anyone else freaking out about the future?

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ABSOLUTsher07

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You know how sometimes you're so concentrated on achieving a goal that, when it's finally within your grasp, you don't know what to do with yourself anymore? No? ok, maybe I'm just going insane. I feel like I've worked so hard to get into med school, and now that I have, I'm starting to really freak out. Another 4 years of school? Sure, I want to be a doctor and I've definately factored the dedication factor into my decision, but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud? Then I'll be $60,000 in the hole with a big question mark for my future.... anyone else feeling this way?
 
Yeah kinda...not really. It's all good in the hood, namean?
 
Welcome to the unknown. Just count yourself lucky, because the majority of everyone else out there is dealing with the same problematic thoughts without an acceptance letter in hand.
 
u namean? 😀
 
A wise man once told me: when making a big decision, it is better to be generally right than absolutely wrong. We can never be a million percent sure about something, but you can pick something that takes you in the right direction. If you've put this much time and effort into it (and convinced a lot of skeptical interviewers that this is something you want to do), there must be a large part of you that wants to get out there and be a doctor. Plus the beauty is that you'll have lots of options to do lots of things, once you get that degree. Try to remember what made you excited about this to begin with.
 
ABSOLUTsher07 said:
You know how sometimes you're so concentrated on achieving a goal that, when it's finally within your grasp, you don't know what to do with yourself anymore? No? ok, maybe I'm just going insane. I feel like I've worked so hard to get into med school, and now that I have, I'm starting to really freak out. Another 4 years of school? Sure, I want to be a doctor and I've definately factored the dedication factor into my decision, but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud? Then I'll be $60,000 in the hole with a big question mark for my future.... anyone else feeling this way?
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just wanted to say that i feel EXACTLY the same way. EXACTLY. pretty scary. Damn senior/quarter life crisis.
 
#22 said:
A wise man once told me: when making a big decision, it is better to be generally right than absolutely wrong. We can never be a million percent sure about something, but you can pick something that takes you in the right direction. If you've put this much time and effort into it (and convinced a lot of skeptical interviewers that this is something you want to do), there must be a large part of you that wants to get out there and be a doctor. Plus the beauty is that you'll have lots of options to do lots of things, once you get that degree. Try to remember what made you excited about this to begin with.
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Well said... and probably much more helpful than my namean comment.
 
Oh yeah, and try to get out and do something rad for the summer before you start school. Travel somewhere new, do a cool internship, volunteer... whatever it takes to remind you not to take yourself so seriously. Everything you're choosing is voluntary and you've got a crapton of things to be thankful for.
 
Don't worry, this is perfectly normal. You've been thinking about getting into med school for so long, it can be hard to suddenly switch to thinking about the next step. Plus, this is a big commitment so it's normal to get cold feet. I think it might help to think about how you felt when you decided you want to be a doctor. Is this something you've been sure of for quite some time? If so, I am sure that you made a rational and logical decision about applying to med school, and it might help to remember this in times when your emotions are influencing your thoughts.
 
You are not the only one. I think most of us can agree (I've talked to others about this) that our first thought after getting into medical school was "OMG, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?".

It's all normal. 😉
 
ABSOLUTsher07 said:
You know how sometimes you're so concentrated on achieving a goal that, when it's finally within your grasp, you don't know what to do with yourself anymore? No? ok, maybe I'm just going insane. I feel like I've worked so hard to get into med school, and now that I have, I'm starting to really freak out. Another 4 years of school? Sure, I want to be a doctor and I've definately factored the dedication factor into my decision, but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud? Then I'll be $60,000 in the hole with a big question mark for my future.... anyone else feeling this way?
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No way to know until it happens. Things always work out in the end. Roll with the punches, make your lemonade, take a deep breath and enjoy your short lived success of multiple acceptances. You probably just have the premie jitters. Once you get yourself into the game, I'm sure you'll find it to be fitting.
 
remarkal3le said:
No way to know until it happens. Things always work out in the end. Roll with the punches, make your lemonade, take a deep breath and enjoy your short lived success of multiple acceptances. You probably just have the premie jitters. Once you get yourself into the game, I'm sure you'll find it to be fitting.
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dude....you guys call it whatever the hell you want....but I WANT THIS FEELING. gahhh accept me someone!
 
I wonder whats more difficult, to place into a residency of choice, or to get into medical school?
 
braluk said:
I wonder whats more difficult, to place into a residency of choice, or to get into medical school?
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Residency of choice. Your question was to get into medical school..not a medical school of choice. If the latter was true then they'd be about even (if you were trying to get into a top school). Statistically...I'd say residency of choice.
 
I feel you, I found out I got into a school recently and its been a roller coaster of joy and fear. How can we possibly be sure that this is what we want to do and that we are capable? One of my profs, when I explained my doubts told me she went through a similar questioning before grad school. She chose to go to grad school acknowledging that she wasn't 100% sure. She explained to me that some choices are blatantly right or wrong, but others are a bit more blurry. Among these blurry choices, some may be more right than others in the end, but any of these choices aren't necessarily bad for you. Her decision to enter grad school was initially a blurry choice, and she realized in the middle of grad school that she was happy with her choice. Often its experience that teaches us what we really want out of life, and thus you can't expect to enter medical school being completely sure when you haven't experienced medical school.
Thus the moral is that you should follow your gut and try not to look at the choices you make as simply black and white.
 
airshad8 said:
Residency of choice. Your question was to get into medical school..not a medical school of choice. If the latter was true then they'd be about even (if you were trying to get into a top school). Statistically...I'd say residency of choice.
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I disagree. As we've all learned over the last four years, getting into medical school was the tough part. Failing out is very hard. The vast majority of medical students match into their preffered specialty. More than 90% match into their top three choices...and honestly, when you make that rank list, you should be willing to go to anyone of those programs. So yeah, getting into medical school.

Congrats to all who will be joining the ranks this fall. Enjoy it and don't stress out too much about "saving lives." You've got a while to go before you have to do anything like that.
 
Dr. Will said:
I disagree. As we've all learned over the last four years, getting into medical school was the tough part. Failing out is very hard. The vast majority of medical students match into their preffered specialty. More than 90% match into their top three choices...and honestly, when you make that rank list, you should be willing to go to anyone of those programs. So yeah, getting into medical school.

Congrats to all who will be joining the ranks this fall. Enjoy it and don't stress out too much about "saving lives." You've got a while to go before you have to do anything like that.
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Have you matched yet? Don't jinx yourself man.
 
Pinkertinkle said:
Have you matched yet? Don't jinx yourself man.
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Ummm..based on my application, my interviews, and that I'm not a *****, I'm pretty sure I'll match. Where? That's the question.
 
Good luck matching!! The thing is, I've always wanted to do my residency in NYC (I live in NJ) but went to my alma mater in Boston and (probably) to med school in Tulane. I was thinking about how difficult it would be to match into a competitive residency in NYC. Yes...thats correct, I want to know, what are my chances before I even started medical school. :meanie:
 
braluk said:
Good luck matching!! The thing is, I've always wanted to do my residency in NYC (I live in NJ) but went to my alma mater in Boston and (probably) to med school in Tulane. I was thinking about how difficult it would be to match into a competitive residency in NYC. Yes...thats correct, I want to know, what are my chances before I even started medical school. :meanie:
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Well I'll give you the honest answer...it depends on what you want to do. Some specialties are easier to match in than others, so that will play a big role in it.

Right now, focus on studying hard the first two years and do well on USMLE. There's so much more I could tell you but it won't apply for another 4 years. Figure out what you want to do and do your research on the programs. That'll give you a step up. Good luck!
 
It's not that I'm freaking out, but I think it's even worse for us pre-meds who have worked our butts off and just can't seem to get a medical school acceptance. At least you've made it; sure, you may have second thoughts, but at least you have a choice with what you're going to do now. Go to medical school or renounce all your earthly possessions and become a monk; at least both options are available to you.
 
kypdurron5 said:
It's not that I'm freaking out, but I think it's even worse for us pre-meds who have worked our butts off and just can't seem to get a medical school acceptance. At least you've made it; sure, you may have second thoughts, but at least you have a choice with what you're going to do now. Go to medical school or renounce all your earthly possessions and become a monk; at least both options are available to you.
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Keep striving for your goals. I wasn't successful my first time around and eventually did the now defunct Applied Physiology program at RFU. Whatever path you take, if you want it bad enough, you'll make it happen. I know my words mean nothing, but trust me, it was nice when I was in that position to have others encourage me and remind me of how bad I wanted it. Good luck and I hope the new year brings you an acceptance.
 
SamaraMorgan said:
60k? That'd be nice. Some hit a quarter of a million in debt.
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Trudat. I wish 60K. 100K and counting, 3 years to go.

Abobo said:
I feel you, I found out I got into a school recently and its been a roller coaster of joy and fear. How can we possibly be sure that this is what we want to do and that we are capable?
Click to expand...

You can't. That's what's stupid about medical education in the United States. You basically spend six years in a classroom and then cram all of your clinical experience into one year before residency interviews commence. The product? Arrogance, greed, lack of empathy...

Dr. Will said:
More than 90% match into their top three choices...and honestly, when you make that rank list, you should be willing to go to anyone of those programs.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, though, that you can only rank a place where you've interviewed, so that 90 percent is after you've already been weeded out of your actual top choices.

I can assure you that I will not match what at what I consider to be any of my top twenty choices.

braluk said:
...I was thinking about how difficult it would be to match into a competitive residency in NYC. Yes...thats correct, I want to know, what are my chances before I even started medical school. :meanie:
Click to expand...

That's actually a very good thing to consider while deciding on med school.

kypdurron5 said:
It's not that I'm freaking out, but I think it's even worse for us pre-meds who have worked our butts off and just can't seem to get a medical school acceptance.
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You're numbers are plenty for acceptance unless you have Asperger's Syndrome.

When I see "freaking out about the future," what I'm freaking out about is the state of our healthcare system and the ability to make my money back a decade from now. With reimbursements dropping and the uninsured population destined to increase, my freaking out has more to do with me choosing this path and winding up broke anyway.
 
ABSOLUTsher07 said:
but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud?
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel better, you know absolutely nothing useful for doctoring, and are going to be treated that way for quite a few years. You will not be asked to save anyone's life for quite a while and will not be working without someone looking over your shoulder until you prove you can. You, like many, are "a huge fraud", because certainly everyone who thinks they know anything of import at this juncture is. The further down this path you go, the more you realize you don't know, and the smarter the people surrounding you are going to be. Even the support staff knows more than you when you start. In rotations and residency, you will be pimped mercilessly and shown that you still know squat. You are in for a very humbling experience, but will learn a lot and eventually you hopefully get better. Have some faith in the admissions process -- if they let you in, you have the potential to be an adequate clinician.
 
Wizard of Oz said:
Your numbers are plenty for acceptance unless you have Asperger's Syndrome.
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Well, that's what everyone tells me. The trouble is that it doesn't seem to mean anything in the real world. I may not be the world's greatest linguist, but both times on the MCAT my verbal reasoning score was the highest. I feel as though I interview well, especially the last one I had (and which ended in a waitlist). So here I am, on my second application year with no acceptance in sight. Again, it's not that I'm "freaking out," but I'm a realist; I don't have the time and money to do this year after year hoping that maybe one day I'll get into the worst school on my list. Let's face it, it's not like I'm going to be rejected from good schools year after year and then all of a sudden get into a top 20. It would be nice if I could jump into a research project or become an EMT, but since I've already graduated the former doesn't seem to be possible, and the latter requires 16 credit hours of EMT-specific training. The next application cycle is only 7 months away (July 2007), there just isn't that much time to try and spruce up my application even more. It really feels like a hopeless situation.

I don't mean to hijack the thread >), but what I see a thread relating to worrying about the future this is what I think about.
 
A quick question to medical students, especially those applying to residency. How do you guys determine which programs are the best for your selected specialty? Is it a matter of repuation amongst those "in the know?" It seems like word of mouth about certain programs style, etc. would be the best way to find out about the best fit residencies. Just curious.
 
cgscribe said:
Is it a matter of repuation amongst those "in the know?" It seems like word of mouth about certain programs style, etc. would be the best way to find out about the best fit residencies. Just curious.
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Yes. The best way to find out the details is to talk to a chosen mentor in the target specialty and find out the straight skinny on which programs are good versus malignant. Word of mouth is huge - there is no formal ranking.
 
kypdurron5 said:
Well, that's what everyone tells me. The trouble is that it doesn't seem to mean anything in the real world. I may not be the world's greatest linguist, but both times on the MCAT my verbal reasoning score was the highest. I feel as though I interview well, especially the last one I had (and which ended in a waitlist). So here I am, on my second application year with no acceptance in sight. Again, it's not that I'm "freaking out," but I'm a realist; I don't have the time and money to do this year after year hoping that maybe one day I'll get into the worst school on my list. Let's face it, it's not like I'm going to be rejected from good schools year after year and then all of a sudden get into a top 20. It would be nice if I could jump into a research project or become an EMT, but since I've already graduated the former doesn't seem to be possible, and the latter requires 16 credit hours of EMT-specific training. The next application cycle is only 7 months away (July 2007), there just isn't that much time to try and spruce up my application even more. It really feels like a hopeless situation.
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If you lived in my state, your 33 would have gotten you in at my school a month ago even if you had :barf: 'd on the interviewers. If you want my opinion, all of those places that you applied to were a waste of time and money. From your mdapps, you seem to have avoided applying to schools commensurate with your numbers. There are 125 to pick from, and you really should have been accepted by now. EMT training won't help somebody in your position, it helps nobody who didn't actually work in the field (and only then as a means to build LORs). Med schools aren't interested in whether or not you have any clinical experience. Sad but true.

Your MCAT score and GPA are on par with the average admitted applicant, so I'm inclined to think that there is a rare sort of red flag that is snagging you.

One other thing, don't go to DO school if you really want to be an MD.

Law2Doc said:
Yes. The best way to find out the details is to talk to a chosen mentor in the target specialty and find out the straight skinny on which programs are good versus malignant. Word of mouth is huge - there is no formal ranking.
Click to expand...

As usual, I agree with Law2Doc.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you have family and where you/they want to live (schools, transportation, cost of living, etc.).
 
kypdurron5 said:
It's not that I'm freaking out, but I think it's even worse for us pre-meds who have worked our butts off and just can't seem to get a medical school acceptance. At least you've made it; sure, you may have second thoughts, but at least you have a choice with what you're going to do now. Go to medical school or renounce all your earthly possessions and become a monk; at least both options are available to you.
Click to expand...

One of my best friends was rejected through two cycles and then was accepted to two excellent med schools on the third try. He just finished his first semester in med school as M1 and is happy and doing very well. Sometimes, you just have to persevere but you can do it. Good luck.
 
It also doesn't help that there is a grim uncertainty about the future of healthcare in this country. I have a feeling that by the time this group of premeds start practicing the profession might be in chaos.
 
I am. But not about my medical future. I'm freaking about my personal life.
 
ABSOLUTsher07 said:
You know how sometimes you're so concentrated on achieving a goal that, when it's finally within your grasp, you don't know what to do with yourself anymore? No? ok, maybe I'm just going insane. I feel like I've worked so hard to get into med school, and now that I have, I'm starting to really freak out. Another 4 years of school? Sure, I want to be a doctor and I've definately factored the dedication factor into my decision, but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud? Then I'll be $60,000 in the hole with a big question mark for my future.... anyone else feeling this way?
Click to expand...

Hey. I've been at it for six years and have just now started to be involved in saving lives, always as part of a team. Relax. They will make a lot of noise to the contrary but you will have zero real responsibilty in medical school. Fourth years do not make decisions and they will never let you alone with patients to implement your plan independent of supervision. The only effect on the hospital if every medical student in America vanished would be less crowding on the elevators.

So chill out. You've got two years of class work where you will be almost completely isolated from patients except for occasional reverential excursions to see some patient or another as part of an empathy-building exercise.

In the meantime, read this:

http://pandabearmd.blogspot.com/2006/11/tomorrow-will-suck.html
http://pandabearmd.blogspot.com/2006/11/humility-101.html

I think it sums up what you have coming. As always, check out the rest of my blog.
 
ABSOLUTsher07 said:
You know how sometimes you're so concentrated on achieving a goal that, when it's finally within your grasp, you don't know what to do with yourself anymore? No? ok, maybe I'm just going insane. I feel like I've worked so hard to get into med school, and now that I have, I'm starting to really freak out. Another 4 years of school? Sure, I want to be a doctor and I've definately factored the dedication factor into my decision, but when it comes down to it, who am I to save lives? What if I get to med school and realize I've made a huge mistake and am a huge fraud? Then I'll be $60,000 in the hole with a big question mark for my future.... anyone else feeling this way?
Click to expand...
Dude, it's totally normal to feel that way. I think that almost everyone does once the euphoria wears off and the reality of the fact that you're going to medical school (five years in my case!) hits you. Once you get there though, you will be so busy that you won't have too much time to sit around and doubt yourself. And the good news is that medical school attrition is very low. Almost everyone who matriculates eventually graduates and becomes a licensed physician. After you're done with school, there are a lot of other options open to you (research, teaching, administration, etc.) if you decide that clinical practice isn't for you. You're in for one heck of a wild ride though, so just hang on and try to enjoy it as much as you can. 🙂
 
Whenever I freak out over stuff like that and question if I really want to go through all this or not, I try to put it into perspective. What else would you want to be doing 15 years from now? Would anything else keep your attention until your 65? Could you really just sit at a desk every day for the rest of your life? Its almost medicine by default!
 
LunaMD said:
Whenever I freak out over stuff like that and question if I really want to go through all this or not, I try to put it into perspective. What else would you want to be doing 15 years from now? Would anything else keep your attention until your 65? Could you really just sit at a desk every day for the rest of your life? Its almost medicine by default!
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Oh boy! this is so true. I work in a cubicle and my only form of social interaction is at meetings where we gather together and use language that make us look "smart". I don't know that I love medicine but I know I hate my present job. Infact I hate it so much that every morning when I wake up I actually use the words "I hate this job"(no joke). I have had different jobs in my life, but this is by far the worst. There is just something about cubicle desk jobs in a corporate setting that plays with your mind.
 
Panda Bear said:
The only effect on the hospital if every medical student in America vanished would be less crowding on the elevators.
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I couldn't disagree more. I think the end result would be that the residents and attendings would be in much better physical shape. They would have to walk all the way to the bathroom, instead of just sh*tting on whichever med student was closest . . .
 
airshad8 said:
dude....you guys call it whatever the hell you want....but I WANT THIS FEELING. gahhh accept me someone!
Click to expand...

same here!
need more interview invites!
 
lol, I know what you mean OP...for the first time in YEARS I suddenly had the feeling that I want to be an actor. Totally random, although back when I was like 7 years old I actually wanted to be an actor 😛 and I did take a fun acting class in high school. Plus, I'm not that terrible. Of course, actually succeeding as an actor might actually be harder than going to med school, and going to lame events just because you have to be there for your career/job isn't really my cup of tea either. So, realistically it's just me freaking out.

I did however, start writing my novel-and managed to get through one single spaced page before realizing that I couldn't figure out a good reason for something to have happened. Which is kinda lame because the only reason I had that thing happen was so I could move the plot along, and it has no real bearing on the rest of the story.

Apparently you can crank out a novel in only 4-6 months if you just write a page a day, but it turns out that that's not really very easy at all lol.
 
Cirrus83 said:
Apparently you can crank out a novel in only 4-6 months if you just write a page a day, but it turns out that that's not really very easy at all lol.
Click to expand...

That would be more like a novella. Normally, according to my writer friends/clients you generally have to write about 300+ pages for a novel, as the editors are going to cut it down pretty significantly before publication.
 
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