1. We have to memorise so many new words it feels like our brains are about to explode. Learning how to spell “choledocholithiasis,” “xerostomia,” and “epistaxis” is harder than you’d think. 2. We have an unspoken rule about never making fun of people doing digital rectal examinations. Because we all have to do them at some point. 3. Students will screw over other students in order to make their way to the top. Medical students are a competitive bunch, which makes med school pretty dog-eat-dog. 4. No matter how hard we try, ward rounds are always boring. Following a doctor around whilst they check on patients just isn’t fun. 5. And anatomy sessions make us really hungry. I wasn’t just salivating over the cadaver, I swear. 6. Medical Student Syndrome is a very real thing. Read about diseases all day, and you’ll end up thinking you’ve got all of them. 7. And we can’t help but diagnose everyone around us. 8. Pretty much every consultant thinks they’re all that. They’ve worked their way to the top and now they’re basking in the glory. 9. Which means that they abuse their power over you. 10. Or they couldn’t care less that you exist. 11. And yet we always suck up to our superiors. Because if you want to get signed off your firm, you’ve got to make your loyalties known. 12. We have a mini-panic attack every time a consultant asks us a question we don’t know the answer to. 13. And we get bollocked if we don’t know the answer. Consultants expect us to read on our way to the hospital, when we get home, before going to bed, and while we’re actually asleep. 14. But when we get something right, we feel on top of the world. 15. Having to do on calls and night shifts when we aren’t even getting paid for it feels unfair. Seriously. Making us do 24-hour on-call shifts and not paying us is the worst. 16. Exams cause every single one of us to melt down. There are too many diseases, too many bones, and too many drugs to learn. 17. We make jokes about all of our patients. If we’re joking, at least we’re not crying. 18. And we become exceptionally cynical about everything and everyone. Dealing with death on a daily basis is emotionally draining. 19. We get stressed out by our non-medic friends graduating, getting married, and having kids. While we’re still in med school, it feels like everyone around us is moving on with their lives. 20. At some point, we have all considered dropping out and just becoming a pharmacist. 21. And when people ask us why we chose to study medicine, we don’t really remember. Ummmmm…because it looks cool on TV? Oh, and we save lives. Read Also: How To Choose A Medical Specialty Extra-Curricular Activities In Medical School - A Hurdle? Or An Advantage? Five Adventurous Medical Careers! 35 US Medical Schools Accepting IMGs For Electives and Observerships 10 Most Competitive Residency Programs in USA Source
Forgot to mention sleeping in class because its the only time you aren't studying. Or sleeping on the floor under your desk because it makes getting up and studying easier. And ya, cadaver lab will make you hungry.