The Medical Student's Survival Guide

A guide to the reality of medical student life. It addresses questions such as: How do I find my way to lectures? Can I live on hamburgers? How do I give effective presentations? How much can I drink without vomiting in Freshers week? What about student loans? How should I prepare for exams? And, exactly how much work should I be doing?

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"You have to realise early on that you are no longer the best. Whereas in your A level classes you will have been within the top one or two students, now you are not. You are in a room FULL of 'top one or two' students." - Laura Stevens, 1st year Dundee medical student. "Due to the graphic nature of many of the presentations, subjects of a weak disposition should look away...or definitely not attempt to stuff yourself until you are well accustomed to images that are about to be unleashed onto your brainstem vomiting centre." - Elizabeth Li, 2nd year Manchester medical student. Okay - you got in. Now what do you do? This is the no-nonsense guide to the reality of medical student life. Everything you need to know is here, including: How do I find my way to lectures? Can I live on hamburgers? How do I give effective presentations? How much can I drink without vomiting in Freshers week? What about student loans? How should I prepare for exams? Exactly how much work should I be doing? What if I faint in dissection class? And much, much more. "Medical school is fantastic, fun and fulfilling, but it is also tough.
It may mean leaving home, fending for yourself for the first time and it is mentally and physically challenging. To succeed at medical school, you need to work harder than you ever imagined. Your role and your presence will not always be appreciated and you will have to mature quicker than many of your non-medical student peers. Having said that, medical school offers unique, intriguing and humbling experiences and opportunities. This guide will provide you with information that will make the day-to-day experience of being a medical student much easier." - Elizabeth Cottrell, in the Introduction.