your worth as a person but a reflection of the position you have applied for. Do not be disheartened by setbacks and do not let your ego run with success. Remain yourself, gather experience and learn skills on your path to self improvement. See every position you hold or miss as a checkpoint along the way. A checkpoint is not a place you dwell, it’s a place you ground yourself to look at the road ahead. Always maintain a positive outlook.
Lastly, I want to congratulate you once again on making medicine. It is a MASSIVE achievement and you need to take some time to appreciate the hard work, the grit and the passion that has brought you here. Med School is a great journey and one that will pass you by so fast you will wish that you could replay it. When the credits roll, you may sigh in relief, cry, explode with joy or all three! That is all only a few short years away. But for now, treasure every moment.
By Shawn Yang
University of New South Wales
GPSN Vice-chair 2023
GPSN National Chair 2024