University of Edinburgh sucks. Is it me? Rant
5th year medic here. Ngl been the worst experience of my life, p sure I've had a complete personality warp because of how traumatic my experiences here have been.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
Reply 1
Im sorry you've had such a tough time on your course.
You ask “ Can you transfer to another uni ? “. I guess it’s worth asking IF you have good grades AND some sort of official support from student counselling / a mental health diagnosis and a clear plan as to why transferring to eg Aberdeen Uni would help.
Its very rare to transfer courses ( esp in September ) and it tends to be reasons like “ Im from Aberdeen and my mother is terminally ill and I want to move home and help nurse my mother and support my father and siblings “.
So TBH you are not going to get far if your reason is basically “ the course is **** and some of my classmates are totally ********s”. They Will talk to you about resilience and how you will encounter many ********s in your career so you need to deal with them now. ( Im not minimising how bad this is for you BTW, Im just telling you what response you will probably get. There’s a reason why medical students collectively have a really bad rep on campus - too many entitled arrogant pricks together )
So if I were your mate, I’d tell you to hang on in there. It’s like 7 months until your finals and then you are out of there in May.
Put in place whatever support you need to get you through. Find friends among the 10,000 students in Edinburgh who are not 5th year medics. Join clubs / societies/ take up a sport . Join some club outside uni and meet other non student people. Go home for some weekends and catch up with some old friends.
Go for counselling. If you think there’s anything the uni can do to help you, speak to student support / your head of year etc .
Caveat - if you think you need medical help then go and see your GP and tell her how you feel. Theres no shame - they all remember how tough it can be.
You ask “ Can you transfer to another uni ? “. I guess it’s worth asking IF you have good grades AND some sort of official support from student counselling / a mental health diagnosis and a clear plan as to why transferring to eg Aberdeen Uni would help.
Its very rare to transfer courses ( esp in September ) and it tends to be reasons like “ Im from Aberdeen and my mother is terminally ill and I want to move home and help nurse my mother and support my father and siblings “.
So TBH you are not going to get far if your reason is basically “ the course is **** and some of my classmates are totally ********s”. They Will talk to you about resilience and how you will encounter many ********s in your career so you need to deal with them now. ( Im not minimising how bad this is for you BTW, Im just telling you what response you will probably get. There’s a reason why medical students collectively have a really bad rep on campus - too many entitled arrogant pricks together )
So if I were your mate, I’d tell you to hang on in there. It’s like 7 months until your finals and then you are out of there in May.
Put in place whatever support you need to get you through. Find friends among the 10,000 students in Edinburgh who are not 5th year medics. Join clubs / societies/ take up a sport . Join some club outside uni and meet other non student people. Go home for some weekends and catch up with some old friends.
Go for counselling. If you think there’s anything the uni can do to help you, speak to student support / your head of year etc .
Caveat - if you think you need medical help then go and see your GP and tell her how you feel. Theres no shame - they all remember how tough it can be.
Reply 2
This is not good news. Is Edinburgh like this in general? Sorry you’ve had a tough time.
Reply 3
Hi, this is the University of Aberdeen rep, just posting since we've been mentioned in this thread. Just wanted to clarify that we're not usually able to accept transfers into Medicine and I think this will be the case you find with most universities when it comes to looking at a transfer. If you are needing any clarification on if this would be an option you can contact [email protected] so our medicine admissions team can advise more.
That aside, I'm really sorry to hear of the experience you've had this far. Medicine is obviously going to be difficult but you shouldn't have to face all of these other adversities along the way. I would say, despite what it may feel like right now, that this is not representative of people in general. I can imagine it being tough to be feeling like that about your peers but there will be plenty of nicer people who are maybe just not being as loud about it. I would definitely echo the above poster that suggests looking at another society if you're not enjoying being around the people in your cohort; it might be difficult to fit society activities around being a fifth year medical student but it would help your overall wellbeing and therefore your studies if you feel it's a good option for you. Hopefully some student support resources should be available to you too.
Really wishing you all the best, and if transferring isn't an option then I hope that you find ways to make sticking it out for the final year manageable.
- Matthew, Enquiry Team
That aside, I'm really sorry to hear of the experience you've had this far. Medicine is obviously going to be difficult but you shouldn't have to face all of these other adversities along the way. I would say, despite what it may feel like right now, that this is not representative of people in general. I can imagine it being tough to be feeling like that about your peers but there will be plenty of nicer people who are maybe just not being as loud about it. I would definitely echo the above poster that suggests looking at another society if you're not enjoying being around the people in your cohort; it might be difficult to fit society activities around being a fifth year medical student but it would help your overall wellbeing and therefore your studies if you feel it's a good option for you. Hopefully some student support resources should be available to you too.
Really wishing you all the best, and if transferring isn't an option then I hope that you find ways to make sticking it out for the final year manageable.
- Matthew, Enquiry Team
Reply 4
"Uni doesn't even pay for PassMed"
Lol wait until you discover the financial support available for postgraduate medical exam fees and prep materials.
Lol wait until you discover the financial support available for postgraduate medical exam fees and prep materials.
Spoiler
Reply 5
Original post
by imogen_ga5th year medic here. Ngl been the worst experience of my life, p sure I've had a complete personality warp because of how traumatic my experiences here have been.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
3rd year medic here at Edinburgh (just finished 2nd year) and I soooo appreciate coming across your post because I feel the exact same! I haven't been able to talk to anyone about it bar my Student Advisor because no one cares about stuff like this i.e. why being kind matters or the importance of humanity. My experience thus far has been so bizzare and I've been in so many tutorials where no one speaks (like at all, dead silence, did someone else apply to medical school for you or?), or just complete disgraceful behaviour and attitude from my peers (people in my group that I have to work with). It's been such a hazard for my mental health and wellbeing and have thought about quitting and just getting my intercalation. It's summer now so I'm happier (trying to rid my memory and nervous system from the last 9 months), but really difficult to imagine pushing through the three clinical years after my intercalation year. I relate to the "personality warp", similarly I feel like I've lost my spark and feel like I have to mentally prepare myself for the worst with engaging with my peers because some of them are pure mean girls/guys. (I don't even try making medic friends anymore bc Ik the likelihood is we're not on the same bandwidth, and I study alone all the time. It's a self-preservation method at this point, away from the bullsh*t, discourse and noise.) This is 10000% not what I expected my peers to be like. I wish to affirm you, you're not being dramatic at all! Same, my jaw is on the floor often. Really hoping it gets better for the sake of the people they have to work with and for patients but honestly don't bet on it. Toxic medical students feed > toxic NHS/doctors on wards.
Reply 6
Original post
by imogen_ga5th year medic here. Ngl been the worst experience of my life, p sure I've had a complete personality warp because of how traumatic my experiences here have been.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
I literally can't say I like anything other than the city and maybe a couple people I've met. There is no actual teaching... the bulk of our learning is 'self directed' - just another way of saying it's all down to us. Lectures are unbelievably incomplete and don't prepare you sufficiently for exams or placement. Uni doesn't even pay for passmed - which we all use religiously to pass every year. No relationship with professors or medical people whatsoever.
I tried to 'fit in' but just ended up getting bullied and taken advantage of. Really sick of trying to be a part of a group of people I don't even like (referring to my peers). I'm always left with my jaw hanging open at the lengths people will go to be terrible. I entered medicine to relieve suffering of others... but my peers literally make fun of people who are suffering. Like one girl deadass took the **** out of her suicidal flatmate who had to change accommodations after a week. Like who does that wtf? I don't want to believe everyone is terrible but I've had bad experiences with like 15+ people in my year or staff, which I realise is not much in the grand scheme of things but god damn I've never had to deal with this much toxicity in one go before and it's hard to put on a smile when you know the next person could be like the others. Am I the problem? What am I even supposed to do at this point? I feel like it's too late to turn my experience around. Would transferring even save me from this crap? Not to be dramatic, but I pray that this isn't representative of all of humanity. Really hoping that it gets better.
What are the clinical years like in terms of teaching? Is it any better?
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