WEEKEND Q+A #2: VOX

[cbeccia]

Hi,

Thanks so much for doing this.

What is your advice for doing well in a disadvantaged school? What I find quite difficult is believing that I can achieve scores that I think I'm capable of but then not seeing any past student from my school has been able to do so.

Also, re your comment about the bullying that goes on in med school, that came as a surprise to me    What you said was exactly right, the same people who are saving lives may also be the people ruining those of others. Med is something I'm quite keen on in the future, and it's a shame that the culture is like this. What has the first couple of years of med been like in terms of workload in comparison to where you are now? And is it true that biomed is really heavy in terms of workload? If so, how did you manage your time once you got out of year 12 and into biomed?

Thanks so much again, really appreciate this insight

[vox nihili]

Hi,

Thanks so much for doing this.

What is your advice for doing well in a disadvantaged school? What I find quite difficult is believing that I can achieve scores that I think I'm capable of but then not seeing any past student from my school has been able to do so.

Also, re your comment about the bullying that goes on in med school, that came as a surprise to me    What you said was exactly right, the same people who are saving lives may also be the people ruining those of others. Med is something I'm quite keen on in the future, and it's a shame that the culture is like this. What has the first couple of years of med been like in terms of workload in comparison to where you are now? And is it true that biomed is really heavy in terms of workload? If so, how did you manage your time once you got out of year 12 and into biomed?

Thanks so much again, really appreciate this insight

I don't think there's necessarily anything different you need to do in order to do well at a disadvantaged school. Remembering that a lot of your competition is external can be motivating, as I think sometimes there's a tendency to rest on your laurels. Otherwise, all of the teachers at your school will have gone to exactly the same teacher colleges as all the fancy schools, so they're just as able to help you succeed. Building good relationships with them is important and demonstrating to them that you have lofty goals and need help achieving them is great. Beyond that, you've also got to be really self-sufficient. There's no point sitting around whinging about your situation (which should never be confused for constructively contributing to discussions about disadvantage though!) because at the end of the day your ATAR is what you get. When Uni roles along, just remember that your ATAR, just like everyone else's, is a bullshit way of summarising your talents. This is particularly the case for kids who went to disadvantaged schools, who—thanks to a butt load of evidence—are much more likely to succeed at Uni

It's not so much in med school itself. The med schools are really supportive. It's actually between doctors more than anything. It's definitely changing though and it's quite motivating to be part of the change.
Biomed is a heavy workload compared to high school, true. Med is crazy (especially first year). The vast majority of people manage, as long as they remember to make time for themselves, even when they feel like they should be studying. Managing my time has just been a bit of trial and error. I've tried to study more sensibly, which means I usually do most of my study by talking out my notes in my office. Teaching is the best way to learn, and if you haven't got an audience....

[smamsmo22]

Hi,
Do you have any advice for someone who is considering going into med but is hesitant because of how prestigious the course is and is worried they will be the dumbest in the cohort Also, what do you have to say about the stigma/stereotype that sometimes surrounds med, regarding the cohort being really competitive/ filled with people whose life passion has always been medicine? As I'm someone who never pictured themselves doing med (tendency to underestimate myself :/) and kinda just ended up liking science, finding an interest in the medical field etc and realised it is a possibility.

Thanks, hopefully you can make sense of these questions 

[smamsmo22]

Oh, and one more question; what are the contact hours like for both biomedicine and med/how much time are you spending at uni per week? Is having a life (having a part time job etc) outside of uni pretty manageable or not?
Thanks again!!

[vox nihili]

Hi,
Do you have any advice for someone who is considering going into med but is hesitant because of how prestigious the course is and is worried they will be the dumbest in the cohort Also, what do you have to say about the stigma/stereotype that sometimes surrounds med, regarding the cohort being really competitive/ filled with people whose life passion has always been medicine? As I'm someone who never pictured themselves doing med (tendency to underestimate myself :/) and kinda just ended up liking science, finding an interest in the medical field etc and realised it is a possibility.

Thanks, hopefully you can make sense of these questions 

Don't worry about what the other people are doing. Literally everyone in med feels like the dumbest person in the cohort. Sometimes you've just got to remind yourself that you're not. You should never give up an opportunity because you feel like you don't deserve it. Go out and find out if you do.
The cohort isn't really nasty or competitive. I've really liked the cohort. Much more of a relaxed vibe, a lot more supportive. Med kind of forces you to get along and that shows. This is particularly the case of postgraduate cohorts I reckon.

Oh, and one more question; what are the contact hours like for both biomedicine and med/how much time are you spending at uni per week? Is having a life (having a part time job etc) outside of uni pretty manageable or not?
Thanks again!!

Biomed really depends on the year and your major. Was probably 22 hours in first year, 17 in second and then 11 in third.
Med is really variable too. Have had weeks with less than 5 contact hours, but there are weeks with over 60. The variability of med is what gets you, makes it really tricky to plan things.

[appleandbee]

I have four questions:

1) How to you approach the privilege that other students possess? I didn't attend a disadvantaged school (but still only attended public schools all throughout my life) but come from a low SES background but struggle with perceived inferiority and well as elitism (obviously many people from privileged backgrounds are elitist but occasionally it does manifest).
2) How did you find your emergency medicine placement? I'm really interested in practicing in this field despite the terrible hours because of the resilience, mental prowess, teamwork and leadership it requires. I'm planning to pursue either EM or Psychiatry (or Neuropsychiatry), because I'm admire the resilience and empathy those fields demand. 
3) Do you think that relevant extracurriculars (like involvement in global health programs or active volunteering in public health issues) should be given weight in medical school applications?
4) Do/How do medical students find time to pursue extra-curriculars or other interests?

Thanks!

EDIT: What is your opinion on people that never planned to pursue medicine from young. Throughout high school, I've thought about it but never seriously contemplated it (didn't even sit the UMAT), because I didn't think I was 'smart' enough (taking into account that I missed a lot of classes in my first few years of high school for a bunch of reasons), didn't know any doctors, was a first generation uni student etc. Also a large proportion of people in my high school wanted to study med, many of whom were doing it for cultural stereotype/ stable career/don't know what else to do reasons, which turned me away a bit. It's only in the last few years that I've developed a passion for it, I love learning about medical conditions, I gravitate towards public/global health related activities (I edit two publications), I volunteer in domestic violence education, I'm feel very emotional and psychologically connected to ethical issues in the medical practice in a way that very few things makes me feel as such. I still feel inferior/less legit to people that have wanted do study med their entire life.

[EEEEEEP]

Was there a "lightbulb" moment that made you want to do med in high school?
OR

Did you want to do med from a very young age?

[vox nihili]

I have four questions:

1) How to you approach the privilege that other students possess? I didn't attend a disadvantaged school (but still only attended public schools all throughout my life) but come from a low SES background but struggle with perceived inferiority and well as elitism (obviously many people from privileged backgrounds are elitist but occasionally it does manifest).
2) How did you find your emergency medicine placement? I'm really interested in practicing in this field despite the terrible hours because of the resilience, mental prowess, teamwork and leadership it requires. I'm planning to pursue either EM or Psychiatry (or Neuropsychiatry), because I'm admire the resilience and empathy those fields demand. 
3) Do you think that relevant extracurriculars (like involvement in global health programs or active volunteering in public health issues) should be given weight in medical school applications?
4) Do/How do medical students find time to pursue extra-curriculars or other interests?

Thanks!

EDIT: What is your opinion on people that never planned to pursue medicine from young. Throughout high school, I've thought about it but never seriously contemplated it (didn't even sit the UMAT), because I didn't think I was 'smart' enough (taking into account that I missed a lot of classes in my first few years of high school for a bunch of reasons), didn't know any doctors, was a first generation uni student etc. Also a large proportion of people in my high school wanted to study med, many of whom were doing it for cultural stereotype/ stable career/don't know what else to do reasons, which turned me away a bit. It's only in the last few years that I've developed a passion for it, I love learning about medical conditions, I gravitate towards public/global health related activities (I edit two publications), I volunteer in domestic violence education, I'm feel very emotional and psychologically connected to ethical issues in the medical practice in a way that very few things makes me feel as such. I still feel inferior/less legit to people that have wanted do study med their entire life.

1. Sometimes not really well. I can be really preachy and annoying about it. Mainly I just try to let people know what my experiences were, and if they're my friends, remind them when they're being jerks. Otherwise I don't worry about it too much.
2. I didn't really enjoy my ED rotation, but I think that had more to do with the way the rotation was run more than anything else. ED is really cool, but it's very much the opposite of psych in that you don't get that continuity of care or time with patients that you do in psych.
3. No. Extra-curriculars often say little about the person and more about their personal circumstances. They form a big basis of internship applications, which is particularly frustrating given there are many in med who have to care for their children, siblings or another loved one, and thus can't have those experiences. Likewise, a lot of those experiences cost a hell of a lot of money. Resumes are pretty discriminatory basically.
4. hahah good question, I wish I knew the answer. We just do it and then fit everything else around it, rather than fitting it around med.
5. Who gives a shit if they've wanted to do it all their life? Just because you want to do something, doesn't make you better at it. I might have wanted to play AFL, but wanting to play doesn't make me inherently better than, for example, Mason Cox who's only played for a couple of years. (I've never wanted to play in the AFL—I knew I was hopeless). If that's what you want to do, frankly, fuck what everyone else thinks, just go for it.

Was there a "lightbulb" moment that made you want to do med in high school?
OR

Did you want to do med from a very young age?

No to both

[Calebark]

Appreciate you doing this! All my serious questions have been asked by others, so...

If you had to change the adjective in Little River, what would you calll it?

[vox nihili]

Appreciate you doing this! All my serious questions have been asked by others, so...

If you had to change the adjective in Little River, what would you calll it?

Tortuous

[smamsmo22]

Thanks for your answers. And thanks for referencing Mason Cox. Go pies.

[S200]

What would your number One general school tip to those of us from the lower end schools?

Besides this, what you have already said obviously...

If that's what you want to do, frankly, fuck what everyone else thinks, just go for it.