Student perspective
by Joanne Lane
A whole new world: Through a student's eyes
A lot runs through my
mind when I think of the year just past. It began when I received my acceptance letter to
medical school, one of the most exciting days of my life. I'm sure that like me, all of my
classmates remember the exact date and time, where they were, and what they were doing
when they received their letters.
The elation lasted the whole summer. I was going to medical school! I was going to be a doctor! It was incredible that I had beat the odds, that I didn't have to spend the next eternity reapplying, that I was going to medical school! That time before starting school was also touched with an occasional moment of trepidation, through. Everyone knows how difficult medical school is. How would I find it? How would I measure up? Moreover, I was an arts major with little exposure to science. How different would medical school be from what I had been doing before? Would I find it harder than my classmates?
The excitement and newness got me through the first month. Everyone was optimistic and enthusiastic at the time. A master's degree in Russian had not prepared me well for some aspects of medical school, however. I was used to having no more than four hours of class a week and having more than enough time to complete independent work. It required discipline, certainly, but a different kind of discipline than is needed for medical school.
At the beginning, for example, I found sitting in one classroom for hour on end especially trying. I also found it difficult adjusting to how science-oriented medicine is. I had cherished the notion that communication skills were the most important tools a doctor could have. I still believe this, but I've also come to understand that the backbone of medicine is science.
Science was a whole new world for me. Because of this, I think that the first semester was much harder for me than for many others in my class. At times, I felt I was barely keeping my head above water. It was determination and a fear of having to repeat any part of the year which helped me through. I did eventually get used to the hours, the science and the stress: it became part of my everyday life.
By the third semester, I was much more comfortable with my new life. I knew what was expected of me and had accepted having little time for myself. Although everyone was more at ease with school then, we were looking forward to finishing: it had been a long year.
As I look back, I think of the challenges I've faced, both mentally and emotionally. The year hasn't been easy and I haven't done everything perfectly, but I've done the best I could. I've made it through year one, and I'm proud of that.
Right now, though, I have a few weeks off and I'm going to think about something other than school. I know I deserve it!
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