Staying In or Staying at Home

A question that students and parents ask is whether students are allowed to stay at home when they have been accepted to first year medicine.

The answer really depends on the students. The parents can advise and help out with understanding what the students will go through when they are new in medical school.

Here are some of the things which students may want to discuss with their parents or guardians:

1. Main reason to stay at home vs hostel
2. Distance between medical school and home
3. Travelling schedule
4. Transportation mode and cost
5. Traffic on the way to medical school and return
6. Time-table for medical students (lectures begin at 8.30 a.m.)
7. Hectic activities at medical school
8. Benefits vs restricted activities of hostel life
9. Study schedule and recreation
10. Meeting others and building a healthy life together

By the time Malaysian medical students enter first year university, they are 19 or 20 years old. At this age, most students are independent and can manage their lives well, even without their parents being around. Most will have experienced hostel life elsewhere before coming to USM medical school. So most students will find it easy and can settle down in the hostel in USM Kubang Kerian without much hassle. Kelantan life is simple and food is good and affordable. There are medical students, dental students and students from the health sciences to find and get to know. There is so much to learn about life here in USM in Kubang Kerian.

Medical lectures take up the brunt of first year teaching and 2 lectures and scheduled every morning. The practical and other activities are in the afternoon. They are plenty of self-study periods each week. What students choose to do in their free time is entirely up to them. Lecturers will not direct students to do anything. But students should put the self-study periods to good use and not just extend their sleep hours. Revising lectures and looking through the notes collected from lectures will be a good activity during self-study. Looking up new words, a medical term, etc is highly encouraged. Visiting the library or studying in the library will also be good during self study.

When students decide to stay at home rather than stay in the hostel, they have an added responsibility to attend all lectures as scheduled in the time-table. They will also need to know which lectures have been cancelled or postponed. They must not miss any scheduled or re-scheduled lectures. If a student decides to stay at home, he is entirely responsible for his actions. The mentor has only to note it for the student's records. If the student's studies become affected because he is commuting, then he is better of staying in the hostel and spend the 'travelling time' to study. Time is very precious in first year medicine. Do not waste it.