Hey everyone! I am Pattaranit Krongboonying, a current first-year medical student at the University of Bristol, and I joined the RMBF as a student volunteer this year. I wanted to share my story, and some lessons I have learnt as an international student after coming halfway across the world to study medicine.
My Backstory
I grew up in a slightly non-conventional way. My parents had to work overseas, to support me and my older brother who studied in Singapore. This meant that we rarely got the chance to spend time all together as a family in Thailand. Now, with me being halfway across the world, it is looking less and less likely that we will have time together as a four-person family again. This leads me to my first lesson.
Cherish the present
Before medical school, I really looked forward to starting my studies and being called a medical student – I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had that feeling. But I would also like to encourage you to cherish every moment that you have right now, and appreciate it for what it is.
Whether you’re trying to get into medical school, get through your medical degree, or pass your speciality exams, it can feel torturous – you just want to get it done and out of the way. I know this well, as my finals are looming.
However, try not to overlook the amount of time you get to spend with your friends or loved ones while you’re studying. Group study sessions are either the most productive or unproductive sessions, with no in-between – enjoy these memories that you will make together.
They say “time waits for no man,” and true enough, my first year has flown by in an instant. I am still learning to appreciate the present that I am in and I urge you to do the same. Take the time to spend it with your loved ones and friends, tell them how much you appreciate and love them, and find joy in the things that you do.
Be kind to yourself
We have all had those days where we don’t want to do anything. We want to laze around, to sleep, to just exist. And yet we let the pressure and stress of our own expectations compel us into doing things – and probably not doing them to the best of our ability. Then we feel terrible, knowing that it we haven’t achieved what we are capable of. This causes a negative feedback loop, and restarts the same cycle the next day.
But it’s possible to see this in a different way, by making sure to recognize your effort in even trying to get something done on those tough days. Some effort is better than no effort, and while it can be difficult to be kind to yourself, it is essential to be proud of what you managed to do (no matter how little). Sometimes, trying is good enough.
Try
No, you did not read that incorrectly. The last thing I really wanted to share would be to just try.
Had I not decided one day to just try taking the UCAT to come to medical school in the UK (even though I had no idea what it was or how to do it), I would not have had this chance to come all the way here, to experience a new lifestyle and become a better version of myself. Had I not decided to just turn up to the university’s cheerleading audition (with zero cheer experience) for the fun of it, I would never have had the chance to get onto the competition team and rediscover a part of me I had long overlooked.
While it is absolutely terrifying to just get up and do something without knowing what you are getting yourself into, if you let that fear paralyse you and deter you from doing the things you wanted to do, how would you know if that thing is the right thing for you? All it takes is that first leap, putting yourself out there and trying.
Conclusion
Truth be told, this was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done – to uproot myself from Singapore where I had spent most of my life growing up, leaving my support network in Thailand behind, to come here and start practically a new life for myself. For those who may be thinking of doing the same, I can only encourage you to be brave in taking that first step. It will be tough, but it could lead to everything you have wanted and more.
And remember there is help at hand – whether from your university, your workplace, or the RMBF.