Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association

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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION

                        e d G u i d e
             Starting M         2019

                                                                   1
                          Supported by
Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Copyright 2019, Australian Medical Students’ Association

    Contributing and Reviewing Authors:
    Zainul Azhar, Denise Chia, Dayna Duncan, Angela Guo, Linna Huang, Elli Izrailov, Eliza
    Metz, Gihani Senadeera, Jeyln Thong, Clare Vincent, Calvin Xu, Jessica Yang

    Editing & Proof Reading: Jessica Yang

    Design & Layout: Linna Huang

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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Table of Contents
                   “Starting Med Guide”
                           2019

Welcome to Medicine								                             5
Academic Resources 									6
How to Study											8
What to Expect from Clinical Placement 					 10
What happens after Medical School?						               12
University Life										                              14
Medical School Finances								                        16
Moving Out of Home 									                           18
Metro Guide to Rural									                          20
Rural Students										                               22
Mature Students 										                             23
Medical Student Parents 								                       24
International Students									                        25
Maintaining Your Wellbeing 							                     28
Reasons to have your own GP							                     28
Life Tips: 5 things Medical School did not teach me 		 29
AMSA 												                                      30
Your MedSoc Links									                             32

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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Don’t Le
                                    ave Yo
                             Career        ur
                                     To Fort
                                            une

The AMA Career Advice Service, however, seriously understands the profession and
its challenges. It can help you prepare for your post-graduation years. It will assist
YOU to achieve your goals by providing you with advice and support on:
    l   Surviving medical school and your intern year
    l   Looking after yourself
    l   Building and maintaining a current and relevant CV
    l   Addressing selection criteria
    l   Preparing for and performance at interview

For more information contact: Anita Fletcher (Career Adviser)
   careers@ama.com.au
Career
4      Advice Hub: ama.com.au/careers/ Career Support: careers@ama.com.au
Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Welcome to Medicine
Congratulations on getting into medicine and starting what is sure to be an
amazing new chapter of your life. Starting medicine can be pretty overwhelming
but this guide will help you sort out the basics of what you need to know.

My first year in medicine was spent finding my feet, forming friendships and get-
ting involved in opportunities outside of just studying. If I had to go back a few
years, I would tell myself to stress a little less about that first round of exams,
and that medicine has the advantage of being incredibly flexible to whatever
interests you have, academic or otherwise. Attending your university events, or
getting involved with initiatives at a medsoc, state or national level, can help put
you on a path towards what you are passionate about achieving.

The Australian Medical Students’ Association exists to represent the 17000
strong cohort around Australia. If you need advice, support or are enthusiastic
about a particular cause, we are here to help.

I hope this guide sheds some light onto the exciting journey you are about to
undertake.

Good luck!

                                 Jessica Yang
                              2019 AMSA President

For more information on what the Australian Medical Students’ Association
does, look out for our Orange Guide during your O-Weeks and online!

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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Academic Resources
With seemingly endless medical databases, journals and libraries, and the entire internet’s worth
of knowledge at your fingertips, it can be hard to know where to look when you’re first looking for
academic medical resources. With so much content offered, it can be overwhelming at first, however
as you start to sift the diamonds from the rough when you start your degree, searching for information
using your favourite resources becomes easier and easier.

Your first year of medical school is the perfect time for you to get familiar with popular and niche
resources alike and see exactly what works for you. Do you prefer reading or watching information?
Do you need those extra questions and quizzes to ensure that you are as confident as you can be in
that semester final? These are all questions you can start answering now through trial and error, and
trust that you will adapt as your course goes on as you find your study groove. To help you along,
AMSA has compiled a short list of resources that could prove a good starting point for you.

Books                                                  Databases and Guidelines
Textbooks are a very traditional resource for          Being enrolled at medical university often entitles
academic information and can be a fantastic            you to free access to many online medical
way to gain a foundational understanding of            academic websites that otherwise require
course content. It is, generally speaking, not         expensive subscriptions. Keep an eye out in your
necessary to purchase textbooks before you have        university Medical Databases for these gems!
started medical school on your first day unless        • eTG (Electronic Therapeutic Guidelines)
specifically told by your university. Textbooks can          An Australian independent resource
be an expensive investment, and you may find                 that provides up to date treatment
that you often find cheaper alternatives once you            recommendations and comprehensive
start university (such as borrowing them from                background information on a variety of
your university library or obtaining them from               medical conditions.
older year groups).                                    • UpToDate
                                                             An American website that provides
 That said, here are some textbooks that many                summarised articles on various medical
 students use in their foundational (and even later)         conditions and topics using up to date
 years.                                                      evidence based medicine. Note that some
 • Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination                treatment recommendations vary between
        Comprehensive explanation of clinical                the US and Australia.
        examination and medicine. An excellent         • BMJ (British Medical Journal)
        Australian resource for the entirety of              A British website that provides fantastic
        medical training.                                    summaries of medical conditions with
 • Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy & Physiology              background       information,     diagnostic
        A basic, but easily read textbook that is            guidelines, and management.
        perfect for understanding pre-clinical year
        anatomy and physiology foundations
 • Guyton and Hall’s Textbook of Medical
    Physiology
        A more comprehensive textbook for
        medical physiology, that also has an
        accompanying question booklet.
 • Netter’s Anatomy Flashcards
        A great starting resource for first years to
6       learn and retain basic anatomy.
Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Apps and third party websites
                                                    There are a number of study apps and third
                                                    party websites that aim to be your centralised
                                                    resource in anatomy or medicine. Some of
                                                    these can be quite expensive, however many
                                                    of them offer free trials, so make the most of
                                                    it! Here are some examples that some medical
                                                    students use:
                                                    • Kenhub
                                                           An anatomy focused resource website
                                                           that goes into extraordinary detail. Their
                                                           website allows free access to their
                                                           anatomy atlas and articles, and paid
                                                           membership allows access to videos and
                                                           quizzes.
                                                    • AMBOSS
                                                           A digital learning platform for medical
                                                           students for all year groups. The program
                                                           is a useful compendium for many
                                                           physiological and pathologies. AMBOSS
Podcasts and Youtube Channels                              also has a unique question bank, useful
Youtube videos are a fantastic visual and                  for solidifying knowledge during pre
inexpensive way to consume medical                         exam preparations.
knowledge, and are often a great starting point
when starting to research a particular topic.       There are many free apps which facilitate study
• Osmosis                                           that many medical students use such as Anki
      Osmosis’ free Youtube videos provide          and Quizlet, which are flashcard apps that allow
      comprehensive        10-15       animated     you to review your own notes (an excellent tool
      summaries on certain conditions and           to help you retain knowledge).
      diseases and is a great clinical resource
      for visual learners.
• Khan Academy
                                                    AMSA Resources
                                                    AMSA also creates medical resources for all
      Khan Academy’s Youtube 10-20 minute
                                                    medical students, and often have discounts for
      videos provide lecture style content that
                                                    third party medical resources for AMSA members
      explains in detail certain conditions and
                                                    only.
      bio-medical concepts.
                                                    • AMSA Med Ed https://amsamoodle.org.au/
• Armando Hasudungan
                                                           Provides a variety of resources including
      Armando is an Australian doctor that
                                                           a newly released National Question Bank,
      makes education videos that explains
                                                           Fact Sheets on common Australian
      certain medical conditions and concepts
                                                           medical conditions, and academic
      by drawing on a large piece of paper -
                                                           modules, that are a fantastic resource to
      fantastic for piecing together medical
                                                           nourish university course learning
      information for visual learners.
                                                    • AMSA Academy https://amsamoodle.org.
                                                        au/
If research takes your fancy, there are plenty of
                                                           Provides     education     on    important
podcasts released by medical journals that are
                                                           Australian health issues that are not
fascinating and illuminating especially if you’re
                                                           often covered comprehensively through
doing a research project as part of your degree.
                                                           university curriculum e.g. LGBTQI+ health,
                                                           and Refugee health.
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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
How to Study
    You’ve studied so hard to get into this degree -      Understanding knowledge, is power
    whether it was through high school or a previous      Take the time to understand what you are studying,
    degree; but now you’re here, it’s time to get ready   through actively engaging with the content, as this
    to study medicine! Whilst there are many ways         will increase long term retention of information
    people can tell you is the right method to study      significantly [1].
    medicine, the best method to study is the way         • Find a study group
    that best suits you, the way you will adapt it over          Find a group of like minded learners as
    the next few years, and that gives you the best              yourself (this may take some trial and error)
    outcome. The following are just some tips that               and study together. Make a chat group so
    have worked fantastically for some, that you                 you can ask each other questions when you
    can give a go too!                                           don’t understand something.
    Test your knowledge                                   • Attend PASS sessions
    One thing to keep in mind is that the easiest way            Most universities offer PASS (Peer Assisted
    to pass medicine is to study to pass exams.                  Study Sessions), or a similar tutorial
    It can be difficult for the more inquisitive of              program. Attending these sessions gives
    medical students to avoid falling into medical               you a chance to ask questions, identify
    rabbit holes and end up in PBL reciting the                  problem areas and understand information
    proteins and enzymes only a PhD student needs                in a new way.
    to know. Though this makes you a passionate           • Ask questions
    medical student, to save time and sanity, it is              Your lecturers and tutors are there to teach
    often more useful to cover your course learning              you and help you understand content.
    objectives first, and even better: gauge exam                Approach lecturers after lecturers, or email
    questions before studying for exams.                         them if you have questions, and more often
    • Your faculty may provide you with a few                    than not they will be happy to enrich your
        practice questions, or you might even get                understanding!
        a hold of a past paper. Knowing how your          • Docendo Discimus - by teaching, we learn
        exam questions are formatted gives you an                Take the effort to teach something to
        idea of what you need to study and to what               someone else, without notes. This has
        depth you need to study it.                              proven to be an extremely effective method
    • Start viewing testing as a part of learning,               of teaching yourself, and you will test better
        not just the looming finish line you get to              because of it [3].
        once you’ve finished learning. Testing and        • Relate information to the bigger picture
        retesting your knowledge is a more effective             Understand why you are learning this in
        way to recall information, and recall for the            your course. Why does it matter? Apply
        long-term, than simply studying it over and              whatever medical knowledge you learn
        over again [1].                                          to a case study patient to create mental
    • Doing questions before you study is a hard                 links which will additionally help you retain
        thing to do, as you will most certainly do               information.
        poorly the first time and us medical students
        are terrified of failure. However the direction
        these questions will give you is invaluable
    Should you need extra questions to practice on,
    head over to AMSA’s National Question Bank
    through AMSA’s MedEd Moodle
    (https://amsamoodle.org.au/)
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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Repeat stuff, repeat stuff, repeat stuff.                References
Sometimes, medicine can just be gruel and cruel 1. Augustin M. How to Learn Effectively in Medical
memorization. From the order of the cranial               School: Test Yourself, Learn Actively, and Repeat
nerves to the anatomy of the femoral triangle,            in Intervals. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.
                                                          2014;87(2).
somethings just need to be remembered, and 2. Study Tips [Internet]. General Practice Students
repeating what you learn is one vital way to              Network. 2018 [cited 8 December 2018]. Available
achieve that.                                             from: https://gpsn.org.au/advice/study-tips-for-
• Spaced repetition, is a method by which you             medical-students/
   learn something, leave it for some time, then       3. Jarrett C. Learning by teaching others is extremely
                                                          effective – a new study tested a key reason why.
   come back and repeat it.                               Research Digest. British Psychological Society
       The best proven method to do this, is to           [Internet]. 2018 [cited 8 December 2018];. Available
       repeat what you’ve learnt a short period           from: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/05/04/learning-
       after learning it (e.g. a day after) then maybe    by-teaching-others-is-extremely-effective-a-new-
       a week after then again a couple of weeks          study-tested-a-key-reason-why/
       later. This is expanding retrieval practice
       and is very effective at helping you recall
       information that is at risk of being forgotten
       [1].
• Apps that can help with this are Anki which
   allows you to repeat flashcards on weaker
   topics at more frequent intervals whilst still
   testing your stronger knowledge, and Quizlet
   which is a flashcard website.

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Star ting Med Guide 2019 - AN OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION - Australian Medical Students' Association
Preparing for
 Clinical Placement
 Going on clinical placement for the first time can        What do I wear?
 be very exciting and scary. As a first year student,      Clothes for clinical placement should look
 you will spend most of your time on campus in             professional, such as business style attire - think
 a lecture/tutorial/lab based setting, depending           chinos and a collared shirt/blouse, or a nice dress.
 on your university. Most medical degrees can              • Wear closed-in comfortable shoes you’re
 be thought to be divided into “pre-clinical” and             happy to walk around all day in.
 “clinical” in that the latter years of your degree will   • Wearing a tie is unnecessary and unhygienic,
 primarily be based in a hospital or another clinical         and it is recommended that your sleeves are
 setting with much teaching taking place on the               above your elbow to maintain hand hygiene
 wards. However, before you can get to that point             standards.

“
 you spend a few years learning the basics and             • Hospitals are a fairly constant cool
 the science behind it all, so...                             temperature, have a cardigan or jumper in
                                                              case you get cold.
     ...Don’t stress too much about clinical               • If you’re unsure, it’s often helpful to dress
     placement, you’ve got plenty of time                     more conservatively on your first day and then
     to work it out!                                          gauge what others are wearing to determine
                                                              the style of clothes.
 In your first year, you’ll probably spend small
 period of time at the hospital, so it’s good to know      What do I need?
 the basics, but remember, you’re only in first year!      If your clinical school has a common room you
 People know that you have a lot to learn and              can access it can be useful to leave lunch and any
 the focus will be to get a basic understanding            study material there if you are at the hospital for a
 of how the system works, and to practice                  full day, rather than carrying it around. It is easier
 patient interaction to develop history taking and         to just take a small bag or utilise pockets to get
 examination skills.                                       around on the ward.
 Here are the facts about what to expect and what          These things are by no means necessary so don’t
 to know for clinical placement.                           freak out and spend too much money yet, but you
                                                           can consider bringing these with you (especially
 Before your first placement                               in a few years when you’re on the ward often):
 •   Eat a good breakfast!                                 • Phone
 •   Try and find an older student to ask about            • Stethoscope
     parking if you want to drive - some hospitals         • Penlight torch
     don’t have much around them.                          • Study notes or handbook
 •   Give yourself plenty of time to get to the            • Small notebook and black pens
     hospital, and make your way to the correct            • Some change for a coffee or two! (and a
     ward.                                                      keepcup)
 •   If you are struggling to find a particular ward,
     the main entrance of the hospital will have
     an information desk. Once you get there,
     introduce yourself to the nurse in charge and
     see if anyone will give you a quick tour, and
     then find the team or doctor you are assigned
     to.

10
What should I do on clinical placement?               Who’s Who?
Remember, this is your first year, you will not be    There are a lot of people involved in keeping a
getting overly hands on experience yet and you        hospital functioning, and many different roles
will not be expected to know everything, or much      within the teams you’ll work in. This is a basic
at all really, so take every learning opportunity     guide:
you can                                               • Intern: Post-Graduate Year (PGY) 1
• Ask questions                                       • RMO/HMO: Resident Medical Officer or
• Focus on learning how the doctors around               Hospital Medical Officer, PGY 2
    you conduct themselves and take note of           • JMO: Junior medical officer, can be intern or
    skills you want to emulate in the future             resident
• Meet patients and learn from them!                  • SRMO/Unaccredited          registrar:   Senior
• On a more practical note, there may be various         resident medical officer, PGY3+
    forms you need signed off at the hospital, and    • Registrar: On a specialty training program
    it’s a hassle if you lose them! The moment        • Advanced Trainee: Almost finished training
    you get a form signed off, take a photo of it        program
    on your phone, or use an app that converts it     • Fellow: Completed specialty training
    into a pdf. Remember that the hospital isn’t      • Consultant: Completed specialty training
    necessarily a safe place and to look after your      and has extensive experience; one of the
    belongings, not leaving them on the wards or         bosses for that department
    in theatre.                                       • NUM: Nursing Unit Manager/Nurse in Charge
                                                         (boss of the nurses on that ward)

Finally, enjoy yourself! Med School is a wonderful experience, many people will tell you it’s some of
the best years of your life and they aren’t wrong. Clinical placements can sound scary, but are very
exciting when you meet people and see cases that bring all of the textbooks to life. Patients are
incredible resources to learn from and anyone from the intern through to consultant can help you on
your way.

                                           Good luck!

                                                                                                         11
What Happens
 After Medical School?
 Studying medicine opens the door to a huge           Medical Specialties
 variety of careers! Most medical graduates go        There are over 64 medical specialties to choose
 on to specialise and practice clinical medicine,     from in Australia, all of which involve between 3
 while others pursue careers in research, medical     and 6 years of training and fall under one of the
 administration, public health policy, teaching, or   specialist colleges:
 some combination of all of the above!                • Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
                                                         (ACEM) www.acem.org.au
 The following is a rough guide of a pathway          • Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD)
 after medicine and your options:                        www.dermcoll.asn.au
                                                      • Australasian College of Sports Physicians
 1. Internship/PGY1                                      (ACSP) www.acsp.org.au
                                                      • Australian and New Zealand College of
 Once you graduate, you’ll receive provisional           Anaesthetists (ANZCA) www.anzca.edu.au
 registration. If you want to fully qualify to        • Australian College of Rural and Remote
 practice clinically, you need to enter the              Medicine (ACRRM) www.acrrm.org.au
 workforce as an intern/PGY1 (post-graduate           • College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia
 year 1) and complete a mandatory 47 weeks               and New Zealand (CICM) www.cicm.org.au
 full-time to receive general medical registration    • Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons
 from the Medical Board Australia (MBA).                 (RACDS) www.racds.org
                                                      • Royal Australasian College of Medical
 2. PGY2/Resident/HMO                                    Administrators (RACMA) www.racma.edu.au
                                                      • Royal Australasian College of Physicians
 Most people then go on to complete a PGY 2              (RACP) www.racp.edu.au
 year before applying for vocational training         • Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
 (AKA admission to a specialist college). This           www.surgeons.org
 involves spending more time gaining clinical         • Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
 experience and taking on more responsibility in         Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
 areas of interest. Some people do 2 or 3 years          www.ranzcog.edu.au
 as an HMO.                                           • Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
                                                         Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) www.ranzco.
 3. Registrar or CMO                                     edu.au
                                                      • Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
 The next step involves choosing whether or              Psychiatrists (RANZCP) www.ranzcp.org
 not to specialise (vocational training), which       • Royal Australian College of General
 is required to obtain a fellowship and allows           Practitioners (RACGP) www.racgp.org.au
 you to practice medicine independently. The          • Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
 alternative is to not specialise and become a           (RCPA) www.rcpa.edu.au
 non-vocational Career Medical Officer (CMO)          • The Royal Australian and New Zealand College
 instead.                                                of Radiologists (RANZCR) www.ranzcr.edu.au

                                      For more information see:
     1.   https://ama.com.au/careers/becoming-a-doctor#five
     2.   https://ama.com.au/careers/doctors-training-and-career-advancement
     3.   https://ama.com.au/careers/pathways/select
     4.   https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/medical-career
12   5.   http://www.otheroptionsfordoctors.com/
CHOOSE GENERAL PRACTICE
TRAINING WITH THE RACGP

Become a specialist in life.
As a leader in the provision of general practice education and training,   Choose the RACGP for your Australian General
the RACGP represents more than 39,000 members and has supported            Practice Training and become a specialist in life.
over 23,000 GPs in achieving Fellowship since 1958.                        Find out more at racgp.org.au/agpt

                                                                                                      GP training is funded
                                                                                                      by the Australian
                                                                                                      Government through the
                                                                                                      Department of Health
                                                                                                                                13
                                                                                                                                     6214
University Life
 University is a huge milestone in our lives. It’s     Maintaining a Work/Uni/Life Balance
 the best opportunity to meet people from all          Whether you’ve just come from high school or
 walks of life, form lifelong friendships, discover    another degree, studying medicine can be a
 new hobbies, and the list goes on! Despite being      huge change from the amount of freedom you
 one of the longer degrees, these few years of         have in your education, and the amount of self-
 med school can fly by. Here’s a few tips on how       directed learning that is involved. Medicine is
 to maximise your time at uni.                         notoriously workload heavy and it can be very easy
                                                       to find yourself swamped with work and burning
 Get involved!                                         out. Maintaining a good work/life balance is so
 One of the greatest things about university is        important for your wellbeing and making sure you
 the amount of freedom and diversity of choices        can enjoy your time at uni.
 you have in pursuing your interests.
                                                       Learn to prioritise
 Join your local MedSoc                                We are all guilty of procrastinating, especially
 Getting involved in your MedSoc can be a highly       when our favourite TV shows are back from hiatus.
 rewarding experience. It’s a great way to meet        However, it’s important to remember that some
 people in other years outside of labs and tutorials   things do actually need to get done. Prioritising
 (and notes from older years are invaluable!).         your tasks is a good way to clearly set out what
 There are also heaps of opportunities to learn        needs to be done, and gives you a rough idea of
 new skills, like project management, or indulge       how much time you should dedicate to those tasks.
 in your talents by performing in MedRevue.
 Many MedSocs also run wellbeing initiatives           Develop a routine
 or charity drives, which are fantastic ways to        Getting into a habit of doing things will make life
 engage with your local community.                     easier in the long run. Things that initially feel like
                                                       an effort, like going to the gym, eventually become
 Become an AMSA member                                 a staple part of your day. It’s also so important to
 AMSA is the national representative body for          maintain a regular sleeping pattern to keep yourself
 medical students across Australia. We connect         energised, happy, and not late to class.
 all medical schools to form a unified voice. Flick    Read more about sleep hygiene here:
 over to Page 30, and read more about how and          https://amsa.co/2Fp87Du
 why! Look out for our Orange Guide which will
 give you the lowdown on all things AMSA.              Set personal goals as well as academic
                                                       If you have a hobby or an outlet, set goals for those
 Sign up for sports and Uni societies                  as well e.g. cook dinner for family once a week. It’s
 While life in med school is an amazing time,          a nice little reminder that you have a life outside of
 it’s also a good idea to give yourself a break        medicine.
 from medicine from time to time. Signing up
 for sports and societies is a great way to meet
 people outside of medicine and discover new
 hobbies. Many universities have a huge number
 of societies for basically any interest you can
 think of - food, gaming, scuba diving, you name
 it!

14
Forgive, and take care of yourself
   The most important thing to remember is to look after your own wellbeing. It’s so easy to become
   overwhelmed, especially in the first few months of uni. During this time, try not to beat yourself up if
   you aren’t meeting academic or personal goals and remember that starting medicine is a huge task,
   and everyone needs to adjust in different ways. Be aware of your own signs of burnout, and remember
   that it’s okay to take the time to take a step back, talk to your peers, find something you enjoy, and
   then come back and adjust accordingly.

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Med School Finances
 Some students are fortunate enough to have             Working through your university provides you
 got on the bitcoin train early or have an unlimited    with student-geared jobs that generally provide
 line of credit with their parents on the completely    more flexibility, and sometimes allow you to
 unsubstantiated promise that “I’ll pay you back        revise and consolidate your learning content
 when I get onto the Neurosurgery program”. For         (e.g. tutoring, research assistants; others include
 those of you still unsure what a cryptocurrency        hospital technical assistants and Red Cross blood
 is or less skilled in the art of deception, you will   collection). Evening jobs away from university
 need to think about your finances carefully for the    hours can generally be found through hospitality.
 duration of the long and time intensive course
 that is medicine. We’ve collated some relevant         Scholarships and Grants
 information as well as some handy financial tips       You are fortunate enough to be entering a
 to aid your journey through the mi goreng and          degree that, by virtue of the nature of industry,
 single-ply toilet paper life that is student living.   is generally well supported at a University level
                                                        and comparatively well-funded. This means
                                                        that there are a host of scholarships available
 Working whilst studying
                                                        to students at all levels of the degree, some of
 Whether you are considering earning money
                                                        which require little more than a written application
 to make ends meet, or to consider buying that
                                                        and sometimes go unallocated. Better yet, many
 unnecessarily expensive cardiology registrar
                                                        of these scholarships are linked with rural or
 standard stethoscope, trying to work whilst in
                                                        overseas placements meaning you can acquire a
 medical school can seem like a bit of a juggle.
                                                        host of clinical experience and travel opportunities
                                                        in addition to funding. Check your State funded
 The ability to work either casual or part time
                                                        grants, University website scholarships page as
 during your medical degree will entirely depend
                                                        well as the following:
 on your individual circumstances. Many students
 do manage to hold down jobs in addition to
                                                     AMA Indigenous Peoples’ Medical Scholarship
 managing the coursework, but the majority of
                                                     • Value: $10,000 lump sum
 programs are 5 days-a-week commitments with
                                                     • Eligibility: Must identify as Aboriginal or Torres
 variable and unpredictable hours, so keep that in
                                                         Strait Islander, and have been completed at
 mind when applying for jobs.
                                                         least their first year of medical studies
                                                     • Applications close 31st January
 Your ability to work in conjunction with study will  https://ama.com.au/indigenous-medical-scholarship-2019
 greatly depend on your individual circumstances
 and previous experience. For instance, a recent Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Scholarship for Rural
 school leaver may require more time to digest and Regional Australians
 the course content in the first few years as • Value: $5,000 per year
 compared with a student with a completed • Eligibility: Australians living in rural/regional
 medical science degree. Courses also generally          Australia attending university for the first time,
 require more time commitment towards the end            studying full time
 of the degree with commencement of clinical • Applications close 29th Janurary
 placements.                                               https://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/community/
                                                                        scholarships/bendigo-bank-scholarships
  In general, the best work for medical students
  are jobs that are predominately evening or
  weekend based with flexible time commitments
  and allow you to revise or learn new content
16 relevant to the degree.
Centrelink Relocation Scholarship
• Value: $4,553 for the first year; payments                 qualify for Youth Allowance if your parent’s assets
   ranging $1,338-$2278 yearly (depending on                 and income test is below the threshold.
   circumstances)
• Eligibility: Those moving from rural to metro              *You may stay on Youth Allowance after you turn
   OR metro to rural, for study; AND who receive             25 years of age until you finish your course.
   Youth Allowance/ABStudy
• Apply whenever you become eligible.                  Austudy
                                                       Austudy is the equivalent of Youth Allowance for
    https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/
                         centrelink/relocation-scholarship
                                                       older students over 25 years of age. Additionally,
                                                       you’ll need to come under the income and assets
John Flynn Placement Program
                                                       test limits in order to prove your requirements for
• Undertake fully funded block placements of 8
                                                       the benefit payments.
   weeks in total in a rural or remote area where
   you will be mentored by an experienced rural
                                                       *You can only get Austudy for a set amount of time
   doctor in that community.
                                                       (allowable time). If you’re a full time student you
• Eligibility: You will need to be able to undertake
                                                       must make satisfactory progress in your course
   placements over 3-4 years of your degree
                                                       to keep your payment.
   (usually over semester break)
• Applications: TBC
                              https://www.jfpp.com.au/
                                                       Rent Assistance
                                                       Rent assistance is paid in addition to Youth
Australian Defence Force Education Funding             Allowance or Austudy for those students not living
• In exchange for your commitment to serve at home with regular rental payments.
      in the Navy, Army or Air Force after your
      graduation, have your university fees fully            To find out more about your eligibility or to make a
      paid for and earn a salary whilst you complete         claim head to www.humanservices.gov.au.
      your degree.
•     Eligibility: May apply at any point in your            Handy tips and tricks for your wallet
      degree                                    Walk or Ride
https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/students-and-education/
                                                Cardiovascular fitness is the single greatest
                        defence-university-sponsorship/
                                                predictor of ALL-CAUSE mortality across the
                                                developed world. Why not get in shape, reduce
Centrelink – Youth Allowance, Austudy emissions and save a few dollars by walking,
and Rent Assistance                             running or riding to Uni or placement.
Many students are reliant on government benefit
payments to meet the demands of daily living Budget
and rental expenses. In order to qualify for The Barefoot Investor is a fantastically
these payments, you must meet specific criteria recommended money guide book that is very easy
in addition to passing the income and assets to follow, can help you manage high expenses with
assessment.                                     low income, and help you kickstart your financial
                                                             planning.
Youth Allowance
To access youth allowance as a student you                   A number of apps are also available online with
need to be studying full time and aged 18 to 24.             ready-made budgets and direct syncing with your
If you’re under 22 years of age you will also be             online accounts. Try one of these for free:
required to prove your independence through                  1. Mint
evidence of full time work, relationship status,             2. Level money
having a dependent child, or inability to live at            3. Penny
home due to extreme circumstances.

If you’re considered dependent (under 21 and not
independent as described above) you can still
                                                                                                                17
Moving out of Home
 Whether you’ve just gotten an offer to study         Moving far, far away
 medicine hundreds of kilometres away or you’re       If you are moving to a university particularly far
 planning to move to be just a bit closer to your     away, you may have particularly unique concerns
 new medical university, moving out of your           surrounding how to pick up your life and not only
 family’s home for the first time is a huge change.   move out, but move out across the country:
 There are a lot of things to consider when           • If you are choosing to study at a university
 thinking about moving out of home, so here’s a           interstate and are thinking of living on
 list of things that will hopefully help you out!         campus, be sure to research living options as
                                                          soon as you can! Residential colleges tend to
 Choosing where to live                                   fill up fast, and some can even fill up before
 On campus vs off-campus living                           interstate offers come out.
 • On campus living is a fantastic stepping           • If you have the luxury of leaving items back
    stone if you are moving out of home for the           home (e.g. if moving out of your parents’
    first time.                                           home), resist the temptation to move
     ‣‣ You will not need to worry about things           everything in your life all at once. On your
         such as internet connection, water,              first trip to your new residence, you only need
         power and gas bills, which you would if          to bring enough to tie you over till the first
         you were leasing your own property.              university break.
     ‣‣ On campus living can be very social.          • Remember that heavy or bulky items that are
         Living in close proximity to many                troublesome and expensive to transport can
         students and friends can be very fun             be bought at your local Kmart or Big W once
         and help immensely with homesickness             you arrive.
 • On campus living tends to be more expensive             ‣‣ Once you go back home for your first
    compared to living off campus                               holidays, you can get a better sense of
 • Living       off   campus      means     more                what you have missed from home
    independence!                                     • Items that are consumable (such as
     ‣‣ This means more control over the way              deodorant, pads, food etc.) can be bought
         you live (no curfew!) but also means             once you arrive! If you have that extra space,
         separate bills to add to rent, and               consider using it for things that could make
         maintenance to make sure you keep                your new place feel a little more like home.
         your rental bond.                            • Buy check-in luggage for any extras, if you
     ‣‣ Independence of choosing who you get              are planning on flying to university. It is much
         to live with avoids the problem of living        cheaper than posting it (which is priced per
         on college where university students             kg)
         can be known to be disruptive at night       • Try to have a list of big events of the year
         on occasion when sleeping before a big           (check your local MedSoc calendar!) so you
         exam!                                            know what dress code items to bring from
                                                          home before you come back again. This way
                                                          you do not need to rush to find the perfect
                                                          cocktail dress/suit or tux last minute.

18
Moving house hacks                                     Keeping yourself alive and fed
Not only useful for those who are moving away          •   Find simple meals you enjoy such as
for university, but useful for moving away for             spaghetti and stir frys.Though you should
placements that can take you all over your state           definitely try being adventurous in the kitchen
or the country! Here are some tips when moving             every now and then, have some simple meals
house from seasoned experts:                               you can do without a recipe quickly for when
• Plastic tubs are your friend! They are cheap             you are tired.
    and great to pack heaps into, sturdy for the       •   Cook in bulk and freeze meals. Doing this a
    trip and easy to pile on top of each other             month out from exams means you have plenty
    during car tetris. They can also be stored             of food when you’re exhausted and stressed.
    on top of cupboards or under beds. Perfect         •   Winter soups are great! They are filling, cheap
    for extra bedding or swapping winter and               and can be made in bulk. Add some toast
    summer wardrobes.                                      or another snack and your uni lunches are
• Garbage bags! While a good clean out of                  sorted.
    your life before a move is recommended,                     Visit subreddits r/eatcheapandhealthy and
    these have a different purpose. Get the                     r/mealprep for some inspiration!
    black ones with a yellow tie. Keep all your
    hanging clothes together by placing 5-8            Making new friends
    items together with the garage bag, using          •   Realise that most people are in the same
    the yellow tie to secure the clothes hangers           boat. Often people have moved from home
    together. It keeps your clothes protected              as well so are keen to start making their med
    during the move and when you get to your               family. Just smile through those nerves and it
    new home you just hang everything back up              will all work out.
    - simple!                                          •   Attend events and volunteer for fun
• Pack delicate items in your clothing                     opportunities. This is a great way to get to
    suitcase rather than their own box. This               know most of your cohort and find like-minded
    saves you having to buy heaps of bubble                people. Med schools often will have a global
    wrap and protects them during the move.                health group, GP interest group and rural
• Label all your boxes! This is time consuming             health club for you to get involved in and make
    at first but a massive lifesaver when you              new friends.
    arrive tired and all you want is a knife to cut    •   Med camp! This is a great way to bond with
    up a snack.                                            your new cohort and meet some from the
• Utilise old blankets and towels as protectors            higher years who you can ask all your burning
    of TVs and mirrors during the road trip to             questions to.
    your new place.                                    •   If you’re feeling homesick utilise technology!
                                                           Have a skype coffee with your parents or
Tips for living with other people                          facetime with your dog. Do something to help
•   Keep shared spaces clean. Do your dishes               you get through the next day and know it gets
    promptly and don’t leave shoes and clothes             easier with time.
    through around the living room.
•   Open communication is key. Have a polite
    conversation with your housemate about
    issues rather than stewing about them and
    disliking being at home.
•   Have a cleaning roster. This makes you
    accountable for a section of the house and
    means it’s always nice coming home to a
    clean bathroom or kitchen.
•   Choose your housemates carefully. Living
    with your best friend isn’t always for the best.
    Choose people who are considerate and tidy
    and if possible come recommended from a
    previous household.                                                                                  19
Metro guide to Rural Life
      Article by AMSA Rural Health (Elli Izrailov)

   Congratulations to all the new metro students            writing, drawing, exercising, socialising, exploring,
   across Australia! Here at AMSA Rural Health we           whatever – remember to find time to do it!
   already have an article for all the rural students       If you’re at a rural university hit up the local clubs
   going to metro for the first time (see page 22),         and societies to see what piques your interest. If
   but there are still heaps of you from metro going        you’re at a rural hospital on placement see what
   into a rural med school or placement for the first       local activities, sports, or groups you can join. And
   time. That’s why we’ve collated a list of tips and       one more time so the message is crystal clear;
   tricks you should know before embarking on
   what is sure to be the adventure of a lifetime.                Your Mental Health is Important!

   Making New Friends                                       Easing the financial burden
   The most important part about any med school             Moving into the country! While living in rural
   is having a good group of friends. That’s at             Australia is inherently cheaper than living in the
   least 10x more important when you’ve moved               cities, paying rent and bills still isn’t easy. For
   out into the country. Now the cities and towns           that reason there are scholarships and bursaries
   are pretty nice! Some of them are going to be            that you should consider looking into to ease the
   bigger, others smaller, and all pretty much either       financial burden! Whether you’re moving out to
   have a local Woolies or a Coles. However, you’re         your new university or onto placement, have a
   definitely not going to have the same hustle and         look on your university website to see whether

                                            “
   bustle you get in the city, and that’s why making
   friends is super important, because they will be
   your life for the year, or two, or four.

In 2018 I lived in a small town called Churchill,
Victoria (pop. 4,568). The cohort of students with me
                                                            there are any relocation or placement scholarships
                                                            available. Centrelink can also assist by way of their
                                                            Youth Allowance and other available scholarships.
                                                            Most importantly, your student union should have
                                                            a financial advisory service to point you towards
                                                            other resources and assist with applications.

  “
unanimously agreed that they loved being at Churchill
for the people. That’s not to say that Churchill is a bad
town, it’s quite beautiful, it’s just...                    See our Med Student Finances article on page 16
                                                            for more details.
              ...the people around me
      definitely made getting through                       Transport and carpooling
      rural medicine so much easier!                        So this is a big one, getting around! When in rural
                                                            Australia, everything is naturally pretty spread
                                                            out between towns but pretty close within towns.
   Don’t just focus on Medicine                             Keep in mind that public transport in rural Australia
   Living in a rural town can be very isolating,            can take a while, or in some cases may be non-
   especially when your entire life is back in the          existent. So for efficiency, driving is the way to
   city. That’s why it is 100% therapeutic to pick          go. But today’s handy tip is to get onto carpooling!
   up something outside of Med to keep you                  If you’re on placement, try and organise a roster
   sane. Medicine is tough, and everyone has                system to save up on fuel, as well as reduce your
   the capacity to get through it, but your mental          carbon footprint! Because why should five medical
   health is so important, which is why it’s vital to       students drive to one hospital/uni in five cars
   remember to do the things you love! Whether              when they can just do it in the one? It’s fantastic
   that’s joining the local footy or rugby team,            for the environment, and your wallet! Also for the
   bringing a musical instrument from home,                 international students or the younger folks who
                                                            may not have a car or a license, they may be reliant
 20                                                         on you for getting to and fro!
Explore the region!                                   Maintain your support networks
Ah finally! While rural Australia lacks the upbeat    Medicine is daunting on its own, and if you’re a
tempo of the cities there’s still heaps to do. If     city slicker moving out into the country it’s equal
your town has a local info centre hit it up and try   parts exciting and frightening. Throughout the year
to see what the local sites are. Your affiliated      you’re going to have your highs and lows, which
university may also have a list of activities and     is why it’s vital to have a strong support network
places that are nearby that are a must see. These     you can rely on. Some of you may be lucky enough
sites can be bushwalks, waterfalls, lakes, rivers,    to make the commute back home for a weekend
mountains, hills, trails, beaches, you name it. So    where you can catch up with friends and family.
to make the most of your time out in the country      Others however won’t have that luxury and sadly
check them out!                                       will feel isolated. That’s why it’s so important to
                                                      look after one another when you and your cohort
Australia is a beautiful country, and people from     are out together living the rural life. So regardless
around the world come to see what we take for         whether you’re on placement or studying at uni, try
granted. Explore your country’s backyard and          keep in touch with your fellow students who are in
make it your own - after all, you will be in the      the same boat. It’s a great way to bond but really it
prime location for it!                                provides you with a sense of place and belonging.

             Derwent River (TAS)
                 Jacoba van Wees                         Lighthouse Beach (NSW)
                                                                   Andrew Baker

         Morwell National Park (VIC)
                       Elli Izrailov                      Mt Oberon Summit (VIC)
                                                                   Lauren Frisken

          /yourAMSArural     To stay up to date with AMSA Rural Health in 2019, make sure to follow
                             us on Facebook and Twitter for ways to get involved and to see all the
          @yourAMSArural     great opportunities that arise when you #gorural!
                                                                                                          21
Rural Students
     Article by AMSA Rural Health

 A very big congratulations to all new rural           Your student union should have a financial advisory
 students from far and wide! The prospect of           service to point you towards other resources, and
 starting med school may be equal parts daunting       can assist with applications, however see our Med
 and exciting. Here at AMSA Rural Health we            Student Finances article on page 16 to see more
 are thrilled to welcome you to the next cohort        on this.
 of future doctors and have put together some
 tips and tricks that we would have liked to know      Living in the city/commuting
 before we began. So whether you’re from Port          If you’re fresh from the country you may find
 Macquarie or Port Hedland, Hamilton or Humpty         there’s a lot more hustle and bustle, and everyone’s
 Doo, hopefully this will help ease the transition     in a hurry. Remember that you don’t have to keep
 for you.                                              up with everyone else’s pace - there is so much to
                                                       do you can’t possibly experience everything in your
 Making new friends                                    first year, but pushing yourself a little outside of
 You may be off to a new city and university where     your comfort zone to try new things is something
 you know very few people or no one, let alone         you won’t regret. You’ll have the opportunity to
 anyone else in your course. However, it’s likely      meet people from a huge variety of backgrounds
 the majority of your cohort are in the same boat.     and try an amazing variety of food. For ideas on
 So, although you might feel a bit shy, saying “Hi!”   what’s trending on the food scene check out your
 to the person next to you in a lecture could be the   city’s broadsheet. If home isn’t too far away and
 beginning of a wonderful new friendship. Your         you’re still commuting, it can feel isolating. There
 new friends could be the colleagues you call on       may not be time to fully embrace social events
 or refer to in years to come. Another great way       when it’s still 2 hours home and the trains stop
 to meet people is through activities and social       early! Try to stay in touch with any fellow students
 events organised by your university MedSoc.           in the same boat - you may be able to carpool, and
                                                       you’ll have a sympathetic ear as well as a potential
 Don’t just focus on medicine                          study buddy.
 Whilst the expected study time during medical
 school can seem gruelling it’s super important        The Rural Advantage
 to maintain some work-life-balance. Making            Your clinical years may seem a way off yet, but
 time to do something you love (other than med)        being of rural background can help, particularly
 is incredibly beneficial. Whilst O-week is in full    if you’re part of your rural clinical school. Your
 swing, go check out what other non-med clubs          experiences will give you a foot in both camps and
 and societies are on offer. Getting involved in       help you relate to more of your patients.
 activities outside of medicine is another great
 way to meet new people and an even better way         Maintaining your rural ties
 maintain your sanity.                                 Many of you will be entering medical school with
                                                       the view to returning to the country once you’ve
 Easing the financial burden                           qualified as a doctor. Another great way to meet
 Moving away from home and paying rent and             your like-minded rural colleagues is to get involved
 bills can be costly. There are a number of            with is your Rural Health Club. You can also get
 scholarships available for all students and           involved with AMSA Rural Health through social
 some specifically for medical students from a         media and attendance at the annual Rural Health
 rural background. This includes the Centrelink        Summit, to be held in Cairns in 2019.
 Relocation scholarship, and the Bendigo and
 Adelaide Bank Foundation scholarship.

22
Mature Students
Coming into medicine, regardless of your                way to accomplish this is to treat medicine like a
background, is difficult.                               full-time job. Depending on whether your degree
Let’s be realistic, you’ve probably researched          is undergraduate or postgraduate can affect the
“mature age medical student” or something               number of contact hours you have per week. For
along those lines to try and work out:                  example, on Thursday’s you may have lectures
                                                        that start at 11am and finish at 4pm; why not get
      1. Am I too old for medicine;                     on campus by 9am and prep for your upcoming
      2. Can I do this; and                             lectures or work on PBL learning objectives that’ll
      3. Do I have to have a science based you’ll discuss next week? Not only would you
         degree?                                        start your day productively, it would also increase
                                                        the amount of time you are able to relax on the
The answers, put simply are no, yes and no in weekend.
that order. Often the hardest part of your medical
school experience is getting in, after that you Things to remember
just have to focus on passing your exams and • Not everyone has come into medicine
graduating.                                                 wanting to be a doctor since they were little.
Depending on who or what you read, there are                Life aspirations can change. If you come from
a number of different definitions and terms                 a background of arts, law or agriculture, for
associated with mature aged students. The                   example, but have decided medicine is for you;
most common definition you’ll probably come                 that’s ok. If you have wanted to be a doctor for
across is an individual who is or older than 21             as long as you can remember, but maybe didn’t
years of age, but this changes depending on who             get the marks; that’s ok too. Everyone has a
you ask. Likewise, a mature age student may                 different story but we all graduate as doctors
also be referred to as a non-traditional entrant,           in the end regardless of the progression to get
non-school leaver or a graduate entry student.              there.
Australia currently has 21 medical schools, of • Medicine is all about balance. Find what works
which 11 are graduate entry and of the rest,                for you and don’t be afraid to change it up if
several are undergraduate universities who                  your circumstances change. The advantage
accept non-school leavers. Food for thought:                of previous study allows you to have a greater
this equates to more than half of Australia’s               understanding of what works for you, so that
medical schools having mature students.                     you don’t have to spend time trying to figure it
Two studies in Ireland found that graduate                  out.
students with a “scientific background at time • There may be times where you feel like a fraud
of entry … confers no significant advantage in              or imposter due to the assumption that age
final year clinical assessments”[1] and that any            correlates to knowledge and experience. It’s ok
advantage they may have had when starting the               not to know. Just like there are really no dumb
degree “diminishes as the course progresses.”[2]            questions, not knowing is an opportunity to
That’s not to say the first year isn’t difficult, there     find out what you don’t know so you can learn.
is a steep learning curve. Most mature students             Isn’t that why you go to medical school in the
come into medicine with varying life experiences,           first place?
but are also faced with the adjustment back into • Medicine and self-directed learning go hand in
full-time study, having a family or a mortgage.             hand, so embrace a schedule that works for
                                                            you and your circumstances.
       So how do people manage?                      References:

			Balance.
                                                     1. Byrne, A., Arnett, R., Farrell, T. and Sreenan, S. (2014). Comparison of
                                                     performance in a four year graduate entry medical programme and a
                                                     traditional five/six year programme. BMC Medical Education, 14(1).
                                                     2. Sulong, S., McGrath, D., Finucane, P., Horgan, M., O’Flynn, S. and
Find a way that allows you to enjoy and embrace      O’Tuathaigh, C. (2014). Studying medicine – a cross-sectional questionnaire-
your family while managing your studies. One         based analysis of the motivational factors which influence graduate and
                                                     undergraduate entrants in Ireland.
                                                     JRSM Open, 5(4), p.204253331351015                                          23
Med Student Parents
 With the increasing average age of medical •              Studying medicine will mean making difficult
 students in Australia, and the advent of                  choices regarding mothering, particularly
 postgraduate medical training programs, many              breastfeeding. However, most health services
 medical students are entering medical school              and universities have policies in place that
 with varied commitments including work                    encourage and protect time for breastfeeding
 and children. You may already have several                mothers.
 children, be expecting your first child, or thinking •    Pregnancy exposure to anatomy wet labs,
 of starting a family. Either way, the thought             parental leave, breastfeeding and expressing,
 of balance your role as a parent and being a              university childcare and leave for sick children,
 medical student can be a daunting proposition             are all pertinent issues for med student parents.
 and challenging at times. However, with good              The most pressing advice that our existing
 support it is achievable; plenty of us are already        cohort can offer is to speak up, ask for advice,
 doing it.                                                 and understand reasonable entitlements for
                                                           students who are studying medicine.
 Here are some initial pointers to help you on         •   Your family will always be the most important,
 your journey:                                             and being a parent will add more to your journey
 • Studying medicine will mean time away from              of becoming a doctor than any book or lecture
    your family and can be unpredictable. One              could ever possibly Achieve. Overall, raising
    major concern for medical student parents              family while studying medicine can at times
    is that of attendance at lectures, tutorials           be overwhelming both physically and mentally.
    and other mandatory activities, particularly           However, it is a privilege to be a parent and to
    those that fall out of normal work or school           be a medical student, so how lucky are we?...
    hours. Many universities have flexible access          we get to be both!
    to lectures with online recordings or video-
    conferencing facilities, but it can be variable,   Join the Med Student Parents Facebook Group
    and medicine is traditionally taught by face       - a supportive online network to help you through
    to face. The balancing act of meeting your         medicine!
    timetable with that of your child’s daycare
    or school can be challenging, but many                 Feel free to contact our group facilitators:
    students make it work.                                   Meleseini Tai-Roche (MSP NSW) at
     ‣‣ One successful approach is to treat                  meleseini.tai-roche1@my.nd.edu.au
         medical study like a fulltime job, by                     Peter Morris (MSP QLD) at
         nominating a start and finish time five                  peter.morris2@my.jcu.edu.au
         days per week, ie. 8am – 5pm Mon-
         Fri, and arrange your life and children
         around this.
 • The chance is there will be other parents in
    your cohort, if not there will be other students
    that can understand your commitments and
    be supportive. It is important to understand
    early that you need to be realistic with what
    your study schedule will be like, compared
    to your pre-child life, and compared to your
    peers. This is ok. You will work differently,
    in a way which will suit you and your family.

24
International Students
G’day mate, and welcome to ‘Straya! By now you’ve probably realised that not all of us ride kangaroos
to uni (you need a permit) and the odds of being eaten by our native wildlife aren’t really that high, but
here’s just a few tips to help you get accustomed to Aussie life. Australia’s culture is incredibly diverse,
so you’re sure to find people with similar interests and fun things to do. We’re so stoked to have you
here, and can’t wait to show you what Australia has to offer. If you’re looking for more information,
studyinaustralia.gov.au and studiesinaustralia.com are pretty good places to start, and always feel
free to ask your local peers!

Tip #1: Making friends                             Tip #3: Explore your new home and it’s
A large proportion of your cohort will be from all history
across Australia (and the world). Most haven’t       Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are
met anyone else in the cohort before, and they’re    the First Australians, and are recognised as the
as keen as you are to make a friend! It may look     traditional owners of the land. Aboriginal and Torres
like everyone else seems more confident than         Strait Islander people have inhibited Australia for
you, but behind the façade everyone is nervous       thousands of years, and while now only comprising
about meeting new people.                            of 3% of Australia’s population, continue to retain a
                                                     deep and profound connection to country.
So don’t be afraid, and any time you see
someone you haven’t met just say hi, introduce       Australia is a fascinating country, with tourist
yourself, and find out things about them like        attractions just about everywhere. TripAdvisor is
where they’re from. And who knows – you may          a great way to get started, with tripadvisor.com.
have just met your next best friend! Friends are     au/restaurants providing reviews on local places
fantastic for having fun with, providing support     to eat, and tripadvisor.com.au/attractions helping
when you need it, and group studying.                you explore some things to do. theurbanlist.com
                                                     is also a good place to discover new places and
Tip #2: Get involved!                                activities in your respective cities.
O-Week can be a little daunting, especially
at some of the larger universities, but it’s the     Tip #4: Learn about Aussie Lingo and
perfect opportunity to explore some of the           Foods
best things your uni has to offer. Don’t be          Much of this you will learn over time, but if you
afraid to venture beyond the academics – join        want a head start classic Australian foods to try
societies and social sports teams, go to events      include lamingtons, Anzac biscuits, pavlova, Tim
(especially those run by the Australian Medical      Tams, meat pies, and vegemite on damper if you’re
Students’ Association (AMSA) and your medical        game. Learning some of the Aussie slang would
society - they’re designed just for you!), and       also be helpful:
you’ll meet some amazing people with similar
                                                          Australian English              English
interests to you.
                                                      Arvo                       Afternoon
It’s important to venture beyond your comfort         Bottle-O                   Bottle shop
zone, and you’ll find new and exciting things you
never thought you’d like. Getting involved is also    Mozzie                     Mosquito
the easiest way to make lifelong friends you          No worries                 No problems
can’t believe you’d ever lived without.               Sunnies                    Sunglasses
                                                      Thongs                     Flip-flops or jandals
                                                      Yeah nah                   No
                                                      Nah yeah                   Yes                        25

                                                      Out in woop woop           In the middle of nowhere
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