Before it begins...

Assalam-o-alaikum! (Peace be upon you!)

Yes, this is my first post on Medibytes. It always feels a bit awkward when you post for the first time on a new blog - it takes time to get into 'the feel of the place'. Anyhow, I'll get right down to introducing myself. I'm a medical student at Dow Medical College (of the Dow University) in Karachi (Pakistan) and I've just given my second year (pre-clinical) finals. Third year starts in about two weeks time and, judging by what everyone has been saying, it's the real deal thereafter.

Starting Third year, I'll be entering phase two - the clinical phase - of my medical education. Not only do the subjects get tougher (we've been doing 'basic health sciences' so far) but we actually get to meet the patients now. Much more will be expected from us and there'll be none of the 'Oh, they're kids, be easy on them' kind of thing anymore. I'm preparing myself, mentally, for the challenges I'll face ahead, no doubt, in the exciting and fast-paced field of medicine.

I love this profession - it's just so good! You get a chance to help people and even if you've made the slightest bit of difference in the life of even one person, that matters the whole world - it does to them! And that's what makes all the hard work worthwhile. When I put on my lab coat and gear up for a day at college, I can feel the responsbility of upholding the respect for this profession. The white-coat turns heads, people treat you with a degree of reverence and expect you to be really gentle and helpful. That is where the responsiblity part comes in - never let people down!

I wanted to start this blog, to be able to share my love of this beautiful profession with all of you. You might be medical students, or just looking for something good to read, you'll find simple, understandable stuff on my blog, InshAllah (if Allah Wills). Since I'll be dealing with medicine-related topics here, I'll save the rest of my doodling for "Between Dusk and Dawn" - my main blog over at Wordpress.

Have a good time and I hope you learn something new about medicine, or doctors, or even simply about the life of a typical medical student, here at Medibytes!

Assalam-o-alaikum! (May peace be upon you!)