Dear Medic Freshers,
Congratulations and welcome to the University of Nottingham School of Medicine!
My name is Aryaan, and I will be your MedSoc President this year. On behalf of the entire committee, we’re absolutely delighted to welcome you to our Med School.
This is the moment you’ve worked so hard to get to. Your next five years of Medicine are likely to be the best years of your life, so prepare yourself!
You’ll celebrate successes, make lifelong friends, discover new passions, develop a raging caffeine addiction (rite of passage) and make unforgettable memories… and if all goes to plan, leave Notts as a doctor. I’d call that a pretty good deal.
It can all feel a little overwhelming at first, but remember that every single medical student before you once stood exactly where you are now.
The most important thing to know is this: you are not doing it alone.
MedSoc exists to make your university experience the very best it can be. As the society representing over 2,000 medical students across Nottingham, we’re here to support you academically, socially and personally throughout your time at medical school. Whether you’re looking for advice before your first anatomy session, need guidance about your lectures or simply a great social to unwind after a busy week, we’ve got you covered. However, over the next couple weeks we’re primarily here to help you settle in, answer all your burning questions (no matter how wild or stupid) and make sure you feel at home in this goofy but brilliant city, better known as Notts.
There are NO silly questions here, whether it’s “How do I find the lecture theatre?” or “Is it normal to feel like I’ve forgotten everything I learnt in A-Level biology?” (spoiler: yes), or even the locations of the best late-night food spots in Nottingham (most important). So please get in contact with me or your brilliant 1st and 2nd year reps!
Enough yap… Now, onto your timetable!
Freshers’ Week is one of the most exciting parts of university life and we can’t wait to share it with you. We’ll be running MedFair, where you’ll have the opportunity to explore our incredible academic and medic sports societies, meet organisations such as the BMA and discover the countless opportunities available throughout your degree. You’ll also meet our amazing committee during your induction, and you’ll quickly realise we’re very chill, happy to help and guide you through your first year at UoN.
We’ve also planned some fantastic events to help you meet your new course mates, including our famous boating event on Highfields Lake in front of the iconic Trent Building and the annual freshers ‘White Lies’ bar crawl ending at everyone’s favourite club, Unit 13. There are MANY freshers events that will take place in the first few weeks so stay tuned by following @nottsmedsoc on instagram!
Everyone arrives knowing very few people, so don’t be afraid to introduce yourself, join conversations and get involved. Some of the people you meet during Freshers’ Week may well become your closest friends for life.
Starting medical school can feel daunting, which is why we’ll also be running our Walking Bus. On your first morning, committee members will walk with you from your accommodation to your first lecture, answering any last-minute questions and making sure nobody has to make that journey alone. We may also give you a little tour of campus and the surrounding area on the way to QMC, the university hospital where the medical school is based.
One of our favourite traditions is our Medic Parent Scheme. You’ll be paired with a student from the year above who shares similar interests, giving you someone who’s been exactly where you are. They’ll be there to answer questions, offer advice and help you settle into university life. I’ve personally been to the cinema, played sports and gone on numerous nights out with my Medic Family.
Before you know it, YOU’LL be the one answering freshers’ questions like “where’s C Floor?” and “is attendance compulsory?” while pretending you’ve got your life together. That’s when you’ll realise you’ve become a Medic Parent yourself and hopefully become part of one ENORMOUS medic family. This is one of University of Nottingham’s most cherished traditions.
My biggest piece of advice? Say yes to things. Go to the social even if you’re tired, join the sports club even if you’ve never played before, put yourself forward for that opportunity that sounds slightly terrifying and speak to people you’ve never met. University has a funny way of rewarding the people who put themselves out there.
You’re about to join the BEST medical school community in the country, one that genuinely looks after its own. We feel incredibly lucky to be the ones welcoming you into it.
So, enjoy every second, don’t take yourself too seriously and remember that everyone starts somewhere.
Welcome to Nottingham Medicine.
See you very soon,
Aryaan Chowdhury
President
@nottsmedsoc
