Two students. Same medical college. Completely different experiences.

We’re just two MBBS students trying to figure out how we went from worrying about school exams to worrying about viva questions, attendance, internal assessments, and whether we actually remember anything we studied yesterday.

We wanted a place to document the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculous parts of medical college. A lot of people have a general idea of what being a doctor is like, but not necessarily what becoming one actually feels like. That’s the perspective we want to share here, the things we experience, the lessons we learn, the mistakes we make, and all the little moments in between.

And because we’re two people going through the same journey, you’ll probably get two very different takes on the exact same experience.

So basically, this isn’t going to be a “How to Become a Successful Doctor” blog. It’s more of a “How Are We Surviving This?” blog. 

Throughout this blog, you’ll hear from both of us. To make it easier to tell our stories apart, each of us has our own emoji. Whenever you see one at the beginning of a paragraph, you’ll know whose perspective you’re reading. 

If you see 🌸 , that’s me Shwetha!
If you see 🎧, that’s Thanush.

🌸Stepping into medical college for the first time felt almost surreal! After all those years of entrance exams hoping and wondering whether I would actually make it here, suddenly I was standing inside those massive college gates finally being able to call myself a medical student.

At first, everything felt exciting. Then reality hit me, there were just so many things that I didn’t know and had to learn. Looking back now, if I could go back to that very first day, I probably wouldn't do everything the same way. I would approach the subjects differently, worry less about few things, take certain things more seriously 

The first few days were mostly filled with orientation sessions, where we got to interact with our peers and learn a few basics, like CPR. One thing I would genuinely recommend is putting yourself out there during these first few classes.

I met some of my closest friends to this day because we both volunteered during one of the CPR sessions. That little decision to raise our hands and volunteer ended up being how we got to know each other and eventually became the start of a really good friendship.

I know putting yourself out there can feel scary, especially when you're surrounded by a room full of people you don't know yet. But trust me, everyone is far too busy worrying about themselves to remember whatever embarrassing thing you might end up doing. So raise your hand, introduce yourself, join that random group, and say yes to things. You never know which seemingly insignificant moment might turn into one of your favourite memories or introduce you to some of the people who end up becoming a huge part of your college life.

🎧I would totally agree on this part, Try to Explore as much as possible in your first year, try all clubs in your college, join a sport keep your body fit. Make sure you never be hesitant in practicals, don’t wait for a raised hand, be the one to take initiative, build confidence as very soon you have to face patients yourself. Set boundaries, Protect your mental peace, Learn to say No !

🌸I still remember sitting down at my desk after my first day of actual classes and staring at my General Anatomy textbook, wondering if I would ever be able to remember everything in it, let alone the four other giant textbooks waiting for me. 

At first, I thought the only way to keep up was to spend as much time as possible sitting in front of my books. So that's what I did. Hours would go by, but looking back, I wasn't necessarily getting those hours worth of studying done. I was so focused on how much I had to study that I didn't really stop to think about how I should study. But eventually, I realised that having no time and knowing how to use your time are two very different things.

Once I figured out what actually needed to be studied, what didn't need to be memorised word-for-word, and how to study more efficiently, things became so much more manageable. I started making time for the things I actually enjoyed like badminton and guitar and even joined some of the clubs our seniors introduced us to, including the music club. 

And honestly, the music club gave me more than just an outlet for something I enjoyed. It was also where I met some of my closest friends till date. I joined because I wanted to play music, but somewhere between rehearsals, performances and random conversations, I ended up finding a whole new group of people I genuinely loved spending time with. It was one of those things that reminded me that making time for things outside academics can actually add so much more to your college life.

Once I learnt to balance everything, I started to have a life outside my textbooks. And ironically, I was able to get through more topics than I did when I was spending almost all my free time sitting at my desk. So if you're starting MBBS and already feel like there simply aren't enough hours in the day, don't make the mistake of thinking that studying every waking minute is the answer.

Sometimes, the solution isn't finding more time but learning how to use the time you already have! 

🎧 Thats Her Part, that’s not my experience! Joining Late to the course and missing out on the Ice Breaker session was like diving straight to the main Dish. I was Overwhelmed by its heat! It wasn’t a very smooth start, especially for a course like this. Before I even started to understand the syllabus,  the course was already past half complete. Before I even got hold of the situation, the university exams were already a month or two away! Thankfully, I had great support from one of my seniors who guided me through the stressful exams.

Now that I have completed my exams. If I had to start my first year all over again. I would have studied atleast a bit everyday. It would have saved me from all the stress that I had in the m last 2 months. Whilst enjoying almost the same as I did throughout first year.

🌸This is just the beginning! In the posts that follow we will get into the things that we have only briefly mentioned here. What it is like to sit through 2 hours of dissection, surviving practicals and vivas, hostel life, college events, bad days, good days, and all the weird little moments in between. 

Because MBBS isn't just about becoming a doctor. It's also about becoming a slightly sleep deprived, occasionally over caffeinated, surprisingly resilient version of yourself along the way. 

So here's us, documenting the journey one exam, one mess up and probably one crisis at a time!