What is Medicine like to study?

Original post by JoS0L0

Hi guys. Can anyone give me an insight into what it's like to study medicine at university, for example workload and what kinds of things you learn about? Because I'm a bit unsure about what I want to go on to study at uni (I was thinking physiotherapy but I just don't really know).

Thank you

P.S. I hope you are enjoying lockdown :smile:

This question gets asked a lot - have you done a search?

If you ask us more specific questions or give us more information about what you'd like to know we can provide you with better answers.

As it is, general questions get general answers: the workload is fine, but goes up around exam time (like any other degree). Few people drop out. There's enough time for socialising but when you go out on placement you have to be better at managing your time as the hours are similar to work and there may be long commutes.

You learn pre-clinical medicine (medical sciences as well as psychology, sociology, ethics, legal aspects of medicine) and then you go onto complete placements in clinical medicine (various specialties including general medicine, surgery, O&G, A&E, GP, psychiatry, etc).

Reply 2

Jamie_1712

Where I am, workload has been very very low during first year. We have learnt mostly about orthopaeds and rheumatology so far with and few other things tossed in for good measure. Every course is different and does things in a different order. I know some unis don’t do these topics until 4th year.

Reply 3

OP

The workload is fine? This is new news to me haha. I always thought that medicine was tough and involved almost being a "work robot". I would love to know the body inside out and all because I love to find out how things work. But, although I am a decent student grades-wise, I was a bit worried about my life being taken over by medicine. For example I remember reading something about students doing like 8 hours a day of revision, which just sounds insane to me

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Jamie_1712

Where I am, workload has been very very low during first year. We have learnt mostly about orthopaeds and rheumatology so far with and few other things tossed in for good measure. Every course is different and does things in a different order. I know some unis don’t do these topics until 4th year.

Wow. A low workload really surprises me. I thought it would be quite hectic, especially with anatomy. What exactly is rheumatology btw and orthopaeds?

Reply 5

AzureCeleste

Original post by JoS0L0

The workload is fine? This is new news to me haha. I always thought that medicine was tough and involved almost being a "work robot". I would love to know the body inside out and all because I love to find out how things work. But, although I am a decent student grades-wise, I was a bit worried about my life being taken over by medicine. For example I remember reading something about students doing like 8 hours a day of revision, which just sounds insane to me

8hrs a day revision may be in exam time (tbf I sometimes do 12 hr days during exam season), but many people on most courses do long revision days
In terms of during normal semester time I probably do similar hours. I try to work 9-5 (including lectures and tutorials) and then have evenings semi-free to do what I want plus weekends basically off, though I probably still do some more work during that time.

Reply 6

Jamie_1712

Original post by JoS0L0

Wow. A low workload really surprises me. I thought it would be quite hectic, especially with anatomy. What exactly is rheumatology btw and orthopaeds?

I feel like it’s just my course and mentality. I know that doing the bare minimum now will stand me in better stead in future when I have to up my workload, as to avoid burning out early. But tbh I have done almost nothing except the required work (pbl, formative assessment and the one summative thing we have to do this year thanks to coronavirus). Anatomy is tough but tbh you don’t have to learn it now, we only really need to know the basics for examinations in OSCEs. Orthopaeds is the musculoskeletal system, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments etc. Rheumatology is more specifically to do with joints, management of patients using drugs like DMARDs and Biologics when it comes to inflammatory arthropothies. Most commonly known by the general public is probably rheumatoid arthritis.

Reply 7

Original post by JoS0L0

The workload is fine? This is new news to me haha. I always thought that medicine was tough and involved almost being a "work robot". I would love to know the body inside out and all because I love to find out how things work. But, although I am a decent student grades-wise, I was a bit worried about my life being taken over by medicine. For example I remember reading something about students doing like 8 hours a day of revision, which just sounds insane to me

It's tough in the sense that there's a lot to learn and it won't simply diffuse into your brain so you need to learn it properly. There's also the fact that clinical medicine is learned by putting in the hours on placement and not at home with a book. So it's tough for different reasons. It will take over your life at various points, but that's not forever.

8 hours a day of revision isn't that much and I think a lot of students including non-medics would put in similar hours (around exams, once lectures etc have stopped).

Reply 8

Original post by JoS0L0

Wow. A low workload really surprises me. I thought it would be quite hectic, especially with anatomy. What exactly is rheumatology btw and orthopaeds?

Orthopaeds is not a thing. Orthopaedics is though. Wikipedia is also a thing - have you heard of it? :wink:

Reply 9

OP

Original post by Jamie_1712

I feel like it’s just my course and mentality. I know that doing the bare minimum now will stand me in better stead in future when I have to up my workload, as to avoid burning out early. But tbh I have done almost nothing except the required work (pbl, formative assessment and the one summative thing we have to do this year thanks to coronavirus). Anatomy is tough but tbh you don’t have to learn it now, we only really need to know the basics for examinations in OSCEs. Orthopaeds is the musculoskeletal system, bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments etc. Rheumatology is more specifically to do with joints, management of patients using drugs like DMARDs and Biologics when it comes to inflammatory arthropothies. Most commonly known by the general public is probably rheumatoid arthritis.

Oh right. Thank you

Reply 10

Oxford Mum

21

Original post by JoS0L0

Hi guys. Can anyone give me an insight into what it's like to study medicine at university, for example workload and what kinds of things you learn about? Because I'm a bit unsure about what I want to go on to study at uni (I was thinking physiotherapy but I just don't really know).

Thank you

P.S. I hope you are enjoying lockdown :smile:

It's a big jump from physiotherapy to medicine! And you are worried about the workload... you don't have to be a work robot, but medicine is not an easy option workload wise. What sort of academic grades are you getting?

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Oxford Mum

It's a big jump from physiotherapy to medicine! And you are worried about the workload... you don't have to be a work robot, but medicine is not an easy option workload wise. What sort of academic grades are you getting?

I think I'll get A*AB at the end of it all but the reason for the B is because it's A level PE and so my practical side would bring me down.

I did decent in my GCSEs. I got two 9s and my lowest grade was a 6 (in PE, once again because of practical).

Also, I'm not worried about the workload of physiotherapy. Just medicine because I've heard it is a lot before

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 12

OP

I think my main, number one concern with medicine is the stress that comes with it during the course (with the workload and all) and after it as a doctor. Like don't get me wrong, I'm a hard working student but it does worry me a bit because I want to have some free time too. Even the whole UCAT thing as well before the course begins... Plus the responsibility of dealing with patients' lives potentially. I would like to be an expert on the body though. Maybe I should do physiotherapy first and then determine if I want to go and do medicine afterwards?? Idk. I've heard graduate entry medicine is quite competitive - still possible though.

Reply 13

Jamie_1712

Original post by JoS0L0

I think my main, number one concern with medicine is the stress that comes with it during the course (with the workload and all) and after it as a doctor. Like don't get me wrong, I'm a hard working student but it does worry me a bit because I want to have some free time too. Even the whole UCAT thing as well before the course begins... Plus the responsibility of dealing with patients' lives potentially. I would like to be an expert on the body though. Maybe I should do physiotherapy first and then determine if I want to go and do medicine afterwards?? Idk. I've heard graduate entry medicine is quite competitive - still possible though.

Then you’d need to apply to a uni with a course that suits that style. Avoid oxbridge at all costs and go for a more PBL based uni.

Reply 14

OP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem-based_learning

Original post by Jamie_1712

Then you’d need to apply to a uni with a course that suits that style. Avoid oxbridge at all costs and go for a more PBL based uni.

Hmm yes. I definitely agree with the Oxbridge thing. I will look into the PBL thing because I didn't know it was a thing haha - Thank you :smile:

Reply 15

Oxford Mum

21

Reply 16

username5231288

14

Original post by JoS0L0

Hmm yes. I definitely agree with the Oxbridge thing. I will look into the PBL thing because I didn't know it was a thing haha - Thank you :smile:

I'm currently on PBL course, albeit a GEM one. I used to have a very love-hate relationship with PBL but now I wouldn't change it for the world and am soooooo glad I got my Cambridge rejection lmao.

There is a lot to learn but if you develop good time management skills, it's not too bad (this is coming from the GEM persepctive too). You need to make sure you allow yourself a work life balance. The most stressed out and overwhelmed people on my course are mainly the ones that don't have this, spend all day everyday studying, get burned out and then get even more stressed out when they are too burned out to focus on their work.

Reply 17

nexttime

22

Original post by Democracy

Orthopaeds is not a thing.

I like making children out of bones so strongly object to this assertion.

Reply 18

1ta_dx

Hey. I was recently thinking about my decisions and future and I want to know what's it like studying medicine at university. I want to know how difficult it is (presuming it's very difficult and stressful) and how you cope with the work. Is it too stressful? Or are you able to make time for yourself? Please state which uni you go to as well. I'm deciding whether I should go to Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial. But I would just like to know the overall experience and work. Thanks :smile:

Reply 19