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By Khoa Ngo and Sean Zhuang, your Publications Directors along with Edrea Tan and Claire Van, your Phase 1 Academics Directors!
First of all, congratulations for making it into medicine! That was certainly no easy feat so you should all be proud of yourselves! It was not too long ago when we were in your shoes, trekking to uni and taking the packed light rail, attempting to find the locations of practicals, trying to locate the best place to sit in the lecture hall… But worry no more, because The Jugular (Medsoc’s own student run newsletter) has teamed up with your Phase 1 Academics Directors to create a guide on how to survive first year both academically and socially!
Prioritise your wellbeing!
Medical school is demanding and we all hold ourselves to extremely high expectations! While trying to finish all your work in one night seems efficient, doing this repeatedly leads to inevitable burnout. Wellbeing is such a broad term, but it includes things like regular exercise, having nutritious food, going outside and having time for yourself!
Taking care of yourself is the prerequisite for longevity in healthcare (trust us on this!). Go for a quick run! Wind down with your favourite music while watching the sunset! Go out with your friends!
Get involved!
Uni is such a diverse place with so many activities, societies and events to attend! You are sure to find something that interests you. Putting yourself out there means you can create lots of valuable and meaningful memories, make lots of new friends and most importantly have fun. It doesn’t have to be anything BIG at all, something small that you enjoy doing for a few hours a week is more than enough!
AND ALSO, it is NEVER too late for anything. Maybe you missed the deadline for an application, or you completely forgot about an event? There’s always another and another and another! So take things at your own pace and enjoy everything that comes along with it.
Have a good support network
As we have already established, Med is certainly NO easy degree. And you definitely don’t have to do this on your own. A good support network doesn’t just include your friends it’s ANYONE else that plays an important role in your life. In times of stress, and when everything becomes extremely overwhelming, it is incredibly important to feel supported. Having a senior student that you can text and ask for advice from is also incredibly helpful.
Start early
Whilst there’s no need for full-blown, frantic study from the start of the term, pacing yourself early will save you so much stress later on. With 2-3 lectures every day and 2 assignments throughout the term, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So whatever it is, be it exams or assignments or group projects, push yourself to start ahead of time! Again we all procrastinate so don’t be too hard on yourself!
During the term, you might break your assignments into bite-sized components. For example: complete background research by Week 2, draft an outline by Week 3, finish a first draft by Week 4. It makes the 2000 word report less intimidating and far more achievable over multiple sittings. You don’t want to be stressing over EOC study when you still have assignments due.
For exam preparation, start consolidating your knowledge throughout the term. Use active recall techniques such as drawing flow charts, writing summaries from memory, teaching concepts to a friend. This approach spreads your workload across the term and significantly improves long-term retention. Those pesky physiology flow diagrams will appear in your memory much easier than with last minute study.
Find a system that works for YOU
For most of us, there isn’t a standard template for studying in uni! What’s most important, is that it works for YOU. Deadlines can accumulate quickly, and you can get caught up with all your to-dos and personal commitments, so establishing a reliable and efficient system early can help prevent unnecessary stress.
For your to-dos you might like to use a to-do list app such as Reminders or Todoist. To track your events you might like to use Google Calendar. Or maybe you prefer everything to be all in one, in which case Notion works incredibly well. Oooooor maybe you prefer something paper-based, in which case a diary works just as well!
For your study, the tried and tested method is flashcards. Using anything with active-recall will help getting through the truckload of lectures and practical content. Look for ways that require you to retrieve information rather than passively re-reading them. Some methods are mind maps, brain dumps, practice questions and peer teaching. You can use apps like Anki (very very popular) or RemNote (personal favourite…not sponsored!).
Use the opportunities and resources at your disposal
One of the biggest advantages you have is the sheer number of learning opportunities available, so take full advantage of them. Programs like PASS+, MedSoc tutorials, and shared student resources are great starting points, but there’s even more!
As we covered before, actively get involved through SIG events, volunteering as simulated patients for mock OSCEs and saying yes to opportunities even if they feel slightly outside your comfort zone. Growth often happens in the spaces that feel unfamiliar. The more exposure you give yourself to different skill sets, the more confident and adaptable you’ll become.
And of course, appreciate what has gone well!
If you’ve gotten to the end of this and you’re feeling quite overwhelmed or apprehensive, don’t worry, everyone is in this together and we’re all here to support each other!
In the midst of assessments and deadlines, and expectations, it’s easy to fixate on what hasn’t gone well, whether academically or in your personal life. But Medicine is all about growth, and if you’re showing up and getting through everyday, then you’re already halfway there!
You’re here to become a safe, compassionate, competent doctor. Marks and achievements matter, but they are secondary to the kind of clinician you’re growing into. Maintaining that perspective can shift the way you approach your work. Clinical skills practice becomes less about “passing” and more about genuinely learning how to communicate, examine, and care effectively. That shift in mindset not only improves your performance, but it also makes the journey more meaningful.
Life is tumultuous as it is already, so celebrate every win, no matter how big or small. Put your head up, ready to tackle the year ahead! YOU GOT THIS!
AND if you ever see any of us in the hallways, feel free to say hi! We’re always down for a chat 🙂
