Life, learning, and medicine: advice to new medical students from a junior doctor

Starting out at medical school is challenging. It isn’t just the work: it’s the prospect of meeting new people, adapting to a different place, and managing your independence. It’s normal to feel apprehensive. I could reel off some practical things you should do to prepare for medical school, but that’s been done many times before. Instead, I want to offer you some of my reflections. Call it what you will—wisdom, hindsight, or nostalgia from a seasoned medical school graduate—but perhaps you can take away something useful for your own journey.