One thing about medical school is the hectic professional exams. In 2021, I wrote one of the most hectic and draining exams of my life. I was in my third year in the university, and it was my first professional exam as a medical student.
I heard stories about this exam right from my first year. The stories were scary. It was an exam that could decide if one would continue to the next level or repeat a whole year or even get withdrawn.
Towards the end of my second year, the realization came that the exam was upon us. Some of my classmates stepped down a class because they felt they weren't ready for such an exam. I knew I couldn't afford to do that. I could not afford to fail. I didn't want to disappoint my parents. I saw the sacrifice they made regularly for my sake, and I was determined to make them proud.
Preparing for that exam was the hardest thing. I threw everything at it. I stayed awake every night studying. My days were also filled with studying. I barely slept. Even when I slept a little, I would feel guilty because I felt I should have studied instead.
The thing about medical school is that the things to study seem endless. The syllabus is so big, it's almost impossible to exhaust it. Despite spending weeks studying, I couldn't finish the syllabus. I was mentally and physically drained.
The exam eventually came. I felt I wasn't fully prepared, but I accepted the fact that one can never be fully prepared for such an exam. The professional exam lasted for a period of about one month. On the last day, after writing the exam for that day, I was eager to go home and all I wanted to do was sleep. I and my classmate, John, walked home from the exam venue. We were both so happy that we were finally done with such an exam.
"How are you going to unwind tonight John?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm definitely going clubbing". John replied.
"Seriously? Well, have all the fun you can. I'm going to sleep for as long as I can, and when I wake up, I'll drown myself in movies", I said.
John got to his destination while I continued the journey. When I got home, I realized that the result would be released the next day. That was the beginning of an anxious period for me. I was very nervous. I tried to sleep but I couldn't.
I kept wondering if I wrote enough to pass. I just didn't want to fail. I didn't want to disappoint my parents and everyone else. I received a lot of support from family and friends during the exam period, and they were all rooting for me to pass. I tried watching movies, but my mind was too troubled. I couldn't think straight. I decided that it was better to spend the night with my friends than being all alone. I went to my friends' place in an attempt to keep myself engaged. They were also nervous. We all stayed in the same room, playing video games, in an attempt to keep our minds off the result coming out the next day.
Eventually, the next day came. We waited for the result, but it didn't come out early. My friends and I decided to take a walk into school and hang around where the result would be pasted. Just as we arrived , the results were being pasted. I went to check mine. My hands were shaking. My heart was beating with so much speed and force. I searched for my serial number. As soon as I located it, I shouted for joy.
"I passed!"
"Congratulations brother", John said as he came to give me a handshake.
John passed as well. All of my friends passed. Immediately, we could hear shouts of joy all over the school. Photos of the result were taken and posted online. The noise was deafening. The joy was palpable. I couldn't contain mine as I jumped.
While people celebrated, there were those who failed. They looked so sad. I instantly felt sorry for them. They looked like their world fell apart. I could only imagine what they were going through.
I called my dad to tell him that I passed. He was so happy and proud. I could tell from his voice. He also informed my mum while on call with me. She screamed for joy.
I was finally relieved. It was as if a huge weight was off my chest.
