Chapter 3 : Potential traps for medical students ( 1 )

3.1 What are the comman problems for first year medical students?

1. Living in past glory

Many of those in medical schools were top students in their secondary schools, which may give them false sense of security.They could have been their teachers’ pets and were top students in their class, but what they do not realise is that when they enter medical schools, they are studying with 200 other top students.

They do not realise that they are learning entirely new subjects where they need guidance to get the knowledge. Hence, if the approach is wrong, it will be difficult for them to understand what they are learning.

Real situation :

A student who just joined medical school was given a car and a handphone and was staying in a separate apartment with his friends. The culture of this clique was that they would go for dinner at 8 pm and return by 10 pm after which they started to study. They continued this routine until the whole clique failed the first year examination after several attempts and had to change to another faculty.

2. Culture shock

Students entering medical schools will experience a sudden change in their life and study culture, being away from their parents or the discipline of their previous boarding schools. Attendance at lectures may not be taken and should one miss a lecture, it will go undetected.

In contrast to schools or matriculation centres where everthing that students need to learn is given by the school teacher or tutor, in medical school, lectures are mainly given to provide the fundamental principles and some core knowledge upon which the students have to expand and be able to apply.

This sudden change in culture may result in some students having difficulty to adapt themselves. Unless this is stressed upon them and they become prepared, it may jeopardise their performance. The approach of problem-based learning used in many medical schools is something new and it applies the student-directed learning methodology, which is entirely different from the study methodology in school.

1. Choosing or being chosen by the ‘wrong’ friends.

Talking from experience, many students who did so well in school did not perform as well in universities as they found the wrong circle of friends who do not know their priorities and goals as medical students. They are excited meeting new friends and found new ways of occupying their time and enjoying themselves especially when they are given a lot of money by well to-do parents who think that by giving everything, their children will do well.

2. Loss of motivating (burnt out)

Most students study hard for exams just to get into universities. Unfortunately, their future career pathway after entering universities is not thought of or discussed with the school counselor. After studying so hard to enter medical school, they feel burnt out and lose the motivation to study.

3. Being forced by parents to do medicine

Some students are not interested in medicine but enter medical school because they are being forced by their parents. Medical subjects cannot be learned if one is not interested. Therefore, if you are not interested, it is important that you convince your parents rather than spending years at medical school for nothing.

Through experince, I have seen students who have reached the fourth year resign because they could not go on and had to start new at other faculties.

Being in the medical field needs passion and dedication not only while studying, but also when working. Hence, students need to consider if this is what they really want not only for present but also future.

4. Studying alone

In medical, having a regular study group is important. Three common reasons why students do not want to have study group :

* Do not want others to know their ignorance in medical subjects

* Afraid to share their knowledge with other friends who might score higher than them.

* Do not want to put the extra effort

Through my experience, many students who do no do well are those who do not have any study group and feel contented at just being able to stay in the library for hours and read their books. Whenever they do not do well in the exam, they become depressed as they have no one to turn to. This will lead to futher demolisation and loss of inspiration to study. It may later become a vicious sycle with futher loss of morale.

In contrast, students with study groups do much better and should any one of them not do well, the others will try to help them the weakness of each person in the group are made known during the discussion sessions.

5. Too competitive and not cooperative

This is quite common especially among female students. This could be due to them being top students in their previous schools or matriculation centres.

As as result, they want to remain being top students and night be overjealous and try to get as much knowledge as possible without considering others. This problem is manifested in any or all of the following behaviours :

* fighting for the lecturer’s attention.

* being selfish and unwilling to share the notes and good books given by seniors with others.

* dominating the lab sessions and not giving others the chance to participate in the experiments.

* hiding the fact that they have been studying.

* bear in mind that knowledge is not anyone’s property. It ultimately belongs to Allah.

(How to become a good & successful medical student; Muhaya Hj Mohamad)