University
Manipal College of Medical Sciences

Current Year
Internship

Medical Specialty Interested in
Ophthalmology, Obstetrics/Gynecology, (A surgical specialty)

Most Inspiring Person
I do not have a particular person in my mind, hence I try to get inspiration from everyone around me because each one of us has our own strongholds and morals.

Single Quality that defines a great Doctor
Strong Work Ethic and Compassion

First of all, walk us through the step-by-step processes that you went through to get to where you are today?

I was always torn between helping my dad with his business (and eventually becoming CEO/COO), and doing Medicine for as long as I can remember. Hence, I did Economics as an optional subject and decided to work for him during the 6 month break between O'levels and A'levels. If I liked it, my plan was to study Accounting and Commerce and move in that direction. However, I realized that I did not like having a desk job nor a monotonous routine. Hence, I chose the subjects needed for MBBS for my A'levels. 

After A'levels, I was almost 100% sure that I'd do medicine, but I wanted to take a gap year before I plunged back to studies. So for the first 8 months of my gap year, I worked at multiple NGOs, Maldives Red Cross Red Crescent Society and the Maldives Girl Guides Association etc. conducting various workshops, participating in various training, doing base line surveys, etc. It was a very fulfilling and an eye-opening experience for me. I spent the next 3 months working in IGMH as a volunteer clinical assistant because I wanted to have a first-hand experience of what I am choosing as a career path. 

I've been in Manipal ever since. However, I still volunteer at IGMH and shadow doctors between semesters, (if I get a vacation of 4 or more weeks) because I dislike staying home all the time and not working. Plus, the exposure helps.

When did you first realize you wanted to study medicine?

Being a doctor or being an entrepreneur were the only options I ever considered. So the choice was quite obvious when I crossed off being an entrepreneur from the list after O'levels. I've always wanted to become one or the other.

Take us through a typical study day.

It really depends on how close the exams are. 

I always prepare for finals 6-7 months ahead so before that, a typical day would look like; waking up for Fajr, sleeping again, grabbing a cup of coffee (Coffee is a must! ), and going for classes followed by clinical postings and then Problem Based Learning (PBL) or lectures. By the time I come back to hostel it will be around 4 pm. After that I'd go for a jog/ watch a movie/ nap/ hangout with my friends/ call home, and then read up for the next day for 3 hours or so and sleep at around 1 am. 

I'd have more or less the same routine while prepping for finals but I'd increase the number of hours to about 5 to 6 effective study hours a day. However, I always take time for myself, call home and Netflix, because I don't think one can be persistent in his/her studies for such a long time if you don't give time for yourself and not do the things you love. 

Our college usually gives us a study break of 2 months prior finals, so there won't be any classes or clinical postings which allows me to fully function as the night owl I am. I'd sleep after Fajr prayers, at around 5 am, wake up at noon, have a good lunch and start studying by 2. Usually the sessions are 3 hours with 30 minute breaks for prayers, coffee, Skype sessions, walking around hostel and visiting friends or naps. I do take an hour for dinner though. When I take breaks, I really try to enjoy the limited time and I don't think about if I'm lagging behind my schedule or whether I can recall what I studied. I always made sure I gave myself a proper break. Normally during the last 2 months, I'd push my study hours to 15 to 18 hours a day. 

The last two months were always very exhausting. And it physically and mentally drained me. I remember having to consult and taking medications for constant stress-induced gastritis and Myalgia for the last month into finals as well. It was pretty stressful.

How do you stay motivated to study?

Alhamdhlillah, my biggest motivator is my support group. My parents, husband, family and friends. It's natural to feel overwhelmed so whenever I do, I always call them and they remind me of why I started this in the first place, and I go right back on track.

What are some of your favorite online resources/tools?

Never underestimate YouTube! 

I follow various USMLE/ MCAT instagram accounts as well. So everyday, there'd be a handful of MCQs on various topics. It helps to refresh my memory on what I've studied. 

Back when I studied Anatomy in basic sciences, I used the Essential Anatomy 5 app. It really helped me grasp the content and visualize better and helped me cut down hours of reading. 

I also downloaded all the Dr.Najeeb's lectures (available on YouTube). 

While I study I always use an app called Forest, which helps me concentrate and not get distracted. 

And I have all my textbooks downloaded on my phone so that I could read up on all the cases I come across during the clinical postings. 

During my free time, I sometimes scroll through an app called Prognosis which is a real life simulator on handling various cases as a doctor. It's fun.

Name your favorite medical text book.

Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery.

Why do you think becoming a doctor is important?

To give back to the society, and to create a positive impact on people's lives everyday. As well as saving lives and to increase people's quality of living.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started medical school?

The sheer volume of content one needs to master for each paper. I always knew it would be hard, but I wish I knew HOW hard it was going to be. To be honest, the first year caught me off-guard and I had a pretty tough time adjusting to the changes. 

Also, I wish I had already developed self study skills before coming to Med school. We were always spoon-fed content back home and the sudden drastic change was a bit difficult to deal with during the first few years.

What do you think needs to change in the health industry of the Maldives today?

From the doctors side: Patients need to be counselled more, and given more time. It would avoid a lot of misunderstandings, and avoid unnecessary blame on the doctors by the patient party. 

From the hospital administration and policy making bodies: The lack of experienced doctors in the atolls need to be addressed. And Male' needs to be de-centralized. 

From the patients side: It would actually make a lot of difference to put themselves in the doctors shoes. For example to understand that the doctor might get late coming to the OPD because she/he was doing a surgery which might have had complications and got delayed. 

All of us (doctors and patients) need to change and have a lot of empathy and understanding towards the other party.

Finally, what is the one tip/advice you want to give to our readers?

Medicine is the biggest commitment you will ever make in your life, so you should be ready to commit to it. But once you do, it really is very worth it.

The My Medical Student Life series was created for the sole purpose of helping medical students and aspiring doctors on their journey to become a successful Maldivian Healthcare Professional. Have a suggestion, idea or question? Email us.

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