Dear Medic Freshers,
Welcome to the University of Nottingham School of Medicine! I’m Karishhma, your Medsoc President for this year.
You’re about to start an exciting few years that will challenge you, change you, and give you some of the best memories you’ll ever make. University is a wonderfully weird place, with so many new opportunities you won’t know where to begin. You’ll meet people who will become lifelong friends, discover new interests, and, with any luck, get a medical degree by the end of it.
We know how huge of a step it is: leaving home and jumping into something completely new. But we are here to remind you that you’re not doing it alone, and we have been there. Medsoc is here to help you settle in, find your community, and make the most of everything Nottingham has to offer.
So take it all in, get involved, and enjoy the ride. You’re going to do great.
MedSoc is the central hub for medical students at the University of Nottingham. We oversee all medical students and medic societies. As medics, you are all automatically a part of MedSoc. Our responsibilities cover all bases - we run the most-anticipated events of the year, provide academic and wellbeing support, and continue traditions that are equal parts strange and brilliant.
As you know you’ll be having your fresher weeks soon, and we usually like to take the reins there. We’ll be holding our Medfair which is the perfect opportunity for you to take a look at all of the medic societies and also talk to major external organisations, like the BMA. You’ll find us dotted around throughout your induction, and also having an introduction lecture to introduce the committee to you. We have some lovely committee members dedicated to supporting you throughout the year and answering your questions - if you ever get confused or overwhelmed, we will have the answers.
We’ve also got some great socials lined up, including boating on the lake right in front of the famous Trent Building. Freshers is one of those rare times when you’re surrounded by a crowd of people from every corner of the world, all just as excited (or terrified) to meet new faces as you are. The first tip I can give you is to make the most of it: strike up conversations at the Freshers’ Fair, at a Medsoc event, or anywhere in between. You can find your place here no matter where it is.
If I haven’t mentioned it enough, we will be here to support you throughout this whole crazy ride from day one. Our committee will be holding the Walking Bus, where we walk you into your first lecture from your accommodation and answer any questions that you may have! The first step is to be able to walk through those medical school doors.
We also want to introduce you to the Medic Parent scheme that we run. We will pair you up with a medical student from the year above who shares the same interests as you. They are essentially your friend, mentor, or both if you need them to be. They will also have a medic parent (and so on). So, the legacy will continue and you will be joining one massive family who are there to support you and to help get you settled. This scheme has helped me meet some of my closest friends, and I’m looking forward to meeting my medic grandchildren! Keep checking your year group WhatsApp chat so you can fill in the form and get assigned a medic parent!
That’s all from me for now. I am so excited to meet you all and to see what incredible things you do in the years to come. If you need us at Medsoc, or have any questions, you can always reach out to us!
Wishing you the best of luck!
- Karishhma
