The life of a medical student can be fascinating, adventurous, event-filled. This article is for would-be medical students and for those who care about any medical student. Our experiences are similar but the account you would read below is unique, for my medical school is unique!!!
Normally there is an awesome feeling you get when you receive a message that you have been admitted into a medical school of your choice. The experience can be thrilling. I truly felt on top of the world when I got the news that my medical school admission had been granted. I placed calls to as many as I could remember, breaking the good news to them, especially as I had to wait for sometime before the admission was granted. For one reason or the other, I still believe that day to be very significant in my life. It was on a certain December 28th.
I had always wanted to be either a doctor or a geologist. I love Geography up to this day. Everybody who heard the news was happy with me. I believe I did a one-man celebration, I cannot remember the details any longer. But was funny, as I look back in retrospect, was that nobody gave me a hint into this my new found world. I had before then made up my mind that, no matter what came my way in school, i would surely give my best. But I now know that if I was given some kind of advice, by anyone already in the field, then I would surely have performed better.
My College of Medicine did some form of Freshers Orientation for all new students, but I was absent. I cannot remember what kept me away. I believe I needed somebody to tell me these FIVE (5) important success tips of any medical student, that I am about to share with you… and maybe I would have been more successful as a med student.
THE 5 GOLDEN HARDs;
I call this the golden hard(s) because it the basic foundation of every medical student. This has been tested and proven to be the key to success in medical school. It works for virtually all who tried it. They include – eat HARD, read HARD, sleep HARD, play HARD, pray HARD.
Eat HARD: A good balanced diet/meal must be your aim as a medical student. You will find that when you get into that your medical school, the work load would be to much, even to overwhelming points. You need to be on a good diet to provide with physical strength, prevent sickness, and to remain calm and focused.
Read HARD: The hallmark of every medical student. You should know that you must love to read for you to be a brilliant medical student. The difference between a mediocre student and an A-student is the extra individualized effort you are ready to put in. This has always been a hidden secret – “Make sure you read at least 2hours a day, this excludes the time for your lectures, dissections, practicals and study groups”.
Sleep HARD: A human being need approximately 8 hours of good sleep per day. Remember to take intermittent naps especially after a stressful day. Most times I find that if I begin to have a headache, a 15-minutes nap solves the problem. Remember that your brain needs rest as well. The headache or tiredness is your body’s way of saying, “Go Take A Nap”. More importantly is the fact that you must find time to sleep at night. “NEVER STAY AWAKE ALL NIGHT FOR ANY REASON… THE NEXT DAY WOULD BE A TOTAL MESS”
Play HARD: Some people do forget that they are also humans. Before you go into that your chosen med school, have a plan for how you would play. From experience, I would give one to two hours a day for my play. This would be the time I would be free to roam about, chat with friends, do my daily work-out etc. Remember that a good play, ie exercising is key to every would-be medical student. NEVER NEGLECT IT. You need to stay in form and shape. Patients love a fit doctor!!!
Pray HARD: You would observe when you get into medical school that, not all ailments or sickness can be explained. In short, the cause of most cancer disease is unknown. This is where the divine steps in. A senior colleague would always say that, ‘You must have God in you, because you may just be a ‘god’ to that patient you are about to see. Never neglect the God you serve. Hence, do make up your mind to foster a relationship with the divine, for guidance and examination success.
These 5 Golden HARDs has been my guiding principle since I go a hold of these secret. Now you know it!!!!
The above principles may not work except if you make up your mind to be Time-conscious and your activities must be time bound. Time is the common factor for all of them. Learn to apportion time to all the HARDs, as you deem fit and see yourself be that ideal medical student you so desire…
Welcome to Medical School…WELCOME ON-BOARD!!!
