Hi Readers,

So today I thought I’d write about something we’re all familiar with, have all been through and possibly will continue to go face sometime in the future : Exams.

I’ve been through so many exams now, but the pivotal ones were my 10th and 12th CBSE board exams, my medical entrance exam, my MBBS exams, my MD/MS entrance exam and finally my MS Ophthalmology exams.

Looking back, I realise that I stressed too much on some exams that didn’t matter too much.

My 10th board exams for an example, I’m embarrassed now to admit, but on hearing that I’d scored 91% which wasn’t rank 1, I’d locked myself in my room and cried thinking I wasn’t good enough.

In 12th standard, I scored the same 91% which was rank 1 and so I was happy and felt victorious.

The exact same scores producing such differing reactions.

Now thinking back, neither of those scores mattered. At all. Not in the slightest.

I’m definitely not insinuating that the studying didn’t help. The teaching and studying that helped me achieve those scores were very helpful and actually helped me crack the Goa-CET which got me into GMC.

But the scores? They didn’t.

My crushed confidence in 10th standard was unnecessary.

My feeling of not being good enough was unjustified.

Then I entered medical college.

There’s a funny thing about medical college. Especially with government colleges.

Everyone who gets in was a school topper, everyone thinks that they’re different and special and will be able to handle medical school well and still continue to top.

Then the first Biochemistry test happens, and you realise how horribly wrong you were.

How it’s not simple and how you’re competing with 99 other ‘toppers’!

And then the rat race begins and you’re starting at the bottom working your way to the top.

But by medical college, I think we’re more accustomed to not scoring full marks, because that never happens!

And instead you focus on learning the intricacies of medicine and developing clinical skills.

If you waste your clinics and study only for the PG entrance exam, you’re making plans for tomorrow whilst letting today die.

You might become a skilled Radiologist, but if you haven’t learnt the art of percussion, you’re actually fooling yourself.

But anyway, my key to doing well in MBBS exams was whilst you read everything for leisure and to add to your knowledge, for exams study smartly.

Look at questions which have been asked commonly and prepare an answer. Make notes in your own handwriting because they really help for a quick revision later.

Use headings. Make sure you have a check-list that you apply for every answer and follow it.

Flowcharts and diagrams always help, and will always get you extra marks.

I was terrible at drawing, and still am. But, I make box diagrams. They’re good enough!

Examiners want something different. They’re bored of reading paragraphs in the other 80+ papers.

Writing answers is an art.

Show them your art!

MS exams are a whole other story. Even more terrifying but much more satisfying once over.

I’ll probably do a post on them some other time.

But besides the studying, what I feel is really important to do well in exams, is the following points.

1. Realise that you’re not competing with anyone but yourself.
2. Push yourself to your limit because you want to do well, but know when you’ve reached that limit and stop.
3. Understand that you aren’t judged by your scores, that becoming a doctor isn’t just an exam or a piece of paper but a process and you’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg.
4. Sleep well (which for medical students is atleast 5 hours) before a practical exam. I had this somewhat unrealistic urge to atleast look through every page before my theory exam, and whilst I wouldn’t recommend it, it worked for me. But for practicals, you need a clear mind to think and deliver your knowledge.
5. Have a support group of friends who know how you feel because they’re going through it too and can take out 10 minutes of their time to whine with you.
6. Don’t speak to anyone else about how difficult it is, because I usually got the same line from people which was “Oh, you’re smart, you’ll ace the exam”. Not their fault but not very encouraging when I felt like I couldn’t remember anything I’d studied.
7. Just know that you’ll get through it, that the darkest hour is just before dawn, and that you’ll have a no-exam reality in a few days time.
8. Be confident. You’ve studied everything multiple times. You know your stuff. It’ll come to you.
9. Say a prayer and have faith that it’ll all go well.
10. Lastly, know that even if you fail, it isn’t the end of the world. It might just be a bad day, a grumpy examiner or your bad luck. It doesn’t define the doctor you will one day be.

I also think people should stop taking board exam scores so seriously. Unless they’re actually used to help you get into professional college.

Also, as a colleague and I were discussing recently, with age comes wisdom and with wisdom comes the understanding that you don’t get to the top by pushing other people down.

But you work together, help each other and grow together.

Your patients don’t care about your scores at all. What matters to them is the care you have for them and the way you skilfully deliver that care.

So basically, to summarise I’d say,

It’s your knowledge that matters, your friendships that matter, your attitude that matters, your clinical skills that matter, your preparedness that matters, your presentation that matters and to an extent your luck that matters.

Your scores don’t matter at all, unless they’re helping you get ahead in your career and even then if they aren’t good enough, there’s always another time and another chance to better those scores.

You’re so much more than that piece of paper. You just need to know your worth!