Work Hard, Play Harder

It is commonly said that med students work hard and play harder. From my own observations, I would have to say that this is true, although I suspect that it is usually because we are procrastinating, and those moments spent in diversions from the books are the sweetest of all. This weekend has entailed a lot of procrastination, although this early into the term I do not feel totally wracked with guilt over it. I spent yesterday morning taking my flatmate, Julia, to a local clinic, which meant a depressingly early start for the weekend. I spent a large proportion of the day reading an online novel, until about six, when we went out to eat. I know, I know - eating out two nights consecutively smacks of the most lavish decadence on my student budget.

After dinner, I went to visit an old friend whom I had not seen in a year or so, and we wound up talking long into the early hours. There are a few people one meets in life that you can be completely honest with, and he is one of them. When I finally left his house at three to walk home, it had finally stopped raining, and the wind had died down, and I would have enjoyed a quiet walk home, were it not for the fact that the clubs were closing for the night, and my reverie was interruped by the cries for a taxi by drunken men.

Today I do actually have plans to do work, and have a date this afternoon to go over some coursework and some lecture notes. However, I look forward to a happy distraction this evening, as I am meeting another friend for coffee, as she is in town unexpectedly. Tomorrow, though, I will pay for my inattention to my studies, as I must spend my afternoon making up my anatomy notes from this week - my least favourite subject.

The faculty has made it clear that they expect us to spent 40 hours a week working, minimum. Only 20 of these are actually spent in lectures and tutorials, and if you are bright and very lucky, this is all you will need to do. For the rest of us mere mortals, who do not absorb the contents of a textbook simply by sleeping on it, this really is only the tip of the iceberg, and many more hours of private study in the evenings at at weekends. This is the reason that most medical students do not have a job in their spare time; or, indeed, any spare time to speak of.

For this reason, many medical and vetinary students tend towards poverty, and for many of us (myself included) our student loan of a £3000 per year is all most of us have. Because medicine is such a long course, and because most people cannot afford to study it without support from their families, I think it is a course which can discriminate against poorer people. On the other hand, I am learning many valuable lessons about budgeting, and the true worth of money. And why paying £3 to wash and dry one load of washing is absolutely criminal.