A Week in the Life of a Queen’s Medical Student During Clinical Year
Interested in learning how the Medicine course at Queen's is structured? Medical student Jane Lai gives insight into clinical years at Queen’s and how she finds time to relax in between her busy schedule.
Starting medical school can be a huge change from school or a previous degree, it’s sometimes hard to know what to expect. Rumours circulating about how busy medical students are and how intense the course is can add further stress and uncertainties.
I have gone through that period and know what it was like, therefore I am here to help. I am going to discuss a week in the life of being a medical student here at Queen’s; how the course is organised, how I structure each day and how I relax.
Medicine at Queen’s is divided into pre-clinical (Years 1-2) and clinical (Years 3-5)
As my peer Hiya has already discussed a week in the life of being a medical student in pre-clinical year, I will focus on what it is like being a medical student at Queen’s in clinical year to give you a complete story.
How is your Medicine course organised at Queen's?
Medicine at Queen’s is divided into pre-clinical (Years 1-2) and clinical (Years 3-5). You will be taught by Queen’s staff in pre-clinical years. The timetable is organised by Queen’s as such. While in clinical years, you will have teaching from both Queen’s and the trust. Therefore, the timetable is provided by both parties. Meaning that while you and your friends may have the same rotation, e.g., Obs & Gynae, other than sharing the Queen’s teaching together, your timetable will be different from your peers if you are allocated into different hospitals.
A sample timetable
The exact timetable varies extensively depending on what rotation you are in. Some are more intense than the others. Below is my Obs & Gynae timetable from the trust – I hope this can give you a more solid idea.
Year 4 Obs & Gynae timetable
I was placed in a group of 8 in 4th year, meaning 8 students having the same rotations in the same hospital. Each of us were assigned to a number for each placement for easy reference. I was assigned as No. 5 for the Obs & Gynae placement.
As the timetable is designed for the whole group, I prefer to mark my own schedule down in google calendar ahead. The image below is a sample of my personal schedule for the week commencing 23rd Jan 2023. For Queen’s teachings, you will be sent a separate Microsoft teams/Zoom link to let you add them to your calendar.
A sample of a personal timetable
As you can see, placement is Monday to Friday, starting usually at 09:00, finishing off at around 16:00. For each placement, we are asked to complete a logbook to meet the General Medical Council requirements. Most of us prefer to spend more time in hospital at the beginning of the placement to tick off as many logbook items as possible, to leave more time to prepare for assessments towards the end of placement.
How I structure each day
I was allocated to Ulster Hospital last year. It is around 40 minutes away from Belfast city centre by bus. If my day starts off at 09:00, I usually get up at around 07:15, and leave the house at 08:15. While I am on the bus, I love to look through my logbook so that I can have a brief idea of what items I can possibly tick off on that day. I usually aim to tick off around 3 items each day. On some lucky days, I can tick off more.
On some days, despite spending the whole day in the hospital, I may not be able to tick off a single item on the list - but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t learnt anything that day. The below is a snapshot of my Obs & Gynae logbook.
My Obs & Gynae logbook
Usually after I finish placement, I go back home and go straight to cooking my supper. I usually have supper at around 18:30 and have some me time until 20:30. Then, I sit down to go through the things that I have learned on that day and do some reading. I usually go to bed at around 00:15.
Striking a work life balance is equally important. Physical and mental health are always facilitated and promoted here at Queen’s. Nonetheless, you always have Wednesday afternoon off where you can go to clubs and societies or do a bit of catch-up work if you wish.
How I relax
I feel it is essential to find a hobby that allows you to destress and to and spark joy, no matter what subject you do. I am so glad that I find it here in Belfast. I started playing golf back when I was 14 but didn’t get into the game seriously until last year.
Northern Ireland is a very golf friendly place with almost 100 golf courses. My friends and I are very keen on trying different golf courses and getting a breath of fresh air at the weekends. The below image is during April time at the hilly Helen’s Bay Golf Club. What a view!
Scenic golf course at Helen's Bay
I hope the above clarifies matters a bit. You are also welcome to chat with us via the ‘chat to our students’ platform’. I highly encourage you to check out my previous blog on ‘Studying Medicine at Queen's: Your Questions Answered!’, if you are at the stage of preparing to apply to medicine. Good luck and I wish you all the best in your endeavours.
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Studying Medicine at Queen's: Your Questions Answered!
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Jane LaiMedicine| Undergraduate Student | Hong KongI am a year 4 medical student originally from Hong Kong. I have been enjoying life here at Queen’s and Belfast. I love studying medicine because it combines learning the science behind diseases and caring for people. I love to immerse myself in medicine, I am currently a first aid tutor for the school as well as the secretary of Asian Medical Students Association Northern Ireland (AMSANI). Outside of school, I love to play golf and dance ballet. I also go hiking a lot when the weather gets warmer. |
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