Road To USMLE by Abdul Majeed (Batch of 2011)

Most people who pass the USMLEs and guide other people talk about study resources, daily schedules, importance of xyz things in a CV and a host of other things. I took the USMLEs and was not a high-scorer. But I learnt more than a few thigs down this path that I think could be useful for potential USMLE candidates. Here are some of them. 

You develop a daily routine and follow it as best as you humanly can. It is hard. You have good days and bad. You hope that the good days would outnumber the bad ones. It is, in the end, a numbers’ game. Every hour in the library (or your room) that you spend, adds to your preparation, unless you end up watching YouTube videos of cats or go on a Daily Show binge (or both). You learn how to spend most of your waking hours sitting in front of a computer. You get addicted to coffee, tea or whatever drug keeps you alert. You start losing hair, gaining weight, having headaches and backaches. USMLE is not just an exam of your knowledge, it is as much an exam of your patience, your stamina, your confidence. Your best friends in this ‘Brave New World’ are a book named First Aid and a software named U-World. No parties for you, no casual hangouts, family functions, holidays, weekends, nothing. You’ll have to befriend solitude. You start thinking about what you are missing out on, and what you’d like to do once it’s over. You’ll learn new words over the course of this journey, words like NBME, ECFMG, CMS, CCS, Prometric, NRMP etc. Try not to underestimate your enemy (the exam), you will have to be sharp to tackle the challenge. 

I read somewhere that ‘re-education’ is tougher than ‘education’ itself and that is what you do in the course of preparation: unlearn what you’ve learnt before, add new information and then learn how to use that new info in real-life scenarios. You need a one-track mind, a state of commitment far superior to undergrad education, to go through all of this. The state of affairs drives even the most stable people, a bit crazy. No one can understand what you are going through, except the people who have crossed this river of fire. During the course of preparing for steps myself, I discovered a newfound respect for people who voluntarily go through this grueling process. It is not impossible and thousands of people across the world do it. Just beware that this endeavor is going to consume a lot of mental and physical energy. You do emerge as a better doctor (and hopefully, a better human) after this. 

The whole process though, is hard to explain to your parents, your siblings, your spouse, your friends, your co-workers, what you are actually doing. There is an exam which you are preparing for, but what happens after that? Oh, there’s another one. And after that? There’s more. Right, so you’ll get a job after passing all of these? Not really. There is a ‘match process’ and it’s a 50/50 chance at best. The odds are not in your favor and after explaining this sequence for the 50th time, you start doubting your own self. There would be naysayers, people who will try to scare you, telling you how this is an uphill battle, that you’d be competing with people from all over the world. But this is as much a battle with yourself as it is with the rest of the world. You have to wake up each day with the attitude that you’re going to win today. They’ll always give you examples of people who either left the quest midway or faced issues after they were done with steps. They’ll never tell you the success stories, stories of people who survived despite the odds, the courageous lot, the go-getters. 

The toughest thing about USMLE I found was the fact that I had to choose the exam date myself. It means taking the exam when you have optimal preparation. But can you ever have optimal preparation? How can you tell when you are ready? To tackle this question, you have to choose the time of the exam wisely. Too soon and you’ll be underprepared, too late and you’ll get lax. You can always delay the exam (at a certain cost) which is another thing that tugs at your heartstrings. It gives you a false sense of security. This is the real battle for USMLE, not the exam itself. What most people do is to plan ahead and take the date when they feel they are at the peak of their preparation. It works for some people, it doesn’t work for others. 

What should be the sequence of Steps? Step 1 first or 2? When to take CS? There is no fixed guideline for that. However, you should start mentally preparing yourself sometime before you start the actual preparation. In my personal view (and you can choose to ignore it), if you think you are good in basic sciences, try taking step 1 during final year (while preparing for it during 4th year). It is probably the best time to take step 1. It doesn’t mean you can’t take it and ace it later. If you think you really liked medicine, surgery and Gynae, take step 2 CK soon after final year. This is an ideal situation and human beings are not ideal. If you can’t take it during these times, prepare later but it will require more effort, as late as you take them after Final year. 

One should not forget the financial cost of the exam. Just the exam fee for Step 1, 2 CK and 2 CS is about 4 lac rupees. The cost of U-world for different steps also gets higher than 1.5 lacs. For CS you need to visit the US and the lowest ticket cost is about 80 thousand rupees. If you stay in the US, the cost of staying here every month ranges from 700-1000 Dollars. 

The Exam itself is fascinating. After preparing for six months to a year, you finally enter the exam room and you take that damn test. I wish I had the words to describe the sweet feeling that descends upon you when you start attempting the test. Just being there, after all those hours you put in, all the revisions, all the good things in life that you missed out on, all the friendships that were affected, the grind of it all, you make it to the final stretch. The exam is grueling, no doubt about that. I have a theory that at least 50% of your final score depends on your test day performance (the rest on your prior preparation). You could have every single word written in First Aid and UW on your fingertips and you can still score less than expected. Just wish that you don’t have a bad day and that you perform according to your preparation. There would be times during the test that you’d be amazed at how easy some things are and within the next 5 minutes, you may be kicking yourself for taking it too lightly (because they’ll ask you something totally ridiculous). Overall, it is a well-structured exam with much higher standard than the UHS or FCPS, both of whom I’ve suffered over the years.  

To decrease the misery a bit, people rely on SPs or study partners. There are Facebook groups and WhatsApp groups and a gazillion other things like that which you’ll encounter during the process. It works for some people, it doesn’t work for some. Choose what suits you. You’ll find all sorts of people during this journey. Some you’ll forget, some you’ll form life-long friendships with, some you’ll want to get away from faster than the speed of light. There is no hard and fast rules when you are preparing. Anyone that you’ll talk to, for advice, will give you their personal experience, which would be unique in each case. So be careful when seeking advice. Try to ask people whom you trust. Don’t use too many resources (unless you are absolutely comfortable), they’ll overwhelm you at the end. There is one thing though, every step is tougher than the previous one (with an exception of Step 2 CS). Remember one thing at the end though (for Steps and otherwise): the world is not a fair place, don’t expect it to be one either. Do your best and leave the rest to fate. Fight for every Inch. But if you don’t get that inch, be gracious in defeat. Use it to your advantage. Best of Luck. You’ll need it.

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Airas Syeda (Batch of '20)

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لڑکے

- لڑکے مختلف اقسام کے ہوتے ہیں :
- ٹیکنیکل لڑکے
- شریف لڑکے
- الیکٹرانک لڑکے
- بیٹری والے لڑکے
- ریموٹ کنٹرول لڑکے
- بم لڑکے
اور
- سی این جی لڑکے
آئیے باری باری ان تمام اقسام کا جائزہ لیتے ہیں !!!
ٹیکنیکل لڑکے:یہ وہ لڑکے ہیں جو ہر بات کا ٹیکنیکل حل تلاش کرتے ہیں،۔
میں نے ایک ٹیکنیکل لڑکے سے پو چھا کہ بال لمبے کرنے کا کیا طریقہ ہے؟
اطمنیان سے بولا ….. مٹی کے تیل سے اچھی طرح دھو کر ، آگ پر سکھائیں ….. !!!
ٹیکنیکل لڑکے معمولی چیزوں سے بھیانک بھیانک نتائج حاصل کرنا جانتے ہیں ۔
 میں نے اسی طرح کے ایک لڑکے سے پوچھا کہ جس لڑکی سے تم محبت کرتے ہو اگر وہ تمہیں نہ ملی تو تم کیا کرو گے؟
سگریٹ کاکش لیتے ہوئے بولا …. میں اس کے باپ کے تالو میں اینٹ دے ماروں گا۔
میں نے سہم کر پوچھا ….. اور لڑکی کےساتھ کیا سلوک کروگے؟
 خوفناک لہجےمیں بولا….. میں اسے اغواء کر لوں گا اور روزانہ صبح نہار منہ اوباما کی تصویر دکھایا کروں گا۔
میں اس کا یہ بھیانک منصوبہ سن کر دہل گیا اور کانوں کو ہاتھ لگا دیے۔
شریف لڑکے ان میں شرافت کوٹ کوٹ کر بلکہ مارمار کر بھری ہوتی ہے۔ عام بندہ اتنی سہیلیاں نہیں بناتا جتنی یہ بہنیں بنا جاتے ہیں۔
 میری کلاس میں بھی ایک ایسا لڑکا پڑھتا ہے جو بہنیں بنانے میں بڑا ماہر ہے ،کبھی کسی لڑکی کو(اس کے سامنے) نام لے کر نہیں بلاتا تھا بلکہ ہمیشہ بہن بہن کہتا رہتا ہے۔
پچھلے دنوں کالج کے ایونٹس کے بعد اس سے فرصت میں ملاقات ہوئی۔
میں نے پوچھا ….. ہاں بھئی ….. سناؤ ….. کیا کوئی بات بنی تیری بھی ؟؟؟
شرما کر بولا….. بس جی ….. ایک بہن سے بات چل رہی ہے !!
الیکٹرانک لڑکے یہ انتہائی قیمتی دھات کے بنے ہوتےہیں اور بڑے ذہین ہوتے ہیں ، سکول کالج میں بے شک منہ بھی نہ دھوکر جاتے ہوں لیکن یونیورسٹی میں آتے ہی روزانہ نہانا شروع کر دیتے ہیں۔ان کا کام لائبریری سے موٹی موٹی بور کتابیں ایشو کروانا اور ہر وقت کسی لڑکی سے نوٹس کا تبادلہ کرنا ہوتا ہے۔
یہ سارا سال بجلی کی طرح پیریڈ اٹینڈ کرتے ہیں۔
ہر لیکچر غور سے سنتے ہیں۔
. کبھی چھٹی نہیں کرتے۔
. پروفیسروں کی عزت کرتے ہیں۔
. دل لگا کر تعلیم حاصل کرتے ہیں۔
 یہ صرف لڑکیوں ہی کو نوٹس دیتے ہیں، کیونکہ ان کے خیال میں صرف لڑکیاں ہی تعلیم پر بہتر توجہ دیتی ہیں۔ یہ ہر وقت لڑکیوں کو باور کراتے رہتے ہیں کہ انہیں صرف اور صرف تعلیم پر توجہ دینی چاہیے ۔
 تاہم جب لڑکیاں تعلیم پر توجہ دے رہی ہوتی ہیں تو یہ لڑکیوں پر توجہ دے رہے ہوتے ہیں۔ یہ پڑھائی کے اتنے شوقین ہوتے ہیں کہ اگر ان سے کوئی لیکچر مس ہو جائے تو سارا دن’’ بونترے بونترے‘‘ پھرتے ہیں۔
 اپنی جان پر کھیل کر گیس پیپر حاصل کرتے ہیں اور پھر راتوں کو لڑکیوں کو فون کر کر کے انہیں گیس بتاتے ہیں۔
 یہ الیکٹرانک لڑکے کمرہ امتحان میں جانے سے پہلے یہ کہہ کر سب کی جان نکال دیتے ہیں کہ آج امتحان میں صرف وہی سوال آئیں گے جو انہوں نے تیار کیے ہوئے ہیں۔
جب رزلٹ آؤٹ ہوتا ہے تو ان الیکٹرانک لڑکوں کی محنت رنگ لاتی ہے۔
اور یہ ہائی تھرڈ ڈویژن میں کامیابی حاصل کرتے ہیں۔
بیٹری والے لڑکے ان کے ہاتھ میں جب تک کوئی بیٹری والی چیز نہ ہو ، ان سے کوئی کام نہیں ہوتا۔ یہ عموماٌ اپنے پاس موبائل فون ،ڈی ایس ایل آر، ٹیپ ریکارڈر ، کارڈ لیس فون ، ڈیجیٹل ڈائری یا کیمرہ رکھتے ہیں۔ ایسے لڑکے عموماٌ شادی بیاہوں پر دیکھنے کو ملتے ہیں۔ یہ جہاں بھی لڑکیاں دیکھتے ہیں ان کے قریب جا کر اپنا موبائل فون کان سے لگاتے ہیں اور بلند آواز سے لندن اور سوئٹزر لینڈ کی باتیں کرنے لگتے ہیں۔
تاہم تھوڑی دیر بعد جب بارات آتی ہے تو ڈائیاں لگا لگا کر پیسے لوٹنے لگ جاتے ہیں!!!
ریموٹ کنٹرول لڑکے
 ان کا کنٹرول عموماٌ لڑکیوں کے ہاتھ میں ہوتا ہے ، ان کی زیادہ تر اقسام شادی شدہ مردوں میں پائی جاتی ہے یا شادی کے قریب پہنچے ہوئے لڑکوں کی ۔ میڈیکل کالج میں بہرحال انہیں انکی شریک حیات (اور باقی سب کی شریک کلاس) ٹیسٹ سے پہلے پڑھانے اور پراکسی لگانے میں معاون ثابت ہوتی ہے۔ اس کے علاوہ ہر کلاس ایونٹ میں ایک دوسرے کے ساتھ لگ کر بیٹھ کر کچھ ثابت کرنے میں مصروف رہتے ہیں 
 میں نے ایک ریموٹ کنٹرول لڑکے سے پوچھا " سناؤ! شادی ہو گئی ہے یاابھی تک اپنے کپڑے خود دھوتے ہو؟"
ٹھنڈی سانس لے کر بولا ….. تمہاری دونوں باتوں کا جوب ہاں میں ہے۔
بم لڑکے یہ لڑکے جہاں کہیں بھی بیٹھے ہوں ایسا لگتا ہے جیسے ’’لڑ۔کے ‘‘بیٹھے ہیں۔ یہ ہر بات کا غصہ کر جاتے ہیں۔
 میں نے اسی طرح کے ایک بم لڑکے سے میں نے کہا بھائی آپ نے پتھولوجی کے ٹیسٹ میں نقل لگوا کر بہت مدد کی،مزہ آگیا۔میں آپ کی عظمت کو سلام کرتا ہوں۔
 اس نے چونک کر میری طرف دیکھا۔ پھر پاس پڑی ہوئی اینٹ اٹھائی اور غصے سے میری طرف چیختا ہوا بھاگا۔
میں نے بڑی مشکل سے ایک رکشے کے پیچھے چھپ کر جان بچائی۔
بعد میں پتا چلا کہ عظمت اس کی بہن کا نام تھا۔
 ’’بم لڑکے‘‘ لڑکیوں سے بہت الرجک ہوتے ہیں ، ان کا کہنا ہے کہ عورت فساد کی جڑ ہے ، یہ ہمیشہ عورت سے سو گز دور رہنا پسند کرتے ہیں ۔ یہ الگ بات ہے کلاس کے ہر جن و انس کے آباؤ اجداد سے لے کر وہ اپنے نواسوں کے نام کیا رکھنا چاہتے ہیں انہیں پروفائل سٹاکنگ کی بدولت معلوم ہوتے ہیں۔ اور اکثر کلاس کی لڑکی کو فیس بک پر اپروچ کر کے اظہار محبت کے بعد بلاک ہو چکے ہوتے ہیں۔
سی این جی لڑکے یہ بالکل میرے جیسے ہوتے ہیں۔ پڑھائی میں نکمے اور کاہلی میں بحرالکاہل۔ ان کے دماغ میں شرارتوں کی اتنی گیس اپھری ہوتی ہے کہ جس دن یہ کوئی شرارت نہ کریں گیس ٹربل کا شکار ہو جاتے ہیں۔
ان میں کوئی کوالٹی ہو نہ ہو ، یہ اپنے آپ کو "طرم خاں" ہی سمجھتے ہیں۔
لڑکوں پر اور بھی بہت کچھ لکھا جا سکتا ہے لیکن کیا فائدہ!!!
 اس سے بہتر ہے بندہ دوبارہ روٹی کھا لے

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MCAT; TO REPEAT OR NOT TO REPEAT? By Risham Kokab (Batch of 2021)

The 1^st merit list is out and most students already have a clear idea about whether they would make it to the medical college or not?

 The road to a good medical college in Pakistan is cluttered up with difficulties and hurdles, with the MCAT frequently being the most challenging of all.

 Unfortunately even after 3 whole months of hard work, anxiety and stress some students cannot reach their goal score

From social media to friendly gatherings the most frequently asked question these days is ‘should I repeat the MCAT or not?’

Before you make any decision, there are a few things not to be missed..

Ask yourself the following questions before deciding anything

1       What was your test day like? : just like a bad hair day there could be a bad brain day. For some the MCAT day would have been great while for others it would have been anything but nice and pleasant. You have to manage so much pressure, anxiety and fear that your mind can easily go out of function and an unfortunate panic attack can strike. But trust me that’s just fine because these attacks are actually quite common.

What you have to consider is: was it just the anxiety that did not let you perform properly? If the answer goes in the positive sense, you sure should go for a gap year and take MCAT again.

      

2      Did your score accurately reflect your ability? Out of the students who take MCAT each year, most are the bright students with a good reputation in their family and academic life. The failed MCAT exam is usually a big shock for them which results in a sense of desperation and distress. But ask yourself, Can a single exam nullify all the happy and successful moments you have had throughout the years in your academic and social life? The answer is definitely a big NO... There could be countless reasons behind your bad exam performance. If you had been performing decently in the practice tests but the MCAT day was a mess for you then your score doesn’t match your ability. Try to figure out why you could not give your best on the test day. Once you do this you are good to go for the exam once again.

3      Do you have a considerable score in Fsc? Fsc has a heavy percentage of 40 in the aggregate, therefore this is something important enough to be considered before taking any step. Now bitter the truth might be, but, you cannot really get into a good medical college without a reasonable Fsc score, if you wanna repeat MCAT its better to repeat some subjects u scored less in too. This would definitely increase your chances to get a seat.

4      Are you strong enough to stick with it?  Once you get the answer to the above to questions its time for the most important thing i.e. can you stay determined and motivated throughout the year? Gap year is the time that can make you stand or fall . You can use this time to make or break yourself. This time is not only crucial for your academic betterment but also for your mental stamina building. Taking a gap year is not as bad as most people think it is. It has its own benefits, some of them are as follows:

      Once you have decided, stick with your decision and don’t let anyone make you think otherwise

      Here are some important points to consider after making this critical decision;

Give yourself proper time to heal…. don’t go in a rush, don’t start studying the next day. Take a break to think. Console yourself. Take a few steps back to come back with double the energy. Go to your khala’s or phupho’s place or somewhere you like (if you have better choices :-P)

Cut off the haters… don’t pay attention to the taunts and other bad stuff people say…u will have to face the criticism, take it like a pro with sportsmanship. After all this is Pakistan and we should make ourselves comfortable with such desi problems :-P

Start studying when….you have coped up with the frustration of repeating, you have a good plan and you are calm and patient about the whole idea. If you find it too difficult to recover and return to normal life consider seeking help from an expert. Get yourself surrounded by positive people. Stay away from all kinds of negative energies. Try to build as much confidence as you can. Just like you need physical exercise to build nice big muscles, you need mental exercise to build mental stamina. This mental stamina would help you through the exam as you definitely have heard about the overrated line i.e. “it’s nothing but a game of nerves” ( trust me I used to hate this sentence as much as you do). And remember you are strong, you can get through the thing because time doesn’t stop bura waqt bhi guzar jata hai.

Don’t go too fast…start revising slowly when you have balanced your emotions but remember you don’t have to rush your preparation. It’s the quality not the quantity that matters here. You have a year this time....if you are like me and you find it too difficult to even look at the old MCAT books just don’t start studying. Instead do short listing.

Go for the preMCAT session…these early sessions are a blessing for repeaters… if you actually work hard you can revise your syllabus up to three times even before the fresh kids know what MCAT is… J

Stay motivated…. Don’t lose your motivation…. Keep the quotes u like in front of you 24.7. Occasionally talk to positive friends who fill you up with hope. Watch motivational lectures and videos on YouTube but don’t stop at any point during the time. Inhale confidence and exhale all the doubts you have.

Find an MCAT buddy

Find someone u can discuss your issues and problems regarding MCAT with. Share your feelings with each other and help each other. Discuss anything that is difficult (it makes things ten times easier). Remember you don’t have to miss anything this time. Get help from your buddies and try to help them too.

Keep a plan B … one of most common reasons of anxiousness during MCAT is that you don’t have another option in your mind, which ultimately leads to the fear of ending up doing nothing and wasting another year. Its better to have a plan B than to be paranoid all of the time. Having a plan B would also let you focus in a better way as your brain would be free of the negative thoughts about the consequences.

Balance yourself emotionally …never ever make yourself emotionally dependant on this small test. The more you would think about it, the more terrifying it would become for you. Have faith in fate and remember that sometimes you cannot get things no matter how much you try because they are just not meant for you. God might not have created you to be just a doctor with a basic job and a mediocre salary; maybe he made you to be the president of a country or a famous scientist or something even more awesome.

Keep praying… not only for yourself but for your friends too J

                            Have a happy MCAT..!

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بے کاد کے جوگ - امن کھنا'۲۰۱۹

مسکرایا  ہے،رلایاہے۔

اس دل نے ہم کو بہت ستایا ہے۔

تیری آنکھوں کو جب سے دیکھا ہے.

اس رات خود کو بہت جلایاہے.

چاند سے دوستی اچھی نہیں ہے. 

یاروں نے بہت سمجھایا ہے.

چاندنی شب تک کی مہمان ہے

اِس کے بعد سویرے نے بہت تڑپایا ہے۔

وہ تو سنگدل ہے ،ظالم ہے۔

پھر بھی اُس کی یاد کا دیپ جلایا ہے۔

تیری واپسی کی اُمید پہ در کھلا رکھا ہے۔

ورنہ سرد موسم تو کب کا لوٹ آیا ہے۔

کیا ہوا جو دل میں تیری جدائی رہتی ہے۔

اِن آنکھوں میں تو تیرا ہی اِنتظار سمایا ہے۔

زمانے سے تیری بےوفائی کا قصہ سنا ہے۔

اِنھیں کون سمجھائےجذبوں کی فطرت میں بد گمانی نھیں ہے۔

وہ گَر نھیں آیا ،یہ اُس کی مرضی ہے۔

نبھاتے چلنا بھی تو رمزِمحبت ہے۔

تم سے کب کچھ چاہا ، تم سے کب اُمید ہے۔

یہ وفا میری ہے،یہ جوگ بھی میرا ہے۔

مت بولو بے وفا اُس کو ،وہ  بے درد نھیں ہے۔

امن!یہ میری محبت ہے،یہ اِنتظار بھی میرا ہے۔

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Social indoctrination! By Hira shaheen ( Class of 2017)

It's so depressing how  desi parents indoctrinate their children so subtly for the sake of society. They expect them to act in a certain way, choose a certain career, and live a life that conforms to social standards no matter how annoyingly illogical they are. This obsession begins the day child is born. This cousin, that cousin. This neighbour kid, that neighbour kid. Looks, attitude, studies, marriage, every minor detail is compared with other children without giving a single thought to individualism. Those parents who show strength enough to let their kids prioritise and choose things for themselves are questioned by random people in name of "concern". Like their concerns would turn the tables. So much for personal choices! Every girl of my age can relate one way or other, to what I'm gonna state here. We are forced to choose biology in matriculation. If you've a cousin, neighbour or a even distant figure you or your parents know by name only as your batchmate, you're even more screwed because you have to put a fight for grabbing more marks- even a 0.75 figure would suffice as far as you're winning. Just keep your name up in everything. Anyway, we are then pushed towards getting a doctorate degree and if you think it will stop there, you're mistaken. You need to choose gynaecology if you're a woman, like it's a religion you have to follow, otherwise you can just discard that degree. Thankyou very much. Yes I've actually heard my aunt (and she's a doctor's wife) saying "wo larki doctor hi kya jo gynaecologist na ho". I still can't get over this statement honestly. But wait, gynaecology isn't the final redemption. After six years of misery you're expected to forget about career and settle into an arrange marriage with a person you've no fringing idea about. No one thinks it's deviatory because how else things can happen? A love marriage? Tauba Tauba. That settled once, don't bother to explore choices for job, they are not chosen according to your likes or dislikes, they are to be determined according to child who will be coming in this world in next few years because a life yet to start is more important than the one that has already started. And not having a baby? Don't even think about it. It's an alien concept here. Why would anyone even think about not having a baby? What's more to life? Yes, you will be diagnosed as crazy and selfish couple (who will be breaking up soon) by same people who moan about lack of freedom due to babies. Even if this baby comes, there are always people around to advise you on acting in a certain way. If you don't, you're not practical enough to understand a new life and your paternal instincts are dim which will only groom with descend of more babies whom you can mould in your own way. 

Honestly, what's with all this indoctronation? Does our society think we produce sheeps instead of humans? This is the only point where our nation takes evolution seriously: that only difference  between us and chimpenzes is that we have a thumb to hold things hence, we can be treated like pets. Seriously, people need to stop poking their noses in other's business and work for their own miserable lives. That would help both parties. And children should be treated like individuals not robots that can be tuned in a certain way. I agree parents live their lives for their kids. They sacrifice more than one can imagine. They can die for their children's comfort and apparently they do all this for their benefit but in this process a child might get damaged. His fragile personality might get inflicted and his inner self might die a slow death. So, this obsession needs to stop right here because it's maddening. Don't let society dictate your children to put puzzles according to its perceptions.  Let them live a little on their own and they can still make you proud parents!

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Welcome to MBBS - Hassan Nawaz (Batch of '17)

“Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”

First of all, heartiest congratulations to all those who got through the hectic and unpredictable phase and made it to a medical college.
The realization that….You know you have accomplished your goal…You know you’re going to be on the road to your professional career…The career you dreamt and burnt the midnight oil for…You are eager to step into this life…But you don’t want these days to ever end…You like how it feels..

Say Alhumdolillah for all that Allah has granted you. Believe in the fact that Allah got you this far, and HE will take you through in the future. The initial weeks will, no doubt, be tough. And often you will find questioning your ability and worth for medical studies.

Remember, there are 2 sorts of students.
Those who learn to adjust themselves, and those who repeat “kithay phas gaey yar”. Latter ones spend their 5 years complaining. They just try to be above the passing line. These students never excel. On the other hand, once you start to manage time, you enjoy your MBBS by true means.

Believe me when I say, these 5 years are not just about studying. It’s a roller coaster of a lifetime. SIMS as well as most medical colleges have various societies and functions to keep students indulged and to blow off the steam. These include Quran and Naat, Literary, Dramatics, Quiz, Arts and Music, Sports. I advise you to join atleast one of these societies; the one you think will suit you. But don’t overburden yourself by taking “panga” in each and every society.

Coming towards the most important issue of the firstulas, RAGGING. I myself am not a fan of the vulgar fooling but its not always the case. Mostly the seniors are just trying to get to know you. Giving you a chance to interact and letting you know that they are available for any help you guys need. And believe me, such helpful seniors are a blessing. Medical studies are a lot different from FSc cramming. There is no fixed text book and you need all the help you can get from the past experiences of your seniors. The way to get through the first few months is most importantly NOT to act like an egoistic jerk. Be respectful towards your seniors the way you want your juniors to be respectful to you. If you don’t want to perform any task given to you during fooling, just tell them. Don’t be disrespectful. It wont help. Eventually you’ll start to enjoy the fooling ;)

Coming towards the BOOKS.

Essential Books 

• Gross Anatomy>

KLM Gross, for concept making and the clinicals
B.D Churasia, Must for bones, Given point-wise. So helpful for remembering and attempting questions in exam.

Netter Atlas, For Sketch Copy Drawings as well as OSPE.

• .General Anatomy>

1^st chap of KLM
General Anatomy by GA, Main book used by most students. I found it insufficient.

Tassaduq Hussain, A bit difficult as compared to GA by GA but I would recommend it for proper understanding of General Anatomy.

• .Embryology>

KLM Embryo, Main book for 1^st year embryology.

Langman Embryology, Important for OSPE pictures. Few particular topics in first year. Main book for Systemic Embryology.

• .Histology>

 Laiq Hussain, Main book

 Firdous, Review Book

• .Physiology>

Guyton, Main Textbook (Try to buy Guyton in 2 volume edition)

 Firdous, Essential REVIEW book. ( Don’t use it as main book for physio. You need to study Guyton for concepts)

• .Biochem>  

Mushtaq Ahmed, Main Book for 1^st year

Lippincott, Contains some topics of 1^st year. Main book for 2^nd year.

These are the essential books that you need to buy. Most questions from tests in SIMS are covered by these books.

Other books that you can use in library are following. You can check them out in the library and buy them if they suit you.

Gross Anatomy>
Cunningham’s Dissectors, Completely useless books. Sadly the teachers make it necessary for entering the dissection hall L
Snells, Which I found unable to cover the course.

McMinns Atlas, A good atlas with actual pictures of dissected human body. Really helpful in OSPE. You can use it in library or buy it if you want.

Histology>
De fiores Atlas, A good atlas for histological pictures.

Jinquera and Weather’s Histology, Books with “extra information”. Only recommended for those looking for distinction.

Physiology>

Ganong’s, Recommended just for theeta’s.

Jaypee, Easy Book.

Biochemistry>

Harper’s, Our HOD’s favourite book :p Difficult one. Recommended just for theeta’s. Needed for some topics which can be photocopied.

Sattyanarayn

Hashmi

Oh, and remember to bring the snuff box, You wont be allowed to enter without it. ;)

For any other help or questions, we , your seniors are always available J I wish you Goodluck for your future. And yeah, time here passes like the wind. Before you know it you’ll be fooling and guiding your juniors.

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flew.

P.S This article is based on my experience in SIMS. Suggestions may vary from student to student and college to college.

My credentials,
Hassan Nawaz Yaqoob

Batch of 2017
1^st Year marks: 460 

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SIMS and Me (Episode Two) - Abdul Majeed (Batch of '11)

u've read the "medical" side of things from my side, now is the time to introduce u to the literary part. an excerpt from the "literary memoir" " My first “original” piece(the one I wrote all by myself) was published in the college magazine when I was in 9th grade. It was a piece of Satire in Urdu. I have to admit that the idea wasn’t entirely mine and a similar article had been published by the magazine two years ago. What I did was to use the same technique but I expanded that idea and gave it my own words. I wasn’t too much enthralled by it until that Urdu Teacher(who was an acclaimed poet) saw me one day and encouraged me to write more satire because I definitely had the potential.In the Urdu essay that I wrote for my matriculation(10th grade) exam, I wrote more than twenty verses(The essay was on Iqbal, so it was not as difficult as it sounds). I went to another Cadet School the next year. Till that time, I had written dozens of ghazals and even was asked during the Entrance Interview to recite one of them. I tried to dabble in parodies of famous ghazals but failed miserably(I was hooted off stage at one of my rare recitals at a medical school for one such parodies years later). I assissted one of the Urdu teachers there with translating some of Iqbal’s lectures(He was doing M.Phil in Iqbaliaat). That teacher loved my poetry and encouraged me to start writing again. Another Urdu teacher at the institute was himself an established poet and I tried to get his help. Despite some of his effort, I was nowhere near understanding the syntax. He was kind enough to “straighten out” one of my ghazals, which was published in the college magazine. I also got an Urdu essay published which predicted a U.S defeat in Iraq based on history(it was 2003-04). By this time, I had hardly if ever written anything in English. I started reading english newspapers regularly when I arrived at the second cadet school. I also read a lot of books in English around that time. Among the notable ones, I remember reading Khrushev’s autobiography and a collection of essays written by the Pakistan Cricket Team touring West Indies in 1957-8. Based on the library register, I borrowed the most books in the two years that I was at that institute than anyone else. My next destination was a private medical school where I stayed for stayed for almost one month. In the very first week, I met a senior from my first boarding school and while talking to him mentioned that I wrote some poetry etc. I was surprised to find that he was the head of that institute’s literary society. He took me to a society meeting the next day and I recited one of my favorite ghazals there, which apparently was liked by the audience quite much as they decided to induct me in the editorial board there and then. I started work on a future magazine with the society. It was loads of fun and was a welcome respite from the exhausting study schedule. I left after a month but had enough admirers as I got a surprise farewell party when I left. I kept in touch with some of the members of that editorial board over the years. At the next medical school, where I spent my next five years, things were a bit different. Societies were not well organized and there was a preponderance of seniors running those societies, without regard for merit. Nevertheless, I submitted one of my poems for the magazine. It was published two years later, when the magazine itself was published. In the first year, I saw a notification by the University of Health Sciences that they were arranging an essay competition in which the top prizes were 25 thousand, 15 thousand and 10 thousand Rupees. That got my creative juices running and I wrote a first class essay on “Doctors of Tomorrow”. The essay was sent as the representative of our medical school but the competition was probably not held during the dates given in the notification. I never heard from the University or anyone else until someone on my facebook feed told me five years later that someone he knew had won a prize in that competition. I wrote some pieces of satire in the first three years, but not much else. I made it a habit to write at least about the first day of every new academic year. I started writing more regularly at the end of 4th year. At that time, I had planned to get at least one book(not literary) published in two years time. I had collected material for a guide-book for a medical subject. The plan never materialized. It was around that time that an incident changed my outlook on things. It was Salmaan Taseer’s assasination and the reaction to it. The year before that, I had attended a session at LUMS by Badar Khushnood on how young Pakistanis were earning money by blogging. I wrote some Urdu pieces following ST’s assasination, Raymond Davis Affair and OBL incident. They did not get many hits on my blog. I also wrote(but did not put on the blog) my travelogue of the Umrah pilgrimage that I undertook that year. By that time, I had started visiting a place in Lahore called Institute of Peace and Secular Studies(IPSS). I took up a course there on political economy and later attended a lecture series on Religious extremism in Pakistan. That course and the lectures changed my point of view about a lot of things. It was the foundation of my future pursuit of knowledge. In the “non-virtual” world, I was selected as the editor of our Med School’s Urdu Magazine. I had some issues with the person who was made the Editor-in-chief(I wrote a piece of satire about him as well, not for the college mag though) but took the job nonetheless. It was a thankless job, with no particular benefit apart from my own intellectual satisfaction. I tried to publish only those pieces that felt like written by the students themselves(I did my best) and with emphasis on pure Urdu Language(One of the pieces I received was titled “My Favorite Class” written in Urdu Font). For the poetry portion, we consulted one of our faculty members who was a poet himself. He rejected most of the poetry submissions by students and after a lot of give and take, we succeeded in keeping a few student-written poems. In the end, we had to publish poems from famous poets(who had no relation whatsoever to our med school) in the poetry section apart from some of students’ work. Compiling the articles and poems was just one of the steps in getting a magazine published. I had to compose whole sections of the magazine using Inpage myself at times, and after nudging the Chief Editor for months, the magazine was published finally, in a years time. "

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Spring And Simsonians! - Adnan Saleem (Batch '17)

It was a fine day when I sleepily entered the college gate, thinking about same bizarre routine, and cursing the time I decided to choose medical profession, when something colorful caught my sight. It took me a few seconds to open

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Perks Of Being A Med Student - Amna Kamran (Batch Of '18)

Wow, ‘med student’- has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And that, everyone, is the first and most major perk of being a medical student. That specific sense of glamour you carry just by waltzing into a restaurant with either your  lab coat or SIMS hoodie on.  And if your mom’s there she’ll definitely be introducing you to all her friends as her beloved doctor bacha/bachi.  That is what we’re all primarily here for, right? To provide our parents with that sense of pride and accomplishment :’)

So why do our parents and relatives celebrate when somebody’s on their way to becoming a doctor? Because of the money? The fact that we’re in such a noble profession? Yes and yes. But, I think, the cherry on top is the fact that WE MADE IT.

Medicine is the hardest profession you can get into. There’s O levels/Metric , then A levels/ FSC; and then directly after that we’re hurled into the abysmal MCAT mess. It’s really not that easy having that much stamina and working that hard consistently. *shudders at the bad memories*

And that’s the other major perk of being a med student: the unhesitating assumption a third party has of all med students being smart. It doesn't matter if you think you’re stupid…all non-med bachaws are going to think you’re a genius despite your insecurity :D (shhh let’s not tell them the truth)

That’s the beauty of it all. The confidence and self-assurance you obtain just by knowing that you're on your way to adding the ‘Dr’ label riggghhhhttt before your previously ordinary name :’)

The admiration people look at us with isn’t uncalled for, of course. This is where the comparison with LUMS comes in (don’t worry we’ll win this one;)). In med school our tears are brought about by the endless hours of studies and dealing with difficult patients. On the other hand, LUMS/Business Students are brought to their knees by mere ‘assignments’. They feel cool when they type out a five-page essay…we, on the other hand, feel cool when we dissect a cadaver and pinpoint its nerves and muscles. Our life sounds more meaningful doesn’t it? See, told you we would win in this comparison!

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