M1, From a Non-Biology Student’s Perspective
I’m almost at a loss of words to just start off this reflection piece. Before I entered medical school, I did not have an exact idea of what I was in for, except for the obvious fact that an immense amount of hard work would be expected out of me. With regards to that, I believe I did. Unfortunately, I neglected to prepare myself for the possibility that I’d fail even if I worked hard. The catch is, we need to work hard AND smart. This academic year alone opened my eyes and enabled me to appreciate some things I used to take for granted (e.g. adopting the correct approach towards a new field of study; how important my parents’ and friends’ encouragements really are to me), and made me acknowledge the insidious impact of tests and grades on my self-confidence.
I remember our very first lecture- Basic Cytology by Prof Samuel Tay. To the bio students, he was going at Mach 1. To me, he was going at Mach 3. I remember freaking out as I sat there, as one half of my brain struggled to pep-talk myself to calm down, while the other half feverishly tried to connect with the terms that were flung out – “ mitochondria… golgi apparatus…lysosomes… smooth endoplasmic reticulum…pinocytosis, exocytosis….” Well, none did. And I suspect it was only a month later that I realized that they were structures within a cell. I suppose in my haste to catch on, my brain started to assume a lot of things. So that’s one point to note for you all. Do start reading your textbook to answer the questions you will have at first. The bio students are already at home with basic cytology so you can ask them for some guidance too. It will be difficult to wire your brain into ‘bio-mode’ initially so don’t get impatient if the textbook does not make sense because of all the terminology. Flip through the pages the first time and take note of the headings and sub-headings. They might help to give you an overall idea of the objectives of the chapter . Try not to ask too many ‘how come …. is like that?’ first. It only served to confuse me further. On the next read, ask yourself the functions of each different type of organelle (organelles refer to the structures within a cell) and then clear your doubts if you have any at this time.
For anatomy, pay heed to what your prof says is important. Grasp those first before you try to remember all the other things you read in your anat textbook. My mistake was that I did not put effort into making sense of, and organizing what I was memorizing. It killed me, evidently, as I failed my first anat CA when 80% of the cohort scored above 70%. This is my experience. I know of 2 other non-bio friends who scored 95% and 86% so do not start off thinking that you’re going to fail every test because you did not study bio previously. Never let that fact get in your way! University life is itself, a new host of challenges for the average freshman to deal with and a non-bio student in Medicine will just be having it slightly worse in the first year.
Ok, that’s putting it a little too lightly. It did take me 1 semester and a gem of a tutor i.e Prof Raj (!) before I started to learn how to see the Big Picture. However, I truly feel it is important not to magnify this non-bio-background obstacle to the extent that it stops you from working or continuing to strut forward bravely even after you fail. With respect to anatomy, it is as new to everyone else so don’t be afraid. The professors from the anat department are extremely nice and helpful so ask when you need help!
MY first encounter with Histology is probably the most interesting (and slightly embarrassing perhaps). It was my first experience with a light microscope after all. I thought I was looking at moving cells until my partner pointed out that the light was not even shining on my slide i.e. I was looking at air. i.e the “moving cells” that I was so excited about are really , just specks of dust and dirt particles. I should see a mass of pink things (dead cells don’t move), she told me. If it is also going to be your first time with the microscope, don’t be shy!! Ask your partner to take you through every step of handling the instrument and ask the profs in the lab if you don’t know what you’re supposed to be searching for in the slides that you’re looking at. Get into the habit of asking the Profs around for help right from the beginning. I was stupid enough to let fear take over me and thus rarely asked the profs in the first term. I guess one of the things you’ll have to learn to adapt to in university is that, do not expect to be spoon-fed here. If you don’t approach the tutors yourself, they’ll simply assume that you’re coping fine so don’t expect them to come around asking if you need help.
I certainly did feel lost at the beginning, throughout 1 ½ semesters in fact, and at times, alone, because the kind of questions I asked drew curious frowns that sometimes creased with absurdity as my fellow mates struggled to answer my queries. Crudely put, the questions sound quite “off” most of the times. To the incoming batch of non-bio students: If you realize you’re feeling this way, remind yourself then, most of the other M1s are likely to be feeling just as lost. Medical school is tough. But at the end of the day, you’ll realize that you are tougher :)
Lim Cuiling, M1 02/03