Not being a gunner

[DifferentialDiagnosis]

I'm taking summer classes and the speed of the material has been unprecedented. I'm doing really well by non-premed standards but now I feel like I'm starting to go insane.

I'm starting to feel like a gunner.

Why? Because my friend is in one of my classes and when I got a 101 on a test she got 110 (extra credit+10pt curve).

I REALIZE HOW INSANE THIS IS.

Yet for some reason it bugs me and because the standard I set for myself is so high I'm currently stressing way beyond what I should be.

I keep telling myself "You're being crazy, you did really well, this says nothing about how you'll do in life, you're actually doing really well"

And then

"You're not #1, she's not even a premed and she's doing better, she has more natural talent and you need to study harder to beat the stupid that's holding you back"

So.. What POSITIVE things do you say to yourself in these moments?

I swear I'm a normal person and not those "throw you in the road to get ahead" type people, and she's my friend so I'm trying to be happy for her instead of wallowing in self-doubt. Help?

And please keep the hate level low, I realize I'll get some backlash but this is a real thing for me. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NickNaylor]

You don't need to be #1 to be a good person and a good student. In fact, have an obsession with being #1 will probably make you a bad person.

Don't worry about what other people do. Don't even ask how they do on tests. Do the best that you can and achieve at a level that you're comfortable with. This will become especially important once you get to medical school when you almost certainly won't be the strongest student in the class.

 

[Lawpy]

I'm taking summer classes and the speed of the material has been unprecedented. I'm doing really well by non-premed standards but now I feel like I'm starting to go insane.

I'm starting to feel like a gunner.

Why? Because my friend is in one of my classes and when I got a 101 on a test she got 110 (extra credit+10pt curve).

I REALIZE HOW INSANE THIS IS.

Yet for some reason it bugs me and because the standard I set for myself is so high I'm currently stressing way beyond what I should be.

I keep telling myself "You're being crazy, you did really well, this says nothing about how you'll do in life, you're actually doing really well"

And then

"You're not #1, she's not even a premed and she's doing better, she has more natural talent and you need to study harder to beat the stupid that's holding you back"

So.. What POSITIVE things do you say to yourself in these moments?

I swear I'm a normal person and not those "throw you in the road to get ahead" type people, and she's my friend so I'm trying to be happy for her instead of wallowing in self-doubt. Help?

And please keep the hate level low, I realize I'll get some backlash but this is a real thing for me. Thanks.

Except for chatting with girls and getting their phone numbers for fun times , I really don't pay attention to what my classmates do and focus on my own work. As long as I do well in classes, I'm satisfied. That should be your priority.

 

[BrCo]

"If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself." - Max Ehrmann

 

[Lamel]

Should have said you need her help to "study" and that you should hang out after class. Missed opportunity OP.

 

[DermViser]

You don't need to be #1 to be a good person and a good student. In fact, have an obsession with being #1 will probably make you a bad person.

Don't worry about what other people do. Don't even ask how they do on tests. Do the best that you can and achieve at a level that you're comfortable with. This will become especially important once you get to medical school when you almost certainly won't be the strongest student in the class.

If it's one thing I think all medical students figure out at some point is that there is ALWAYS someone better than you. Heck that's why there are MD/PhDs (I kid, I kid...).

The key is to figure what you personally want in life and what is important to you (which may not be medicine-related goals), do the very best you can, study with people whose strengths are your weaknesses and vice versa, don't let others get you down or psych you out, and to be flexible and not rigid. A lot of medical school is a test not only of book smarts and intelligence but also of endurance - having a support system is key.

 

[DermViser]

Except for chatting with girls and getting their phone numbers for fun times , I really don't pay attention to what my classmates do and focus on my own work. As long as I do well in classes, I'm satisfied. That should be your priority.

- And when you're not doing well, then what?

 

[2Pints]

Except for chatting with girls and getting their phone numbers for fun times , I really don't pay attention to what my classmates do and focus on my own work. As long as I do well in classes, I'm satisfied. That should be your priority.

At first I read "eating their phone numbers." Two thoughts came to mind. 1. Who still gets phone numbers on paper? 2. I'm not sure if eating said paper would win me over. Although I'd be intrigued.

 

[Lawpy]

At first I read "eating their phone numbers." Two thoughts came to mind. 1. Who still gets phone numbers on paper? 2. I'm not sure if eating said paper would win me over. Although I'd be intrigued.

I have my ways

- And when you're not doing well, then what?

Then I get more phone numbers

 

[BrCo]

Whaaatt?? This has always worked for me. I walk right up to a girl. Say something along the lines of "Hey girl, wanna write those digits down for me." She tries to text me her number, but you know I'm not taking it. I whip out my felt tip pen and a piece of scratch paper. Soon as she hands me that gold, I look her in the eyes and get to chomping. Works every time. Other premeds taught me this strategy, so it obviously works.

At first I read "eating their phone numbers." Two thoughts came to mind. 1. Who still gets phone numbers on paper? 2. I'm not sure if eating said paper would win me over. Although I'd be intrigued.

 

[DermViser]

Whaaatt?? This has always worked for me. I walk right up to a girl. Say something along the lines of "Hey girl, wanna write those digits down for me." She tries to text me her number, but you know I'm not taking it. I whip out my felt tip pen and a piece of scratch paper. Soon as she hands me that gold, I look her in the eyes and get to chomping. Works every time. Other premeds taught me this strategy, so it obviously works.

Is that your baby in your avatar?

 

[Lawpy]

Whaaatt?? This has always worked for me. I walk right up to a girl. Say something along the lines of "Hey girl, wanna write those digits down for me." She tries to text me her number, but you know I'm not taking it. I whip out my felt tip pen and a piece of scratch paper. Soon as she hands me that gold, I look her in the eyes and get to chomping. Works every time. Other premeds taught me this strategy, so it obviously works.

Dat avatar. @DermViser is impressed. And I think you won @TriNurse over!

Is that your baby in your avatar?

That infant in your avatar was evil to me

 

[BrCo]

Sadly no, I stole this baby from google.

Is that your baby in your avatar?

 

[LaceyMD]

OP, breathe. You need to start reminding yourself that the A is going to look exactly the same on your transcript as it is on your friend's, and at the end of the day, that's what matters. In essence, she isn't doing better than you, you're both getting the exact same grade. Start thinking of it that way (letter grades instead of test scores) and you may alleviate some of your stress.

 

[2Pints]

Whaaatt?? This has always worked for me. I walk right up to a girl. Say something along the lines of "Hey girl, wanna write those digits down for me." She tries to text me her number, but you know I'm not taking it. I whip out my felt tip pen and a piece of scratch paper. Soon as she hands me that gold, I look her in the eyes and get to chomping. Works every time. Other premeds taught me this strategy, so it obviously works.

And this is where you get entered in my phone as "Paper Chomper". This wouldn't be the worst thing somebody has titled in my phone though. So kudos for that.

 

[Omppu27]

I'm starting to feel like a gunner.

The first step is admitting that there is problem. Good for you.

 

[IL Pre Med]

Whether you win by an inch or a mile, a win is a win.

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

I'm taking summer classes and the speed of the material has been unprecedented. I'm doing really well by non-premed standards but now I feel like I'm starting to go insane.

I'm starting to feel like a gunner.

Why? Because my friend is in one of my classes and when I got a 101 on a test she got 110 (extra credit+10pt curve).

I REALIZE HOW INSANE THIS IS.

Yet for some reason it bugs me and because the standard I set for myself is so high I'm currently stressing way beyond what I should be.

I keep telling myself "You're being crazy, you did really well, this says nothing about how you'll do in life, you're actually doing really well"

And then

"You're not #1, she's not even a premed and she's doing better, she has more natural talent and you need to study harder to beat the stupid that's holding you back"

So.. What POSITIVE things do you say to yourself in these moments?

I swear I'm a normal person and not those "throw you in the road to get ahead" type people, and she's my friend so I'm trying to be happy for her instead of wallowing in self-doubt. Help?

And please keep the hate level low, I realize I'll get some backlash but this is a real thing for me. Thanks.

Lol, that's cute.

So like someone else here said, there will always be someone better than you. You might be first in your class, you might not, you probably won't get a 45 on the MCAT, there will be people who score better than you, you probably won't be the top of your med school class, and you probably won't get the highest board scores. At every level there will be someone better, more successful, richer, and all that. Why damn your self-confidence, why compare yourself and bring the death to your own joy? Does you comparing yourself to her help you accomplish your goals? No. All that matters is how you perform. When you apply to med school the adcoms won't be asking you about the other 200 students in your class, they will be looking at you, and you only, and won't give a rats ass about how the other kids did. If someone did better, learn from them, ask them how they studied and such, what their method was. Heck, maybe they did really well because they happen to have a passion for that specific part of physics and know everything about it. Don't compare to those who do better than you, be happy for them, and more importantly, learn from them.

 

[Mavs88]

Just remember. Your transcript only says your grades. Your GPA. Not anyone else's. As long as you're learning and making the grade you want....forget the rest.

 

[DifferentialDiagnosis]

Thanks guys! So I finally got over it, the comments helped a lot and the GPA thing.. Well, A+ A and A-'s are weighted differently here so it's kind of terrifying. I found errors in his grading but I told him I'd wait the weekend, analyze my test, and if I actually cared enough I'd speak to him during office hours Monday. Which I don't think I will, but it depends
PS: I will definitely try the eating peoples' phone numbers thing. Totally works.

 

[Aerus]

Thanks guys! So I finally got over it, the comments helped a lot and the GPA thing.. Well, A+ A and A-'s are weighted differently here so it's kind of terrifying. I found errors in his grading but I told him I'd wait the weekend, analyze my test, and if I actually cared enough I'd speak to him during office hours Monday. Which I don't think I will, but it depends
PS: I will definitely try the eating peoples' phone numbers thing. Totally works.

It doesn't matter in the end, since AMCAS will treat A+'s and A's the same way.