I have those "oh crap" moments annually.
See here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=589376
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=672550
There's a lot of cynics here on SDN, but I gotta say that as stressful as med school has been and besides the occasional freakout, I've been having a blast. I just started 3rd year with OB/GYN. I heard so many complaints & horror stories. But so far I'm loving being in the hospital and around patients. By my 2nd week I helped deliver a baby, scrubbed in on hysterectomies, c-sections & 1st assisted on robotics & laproscopic cases. I've gotten to make several diagnoses & counseled patients. Even though they've been pretty straightforward cases it's pretty cool when you give your differential, primary Dx, assessment & plan, and your attending says, "sounds good. Let's see the patient & you do the talking." Everything's new. Mundane things that will bore us in the future are exciting. I'm trying to soak that up and enjoy that feeling. I never thought I'd look through a speculum and see a real cervix for the first time be like "That's pretty cool." Had a sweet old lady tell me I was her favorite doctor. lol. I tried to tell her I was only a medical student but she insisted on calling me doctor NTF everytime I was in her room (my heart kind of leapt everytime I heard it). I haven't even really gotten that annoyed when a resident or attending gives me flack. I guess being older it's easier not to take personally. I haven't felt the need to kiss anyone's ass which has been nice. Just being helpful & eager to learn seems good enough. We get evals every 2 weeks as part of our grades and I got excellent marks from the attendings & residents, even ones that seemed irritated by me.
And just to let those with families know it can be done without total disaster on the homefront, I've been able to maintain a semblance of family life as well. There's ebbs & flows, worse times and better times, but we're making it work. I've got 2 daughters and a wife whose a full-time student as well. We definitely make sacrifices & compromises but we've been able to make sure that we get family time, not everyday, but on a consistent basis every week. And we've both been able to excel academically while doing it. My wife is on the Dean's List at her school. I'm in the top 20% at mine & did very well on step 1.
I don't know. Sometimes I just have to pinch myself. Of course there's all kinds of sh*tstorms in medicine, but there's also a lot that's really friggin' cool & fun. I just try to enjoy the fun stuff & let the crap roll off my back. I often think to myself on my way home, "you know, I'm really having a blast."
Best of luck to all the non-trads. I really do feel like I'm living the dream.
