To be told you have to repeat the year to remain in medical school is a scary thing, but having the option to repeat the year is an opportunity that is not provided to all medical students. Medics’ Inn have provided a few pearls of wisdom for our readers, we have gathered some advice from several medical students who repeated a year of medical school. Look out for Repeating The Year – Some Words of Wisdom Part 2.
- Feelings of the following are normal: embarrassment, failure, shock, fear, loneliness, insecurity, pain, inadequacy, etc…
- Stop trying to rationalise why this has happened.
- Accept help, correction, advise from others, other students, teaching fellows, there is no shame in that, nor in repeating itself.
- Don’t become obsessed with the numbers, e.g. things like “rankings” – ranking is surmountable, and you will still get a job, top or bottom decile.
- Don’t be complacent, e.g. complacent with only making one change, or no changes, or just doing what you deem will get you just the 50% or will match the bare-pass you achieved last time!
- Mentally prepare yourself and even practise how you may or may not wish to explain your position, about why you are in this year group, and who you may or may not care to tell, because the most tactless to those with the best intentions may ask at the least convenient times. Not everyone needs to know your business, and similarly you don’t need to be ashamed. Remember that in a year or so, people will no longer care/ know about your detour
- Don’t compare yourself to others ever, whether they have or have not intercalated, know all the answers in teaching, get 100% in every e-biolab or quiz, are years younger than you, are first authors in the Lancet – don’t compare
- If you are ever, for any reason experiencing difficulties (health-related, personal and emotional) beyond the work of revision, during the year – do not miss the opportunity to submit extenuating circumstances before God-forbid, you may find yourself repeating anything!
- Don’t burn-out by setting unrealistic expectations of yourself. Seek help from friends, Faculty, GP, student advice service, if necessary!
Now, answer these questions and really thinking about your answers and what they mean to you. (It might help to write your answers down on a piece of paper)
- What is your greatest motivation in life?
- In the past, what were your greatest fears and how did you overcome them?
- What do you want to achieve in this year you will repeat?
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