As always I have another grumble to make. This time my grumble is about people who presume that because I'm a student, I must do nothing all day.
Examples:
"You students... do nothing all day and complain you're tired"
"Getting up late, drinking every night, loads of random sex... Don't pretend it's hard work!"
"Just you wait until you're part of the real world, then like me you'll know what stress and work are all about" (this is usually from someone I know who either works part time in a bar or does a fairly unstressful 9-5 admin job in an office).
I'm fed up of this misconception. The next person who says anything along these lines will face my wrath (and that's surprisingly scary for someone this short)!
I now only get up when it's dark. Usually about 6am. I also get home when it's dark. Around 6pm or for the last few days 8pm. As well as having 12 hours out of the house at uni I'm also expected to do work at home. This means I either work late or I have to give up my weekends. I also have the added emotional stress of seeing things which are upsetting. After seeing 2 or 3 patients who have terminal cancer the last thing I feel like doing is going out and having fun. It takes time to wind down.
As for the drinking and sex... Well no. Just no. Midweek drinking is out of the question as there is no way I could get up at 6am with a hangover and even on the weekends im knackered. The most I'll usually drink on the weekend is a glass of wine or bottle of beer with dinner. Also where did the random sex thing come from? As if I'd have the energy for that. My boyfriend is lucky if he gets a cuddle and a kiss on the cheek half the time.
Maybe I'm just a totally boring student, but everyone I've talked to on clinics seems pretty much the same. Excess and partying are saved for rare occasions (birthdays... and even then not everyones) and we all do seriously long days.
Just to clear this up I actually enjoy university, and because I enjoy it I don't mind the long days and the extra work, what I'm moaning about is the fact that people constantly have a go at me for being a "lazy student".
I'm not. So they can bugger off!
On a related note I was eavesdropping on some 1st year students in the hospital. Yes. I know eavesdropping is rude, but so am I. Anyway back to the point. One student said he was interested in the intercalated BSc in Medical Ethics and Law. This caught my attention as even though I didn't do this BSc I did think about it, it's interesting stuff. One of his colleagues asked him why he wanted to do this BSc. His reply was "Well.... I'm interested in law. Thinking I might do a law conversion..."
Whoa. What? You're a 1st year!! It's not even the end of the 1st term! What on earth are you doing on my ward?!
He went on to explain that he didn't think he really wanted to be a doctor but he was interested in how the human body works so he decided to do the course. Then he went even further and said that although he fancied being a lawyer that he thinks medicine pays better and is more secure as a job, so it's his back up. I was horrified. I hate to think that he's taken the place of someone who actually wants to be a doctor. Grrrr.
Lily xXx
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Heard Around The Hospital: Father's Day
7 years ago
6 comments:
Oh that is so infuriating! There are thousands of students missing out on places at medical school that they have worked for and deserve! Despite jumping all the hurdles the unis think are necessary to ensure that you really want to be a doctor a small number of places are still rewarded to greedy people like this?!
Couldn't agree with you more Lily. Although it is probably only fair to say that there are a lot of students who do live an easy lifestyle, this most certainly isn't the case for medical students in their clinical years. I, too, have forgotten what the sun looks like. But I love my subject and don't mind too much (although I will moan about it nonetheless).
And as for that first year, he's going to have a difficult 5 or 6 years with that attitude.
Definitely heard number 1 and 3! I know what you mean.
Whaaaaaaaaat? What are you doing? In my first clinical year I only stayed past lunch about twice a term, and once memorably went in for the 8.15 lecture, had breakfast at the canteen and then went home. That was a gooooooood day.
Seriously, take some afternoons off. Go home from hospital, do your reading and notemaking while watching Diagnosis Murder (it's practically educational - and had the dubious accolade of being the only 'medical' programme allowed in on in the mess) then you will reclaim your evenings for the fun student activities!
OK, so midweek drinking remains at just the one glass cos you still have to get up at 6am, and the random sex is definitely out because you've seen some truly awful things at the GUM clinic, but still... you can go home at lunchtime.
Relish that small pleasure, becasue once you qualify you have no choice but to stay all day. And sometimes all night. It sucks.
Unfortunately my medical school have got wise to that. For the next 6 weeks nearly every afternoon I have something that either needs to be signed or is registered. Drat.
In all honesty for the first 6 weeks I had at least two afternoons a week where I could go home early, and more often than not even more. In fact most Mondays for the first 3 weeks involved coming in, having a lecture, getting a coffee and then going home to bed. Oh the good old days...
I am glad you have jaded bitterness sorted. Its an integral part of the job.
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