The Journey of a Medical Student: The Hectic Life, Emotional Rollercoaster, and Ultimate Fulfillment

As a medical student, there are moments when you feel that you have found the path you were destined for. Moments like:

Putting on the white coat with a stethoscope for the first time Prickling yourself for the first time The first day in the Operating Theatre (OT) Attending your first delivery Inserting your first cannula Attending your first delivery

These are the moments that bring us together as medical students and guide us through our journey of growing from first-year students to interns $xd$.

It’s Hectic

The life of a medical student is often hectic. Your personal and professional life sometimes get mixed up, and you may not have a clear distinction between the two. Medical students are among the most hardworking individuals I have ever seen, and most of us are away from our homes and families in different cities or states. My home is thousands of kilometers away from my medical school.

Today, I felt homesick. It was my 132nd day away from home, and I called my mother to complain:

Me- Maa, ek degree k liyay kitna sacrifice krna padta hai!!!
Mom- Haan, tumhay toh krna padta hi hai, magar hum parents ko bhi toh kitna sacrifice krna padta hai!!

Translation:

Me- How much we medical students sacrifice for a degree!!
Mom- So do we as parents!!

This realization hit me hard, as my father was recently diagnosed with hypertension. In all these years, so much has changed. It’s not only about me; many of us leave our homes at the tender age of 17-18. After 6 years of MBBS, 3 years of PG, 2 years of bonds, and 3 years of SR ship or superspecialization, we return in our early 30s.

It’s a 14-year vanvasa (exile) for us. I am not complaining because we are not dealing with machines or computers; we are dealing with lives. Every degree we earn, and every life we save, comes at a price: our youth, our parents, our comfort!

Full of Ups and Downs

But every challenging day is also a good day. My day typically starts with:

Gym and post-workout Breafast Getting ready and reaching the hospital to attend clinics

Sometimes, I hear the first cry of life, and other times, I see mothers crying for their still-born babies. Sometimes, I see elderly women regaining their vision, and sometimes, I see young men or women hooked up to ventilators.

Some days pass like the winter breeze, and other days, every second feels like an eternity. I have heard the hospital walls hear more prayers than temples, and now, I can say, I have experienced it!

The Hectic Life

After classes, I barely have the energy to do anything else, but the vast syllabus I need to cover forces my feet to the library. I sit there till 8 PM, feel tired, and reach my hostel room. I play with my doggo, eat the barely edible mess food, and sleep while watching Captain America.

Life as a medical student is undoubtedly hectic, but I absolutely love it. There were days when I prayed to live the life I am living now.

Yet, it’s true that medicine, in all its brutality and glory, was, is, and always will be the first love of my life. Never a single day has passed where I have pinched myself to make sure this isn’t a dream. Even if it is a dream, I want to live it in all my lives.

Thank you for reading.
Bhavuk Jain

I am grateful for everything.