Although you are here to work , it is just as important to throw yourself into absolutely everything Uni and the LMSS has to offer . You ' re here to enjoy yourselves and have an incredible time , and the LMSS will be at the core of that for you . You ' ll hear loads more about the various sub-societies , sports teams , academic events and fantastic social events that LMSS puts on throughout the year in this guide , so I ' ll leave the Committee to tell you about those . But the best bit of advice I can give you is just to throw yourself into absolutely everything . Try a new sport , go to the Ordinary Meetings . If you fancy raising a bit of money for a good cause , LMSS also puts on some brilliant charity events ,.
Having been involved myself in all of these events during my time at Uni , I can honestly say LMSS has helped me develop hugely as a person , which has been invaluable for starting work as a doctor . I would not have been half as confident starting work had I not joined the LMSS and been involved in all their events . Trust me , having a brilliant calendar WILL make you a better doctor . The happiest ones in hospital are those that work hard and play a hell of a lot harder . Once you start hospital placements , you ' ll even find some Consultants who have been involved in the LMSS back in the day .
You may also be experiencing living away from home for the first time , having to cook , managing your own money , going to bed whenever you want , going out on a school night and doing the next morning ' s lecture on an hour ' s sleep . It ' s all fun and exciting . But look after yourselves and each other . Especially when it comes to revision time . Although Uni life is enormous fun , there are inevitably exams at the end of every year . The best F1s in hospital are those who know how to talk to people ( something you really can ' t learn in an exam ), not necessarily those who got the highest marks ! You ' ll learn that there ' s more to Medicine than just the exam results . And when it comes to revision time , you are STILL ALLOWED TO HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE ! You do not need to be locking yourself up in the library for hours and hours and hours . Of course , make sure you do some work , but I ' d advise getting up at a reasonable time , doing a few hours ' work ( without distractions - turn the TV off ) and getting it out the way . Keep your evenings free for fun things . Even cooking nice meals for yourself or going to the cinema or pub can make you feel refreshed , and it ' s something nice to look forward to after a long day ' s revision . So don ' t lock your self away and live off Tesco meal deals ( you ' ll end up feeling rubbish ). Even in the run up to finals , I remember having a strict rule of books down by 5PM and doing a fun activity every night of the week , even the night before exams . Of course everyone is different , but don ' t compare yourself to others . Do what works for you .
A word of advice I would give is be careful what you put on social media . The gutter press always look for any excuse to have a go at doctors , so just make sure your profiles are private and that you don ' t post anything which will get yourselves or peers into trouble . So think twice before you tweet !
Most importantly , do not panic . If there ' s one thing Medical School taught me is that getting stressed doesn ' t help anyone or resolve an issue . If you ' re feeling under pressure about exams , home or personal struggles , or struggling to manage your student loan , anything , LMSS will be here for you and it ' s important you use them . Remember , they ' ve all been in your shoes before !
Finally , have an amazing time ! If you have any questions at all about starting Uni , the LMSS , what Medicine is like , which societies / clubs you should join then ask any of the Committee and they ' ll be delighted to help . Alternatively , you are more than welcome to drop me a message on : joemannion @ doctors . org . uk and I ' ll be happy to hear from you !