Being a London medical student really is unique. I can’t claim to know about the ins and outs of every medical school in the UK, however I truly believe that the London schools are special.
I’m talking about tradition. There are now five London medical schools (reduced down from fourteen or so due to various mergers) — Barts and the London (QMUL), Guy’s King’s and St. Thomas’s (KCL), Royal Free & University College (UCL), Imperial College (IC) and of course, St. George’s (SGUL). Each one of these medical schools has their own distinct character and with that comes the endless rivalry and banter that emerges at every inter-school competition!
As a rower, this was all too evident at Bumps. For those unfamiliar, the object of the game is to bump the crew ahead of you (to bump UP a place), but to avoid being bumped by the crew behind you (getting bumped DOWN a place!). It’s a tradition of the London medical schools that has stretched back for decades, but is one that still goes strong today.
The feeling of friendly rivalry and banter was not dissimilar to that experienced by the interhouse competitions you’d get at school, making the entire experience so enjoyable. At the end of the night, when the results were being announced, we all yelled our medical schools’ songs every time our medical school was mentioned and and booed hysterically when the other evil medical schools would be mentioned! This was all before, of course, the infamous afterparty that no-one seemed to remember very much of!
It just seems that this amount of banter and rivalry makes London probably the most ‘fun’ place to study medicine, than perhaps the other places around the UK without many schools in one place, and it’s why I love London!
I leave you with an excerpt of October 2004′s Medical Student newspaper, page 8-9, portraying the stereotypes behind each of the London Medical schools…
Imperial College School of Medicine: “The Nerds” (never seen without: prescription glasses)
Barts and the London: “The Morons” (never seen without: Bag o’ skunk)
St. George’s: “The Loners” (never seen without: rape alarm)
Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’s: “The Rudes” (never seen without: zig-zag sideburns)
Royal Free & University College: “The Dandies” (never seen without: scarf fluttering gaily in the wind)
……. and of course for completeness, the George’s song!
I don’t want to go to Mary’s
I don’t want to go to Bart’s
And they say the Royal Free, is not the place to be
And Tommie’s is a place for high-born fairies
UCL is a dump in central London
King’s is a hovel on the strand
I’d rather go to George’s,
Merry, Merry George’s
‘Cos George’s is the finest in the land ‘Cor Blimey!
Nice. I’d like to study there too. I’m studying medicine at Brussels.
boooooooooooooo tooting, it’s a dump full of Asian kids who do Medicine just,and yes just,study Med to keep their parents happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting observation meles joon! And where are you from, may I ask? The hovel on the Strand?
no, dump in central london, what about u?
Ahh that’s OK, we don’t mind RUMS. Though I suppose the song is obsolete as you guys recently demolished the ‘dump’ that was the former UCH and replaced it with a dazzling new UCH! And I’m surprised you didn’t know I’m from George’s!
booooooooooooooo Georges,
no worries, just joking, good luck to u mate, I’m Asian myself so please don’t feel offended if u’re Asian too, cheers
Haha and you mate! I am sort of Asian myself funnily enough haha! Though I must say your stereotype does have an essence of truth haha
Bit unfair calling Bart’s Morons!
lol @ Kings Zig Zags!
Oh Naim you do make me chuckle!!
You’re a legend and do make George’s more bearable….i woudl prefer a bigger med school i think, but George’s is great how you recognise everyone and there’s a real sense of community
:)
I think you got the words wrong:
I don’t want to go to Mary’s
I don’t want to go to Barts
They say the Royal Free, is not the place to Be
and George’s are a bunch of high class wankers
UCL are fucking boring
and King’s is a hole in the Strand
I’d rather go to Guy’s, merry merry Guy’s
and fornicate my fucking life away (cor blimey!)
That’s much better!