day in the life of a
By Stephanie Girgis ( she / her ) First Year Rep 2020-21 first year student
Hey Freshers ! I hope you ' re enjoying your year so far . I have spoken to a few other medics and put together a piece on the day in the life of a first-year student doctor . Since we went through our first year of medical school during COVID , we thought it would be great to share some tips that we ’ ve learned along the way , as well as give you an idea of what to expect . Enjoy !
6:30 AM -7:30 AM : The alarm goes off . I usually wake up between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM , but on days when we are meant to be in class ( ie for HARC or clinical skills ), I enjoy getting an early start so that I can get through everything on my to-do list for the day . One thing COVID has taught me is that to-do lists are your best friend- they help sort out and prioritize the things you need to do for the day . I usually make a quick and nutritious breakfast at this time and watch an episode of whatever show I ’ m binging at the time while I eat .
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM Workout time ! Stimulating my endorphins in the morning is a way to set my tone for the day . On days when the weather is nice , I go for a jog around Liverpool One , the Liverpool station , and Albert Dock . If the weather isn ’ t great , I usually hit the Sport and Fitness Center run by the University for some weighted training . I like to keep a regular morning routine . It ’ s been an immense help especially in controlling my schedule , focusing on what I have to do , prioritizing my time , and has made me an overall productive student . I end off my morning routine with a quick shower before making my way to my morning in-person class .
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Once a week during this time , my bubble would usually have an in-person class . We would investigate prosections in HARC while completing activity books or learn how to conduct specific examinations ( ie how to perform an abdominal exam ) in clinical skills .
11:00 AM- 12:00 PM After our in-person class , I would usually grab a coffee from Costa or Starbucks with a friend . Forming friendships with people in your medic bubble is great because you can discuss what was taught in the session and offer each other helpful tips on difficult topics .
12:00 PM- 5:00 PM This is usually the time I would book a slot at the Harold Cohen or Sidney Jones Library to get through my daily lectures . Most days , our lectures are prerecorded however we do have a few live lectures to attend scattered throughout the week ( ie Good Doctor , CBL , Therapeutics , Introduction to a system block , Q and A sessions , System Reviews , etc ).
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