First Semester in Medical School: It's a Hot Start

The night before my flight, I finished packing everything that I thought I'd need into one cabin trolley, a big backpack, and two large check-in luggages: one was mine and the other one - I borrowed the space of my BF's luggage while he put all of his stuff in his small cabin trolley and a big backpack.

January 23, 2023, 6:10AM

The morning of my flight, I awoke to the sound of my alarm at 3. My BF and I scrambled out of the sofa bed and began to get ready. Our flight was at 10 and so we have to get to Heathrow Airport by 8am the latest. Past 6AM before we left Clifton Road, I forgot my neck pillow so I went back to the apartment. My parents opened the flat door and I quickly went and fetched the pillow from the sofa bed. I then hugged them again and had to muster all of my strength not to cry.

And oh boy let me tell you, that was the first of many of "the hardest things I never imagined I would be doing" this year - and we're only just in January. 

I got to the car, and in my mind I thought: "when will I ever be able to hug them again?" I cried throughout our drive to Heathrow. 

I've always known myself to be very tough and independent. I'm proud to say how I know I've been through a lot of challenges through the years: I went to University away from home and had a gruelling 5 long years of studying a pre-medical BSc in OT while also being a 'working scholar'. After that, I've worked away from home too, in Manila to get hospital experience so I can apply for work abroad. In the Phils, if you're an OT working in the hospital, you don't earn significantly as much compared to those working in private clinics/rehabilitation centres. So while 'getting experience', I learned how to budget my very humble pay to be able to 'live within my means.' And man, it was easier said than done. It made me realise how easy I had it while I was just a student: I didn't technically have to worry about anything else but just focus on passing and getting through school. But school was simple and easy. I'd let the adults take care of the problems and everything else. So naturally, after graduating, I felt so out of my comfort zone because I've always been good at studying - and now that's done.

Going into adulthood and facing adult problems made me realise that although I was good at school, I did not feel ready to face life at all. I honestly don't think there was anything taught at school to help prepare for life outside of it. I was so anxious that I would make a mistake or mistakes, become a failure and live a miserable life. 

But with the grace and guidance of God, I pulled through and I moved to the UK; to another continent farther away from home. I started over with a clean slate and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I was in 'greener pastures'. In the UK, I was able to practice OT, save some money, give back to my parents, and travel around Europe. I was free and literally, can do anything I wanted. But it wasn't easy at the beginning. Being an OFW, you had to adjust to the climate, the culture, to an entirely new and different workplace and life, etc. But no matter how 'greener' it was in the UK, I still felt homesick.

Even now, I still believe in the PH slogan, "It's more fun in the Philippines."

To be perfectly honest, yes, it is indeed more fun in the Philippines and I don't care whether you believe it or not. It took me about 3 years before the UK started to 'feel like home.' Only when I got back to the UK from the first time I went home to the Philippines did it really start to feel like one.

You'd think that with all of these past 'moves' away from home I've gone through I would've been strong enough not to experience any homesickness this time around. Moving to Antigua temporarily to study for 2 years shouldn't be anything new to me, right? But when I got there - let me just say this:

Never have I ever felt the loneliest and terribly homesick in my entire life than when I was on that island.

Every morning when I wake up in Antigua, I had to remind myself over and over again my reasons 'why' I made that decision. That's how homesick I was; every day was a battle to keep fighting and going forward.

Last ICM Class Day

During the 1st three months, the only two good things I could think of while I was there in Antigua are that one: I get to eat chicken everyday because it's the cheapest protein available in the island and it's the only one my budget can actually afford. But I do love chicken - so it was literally "winner winner, chicken dinner" every day. The second good thing is that it's a beautiful island with 365 beaches. The only down side though is that I don't have time nor taxi money/transportation means to visit those beaches. But still, the temperature is way warmer all throughout the year compared to the UK, and it kind of eased the homesickness the tiniest bit. The warmer temperature also helped a little with controlling my high blood pressure - so, that's another win.

However, there are some days when temperatures rise up to 38 degC. In those days my feet would be so swollen at the end of the day that I can feel fluid waves whenever I take a step.

So, yeah. That's the start of my medical journey.