First Year MBBS Survival Tips: What Nobody Tells You

Hello, future doctors! Congratulations on making it into a medical college. You might think that the actual difficult task is over, now that you have made it to a medical college. But the reality is, NEET was just the beginning.

The first year of MBBS is obviously exciting but also an incredibly overwhelming journey. It’s an entirely new world, filled with huge textbooks, cadaver dissections, and the occasional existential crisis about whether you’re made for this.

But don’t worry, every doctor has survived this phase, and you will too. Let me share some things that you are expected to know but no one will tell you in the first year of your MBBS life.

Study: How and when.

Do not undermine the study load in MBBS. Understand that just 1st year MBBS has as much material as your NEET syllabus. The workload is immense, and the syllabus won’t wait for anyone.

So what you should do is, keep in touch and stay on track. I am not asking you to get ahead of college or study the entire syllabus on your own.

What I am asking is for you to start studying from day one. Even 2-3 hours a day of consistent study is enough to stay on track. Cramming before the exam is not going to work in MBBS.

Don’t study everything in the book, prioritize, see what is being taught in class, talk to your seniors. Learn what is important and don’t get lost in the details.

Very Important: Don’t aim for distinction, aim to understand and remember all basics. It will help you much more in the future.

Major decisions

There are going to be a lot of things that will fascinate you and scare you in MBBS. You will see seniors and batchmates with the latest ipads and PG app subscriptions. Some of them might even have enrolled in offline classes for MBBS.

What you need to do is not get influenced. You DO NOT need to commit to any of these any time soon. These are all costly choices and need thorough thinking.

Everybody around you might use an Ipad to study. I would advise you to wait out for some time and then decide if you want to buy one (Read blog: Should I buy an iPad for MBBS?)

PG Subscription applications like Marrow and Prepladder or offline classes are also some things you shouldn’t worry about in the first year.

Gist is to take it slow and steady. Focus on the important things and the rest can be dealt with later.

Books: Choose Wisely

The NCERT days are over, and now you have multiple books to choose from, each with its pros and cons. Don’t buy books on the first day, spend some time looking at different books and then choose.

Most of us buy expensive first-hand standard books in the first year and then never get through them. Some gold standard books are extremely difficult to get through, and are only reserved for the smartest of students. Talking realistically, Guyton’s Physiology might be a book you can read, but Grey’s anatomy or Lippincott’s biochemistry are not. 

So, get one book for your concepts. And please get another exam prep book. You can refer to our subject wise blogs to know what books to use. 

Very important: Don’t hoard every book that I recommend or seniors recommend. Pick what works for you and stick to it.

Find the good seniors

The best thing that you can do in MBBS is find helpful seniors. It is a tricky task, not everyone is nice and not everyone will help you out.

You need to actively reach out for help and see who volunteers to help. Ask all these stupid questions, seek their support, buy their old books, help them out with some basic stuff. 

You will find yourself extremely lost in MBBS. You will want someone that you can go to, whether it is something as vague as ‘what to eat’ or something as difficult as passing and failing. 

It will be a connection worth forming.

Keep your head down 

If you do find good seniors, this is the first thing they will tell you. Always keep your head down. The best way to get through MBBS is to get through unnoticed. Attention can be as bad as it is good. 

Sit on the middle benches, you will rarely get called upon this way. Respect every professor, and other staff members. Be punctual and disciplined.

Don’t argue unnecessarily with anyone, whether it is a senior or a professor. Just nod and go on. A humble attitude will get you far in MBBS.

Friendships in MBBS

Building friendships in medical college can be as confusing as the syllabus itself. Take your time, don’t rush into friendships blindly or open up too soon. Talk to everyone and observe before choosing your people. 

Be mindful of how much you share initially and set healthy boundaries. This is very important in medical colleges. You have limited time during the day, you have to make sure that you are prioritizing your time well.

Become friends with people who respect your choices, financial habits, and study priorities, and don’t feel pressured to pretend to be someone you’re not just to fit in. 

Remember, not all friendships will last forever, and that’s okay. Focus on the good memories, stay honest, and most importantly, don’t forget to have fun – these are memories for a lifetime.

Hold on to what makes you happy

Do not lose yourself to MBBS. It is a very tough journey, it is the most academically challenging degree out there. 

Whether it’s music, sports, or painting, make time for what you love. Hobbies will help you a lot in reducing stress.

If you enjoy going out and partying, do that too. Attend college fests, participate in events, and make time for parties with friends.

Excess of studying or fun, both are bad. Aim for balance.

Start working on your CV asap

MBBS isn’t just about passing exams. You will soon realize that everything post-MBBS revolves around having a strong CV.

Now, I’m not saying you need to complete full-blown internship projects in your first year itself, but start somewhere. Join med-student organizations, volunteer for medical camps, or take up any task you can contribute to. Stay alert for opportunities, both within and outside medicine, because trust me, every certificate counts.

Don’t wait until your final year to start building your CV. If you begin early, by the time you reach final year, you’ll already have a head start and might land bigger, better opportunities. Start now, it will definitely pay off later.

Don’t mess with your attendance 

Figure out how strict your college is about attendance in the very first week. Some colleges are brutal, they won’t let you give the University Exam even if you are short of 75% attendance by one single day. Others might be a bit more relaxed, but don’t take chances early on.

Pro tip: Do not bunk lectures in the initial days. Trust me, you’ll eventually need to stay back in your hostel to study during internals, and professors will still insist on taking classes right up until the last hour before the exam.

Save yourself the future stress, attend all classes from the start. It’s an easy way to cut down on unnecessary tension later.

Pro Tips for First Years

Here are some additional bits of wisdom:

• Try to attend all dissections and participate actively in them. Helps loads with anatomy.
• If you make notes during lectures, keep them safe. You will find yourself looking for them the day before the exam.
• Chill out and relax: All problems now will be funny memories later on 🙂

Final Words

The first year is where you get a first glance into the rest of your MBBS journey. Think of it as your trial-and-error year. A time to experiment, learn, and adjust. Sure, you can go in with some preparation to make it easier, but let’s be real, it’s still going to be extremely chaotic.

All I can say is, welcome to the world of chaos. You will learn to embrace the chaos in no time and soon you’re going to love every bit of it.
You’ve got this, future doctor!