Calling all new Medical Students!

Firstly, congratulations on getting into med school!

From the dreaded UKCAT to hours of interview practice, all while revising for your exams. It is not an easy application process, and you should be very proud of yourself! UCAS will now become a distant memory, and you can start to get ready for the next 5 or 6 years of your life.

To help you prepare for this journey, we have spoken to a current medical student from Manchester University. She has compiled a list of her favourite must-have items and resources from our ever-growing medical educational collection, as well as providing some valuable advice for all 1st-year medical students:

1) Anatomy Colouring Book

From large bones to the intricate and delicate internal organs, there is a lot of important anatomy to learn throughout medical school. It is mostly taught during the 1st and 2nd years, so why not use this fantastic Anatomy Colouring Book, and get ahead of the game! Learn and retain information by colouring and labelling a huge range of beautifully illustrated anatomical structures of the human body, including the skeletal, muscular and organ systems.

In anatomy classes in my 1st and 2nd year, I found it very easy to fall behind. Topics are interlinked and interconnected, which means falling behind in one can cause you to struggle with others too. I would really recommend using visual resources such as anatomy colouring books to brush up on your fundamental anatomy knowledge so you have a strong base ahead of each class.

Emilia Smith – 6th Year Medical Student

2) Free Resources

There are lots of free articles to be found on our website – from basic anatomy to pathologies, also common conditions such as Coeliac disease and IBS. Our blogs are easy-to-read and contain the perfect amount of information, making them easy for you to digest. You can download them as a PDF and print them out again and again. Every week more and more are being added to our website. Don’t forget to bookmark our fantastic resource to have on hand during medical school!

At medical school, you have practical exams called OSCEs with lots of ‘stations’ (like an MMI interview!). In some stations, you will be required to explain a diagnosis to a simulated patient. I find these articles so useful to revise ahead of my OSCE exams as they remind me about important and up-to-date facts such as “1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease”. These are great things to tell patients to help them breakdown, understand and learn more about their condition. Save and utilise this FREE resource!

Emilia Smith – 6th Year Medical Student

3) Digital Downloads

Check out our ever-growing collection of anatomy-based digital downloads, covering important anatomical structures, including muscles, tendons and cartilages. They make a valuable, cost-effective revision tool. Each download has been created as an interactive PDF, meaning it can also be downloaded and printed out unlimited times.

At medical school, there is a lot of content to learn. To do this successfully, I think it is extremely important to find different ways to revise. I used to make the mistake of simply reading over lecture slides again and again, and very little would go in. But now, I revise in lots of different ways, and it is much more effective! For example, I read for a while, then switch to colouring in / drawing, and then switch to testing myself. That is where these digital downloads come in… you can click the blank space to reveal the answer, and this is such a good way to stimulate your brain, challenge yourself and reflect on how much you know!

Emilia Smith – 6th Year Medical Student

We hope these above items and resources will be of use! We also know how important it is to switch off from work, relax and take time to focus on your well-being, so please remember not to put too much pressure on yourselves. Whilst it is good to be organised and have revision items/resources prepared, starting medical school is a huge moment, so try to be as present as possible and enjoy it! Meeting new people, joining new societies, and possibly moving away from home are just some of the examples of what starting medical school entails!