Before I began medicine, I did a Science Degree at one of the universities near my parent's place. As far as science degrees go it was probably quite good but I retained basically none of the information in the years following and I remember worrying that my lack of retention may pose ominous for medicine. I needn't have worried.

Medicine is taught primarily through case (or problem) - based learning. Whereby the students are issued with a case and through that particular scenario you learn about relevant physiology, pathology, diagnostics and examinations. In the first two years of medicine I've covered most of the topics that I'd learnt about in science but where I had lost the information immediately following the exams, I have found that what I've learnt seems to stick and that I enjoy it. That for the first time in my life I leave the grounds of a university (or school) and actually smile about the things that I've learnt.

It's what's made me realise that medicine is the place for me. Every block I've struggled to overcome hurdles in my learning and I've struggled to come to grips with the realisation that this is what I have planned for the rest of my life. That this all-consuming, intelligent and engaging world is what I've had my sights set on since I was ten and I'm scared in more ways than I can count about losing my chance. But I've also learnt that this is one degree where hard work, motivation and a genuine enjoyment for most of the content is rewarded.