So someone asked about what to do during the first day of your ‘med life’ and I find it a good topic for a separate blog entry so here it goes. :)
Hi ate carla! Incoming 1st yr po med student po ako sa OLFU :) pwede po ba makahingi ng advice tungkol sa 1st day? Hahaha! Thank you so much! :)
My first day was a blur. See, I was excited since I’m going to med school but then I wasn’t really into it because I’m going to PLM. It didn’t excite me that much. Most of my barkada did not go to PLM (we were scattered!) and the dress code is so strict! I had to wear closed shoes and long pants every single day. My 4 years in UP taught me how to confidently wear shorts even though my thighs are huge. People didn’t really care but this time, they care about your hair color, your shoes, your ID, and your pants. It was high school all over again. My time was 7 am for Histology and I am from Las Pinas so I had to wake up early to tackle the coastal road/baclaran traffic. My teacher, Dr. Tolentino was already there. I have a few of my friends from college as classmates so I already had a set. I was friendly actually. The professor just gave the syllabus and we were dismissed for the day. Oh, we had a flag ceremony pala.
Well, the first day is usually uneventful. But here are some tips that I want to share:
1. Wear the assigned dress code. Abide by it. In terms of uniform, ask where you can have them sewn. Hindi naman required to wear them on the first day. Matagal magpagawa so summer pa lang start it. Better if you know someone who can do it than relying on the school’s provided tailor. Usually, they a bit more commercialized so they are poor in quality. Just ask for the design and find a good one who can make your uniform. Use a very good cloth, yung hindi mainit sa katawan. Ask them to make one na madaling i-adjust because med school is a weight-gainer. Believe me. Ask for bigger pockets. And your skirt (if you’re wearing one) must be comfortable kahit hindi ka na masyadong sexy hahaha you’ll be moving a lot so better na may allowance.
2. Have the essentials. Bring a notebook and a pen. Prepare 1x1 photos. Do not forget your registration form. You can check my WHAT’S IN MY BAG? blog entry for my med stuff.
3. Make friends. Para may kasabay ka every break time. Med is not about competition. It is about finding the right set of people that can help you get through with medicine by helping each other out. Make sure they are good influence. Mahirap ang medicine so wag mga bulakbol at bad influence.
4. In med school, please be punctual. I hate late comers that interrupt lectures, teachers hate them too and you don’t want to give a bad impression. The professors check the attendance and some may be extra strict to time when you arrived. Quizzes are usually given at the start of classes so practice punctuality.
5. Stock on coffee na but if you can avoid it, avoid it. Train your body to be not too dependent para hindi masanay. Reserve the caffeine over dose during exams and long nights of studying.
6. Prepare your gadgets! Copy the transes and ebooks in Adobe Reader, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Print out transes ahead of time. Upperclassmen would be happy to help, just ask them.
7. You can have fun naman! Try asking for organizations who joins MGMR and Palarong Med, the main events of medical students in Manila. Usually November and February, these are the time when medical students would meet and battle each other in terms of talent and skills!
8. The library is your friend! Find your spot!!! Ideally a not-to-cold-na-pampatulog spot. Somewhere close to a socket. Yung hindi masyadong comfy para hindi ka makatulog pero conducive to study and memorize. Also, get your library card.
9. Look for a coffee shop or study place near your area for late night reviews and you can’t focus on your room. Check my STARBUCKS APPRECIATION POST entry for ideas on what usually transpires on a night out (the med student way).
10. Be open to every idea. Some professors may have a different opinion from you. Just respect him/her. Medicine entails a lot of wisdom and it comes with age and experience, so pay attention to your teachers and just absorb what they say. Ask questions to clarify things in a respectful way. Also, avoid sleeping and eating in class. That’s just rude.
Ready now? I hope I helped you guys with these tips! What other topics do you want me to cover? Just comment below using Disqus! :)
AFTER THAT PHARMA EXAM. CAN I JUST.... AHHHHH IT'S SEMBREAK ALREADY!!! Can you believe it? It's been half an academic year meaning, I'm on to my second semester for my second year!!! Time really flew by so fast but the last stretch (the past two weeks) had been anything but that. The first sem was so draining since it was an adjustment period to our 'hell year' which meant exam after an exam after an exam. Basically, EXAMS ARE WHAT WE ATE LAST SEMESTER. They are the reason why we wake up and why we don't sleep! Late nights and early mornings --- yep, sleep was really for the brave. I sometimes do get brave when I don't care anymore, that is, when it is too much already. Anyhoo, I'm writing to discuss my sembreak plans. You see, everything gets too real if I type it down or if I tell people about it. It'll concretize for sure!!! Let's get all my series done this break. First is my catch up on Grey's Anatomy Season 12 (which I already watched earlier!!! Ugh I so love Amelia and Meredith in this season!). My How To Get Away With Murder catch up shall be scheduled as soon as it gets done cos I hate cliffhangers especially for shows like that and Pretty Little Liars (I'm going to marathon the half 6th season of PLL for 2 days this week)!!! Then, ON THE WINGS OF LOVE my goodness!!! It has been a consistent topic for my friends and I was so devastated I couldn't watch it boohoo iwantv and med school!!! You see, I'm am open JaDine since DNP so it's really a huge deal for me to support them in this project plus Juan Miguel Severo myloves and Albie (your crying shoulder) is there too!😍😍😍 Next is my paintings!!! I promised my roomie to make her one artwork for passing the boards so I shall dedicate a day for that!☺️ Then, I have to practice other subjects pa! I should try faces soon!!! Then my sembreak will be mostly about MGMR since I have to help in the preparations and I'll be performing too.☺️ For gala and ganaps, my section hasn't planned any outings yet but we're off to somewhere tonight (?). I finally tried Tim Ho Wan with Enrico earlier it was okaaaaaay. The pork buns were good but nothing spectacular. I'll prolly go to Hole in the Wall to finally taste all the wonderful gems there!!! But most of the time, I think I'll be in Town or just in my bed. I hope our mother-daughter bonding trip to Baguio will push through though!!! Exciteeeeeeeed for the succeeding weeks! And oh, LICENSEEEEE. (my father will kill me if I don't process it soon)
