Medical school moves fast! One minute you’re figuring out where your classes are, and the next you’re somehow halfway through boards, speeding through phases and reminiscing about classes you thought you’d never pass. It all blurs together, and honestly, most of the time you’re just trying to make it to the next week.
That’s exactly why taking pictures is so important. Photos are the little snapshots that help you remember what this whole crazy experience actually felt like. Not just the big moments like getting your white coat or passing a board exam, but the random everyday stuff: your quick coffee trips with friends between classes, your lab group at the end of each tri, and the tired snapchats after all the practicals.
The Medical School Experience
Later on, when you scroll back through your camera roll, those pictures will be what reminds you of those moments that make up your experience. You’ll see a photo from a week you barely survived and suddenly remember the exact mix of stress, pride, exhaustion and joy you were feeling. You’ll look at group photos and think, “those people really got me through it.” And some pictures just make you laugh, because you forgot how chaotic things used to be, and how certain classes felt like the end of the world.
What’s surprising is how bittersweet it feels. You remember how tough it was, but you also kind of miss it: the camaraderie, the late nights, the sense that you were in something big together. Pictures capture all of that in a way your memory won’t. This is the exact reason why documenting the process has been so meaningful to me.
Pictures…Pictures…Pictures!
So take the photos! The group pics, the study pics, the clinic pics, the ones you’ll never post. Later, they become reminders of how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown. They’re proof that you went through something hard, meaningful, and life changing. Those pictures will help you feel it all over again — and remind you of all the people who were by your side. As all of us become doctors, we will always be reminded of our days together as students.
