O'week at Deakin

By Traudi Almhofer
Publications Officer,
Deakin Medical Students Society

In February, 135 first year students got their first taste of what it is really like to study medicine at Deakin.

It began with O'week, where many of the freshers realised just how intense the course could be.

Those who expected an orientation week similar to that of their undergrad years were surprised to find that the usual playful activities had been traded for lectures on microscopy, cellular biology, and basic genetics.

While the medical school’s O’week may be somewhat unconventional, the fantastic staff at Deakin put together a week-long academic program that would give any first year medical student a great head start in their initial few weeks.

But it wasn’t all work and no play. Throughout the holiday period, Deakin’s medical society worked hard to put together an equally important social program to help the freshers relax and unwind after hours of gruelling introductory lessons.

On the Wednesday night, the entire cohort was officially welcomed to Geelong by the city mayor. Students were invited to share drinks and nibbles with Geelong Council, senior clinicians, school of medicine staff, and others who in one way or another helped to shape the course.

The Thursday night was earmarked as opening night for the inaugural Med Revue, “An Inconvenient Spoof” told a tale of three individuals, all of whom had made it through the admission selection process, and were now at their first day of medical school.

The hilarious parody had the audience in stitches with cheeky comments about the state of health in politics, the odd boy-band impression, and stunningly accurate impersonations of some of our most memorable teachers.

Finally, the week’s social activities concluded with Med Camp – a two day mass event that saw participating students party hard throughout the night, and have some fun throughout the days.

The first-years had their first opportunity to try their hands at clinical skills such as suturing bananas and plastering each other’s limbs, while the more competitive students fought it out for the winner’s title in the kidney-throwing competitions and venipuncture relay races.

The highlight for most however was the now infamous toga party, where students had the chance to bond and get to know each other a little better - some a little more so than others!

Although O’week is well and truly over, the overall response has been positive, with student’s feeling well equipped with knowledge to help them through the many challenges that lay ahead of them this year. 

Equally important are the new friendships that will hopefully last not only throughout the length of this course, but long into their future careers as doctors.