end of final year medical school
Table of contents
end of final year medical school
so what did ya learn in your room in boro
- what are you strengths then
- achievements and ambition - what next
- social and social self-awareness
- the devil’s advocate
- take care of the body
- sheer unadulterated belief
strengths
when you’re younger. you really have no idea what your strengths are. physical? mental? emotional? social? professional? clinical? in time you do just sorta figure it out. one of the best ways of figuring it out is feedback. and feedback from your tutors, friends, the dog, whatever.
for years i used to think i was set out to be an academic doctor and i still believe i could. but being an academic doctor is a more than full-time hustle. and as my elective tutor said being good clinically is full-time enough. some doctors can be great clinically and some can be great academically. few can do both. the few that do - it comes at a cost.
i’ve realised that i absolutely love my social time. with the friends. with the family. exercising. chilling out. and especially when you’re hurdling yourself into a job as a new doctor - the last thing i want to think about is publications.
achievements and ambition
so the guy i live with is quick. this guy has been an unbelievable resource for training routine, recovery, eating habits and a sounding board for all kinds of juicy gossip. anyway, he chats smooothly and he also runs smoothly. he’s a natural.
it turns out he’s also the quickest in my year group. at the turn of the year - i told a couple of friends - i’m gonna beat this guy’s times. come february, and we’re all in opthalomology teaching and the guy presenting was like ‘who can run the quickest.’ i was perched just off the main table and everyone unanimously said this guy. everyone knew i was into running. and i get it that this guy had the quickest times on strava so its legit. but that day, i would have smoked him over any distance.
by the end of the year, i had the fastest times over a 5k, 10k and half-marathon. one of the guys was like. ‘mate, i had no idea you were this quick.’
social and social self-awareness
gotta continue chattin’ on this guy i live with. he’s just a social connoiseur. basically, he’s spent a shit load of time at uni like me. so we’ve covered the importance of meaningful communication - lads chat about footy, the general theme is one-up and its all well and good. girls chat more openly about feelings - how did this feel, how did you feel. its more open. its more transparent - especially if its a camp-site type atmosphere. so there’s good value in having chats with people more open with their feelings and the general societal theme is that girls do this more than guys. so in other words get some emotionally intelligent friends - and yep that tends to be girls.
in applying all this - its just social awareness is an amazing skill and more importantly - for an individual - self-awareness. let’s say all you talk about is driving. like you’re ranting about how shit the parking situation is, how bad northern drivers and how bad your mate is at driving. just being aware of your emotions, mannerisms and dumb shit you say - you can begin to cut some of that crap out. and of course, the best way to begin to figure all this out is by hanging around others - your close mates - and do your close mates feel comfortable giving you the business - the truth. coz mate there’s few things worse than turning up as a junior doctor with the personality of a 50 year old golfer.
the devil’s advocate
so in any given situation. say you’re gonna ask a girl out. and you’re like shit should i? doesn’t matter what your situation is. what if a mate you’re chatting to was like ‘mate what if you didn’t ask the girl out.’ and boom the world changes.
so what i’m trying to say is - your friends will tell what you wanna hear - they’re supportive. your close friends will tell you want you don’t wanna hear. if you got the headspace for it, if you’re in a completely new situation and got time to think, what if i did things in a different way or in this case - the opposite way.
that 10k awaits
i’ve run 10ks at the most wack times. somehow i’ve not got injured yet - much to my joy. but mate if you’re gonna run around like a headless chicken. just take care of the body a bit more. give it some more sleep. and don’t crash the car.
sheer unadulterated belief
i’m gonna sound like a 50 year old golfer at the clubhouse with a cigarette in one hand but if there’s anything you should always have - in fact you need. its belief. just belief. your belief can be your church, liverpool football club or apple products are shit. whatever. you just gotta believe it.
and if you believe you are something or can do something, go on then. make it happen.