University 
Kharkiv National Medical University

Current Year 
Fifth

Medical Specialty Interested in 
Internal Medicine

One Word that Describes You 
Tenacious

Most Intriguing subject in Medical School 
Clinical pharmacology and Internal Medicine

What was your path to Medical School like?

I completed my Secondary education in Aminiyya school and Hiriya school. We were the first batch to do O’level in Hiriya School. For my Higher Secondary education, I joined CHSE. 

After graduating, I joined ADK Hospital as a clinical assistant, where my interest in the Medical field grew even more. It was then I realized that I would go to the ends of the earth to pursue this. I also worked in Medica hospital as a clinical assistant and after sometime joined IGMH as a laboratory assistant. When I first started working there, I had no real knowledge about the things I was about to deal with. Despite this, I got trained and worked as a Phlebotomist. Working as one indeed gave me more confidence in myself and assurance that I too can do this. About 10 months of work experience I gained in these 3 hospitals provided me with opportunities to learn from the field, before heading to Med school. 

Since I did not study physics in A’levels, I did not have too many options in my hands. It was through a friend I came to know about KNMU and a student who was studying there helped me with the registration process. After coming here, I got immense help from Maldivian students who were then studying in Kharkiv.

What was the biggest difference between your expectations of entering Med School when you were doing A'level, and the actual experience of being there?

Not even once did I think Medical school would be a piece of cake or it would be anything similar to A’levels. University life is so different from what we think it would be. In A’levels, we are taught to memorize what we are spoon fed, and as long as you memorize it and pour it on your exam paper, you are going to score well. But in Med school, you require skills. Apart from all the theory you learn, you also need to have good clinical skills, which only comes from persistent practice. 

Since there’s a massive amount of information, it’s always a huge challenge to remember all of them unless you keep revising from time to time. Last minute studying do not work in Med school. Also, I was taken by surprise when I learned that we have exams everyday and how we need to pass it if we want to finish the subject. 

Studying abroad also means that you have to do everything on your own; be it cooking, doing laundry, grocery shopping or paying bills. There won’t be anyone else doing them for you. So it was something very new for me. To be honest, when I first came here, I wasn’t mentally prepared to become an adult.

How is your daily routine like?

It actually depends on the timetable for the week. I usually wake up around 5 am for Fajr, and get some sleep until 7 or 8 am depending on the starting time and venue of lectures/practical classes. Our hospitals are dispersed throughout the city and it takes over an hour to reach some places. Harsh winters also make it more challenging. 

In a typical day there is a lecture and a practical class. Practical classes lasts 4-5 hours with short breaks. I’d reach home by 3 pm or sometimes 4 pm. 

As soon as I reach home, I would pray and take dinner. After that I hit the books. If it’s an important subject, I spend time studying till 10 pm. I am someone with a very strict sleep schedule, meaning I would need 8 proper hours of sleep and I get through the day without taking naps. 

If it’s the weekend, I prepare a conspectus for all the subjects of the coming week. It’s very effective since I get to watch different videos on the internet regarding the certain topic and add important points I might have missed out. This also gives me time to revise the topic night before the class, which is very helpful as we have to answer orally everyday.

Do you have any family members or role models who are physicians?

No, I don’t have a physician in my family. But both my mother and father has been in health field for almost 20 years. For me, my role model is my father. He isn’t a doctor, but has worked as a Community Health Worker and as an in-charge of hospitals in several atolls. As a result, he has enormous experience in the field. 

I grew up seeing him treating patients. I would tail him around while he checks the patient. He used to have a small consultation room in our living room where he treated his patients. Be it delivering, a minor surgery or circumcision- my dad is an expert. He still teaches me basic skills such as auscultating, palpating, or how to observe a patient, how to diagnose and about pharmacological therapy. 

How he got so much love and respect from so many people, how people still approach him when it comes to anything related to Medicine is one of the driving forces for me to pursue medicine. It is his legacy I am trying to carry on.

Why do you think some doctors are unhappy practicing medicine?

I personally feel doctors are undermined. People don’t appreciate what the doctors sacrifice for their patients. For instance, if it’s a crucial case, most of the time the doctor would starve himself, standing for long hours or visiting their patients at odd hours. They are just a call away, be it early morning or late at night, any time of the day. Sometimes they do not even get time to go ease themselves. Unlike other professions, there’s no such thing called holidays for them. Let alone a personal life. Despite all these, people appreciate them so little. 

The other thing is, patients are too involved and more demanding in their own care. The media is more hostile, everyone just refers to Google and denies to understand that the care a doctor gives is very individually focused. There is a reason why studying Medicine takes such a long time.

Name your favorite medical text book.  

Davidson’s Essentials of Medicine.

Which Topic did you find the most Difficult in Medical School?

There isn’t just one. But so far, some topics in Cardiology are pretty difficult due to massive amount of information we need to retain. One of it specifically is congenital and acquired heart diseases.

What is the most effective way to study in Medical School?

Everyone is different. Meaning what works for me might not be the most effective way for the other person.

For me, what works the best is writing each and everything. I make research for the specific topic from different materials such as PowerPoint presentations, high yield books and lecture videos. Lecturio and Dr. Najeeb's videos are my personal favorites. I cannot continue reading long texts because I zone out easily, hence, visual learning is pretty effective and it helps me remember what I learned.

Finally of course, revising what you learned is the utmost important.

Do you need High grades to become a decent doctor?

Not really. You just need to be an average student, but with a lot of dedication and a hunger to learn. Your patients and colleagues will only see the way you deal with the situation which is placed in front of you, and not your mark sheet. So as long as you give your best and extend yourself to the core, you are going to make a decent doctor.

Finally, what is the one tip/advice you want to give to our readers?

Being in the Medical field can be a never ending pursuit of highs and lows. So if you want to become a doctor, do it because you want to, because you are passionate about it, because you cannot imagine doing anything else. All the obstacles, all the challenges you face will shape you and make you resilient over time. You are braver than you think and you have everything it takes to strive with success. You are going to rise above all, because your strength as a medic is not determined by one grade or one shift. It is an ongoing journey of learning, improving and personal growth.

The My Medical Student Life series was created for the sole purpose of helping medical students and aspiring doctors on their journey to become a successful Maldivian Healthcare Professional. Have a suggestion, idea or question? Email us.

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