LIFE OF A MEDICO

Day 1- This day like many others dawned bright and clear but this was one of the most important days in my life. It was my first day at college. I was brimming with excitement and methodically dressed myself in an exquisite outfit only to find the seniors in complete dissent to my attire. The classes were the usual affair starting with shy smiles and introductions in barely audible voices among the students followed by introductions to the faculty. Lunch was a memorable affair involving SO CALLED interaction with seniors which turned out to be a real show with us juniors running around the canteen following orders from seniors ending up as waiters ourselves rather than students. It was during such interaction sessions that I found true friends who would stand by me irrespective of what I would achieve in life.

The evening comprised of in depth chats with friends about interaction in their respective colleges and hasty fibs told to parents about the stringent anti ragging laws laid out in the college.

Sports- Excluding a week prior to the examinations, the rest of the time is ultimate bliss and freedom to a student wholly at his disposal to exploit according to his whims and fancies. Most guys indulge in sporting activities to burn the extra calories and gain some muscle and it doesn’t hurt if the girls come over to watch you play. Most of us have never indulged in sporting activities earlier in life and they explore this new avenue with renewed vigor and zeal. Sporting events are exuberant affairs involving rivalry among seniors and juniors starting with polite handshakes and freshly made friendships and ending with die hard friends on your side.

Cell phone- It forms an integral part of the student world. It’s a man made boon to the student community. You can hardly see a student these days without a cell phone rapidly clicking away messages at lightning speed. It is a useful accessory, particularly during a boring lecture or in lonely moments to lift our spirits. These cell phones are the main culprits in causing sleepless nights to students resulting in bleary eyed drowsy students sleeping in classes.

Attendance- It’s an ever diminishing aspect of medico’s life. Try as he may it never rises above the required seventy percent except for a precious few who consider any moment outside the classroom or library as a moment wasted. Mass bunks are a characteristic feature involving a collective holiday taken by the students to make sure no attendance is taken. It’s a constant battle that ensues between a medico and the attendance register which often goes down to the wire with the student winning it by a whisker approaching the end of the year.

Exams- The week preceding the exams is the best time to evaluate the stamina and mental capacity of a medico. It consists of hasty overviews of important questions, frequent consultations with seniors concerning the upcoming exams, sleepless nights and most importantly, the cell phone, which was an integral part of the student till now, lies shunned and stripped of all glory in a dark silent corner of his room. Several students have hysterical outbreaks and nightmares regarding the exams. The day preceding the exam involves night outs in the library and group discussions and in some cases, reverent prayers to every god known to mankind concerning a positive result.

Compared to all the ado and drama preceding the examination, the exam in itself is an uneventful affair which passes off with most students rapidly scribbling away and a few staring listlessly into space whiling away time till the end of the examination.

Seniority- Being a senior gives a sense of euphoria and satisfaction to the student. I remember how I felt when I first became a senior. It was like nothing could ever go wrong in my life. I had immense pleasure seeing juniors address me as “SIR” and recollecting fond memories of myself and my friends as juniors watching these new entrants huddled together in groups and missing the homely atmosphere. After a few formal interactions we befriended them and made sure they felt at home imagining our younger siblings in them and cherishing fond memories.

This in brief is the life of a medical student. Hope you liked it. Please comment or mail me at phanisamosa@gmail.com. Thank you.