I truly wouldn’t trade my St Andrews experience for anything else. I look back and it was filled with some of the best laughs and the best people I’ve ever met. I’m grateful to say I’m still close to many of them today, even though I’ve moved to the partner institution now. As difficult as the workload was, I don’t think I missed out on any big social moments or even any of the meaningful smaller ones. Some of my favourite highlights happened in 68 South, where most of my friendship group lived. There was never a dull moment there and my heart gets a little heavy every time I walk by, but I’m excited for the new tenants to make some memories.
Studying medicine was difficult, but that wasn’t surprising. What did surprise me was realizing it was possible to have a decent work-life balance. In my first year, I thought medicine was all grind, no life. But as I moved forward, I learned you can have both and I made a very active effort to do so. I definitely had to work more than some of my non-medicine friends, but I honestly still feel like I had such a fulfilling time. Moving from Canada meant I was excited about experiencing something new – new people, a new place, a new culture. It was hard to get through the homesick phase, but worth it.
I always say St Andrews is the perfect place to do a medical degree because there is very little distraction. You have a lot of work to do, but lots of time to do it. St Andrews is really good at throwing you in the deep end and you have to swim your way up. At first, I didn’t know how to balance the work and the socializing, but soon I figured it out. You just have to realize both are important, and one shouldn’t always be prioritized over the other. I took part in all the traditions, making sure I fully felt like a St Andrews student.
The transition to Edinburgh was difficult at first. In St Andrews, everyone was starting a new chapter and looking to make new friends. Edinburgh was different, because we jumped straight into their 4th year where many already had established groups. We were the new St Andrews kids. But a lot of this was in our heads, and once we all got used to each other, I ended up making some of my closest friends. Workload-wise, Edinburgh didn’t feel as intense. I was able to work less and spend more time enjoying the city and getting used to it.
The social aspect of St Andrews actually prepared me for moving to Edinburgh. I had spent most of my life with the same friends and the same circles, so expanding them wasn’t something I had really had to do before. Moving to another continent means starting fresh, so it forced me to learn how to make friends and close connections. I learned so much about social settings and how people work. Scotland is a small country, so many people know each other, especially in the Edinburgh–St Andrews radius. Initially, many of the people I met were mutuals of St Andrews friends. Then through them, and through placements, I met more people. It was hard at first because so many had established friend groups, but slowly people warmed up and things got easier.
My studies now are largely clinical, so there is much more hands-on work than anything else. In St Andrews it was mainly studying, and lots of it. I remember 12-hour days in the library; now it’s 12 hours a day on the wards. My passion for medicine developed when I was around 16 or 17, influenced by my mother’s career. But as I’ve gone through the program, my outlook on the world has changed, and so have my goals. Seeing the way women’s health has been politicised, combined with the medical knowledge I now have, has sparked a passion in me for Obs & Gyne. Part of me is scared about how much this field will affect me, mentally and physically, but it needs to.
My advice for anyone interested in medicine at St Andrews is simple: work hard, play hard. I won’t sugar coat it, the course is demanding but a balance can be achieved. Make sure an 8-hour library day is followed by dinner with friends. After a week of lectures, plan an exciting Friday out. You don’t want to spend your summer studying for resits, but you also don’t want to look back and think it was all just your nose in some books. It won’t be easy, but it is possible.
The A990 program is a great opportunity to experience Scottish culture, so experience it fully. Go into it with an open mind. It’s easy to want to leave at first, because of homesickness and patriotism, and that can stop you from loving this place the way it deserves. You are Canadian, but make British friends and do British things. It’s a different life here, but a fun one. Who knows, you might want to stay a bit longer than those 6 years. And no, you do not need to have beans on toast.