Affiliate Blog: Henry Li
Hey! It’s great to find you here, thanks for taking the time to read this blog. My name is Henry, I’m currently in my 3rd year of Medicine studying at Trinity College, and I’m going to try answer to the best of my abilities some common questions that I get asked. Whether you’re an aspiring medial student, or you so happened to accidentally stumble upon this page, I hope you find it somewhat useful, and somewhat enjoyable!
Background + why choose medicine
So a bit about my background, my parents emigrated from China in the year 2000, and I was born in Dublin in 2003. Growing up Chinese-Irish has had a huge impact on the person I’ve turned out to be. I absolutely adore both cultures and I aim to continuously immerse myself in both!
From a young age, I started learning the violin, and I joined competitive swimming at the age of 7. Both of these are naturally social; in terms of the violin, it was being able to be a part of orchestras, and in terms of swimming, it was daily swimming training, and well as frequent swimming galas. Thus, I loved being around people, and was surprisingly chatty, especially when compared to other Chinese kids who might have struggled with self-expression due to English being their second language.
I loved every moment of school, and when it was finally time to consider what to choose to study in college, medicine had become quite a natural choice. I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and vividly remember as a young adult sitting in Dundrum public library for hours, perusing through encyclopaedias of human physiology whilst my mother browsed different shops. Maybe it was all those years of violin practice that made me so dexterous, but I still remember watching Grey’s Anatomy for the first time and becoming obsessed with suturing. I even held a sewing needle over a flame to curve it, then spent hours “suturing” a banana peel, just for fun. Some people have very succinct responses as to why they chose medicine, but for me, I simply just can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
I always joke about having nightmares of working an office job, but to be completely frank, there’s quite a bit of truth behind it. I’m an extrovert by nature, and love meeting new people and learning their stories, and if I can help them along the way, then that’s an added bonus!
Juggling demanding course + creating content online, how to manage time?
It’s no secret that medicine is an extremely challenging degree, and I think it’s so important to balance study with other aspects of life, rather than being completely consumed by it. At the moment, when I’m not studying or on placement, I go to the gym and exercise, sing and perform with my college acapella group, and teach grinds, which is my main source of income. The reason this combination works for me is because gym + exercise offers me a chance to be with my own thoughts, a daily drop of peace in my busy routine. Singing and performing allow me to keep my musical background alive, as well as giving me the chance to travel and perform in all sorts of amazing venues; Yankee Stadium, Trinity Ball, and Electric Picnic to name a few. Teaching allows me to be flexible with my own hours, as well
as offering me enough income to sustain myself each week, without taking up too much time that would otherwise infringe on study time or time needed to relax.
I often get asked how I manage to create content on top of all of this, and the answer is simply that I enjoy creating content, and to me, it’s not a chore, and more so a hobby. I find that when I enjoy doing something, it boosts my energy as opposed to drains it. I get such an adrenaline rush when videos start to go viral, and I love having the opportunity to work with brands and travel on brand trips. I also love documenting my medicine journey, and being able to look back on different periods of this journey and reflecting on how far I’ve come!
Love most about medicine
No two days in the hospital are the same, and to me, that is my favourite thing about medicine. I love the constantly changing environment, the different challenges each day presents itself with, but also the different solutions we have every day to these challenges. Every single day I walk into those hospital doors, I know I am going to walk out with new pieces of knowledge to add to the constantly expanding sea of information that I am trying to gain a grasp on. I take joy in being uncomfortable at first – be that in terms of lack of knowledge, or lack of experience, and over time, becoming familiarised to the situation or
environment, due to my own dedication, or from the fantastic teaching and exposure I’m offered every day by the doctors, nurses, and all other staff members.
The hospital feels like a hive, a big network of teams, all working together for the same goal; to help those who need us the most, and to make every day better than the day previous. Seeing members from all different areas of the hospital; physiotherapy, nursing, occupational therapy, even chaplaincy, come together for the same purpose truly amazes me each day, and I cannot wait to continue this journey.
Advice for students before starting this journey
I think the most important piece of advice to give people before starting their medicine journey is to remember that medicine is a marathon not a sprint! There will be moments when you feel behind and overwhelmed, and you feel everyone understands things faster than you, but that’s completely normal.
It’s super important to keep up your hobbies, to see you friends, and continue doing the things you’ve always loved doing. In truth, medicine can very easily take over your life; there will always be another lecture to watch and another flashcard to review, but making time for yourself isn’t lazy, it’s completely necessary. Enjoy the process, and one day, all your hard work will pay off!