“What is RCSI?”, “The Royal what?”, “Wah, so you are going to become a surgeon?”. This was the usual sequence of conversation I had when I informed people that I would be attending the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).
The Royal College of Surgeons indeed! I myself had great expectations for an educational institution which such a long and prestigious history, and name. I expected a big and busy campus with centuries-old architecture, filled with all sorts of people from all parts of the world, converging to this place, to learn from the best lecturers and professors.
In reality, the former was quickly extinguished on registration morning when I found the college “campus” being just a couple of concrete buildings in the middle of Dublin city with the sign RCSI outside it. Nonetheless, after being here for these last 9 months, I have found the latter has been the best part of my experience here, though not always in the way I expect it to be.
Since arriving here in Dublin last October, I have indulged myself in 2 main activities: exploring new places, as is evident from the pictures; and meeting new people, of which I will describe below.
I have found medical school to be a fantastic place to meet people. Many of the students have come to RCSI for various reasons, ranging from personal ambition to parental decision; and have various expectations, ranging from earning the big bucks some time in the future to being able to carry out missionary work in Africa. Some come from rich families while others are only able to make it here because of a scholarship or even a loan.
The people I have met here in Dublin have ranged from being extremely kind and helpful to those who have been rude and racist. Anyway, I now attempt to classify my fellow colleagues in medical school and some of the lecturers into a few main categories:
The Eccentric Psychology Lecturer- Arrives in a loose fitting round-neck t-shirt and baggy pants, takes off his shoes behind the podium and declares to the class that he gave up buying new products 2 years ago. Next he proceeds to give a lecture, stopping ever so frequently to make a comment about his philosophy of life.
The Cynical Biochemistry Professor- Has his secretary stick his pen-drive into the laptop for him before lectures. Frequently makes comments such as “there are some things we have to tell you, but which you are allowed to forget”; “you do not need to know this, but I am sure some of you will try to memorise it”, and “one is often very reluctant to put too much information up, because some of you will try to memorise it”.
The Anatomy Old-timer- A darling which everyone loves. He is able to crack jokes dirty jokes about parts of the body that make the lecture theatre erupt with laughter, but is himself able to withhold it only because he has told the same joke at the same lecture for the past 50 years and has a lecture theatre named after him
Library Campers- These students commonly commute to and from two places only: the lecture theatre and the library. They are easily located as they have pitched their tent at a particular spot in the library and it would be disaster for anyone else to sit there. A library camper has the latest information about happenings around the campus because the library is also a popular place to gossip.
The Anatomy Freak- These people are able to name all the muscles in the body, their origin and insertions, the blood supply, nerves, and identify the parts of each bone. They spend so much time studying anatomy that they sometimes neglect the other subjects.
The Genius- They possess both an excellent memory and are good processors of information, though they may or may not have good interpersonal skills. The Genius could have done anything they wanted with their life, and would have been accepted into the most prestigious universities in the world, but chose to do medicine. Currently, no one has been able to figure out the reason why.
The Note Regurgitator- These people are pseudo-geniuses and have determined that being able to regurgitate lecture notes word for word in an exam is all it takes to ace the exams. It can’t be that easy, can it? Although possessing a photographic memory helps, they may stumble in tasks that require a deeper level of information processing and in practical exams.
The Show-Off- They indulge in a variety of activities, ranging from taking midweek holiday breaks, to being involved with the famous Irish culture of drinking, rarely turning up to class, only to boast about having done that and still passed the exams. Having the need to be in the limelight, they appear to have “been there and done that” but upon further questioning, some clams may be doubtful. They must be in possession of whatever someone else has, only theirs has to be the latest, fastest and best.
The Asians- In RCSI, this group is mainly made up of Malaysians and Middle-Easterns. They are a varied bunch of people, and can frequently be located seated as groups of 3 or 4, usually right smack in the middle of the lecture theatre. Some are the first to arrive, and some the last to leave, some never ever turn up. Some can be seen frantically scribbling notes during the lecture, while some can be seen dozing away.
The Smokers- This group of people include not only students and faculty members, but also the general public, and are especially visible in Ireland because of the total ban on smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces which was introduced in 2004. They are frequently found loitering outside any entrance and exit, having a smoke.
At this point in time, Dublin has been and continues to be a new and pleasant experience for me. I have to stress that many normal people do exist, and med-school is not that bad as it sounds and that the categories above are based on my observations and are not meant to harm or stigmatise any one individual. I have also met so many people who have achieved unimaginable heights (to me, at least) in their lives and it is truly inspiring to be able to listen to them tell their life-stories and to learn from it. Personally, this, combined with the privilege of being able to visit Europe, has been the best part of my experience overseas thus far.
