To be precise, 1st year was both a challenging and learning experience for me. The day my father gave me the news that I was allotted a seat in KMC Mangalore, I went all hammer and tongs over the internet searching innumerable queries, some of them being if Mangalore campus was better than Manipal, the life at Manipal, etc. All superlatives fell short of describing the feeling of being a future doctor with a stethoscope slung around the neck walking through the hospital and patients. But yes, the life here is not that easy at it seems.
Joining KMC Mangalore was a dream come true. I didn’t know that 1st year had so much in store for me. Here’s some of the many things I learnt here
I learnt how to stay away from family a.k.a how to be independent!
I am the most pampered child in my family, the sole reason being that I was the first girl child to be born in the entire family. After 18 years of being pampered by my parents, dadi, nana, nani, etc., I was dumped into a room to stay for 5 long years with a stranger. The initial months went crying over the phone daily about how I miss home so much. But then my father said me “You can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” I learnt to do a lot of stuff alone starting from doing my laundry to getting stuff from big bazaar alone. To be honest, I never did any of these things by myself before!
I learnt to make friends (I swear I still am really bad at it)
I’m a small town girl (from Bhubaneswar, Odisha) and I feared making friends initially because I thought that I won’t be their type! But then I learnt that friendship was not about being the same type, it was about how much you understand each other. And trust me I’ve friends from all over the country (Delhites, Biharis, Haryanvis, Mallus) and even some NRIs.
I learnt how to tackle different situations (whether good or bad) in life
Starting from failing in the 1st semester to getting distinctions in the University exam, from finishing studies in the library to returning back to hostel at sharp 9 pm (that’s our curfew), I learnt to deal with almost everything that came along my way.
I got over my fears (at least now I can see a cockroach and not jump on my bed!)
This happened because of the dissection classes we had. That made me feel that if I can see a human body being cut in front of my eyes, If I can hold a human brain in my hand and feel nothing, then I shouldn’t be afraid of anything else. And also thanks to physiology that now I can prick my and anyone else’s finger without any fear!
I learnt new languages (I can understand some of them and speak a few words!)
All credits goes to my friends for this. Now I know at least some of the words of Kannada, Bengali, Punjabi, Malayalam and Tamil!
I learnt the beauty of the human body (trust me that is the best part of 1st year MBBS!)
That’s what anatomy will make you realize. I was so fascinated seeing each and every part of the human body and touching it that I can’t even describe in mere words.
I learnt how to revise within 2 weeks and still pass (follow this at your own risk!)
Thanks to my intelligent friends who took out time for me and made me revise the topics. Also to my teachers who would suggest to me the important topics.
Most importantly, I learnt how to enjoy my life!
No matter how much your parents love you, there is some kind of freedom you definitely get when you get into hostel life. I didn’t just sit back and study 24 hours in the hostel. I enjoyed every moment. From going to beach on Sunday mornings, having late night McD parties, Saturday night clubbing and shopping at Forum, I did all I could within my mom’s permission range !
I know MBBS is a tough thing to deal with. It is a bumpy ride with its own ups and downs. It’ll be stressful and you’ll feel like questioning yourself about your choices but in the end, it’ll all be worth it. Trust me, it has changed my personality, made me stronger and more patient than before and I’m enjoying every bit of it. I’m done with my first MBBS now and I still miss everything about it!
