MBBS: The way I am coming to know it...

About Myself - So before I start off on what's probably going to be a long teatime read, please allow me to introduce myself.  I'm Daiwik Tadikonda and I'm an aspiring Pediatrician. I'm on Instagram and I welcome you to follow me at @daiwik.tadikonda. I'm an avid sports follower (cricket and football) mainly and I blog about those two games. You are welcome to check out my blogging portfolio here.

So this article is what I'd like to call an honest review of my experience so far, studying MBBS. Please don't forget to drop your feedback at the end of the article and I hope this really helps in giving you a perspective.

Here we go....

I'm currently in the second year of my MBBS.

About my life as a Med student

The most important job of a Med school apart from training the to-be doctors is to filter out those who cannot handle being under the pump for a long period of time. Doctors are always expected to remain cool as a cucumber under pressure and are in a constant race against the clock. Those who can't handle the pressure need to be handed a way out and those who can, should be made to stay no matter the cost.

As a student, exam stress is one of the most important unavoidable moments for us. The syllabus to be covered is by no means small and every little thing the one chooses to omit has the potential to very well affect the health of his patient. The second most important test for a medico is his ability to keep up the fact that there will be less number of holidays in a year and S/he needs to be a part of what is likely to be a constant schedule. At times, it can lead to frustration and anxiety, and more so if you are studying away from home. This is where one's temperament comes into play and the kind of patience that one decides to have.

Yes, Med School is one of the toughest places to thrive at but that doesn't mean one does not carry anything endeavoring about his/her journey in this arena. The most fun part of being a student in med school is the fact that everyone starts to see you as a potential superstar. Being in the second year, I am often left spellbound by how a disease plays out itself and what one can do to treat it. In fact, the second year of the MBBS is what decides the kind of doctor you want to be and you can be. It's three-sem long year and there's plenty of time for a student.

Second, the challenges that the course offers you really test your character and for many, it's all about getting mentally strong and that is a challenge within itself.

Third, probably the most fun part of Med school is the parties that come along with it. Of course, they're not always official but that's one of endeavoring parts of this aspect of life.

What made me choose Medicine? I was a stubborn as a child or at least I've been told so, by my parents. Growing up, I was fascinated by all kinds of shiny stuff; be it cameras, phones or even jewellery. If I saw something that I liked, I'd just put my hand forward and try and reach out for it. I'd cry until it rested in my hands.

I wasn't the brightest of students as I came up the ranks in my education until 8th grade. It wasn't lack of interest but it was simply the fact that I was more inclined towards spending my time playing either of cricket or badminton. In 8th grade, I received a surprise boost in my academic performances and that is largely due to Biology. I was fascinated by Biology and that encouraged me to study. My grades went up and so did my confidence.

I wasn't much into the plant aspect of Biology but the human part. I like how all the systems function in our body with absolute precision and coordination. It's almost as if it's a part of a story, coming to life. It's always been my trait to find my liking attached to anything that comes with a sequence of events and has a slight hint of logic attached to itself. I'm a highly competitive person and I've always been out to prove myself even when it isn't the need of the hour. There are no doctors in my family and I have always been amazed by how doctors get treated in the society with the utmost respect and how they're seen as 'living Gods'.

A hospital is a place where everything seems to be in order and it functions in a sequence of steps. Doctors are the ones running the place and they get to experience the greatest thrill of all-time and that is the thrill one gets when he knows he has saved someone from a potentially disastrous situation.

In 2017, I had surgery for a deviated nasal septum and that is something that I opted for. Surgery wasn't an absolute necessity for my condition but I went ahead because I was simply curious about the procedure. I loved the pre-op care and the post-op care but the thing that I was the most down for is the satisfaction on my surgeon's face when he saw that I was recovering and breathing better. That was it. That was the moment I froze my thoughts about becoming a doctor and started acting on it.

Role of family, friends, teachers and other influencers in my life so far

My dad has always kept me motivated. I do not ever recall him asking me to be the best and his motto for me has always been pretty simple. He has always asked me to work hard and not worry about the results, and this, in particular, eases much of the load and you tend to do better. Moreover, it becomes easier for one to get over the fear of failure.

My mom has been very supportive in my life so far and I enjoy a pretty open relationship with my parents. My brother understands the fact that it is tough to score well in Med schools and he has my back whenever I'm under the pump or fire.

Coming to friends, they can be a bit tough to handle at times as not everyone understands that a Med Student doesn't actually have the time to call them on a regular basis or meet up every now and then. We are sleep deprived and that's a fact and therefore it comes as no surprise that we like to utilize our free time by sleeping. However, the point is that my peer circle is a pretty good one and I'm grateful for having them. Not all problems can be discussed with parents and that's where my friends come into play. They know me, they understand me and more importantly, they help me. When it comes to Med School, having friends that you can compete against becomes very crucial because that's what you fight for and the desire to fight is a prerequisite for such a strenuous course.

Why my current UG life is something that I won't ever get back?

UG life is the golden period for any student and more so, for a Med Student, particularly for those completing their MBBS. In India, the MBBS course is 5.5 years long which includes 4.5 years of study and a year of internship.

I'm currently studying away from home (i.e Mumbai)  and that gives me a very wide range of freedom. I'm a hosteller and naturally, I do have some forced breaks on my freedom for which I'm pretty thankful for, to be honest. Anything in excess is always bad and too much freedom can easily derail one from his goal and end lives in a matter of seconds.

However, staying in a strict hostel doesn't mean we don't have fun. In fact, it is up to our creativity to utilize our free time and have fun in that limited window. The moment I touched Hyderabad, I understood the reality and I began working on my talent of writing. I'm an avid cricket fan and I like the following football as well. It's no brainier that we don't get time on a regular basis to play the sports that we love and I wanted to do something about it. I will never ever say that I'm 100% successful in what I've been trying to do over the past year and a half but I will say that it's been good. I've been trying to channel and translate my love for the game into words and here I am now, a sports blogger.

MBBS has given me time to work on my personality and develop my talents and that's something that'll always be at the back of my head. I'm a much better person than I was when I started off and I hope and pray to God that this upward trend continues. I've learnt many lessons, some the hard way and some the better ways.

Hostel food is always dreaded and I am blessed with all these 'Dhabas' right beside my campus and more so, with their delivery service, as and when required. There are no such hangout spots near my college but every weekend a group of us make it a point to visit the city and we just go with the flow. Hyderabad is pretty famous for its food especially. Knowing the language of Telugu has made sure that I never run out of movie options whenever I am in the mood to watch one.

To Conclude

Yes, it has been a transition for me and it has been a huge one. I haven't completely made the cultural jump as I am a fan of the Mumbai youth culture and I intend to keep it that way.

In totality, MBBS is a challenging course and it is completely okay to feel out of place and to lose confidence within yourself because that's a phase that everyone goes through. MBBS wouldn't be complete if you don't feel out of place, at least once. I'm still young into this glorious course and I still have a long way to go before I feel I'm done. I'm not the best but I'm not the worst either. I'm right where I am but the fact is I work to be better than what I am, today.

If you are here as a result of parental pressure or poor decision making, it is totally fine. Your mindset is what's in the limelight and if you're better as a person as compared to when you started off, you've just tasted victory, my friend.

Cheers

You are welcome to see my blogging portfolio here