Medical School is not Easy
I know, I know, you've heard this before.
It's the common anthem on the lips of every (Nigerian) medical student you come across.
It's either they're telling you about the volume of work they have to read or the little time they have read such big volumes or the daily stress involved in going to classes or the hospital.
Maybe you don't know any medical student. If that's the case… Meet me, Chimfoun, a Nigerian medical student who is tired of medical school.
If I were to stumble upon a magical lamp like Aladdin and had the chance to meet a genie, do you know what my wish would be?
“Oh great genie of the lamp! I wish you bring medical school to an end. Take me to my induction day, let me swear the Hippocrates oath and become a medical practitioner.”
But that is not possible, is it?
I still have to spend the remaining months I have left in this school.
So why am I ranting on this issue?
Let's get into it.
Since the last issue on life after classes, there has been a big struggle keeping up with academics.
This current scenario makes me appreciate the days of classes because I operated with a very good structure and was able to achieve a healthy balance between school and other activities.
Right now, I am a living example of Parkinson's Law which states that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion.
Incase you don't understand what the law means, here are a few examples:
Example 1
A project that should only take a few hours to complete can often take a whole day if there is no deadline or sense of urgency.
Example 2
If you give yourself a week to pack for a trip, you may find that you use up the entire week even if you could have packed everything in just a few hours.
Example 3
A student who is given a whole semester to complete a paper may find that they spend the majority of the semester procrastinating and then rush to finish the paper at the last minute.
The third example is very similar to what I'm experiencing now.
Since classes ended, there has been this false feeling of abundance of time.
With this, I have paid more attention to other activities outside school work constantly reminding myself that there's time to catch up with my academics.
Like every lie, the truth will always surface after a period. Writing this issue is me telling myself the truth.
“There is no time!”
Currently, the only thing that stands between me and my graduation is my final exams in a few months plus a series of tests and clinical postings before that.
The best advice I can give to myself now is to start preparation for my final exams ASAP.
Whatever technique has worked for me in the past, I have to bring it back now.
I have to cut down on a lot of my commitments as the time to achieve the main goal for the year is drawing closer and I can't afford to f*ck it up.
The next issue I write MUST contain what I've resolved to do. It will include my strategies and tactics to pass my final exams. So help me God!
While I have written about the lows and suggested ways to do better, I can't leave out the happy moments since the last published issue:
I was a guest speaker to a group of Copywriters.
I was a guest speaker to a group of Medical Students.
My brand had a partnership and we kicked off a special edition of our Show Up Keep Up Challenge.
My final year house, Heracles, won our last football match and qualified to the finals.
My house, Heracles, won our last volleyball match and qualified to the finals.
And that's a wrap for this issue!
See you in the next.