Physiology?

Despite being in the Individual study program (ISP), my summer semester has been quite packed with exams, credits and experience.

I faced 3 exams this semester. Medical English, Latin and histology. I arrived at the English department to take on my English exam with only 30 minutes of free time, as I was expected to be starting my dissections as a demonstrator later. The exam consisted of 2 exam tests as well as an oral part. I decided to take on my English exam as early as possible, so that I would have more time on the rest of my exams. I chose the digestive system and genetics for my oral part, and after 30 minutes of an uninterrupted monologue I left the exam room with a smile on my face and an A in my index, heading towards the institute of anatomy.

Latin, the dead language, which to some may sound like an easy subject, is in fact excessively difficult on medicine, especially in the First Faculty of Medicine on Charles University. In a year, one must learn approximately 4000 words and multiple variations of declensions, which are to be applied during exam tests as well as the exam itself. The real use of this very subject consists of medicine prescription, however, to study this practice in the first year, with such a “mortality rate” among medicine students is quite absurd. I consider Latin a necessary evil, and I would certainly not recommend anyone to study those 80 pages, nevertheless, if I am to ever write you a prescription for medicine, you can be sure that I will write it correctly, despite the fact that you will not be able to read it, given my writing style, which is getting progressively worse every year.

Histology and embryology also stuck with me a year longer than I wished they would, nonetheless, thanks to that I was able to understand it much better. Preparation for the exam consisted of daily 15-18 hour long study sessions, during which I almost did not leave my room, nor the house. Histology is an exam, during which the professors ask about the smallest and most ridiculous aspects of the exam questions, making it very hard for the students to pass.

I passed the atrocious histology exam in the first week of my exam period, even though I was randomly assigned to the most wicked professor, who kicked out 3 students that day. By the end of my exam, my 4 months long holidays started. Despite the difficulty of the summer semester, my holiday plans also correlate with my medical studies, as I will be attending a summer training course and as well as a medical internship at a cardiology department in the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM).

I really enjoyed being a demonstrator during dissections in the institute of anatomy this year. I was planning to attend 3 dissections, but I also joined in on the dissections of dentists, making it the total of 4. Thanks to this experience, I am starting to ponder about the position of lector, which would allow me to assist a professor during anatomy lessons of the first-year students.
This year has been a fairly exemplary case of the well-known truth that by losing a battle, you have not lost the war. Despite my losses in the first year, I managed to get back on the horse and keep fighting, and that’s what medicine is all about, isn´t it. Right now, I have nothing to do but enjoy the holidays, gain strength and look forward to the second year of medicine.

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