Med School Self-defense and Security: How to Protect Yourself

While this article won't exactly help you finish your studies in med school, it will help you with an issue that a lot of people (especially women) struggle with. On average, 1 out of 6 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime and women in college are four times more likely to be assaulted. This isn't a cause for paranoia or a reason to be scared of going to collage. However, this is a valid threat to keep in mind before you make stupid decisions or bad calls. In this article we will explore how students can secure their room and learn self-defense in case things go wrong. Remember, it only takes one psychotic lunatic to destroy one's life and it is up to you to take things into your own hands!

Chart: Self-defense class can be extremely valuable. Don't ever think with the mindset "It will never happen to me" because it very well could. 

Also, if you are going abroad or a bit too far from home, your parents will certainly have a better peace of mind if they know that you can kick some @$$ (talking from personal experience)! :D

Enroll in a Self-defense Course

A very practical solution for this problem is to simply enroll in a short self-defense course before you go to college. Also, there are a lot these courses that are often organized at schools themselves, but we highly recommend you get this out of the way before your studies and classes begin. A lot of you may be thinking: but that could be expensive and very time-consuming! Actually it really isn't and you may often find courses like this to be free, especially for women.

Learn how to control the situation

As for the time consuming part, this obviously depends on the course and your own ability to organize your schedule and manage your commitments and duties. In general, a course like this will require you to come to class once or twice a week for a total of 2 to 4 hours of your time per week. However, these courses are usually done in less then a month so no need to worry about it stretching on too long. 

If the course is ran by an experienced trainer then you will probably get the chance to learn some interesting things abut anatomy and the way the human body functions in stressful and dangerous situations. If you are just starting out med school then information like this may be very helpful so that's actually an extra bonus!

Buy Personal Security Products

If it is legal in your area and permitted by the campus rules, we recommend that you invest some money into a canister or two of disguised pepper spray. If a self-defense course isn't a valid option for you, then at least take the time to buy one of these handy products. Did you know that some of these canisters can be disguised as perfume or lipstick bottles? This allows you to always have a very powerful element of surprise in your pocket/purse. We recommend this product - Heart: Perfume Pepper Spray by Streetwise as it provides amazing stopping power for only $14.95 and the website we linked also provides free shipping.

A disguised canister of pepper spray

Secure Your Room and Personal Belongings

The most important thing to recommend in this section is to remember to check if your door is locked. This is especially important during the night, when you are away or even if you just hop into the shower for a movement or run downstairs to borrow a book. Aside from this, here are a couple of other handy tips to keep in mind:

• If you have a car make sure it is locked and check on it from time to time. It is a good idea to move it from one parking spot to another in order to divert thieves who may have been planning to steal it if they notice that the car is being unused for a long time.
• Don't leave your things all over the place, even if you are in the library. If you leave some important stuff just standing there while you hop to the vending machine in the hallway just to get something to eat then you should be prepared to return and find some of your stuff missing. Be careful!
• Keep important numbers on several places. These include things such as the police, firemen, collage services, your bank, family and friends. Don't just keep these numbers on your smartphone, but write them down somewhere in case the phone itself is the things that gets stolen. 
• If your credit card gets stolen remember to quickly call the bank and have them cancel it before someone cashes it out.
• Make friends! No, seriously making real friends at campus is such a wonderful thing! These people will be your future colleagues at one point and there is no reason not to get to know them right away. These is another reason as well - you are stronger and safer in a group, especially if you go out somewhere. 

Have your own tips and stories to share? Post them in the comments bellow! :)