I passed this year

I passed, I am so content.

After all that has happened its actually a miracle that I passed.

Do I deserve to be a medical student?

Hello

Recently I got a few comments questioning if I should be a medical student, so I thought I would show you my UCAS statistics.

I am clearly not the best applicant,but my interviewers saw something in me and they gave me a chance.

My educational history is unconventional.

Being good at Maths, I completed my GCSE at 9, A-level at 13 and Further Maths at 15. I got A* in all my maths exams.

I missed alot of school during my GCSEs so my grades are comparatively bad
10-A*
2-B
1-E
1-U

AS year was a complete washout I got BCDEE. For obvious reasons I couldn't apply to any uni's with these AS results,so I ended up taking a gap year. Remember not matter how much you mess up, its never over and you can ALWAYS turn it around.

I worked my socks off and turned it around to A* A* A* A* A* (with maths I actually have 6A* at A-level)

So now we are at the part where I have left 6th form and its now time to go through UCAS, the head of my 6th form refused to support my application because "people like me shouldn't do medicine"  The worst bit about this experience was the fact that my mum agreed with him and didn't do anything to support me.He had his reasons,I strongly disagreed with him.

So, I decided to get a tutor to teach me biology, she wrote my reference.I had 2 biology lessons per week at the cost of £40 per hour. On top of rent and other living expenses this was very expensive, especially as my mother was against the idea of me studying medicine.I needed to have two jobs just to get to afford this.

Work experience and Extra Circulars

• 4 years volunteering at a refugee centre(I don't have any doctors in my family, so I could not ask to shadow anyone, but I met a doctor through voluntary work)
• 2 weeks in a hospital (during this time I absorbed as much as I could, some one was kind enough to take me under their wing and mentor me)
• Member of youth parliament
• Member of my local children's hospital (Lots of hospital stays meant, one day I was asked if I wanted to me a member, and I used to attend meetings and vote on stuff/vote for people)
• Girl guides leader
• St Johns Ambulance from the age of 10
• Set up a medical equipment recycling scheme (Lots of expired things like sutures, wont be used by the NHS, but other developing countries accept these and a grateful for them)

UKCAT: 3290Average:822.5

There are so many more academic people than me, and so many more hard-working. But I worked as hard as I could tried my best, and eventually got a place in medical school.I know its tough trying to get into medical school, but guys lets all remember doctors of tomorrow are supposed to be team players, we are supposed to build each other up, and encourage each other.

My GCSE's and AS grades show that grades are not the most important factor. But try your best to get perfect grades, it saves time at interviews.

Summer!

Exams are over!

Summer is here and I don't know what I am going to do with all this time.

I guess I spent so much time studying that I forgot how to do the thing called life

Med students are human too

Medicine is a demanding course,but doctors and medical students are still only human.

All medical schools have support systems in place,if your a medical student find out what they are and make sure you use them if you need them.

Myth:medical students are supper human

At medical school you will be expected to do of things .(scrubs i am not superman). In my case I got discharged from A&E and got told to be back on the ward.
I am still a baby medical student,so I don't have that much experience,and I am still figuring out how things work. I don't think this should have happened,everyone else would have been told to go home and get some sleep.I would have told a patient to at least take the morning off.

I did not follow my own advice for several reasons:I was told by someone in authority to return. If clinicians teach on your course it is entirely possible you will get into a situation where a former teacher ends up treating you. I felt like I couldn't disobey this lecturer/doctor.

On the first day of medical school the dean said resilience is required, and we would have to toughen up.When we qualify ,taking time off will let the team down, put every one under more pressure,and lead to patient deaths.

I survived the day so its understandable if some people think its wimpy to take the day off. I agree that doctors should be hard-working and try to be in work even if they don't feel that awesome.

But ill doctors can kill patients too by not being 100% focused.

When should medical students\doctors stay home? I don't know,there are no rules,its all a matter of judgement.

I am a student,at this point I just watch stuff,so the chances of harming a patient are very low.I am thankful I was not around any patients,but if I was supposed to be on the ward ,I dont know what I would do.

What happens if you do feel ill.

Seek medical advice if necessary.Your well-being is the most important thing,you can not be a doctor if you are dead.

Your a patient,their a doctor,and doctor-patient confidentiality still applies.(unless you do something that could put yourself or others at risk)Your medical school wont automatically be notified, so please don't be afraid to seek help.

Even if you end up being treated by people you know, they will be professional and the same doctor patient confidentiality rules apply.

Tell your tutor or someone else you trust.
No one wants you to fail,so they will try to help.
I have not told my tutor because, I saw her on Wednesday for the end of year review. She asked how I was and I told her I was not sleeping,I was feeling anxious all because when I am awake I feel dizzy. She said its normal to feel like this,and i should just take some paracetamol.
I don't want to bother her especially as she may be busy with her own life.

I am not sure who else,I can talk to,or even if I should.I don't even know what happened.