Dear Medical Students

…I have something to tell you.

The financial recompense for working all the hours God sends, being treated like everyone’s personal whipping boy/girl, doing all the crap jobs (yes, even you will grow to loathe taking blood for the boredom factor and wish you could get your hands on larger needles) and never, ever, ever going home on time is WORTH IT.

Yessiree, I got paid today, and boy is it worth it. For a start it turns out I am banded higher than I thought (2A not 1A for those who are interested, hallelujah) and also it turns out that I’d been forcing myself to expect a much lower amount so I wouldn’t be disappointed.

It worked!

So I’m now down one overdraft with enough money left over to pay my rent, buy my long-and-eagerly-awaited iPod, get a new phone (mine dies a lot), buy some trousers AND eat strawberries.

I may even bounce into work tomorrow.

It’s amazing what getting rid of some debt can do!

So, dear medical students, I have been you and wondered when my time will come. Let me tell you that it will come, and you are paid more than bus drivers (not after you add the overtime, so don’t do that calculation, it’s not good for your soul) and you will get to take your family out to dinner. Stick at it.

And believe me about the taking blood. After the 20th time on a sunday morning when you have a million other things to do, it gets boring.

Yours richly,

Dr Joey BMSc(hons) MBChB NrlyDed