FRESH START:So, the last time you heard from me, I was away in the Czech Republic, unwinding before settling down to semester two of college – and yet apparently, one voyage was not enough for me. After my return from Prague, I ventured off to Galway for a typical student holiday with my first med friends from RCSI.
This trip, though thoroughly “budget” in nature, was probably one of the most fun of my life, incorporating various adventures, misdemeanours and one disturbing incident involving a Subway sandwich. Nonetheless, it was such a marvellous bonding experience, and on arrival back at college, anyone who had not come on the trip was jealous at the development of new in-jokes and nicknames from our Galwegian escapades.
A fresh start was certainly called for in semester two, and I planned to learn from my experience of semester one, and to develop better study and socialising practices. My balancing efforts were challenged, however, by a so-called Re-Freshers Week of partying, involving a Spandex-themed shindig which was a world of unflattering fun in itself, and then subsequently, our Rag Week.
This seven-day programme of utter debauchery featured events such as Mr and Miss RCSI pageants and a traffic-light party. Entertaining as these events were, the highlight of the last few weeks for me has been mixing with different people from various years and making new friends. I truly love how the Royal College of Surgeons is so small, like a close-knit family, and yet so diverse, with a huge range of nationalities and cultures represented in our student body. Quite apart from networking for a future in the world of medicine, I’m finding it absolutely intriguing learning about the ways of other cultures. Medical knowledge is only one of the many areas of learning in college.
The whole atmosphere of RCSI is a little different this semester, as the second med students have moved off to Beaumont Hospital to continue their learning experiences there, and though the feedback I’ve gotten so far from my second med friends is rather mixed, I cannot wait to reach the stage where we are in a hospital setting, and focusing more on practical skills, such as suturing and inserting IV canulas.
In first year medicine we still have to deal with topics such as molecular medicine, Mendelian genetics and the ever-popular anatomy card-signings. In anatomy, we have progressed from the leg, pelvis and abdomen up to the chest, and we are currently studying the heart, which is absolutely fascinating. To get inside a human heart is such an extremely profound moment, and you realise that as a doctor you really will be holding life in your hands. That’s some way down the road yet, though.
To further balance the increasing burden of our workload, I have been trying out various sporting activities to keep my body and mind working efficiently together. I recently tried rock-climbing and despite my preconception that scaling a wall could not be interesting in the slightest, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and am now looking into getting trained and licensed to climb on a regular basis. I am also hoping to learn to surf in the coming months, as this is a skill that I feel would serve me well during my summer in California.
Speaking of which, my J1 summer is now fully confirmed, my visa is approved and my flights are booked. I will be spending 11 weeks in the glorious surroundings of Santa Barbara. My college friends and I are hoping to emulate our Galway exploits on a grander and more sun-soaked scale before returning to RCSI in September as second-year medical students. For now though, the hostile Irish spring weather will have to suffice.
