So, one year of medical school finished, just five more to go. What have I learnt this year? As well as a load of useful medical things, and how to do my own washing and cooking, I have learnt some things they don’t tell you about in the prospectus…

• That it is entirely possible to be a little bit disgusted and fascinated at the same time (thank you, anatomy class)…,
• …but that doesn’t mean most people want to hear all about it during dinner (sorry, mum),
• Cramming an entire year’s worth of work into five days of exams is both possible, and seen as the best course of action by the exam board – obviously,
• The general public is eager to help medical students in any way, whether it is being a simulated patient, or giving us money during RAG week,
• Lots of lovely new words like dyspnoea, amenorrhoea, haematuria and steatorrhoea,
• How to spell diarrhoea (finally).
• That the more diseases we learn about, the more of a hypochondriac I become.
• That the first question everyone asks when they find out you are studying medicine is, “Do you know what you want to specialise in?” For the record, no I don’t!
• Scrubs are excellent outerwear for snowball fights.
• Medical students can be kind of cliquey, but as long as I’m in the clique I don’t mind.
• That it is probably a good thing that the medics’ bar is next door to the A&E department.

Most of all I have learnt that medical school is definitely where I belong (well I passed my exams, at least), and I can’t wait for the next 5 years.

Frances Dixon is a medical student at Imperial College School of Medicine, London.