# Hippokrates confessions: the truth about medicine students

The recent craze over university confession Facebook pages has given students a platform to reveal the truth. The pages are a sure way to enlighten anyone with funny, shocking or revealing truths, the whole truth and nothing but it!

Well, I am ashamed to admit that I believed all the stereotypes about medicine students. A multitude of stereotypes exist about university students and separate ones exclusively for medicine students. “Medicine students are arrogant and condescending mind-numbing geniuses. The thought of attending a campus where I would just be surrounded by snobs….” But, fortunately, gracing the town of Parow was the modest, intimate and exuberant Hippokrates Kingdom to reveal the truth.

001# Medicine students are generally perceived as smart people who don’t want to see other succeed as they are constantly competing with each other. This is accompanied by the general expectation that med students never struggle. Prepared for no assistance and competitive environment, the Hippokrates support system of mentuts, mentors and house mothers surprised me. Here, it isn’t an uncommon site seeing a seniors explaining subjects like anatomy, offering their own notes, past papers and past life forms portfolios (to use as a reference, not to plagiarise).

002# How many times have you heard “All medical students chose their career for status and money,”? That perception was immediately shattered when we, as first years of the Hippokrates Residence, made Marie biscuits and sweets snacks glazed with condense milk for children at The Tygerberg Hospital within weeks of our arrival. The care medicine students supposedly lack was further disproved when a group of over 20 students, ranging from first years to sixth years, attended a Khayelitsha community garden initiative.

003# Study, study, study, that is definitely not we do all day here, be glad parents. The biggest stereotype has to be the notion that medicine students don’t party and can’t dance! Hippokrates has probably thrown the wildest parties such as township themed which saw people dressed in a box only and the club opening that ended at 3am. It’s all in the aim to provide society with well-rounded, balanced and sane practitioners because they are effective in their respective fields.

Well now you know, medical students are not the typical stereotypes. We are caring, exciting, wild and spirited people. It might just be that Hippokrates Kingdom has the best people and is the best residence ever. #amazing

Pumeza Ngcetane