Anyone else feeling burnt out at the end of 3rd year?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

han14tra

Full Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2007
Messages
636
Reaction score
24
This is my last full week of third year, and everyday is a struggle. I'm on surgery (which I dislike), and each morning when I walk in my first thought is "Can I go home yet?" The weather is nice, I have Step 2 to study for, and I'm sick of this 12 week surgery rotation and my 3:45am alarm. Anyone else in the same boat?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Ending 3rd year with surgery would make me burnt out as well. The only perk of doing surgery was the sun was out at the end of the day. Never in the AM since I arrived at the hospital before 5.

Perk: Sun out when leaving
Non-perks: Surgery, waking at 3AM, knowing nothing (first rotation), driving 45 mins to the hospital which turned into an hour and a half commute at the end of the day, PIMPing, etc etc
 
I feel like I've been burnt out since February. Especially now on ob/gyn.... I just can't even force myself to pretend like I care about some things that I really don't. And trying to study... ugh... f uck it.

Ah well, I get two weeks off before starting my sub i's so that is pretty sweet!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I was extremely burned out... Thankfully my school lets us take 4th year rotations before we've finished 3rd year and doing a couple of rotations that I chose to do and wasn't required to do them and that didn't require shelf exams was the break I needed. Now I'm trying to drudge through my last 3rd year rotation which is made worse by having "seen the light of 4th year." Just a little bit more to go and it will be over...
 
I feel like I've been burnt out since February. Especially now on ob/gyn.... I just can't even force myself to pretend like I care about some things that I really don't. And trying to study... ugh... f uck it.

Ah well, I get two weeks off before starting my sub i's so that is pretty sweet!
The thought of the Sub-I terrifies me. I've been done since mid-May, but studying for Step II has made it not nearly as enjoyable as it should be.
 
Same. At least I get to finish on psych.

Just keep swimming, one more week.
 
I scheduled all of my hard rotations early so I could ease off at the end of third year. This worked and I feel a lot more refreshed, I am sure you will feel the same with a few easy rotations. Just fight through the next short bit and you will be fine.
 
Last edited:
Pace yourself, guys. Whenever you have a free moment (and aren't studying), or a free afternoon post-call, or a free day off, take advantage of it and make the most of it. Catch up with friends/family, do some reading, exercise, keep up with your hobbies. It doesn't get any better in residency.
 
Pace yourself, guys. Whenever you have a free moment (and aren't studying), or a free afternoon post-call, or a free day off, take advantage of it and make the most of it. Catch up with friends/family, do some reading, exercise, keep up with your hobbies. It doesn't get any better in residency.
Exactly why my vacation is going at the end of my 4th year. Done around April 20th or so. Love it.
 
The thought of the Sub-I terrifies me. I've been done since mid-May, but studying for Step II has made it not nearly as enjoyable as it should be.
Don't study too much. It's not that important of a test, unless you didn't do well on Step 1.

I worked with some interns this year who were studying like crazy for Step 3. Now that's a huge waste of time!
 
Dude I feel you. I went from surgery last block (started my burn out path) to now being on OB/GYN for my last block.

I didn't think anything could be more miserable than surgery and the whole 4AM wakeup time, but gyn seriously is. In addition to the misery of it just being gyn, the attendings are seriously awful and vicious (to staff, residents, students), and then the hostility trickles down and the residents, who are also burnt out and want a vacation, are just miserable people to be around. Hardly anyone at my school goes into ob/gyn, and now I can see why. geez. You know things are awful when you pray that the overhead lights in the OR smack your attending in the head because he's a huge jerk (...or hit you in the head by accident so you can get to leave early) hahaha.

I keep telling myself that I have 13 days left on my team and 15 days until the last shelf exam ever.
 
Currently doing ambulatory medicine. Every time I head to specialty clinic, I am incredibly aware that they never expect me and have no idea what my hours are supposed to be, and wouldn't care enough to check even if they knew I existed. The temptation is compounded by driving past a movie theater on my way to pulm clinic every week.

They'd never miss me.
 
Top