Community: Real Life

A year off


Sabrina

We chart the ups and downs of fabulous fresher Sabrina as she trains to be a doctor.
Entry: 7

Medical student Sabrina has to make some life-changing decisions about her future.

The hardest thing to deal with during the summer was knowing that it was going to go by very quickly. The start of the summer began in the offices of the medical school, talking to the head or as I call her, 'the Don'. We both agreed that the best course of action would be for me to take a year out, and to return to the second year next year. This came as a huge relief to me, as I felt that if I spent any more time sat in lecture theatres and hospitals, devoting my time to learning about how to diagnose and care for others when I couldnt stay on top of caring for myself then it would make me a bit of a hypocrite.

In the long-term, I know that it's the best decision for me, but at the moment, it's still hard knowing that I won't qualify the same time as all my other friends will, or be able to go to classes with them, or muck around during dissection not that we ever did that of course!

Back to the beginning of the summer, and I was continuing with therapy. I find it difficult to put into words what therapy does for me, because it's not a situation where I walk in and *poof* I feel better. I suppose all I can compare it to is a pit stop where I can go in and look back on everything I've been doing to assess what I need to change to continue improving.

Mid-summer, I decided to take a job for five weeks helping to supervise a play scheme. The children were aged from 0 to 12 and they made so much noise and mayhem. I hate to admit that I had fun, being a hardcore, career-driven, single woman living in the city and all, but when you're making ice cream in the morning and starting water fights in the afternoon, it's hard not to.

"it's still hard knowing that I won't qualify the same time as all my other friends will"

It was around this time that I was due to sign contracts for my flat. I was planning to move in with two other girls and everything seemed to be going smoothly (I'm talking in the past tense, so I may as well break it to you, it doesnt end well for one of us at least!) So, one of the girls had a problem with paying rent for a month before she moved in, as we had paid a holding lease to keep the flat from being gobbled up by the professional types or other revolting students.

To cut a long story short, she wanted me and my other flatmate to pay her rent for her until she moved in - and no, she wasn't planning to pay us back either. So, she essentially gave us an ultimatum: either pay the rent for her - or lose her as a flatmate. As we live in the real world, I decided I could either change circumstances or change friends. and Ive been living in my lovely flat for over a month now, so you know what my decision was.

Then came the end of the summer and I was about to be thrown into a sea of hungry new medical students. Ah yes, I forgot to mention, even though I'm taking a year out, I'm still going to lectures, as I haven't taken the end-of-year exams - and the medical school won't let anyone progress to the next year without a pass.

So other than re-entering the lion's den, I've got a few things up my sleeve for my year out. I'm continuing with the therapy, and I've been going to belly dancing lessons for the last few weeks. I recently got a part-time job as a receptionist at Marie Stopes International, so I'm keeping myself very busy. I feel much more calm and content than I did a few months ago, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds.


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