A medical degree is more punishing than Pistorius’ sentence

Unless you’ve been locked away in your bathroom for the last few weeks, you will have heard of the perpetual soap opera that was Oscar Pistorius’ trial.

Many think that his five year sentence is not long enough, and justice has not been duly served after Pistorius was given jail time for culpable homicide of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

What is also apparent is the weightier sentencing of a medical degree.

Don’t shoot

Assigning yourself to a five year (or more) commitment in which your profession is set in stone is an onerous task to say the least.

And by the time the medic in the room next door to me has just put down his textbooks at this University, Oscar Pistorius will be a free man, in less debt and eating branded beans for breakfast.

Will they ever get out alive?

First-year medic Meg said: “It always feels like you are in lectures and have way less free time than people on other courses, because you have to do more work outside of lectures.

“A lot is expected of your behaviour.

“We also have more early starts, and end up feeling guilty if we have too many nights out.”

As you can see, it is clear that med-school enforces a greater sense of guilt than the South African judicial system.

Defence lawyers of the fallen star have predicted that Oscar will be out of jail in 10 months’ time, transferring to house arrest for the remaining four years and two months.

For first year Nottingham Medics, they are confined to the harrowing architecture of halls such as Willoughby, or treated like a murderer in a prison in Rutland.

After that, they are left to fend for themselves, and probably have to eat more tinned food and do more chores than Pistorius will do in a lifetime.

Manual labour is also degrading, with the ghastly trek to the QMC for a day’s work.

Another thing is memory – medics will have to remember copious lists and facts to feel like they are just on track with getting their degree.

The only thing Oscar will have to remember is to pick up his lavish watch from his uncle.

So we feel sorry for medics.

Unlike Oscar, they are designed to save lives, yet they are licensed to work long hours, behave a certain way and are guaranteed at least £45,000 of debt by the end of it all.

And like Pistorius’ jail sentence, they’ll spend most of their five years legless and in tears.