FRESH START:MY GOODNESS, how time flies. I can't believe that I'm approaching the end of my first year of medicine. The weeks and months seem to be rushing by in a haze of lectures and parties – but I guess this is what college life is supposed to be like. We only have a few weeks left in which to cram for our second semester exams, although I attempted, though generally in vain, to avoid any last-minute cramming and to study consistently throughout the semester. I even sacrificed my Paddy's Day to clinical medicine and pharmacology, shutting myself off from the tempting hullabaloo of Temple Bar outside, writes LAURA BRADY.
The topic on every first med’s lips in the library of late has been our group project. This assignment is for the Health, Behaviour and Society module of our course, and unlike last semester, when it was a solo effort, we have been divided into groups of six and had our personalities analysed in order to make up a dynamic team. My group is dealing with the case of a man suffering from peripheral arterial disease, and between the six of us, and volumes upon volumes of medical books and journals, we’ve just about figured out how to treat the poor man.
The team dynamics are obviously working however, as our group is finished, with the deadline still weeks away.
In recent weeks, there was much excitement about the US and Canadian matches being made for final-year medical students who had applied for internships and residencies across the Atlantic. Most of my friends seemed to get their first choice position, which gave me hope for my own future, when I’m in their position. They were especially happy to be fleeing the Irish health system since the salary of interns in Ireland was halved recently, and I can’t help but notice that we’ve educated these bright young minds in Ireland, and are now forcing them elsewhere with such policies.
Needless to say, I’ll be taking the US and Canadian Medical Licensing Exams myself in the coming years, and hoping to fly west as soon as possible.
In the social spirit of RCSI, we have kept our events and themed parties ongoing, and a recent outing was in the form of a “Geek Party”. Now, geekiness may not seem much of a challenge for students of medicine, physiotherapy and pharmacy, but turning up as we were, with that stressed, post-library glow, and bearing our weight in books on our back, just didn’t seem good enough. Therefore, we all ditched the contact lenses for the night, bringing out rarely-seen glasses, hair was parted with rulers, and pocket protectors were abundant – such is the incredible dorkiness of our world.
The highlight of our social calendar, the college ball, also took place recently. Themed “Brazilian Carneval”, it was a night of colourful frivolity. There were Samba dancers, musicians and flame-throwers and we all marvelled at how well the aforementioned geeks scrub up.
There is little of great interest transpiring in our current studies. If it falls under the heading of biochemistry, then it is generally rather boring, and if it is physiology or anatomy, then it is indeed interesting, but widely considered understandable, and therefore little heed is taken in lectures. In fact, our easiest module is the one with the lowest attendance levels.
One area of the medical course that continues to excite me is anatomy. We have progressed our way up the body and are now studying the arm (or the upper limb, in medical speak). We will begin dissecting the hand after Easter, but I’m told that this is one of the most difficult areas of dissection, emotionally speaking. My cousin, a qualified doctor, confessed to leaving her own anatomy dissection of the hand as she was overcome with emotion. This knowledge has made me cautiously wary of the coming weeks.
But for now, I’ll continue to enjoy the Easter holidays, for despite the exhaustive, self-imposed study schedule, I know it’s nothing compared to what is to come as exam season rolls around again.
Laura Brady is a first year medical student at RCSI
