Anyone getting scared about starting medical school?

[drymarchon]

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I am having jitters about starting school - some of the fears are nonsensical like failing, but I am still worried. I will be at a top 5 program, and have been out of school a while. I am worried this will be a huge disadvantage during my first year.

Is there anyone else out there worried how they will do, even though you excelled during undergrad or am I just that crazy?

Anyway, thanks for listening...

 

[JMD]

I've been out of school a few years, so that is my biggest worry. I feel like I don't remember anything science related ( I was a non-science major). When I walked out of the MCATs I just pushed all of that stuff to the back of my mind. I think if I just throw myself into it without worrying too much I'll be fine... jitters are expected with such a big change in life approaching.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

I'd be worried about those who are not worried. I think that it is the unknow that scares me the most. And the move. I've live in the same apartment for the last 6 years and have become confortable here. Its hard to pack up your stuff and move to the unknown.

I'm excited though. After wading through the multiple year application process, it is nice to finally get started.

 

[28129]

Yeah, the cadaver is pretty scary.

 

[dakotaman]

I'm a bit nervous but I try to remember there's nothing else I can do except attend class, study, and do the best I can.

Realize that you wouldn't be in this situation if you weren't qualified to take it on. You're just as good as your classmates.

Also realize med school is protracted! It's a long process and simply a means to an end. Relax...it's just the very beginning of a ride that you'll never, ever forget. Few in life have the honor and privilege to tackle one of the (if not THE) hardest professional schools in the world! 🙂

 

[EMPOWERurSELF!]

Well put!! I'm sure you guys will all do great and I'm sure the extra nervousness you have about classes will help keep your energy level and motivation up. And IMHO the admissions committees at med schools have undoubtedly read thousands of apps and interviewed thousands of students, so I'm sure that they know which students "have what it takes" since the decisions they make about each incoming class will affect the reputation and financial stability of each school in the future. Best of luck to all the new 1st year med student this year! 🙂

 

[badgergirl]

blech... i've been out of school for all of 2 months, and i have the jitters about being in classes again, and learning how to study in a whole new way. i'm just nervous about that first day of orientation... it takes so much energy to be "on" all the time, meeting complete strangers and finding how your personality fits into your class. ah, well - it'll all work out, and in a matter of weeks i'll be looking back and laughing at myself for being nervous. 7 days till orientation!! good luck to all the new MS-1's!!

 

[southcom]

I'm nervous about starting med school, not about tie away, but getting burned out, I have a ful 4 days from when I graduate from undergrad to got to be at med school, fun fun. But still I have my doubts about if I'll be able to stay up with my classmates, have to wait and see

 

[JM.]

I am terrified. I put off thinking about moving, lol. I don't know - I wasn't this scared when I leaft to go overseas for almost a year - I guess I knew then I would be coming back home. This is now the prospect of moving away and making a new home that I find so unnerving. I don't want to leave all of my animals, my friends, my horses, ect. I am afraid no one will like me (is that ever lame). The actual studying of medicine has me pumped but the peripherals have me scared out of my wits.

 

[mellotron]

I've been out of school for 3 years, was an engineering student. My last recollection of really having to memorize stuff was Spanish in high school 8 YEARS AGO! I'm confident of handling the concepts. But I have never really had to count on my memory. Thanks to cell phones and PDA's, much of my short term memory has become pretty disposable...

 

[8744]

Relax folks. Your fears are normal and largely unfounded. You have to be a total ***** or completely unmotivated to fail out of medical school. The fact that you were accepted pretty much means that you can handle the academic aspects of medical school.

Naturally if you decide not to study because you did so well as an undergrad you might be in for a shock. But to avoid this, go to class regularly until you see which ones you can safely blow off, study diligently but pace yourself so you don't burn out early, and keep telling yourself that the worst day in medical school is better then the best day of most jobs.

As for the cadaver thing, trust me, you will get over your "fear" of dead bodies in about three minutes. After your first couple of hours in gross lab you will start to get hungry. After three hours you will start running through Taco Bell's combo menu in your head.

After three weeks you will be horribly bored as you lean casually on your cadaver's empty chest cavity while your partner roots around for the sigmoid colon.

Panda Bear
MSIII and Loving It

 

[MichiMO]

I start tomorrow and am feeling really nervous. Also, I am feeling a little lazy...I really don't want to be up at 7am tomorrow after two months of sleeping in 🙂
Also it is sad to realize that I won't be mentally at peace for many, many months from now. I don't know about you, but when school is in session, I always have what I should be studying in the back of my mind!

It is also just really hard to believe that as of tomorrow, it will all finally be a reality. I have been working towards this for so long that it has been kinda cemented in my head as a "one day." Now that one day is here and it is really overwhelming...like my life will never be the same again (a bit overdramatic I know...it just feels that way).

 

[8744]

Originally posted by MichiMO
I start tomorrow and am feeling really nervous. Also, I am feeling a little lazy...I really don't want to be up at 7am tomorrow after two months of sleeping in 🙂
Also it is sad to realize that I won't be mentally at peace for many, many months from now. I don't know about you, but when school is in session, I always have what I should be studying in the back of my mind!

It is also just really hard to believe that as of tomorrow, it will all finally be a reality. I have been working towards this for so long that it has been kinda cemented in my head as a "one day." Now that one day is here and it is really overwhelming...like my life will never be the same again (a bit overdramatic I know...it just feels that way).

You are not being overly dramatic. Even in third year I still occasionally look around me and can hardly believe that I am actually here. Medicine is the most interesting and rewarding thing I have ever done and I have never regretted leaving behind a good engineering career for the rigors of medical school.

Enjoy your first day. It is a very important day.

 

[Woots32]

I kind of lost it when my roomie and fellow classmate pointed out the fact that the orientation packet says (and I quote):

"A specific time has been scheduled... for you to purchase your course syllabi... We suggest that you bring a very 😱 large bag for carrying the syllabi s they amount to a significant stack of course materials."

I'm starting to think this may have not been such a great idea. 😛

 

[southcom]

panda, glad to hear your happy about leaving an eng job for medicine, I am grad with a degree in ME and turning down offers for 50-60 Gs is tough and to think I'll be in so much debt, glad to hear you feel you made the right choice tho, its inspiring, I start in two weeks at mcg

 

[moviefreak]

i'm a little bit scared because i partied a little too hard, overslept a lot and probably imbibed too much EtOH. i'm afraid i've gone dumber. (how much EtOH can you have before messing up your brain?) i just hope this phase is soon over and i can get back to my old nerdy self once school starts. most of all, i'm scared of gunners😱

 

[lipid]

i definitely feel like i've gotten dumber. another thing that bothers me is that i don't know what i want to do with my life. for so long, it's been really simple - get into med school so that i can be a doctor. now that i'm in, it's like... ok, what specialty? private practice or academic? will there even be private practices by the time we get out? ...and other questions like that. basically i don't know what the next step is. i suppose things will work themselves out. it's just that fear of the unknown (future) thing that everybody has been talking about. well, take it easy guys. congrats on getting in.

 

[JennyGirl]

what do they call the person who graduates last in his/her class????





DOCTOR!!!!!!!!


Good luck everyone, we're all gonna kick ass 😛

Jen

 

[SarahXXOO]

Wow am I relieved to hear I'm not the only one who's a tad nervous about this whole thing.

However, I always try to remind myself of one thing when I feel this way (and this may sound silly). I remember being seven years old, in second grade and seeing the third graders in my school doing LONG DIVISION. I thought, "How am I ever going to do LONG DIVISION?! It looks so hard!!! I don't think I can handle it!" And yet, when the time came to buckle down and do it, I learned long division, no problem.

It's always that way when you're facing something a little scary, a little unknown...but you have to trust yourself enough to know that you'll be just fine. At least that's what I think. ;-)

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by JBJ
I'd be worried about those who are not worried.

heh, then I guess you should be worried about me because I just don't relate to the jitters everyone else is expressing... I understand them, I just don't feel them. I have been very comfortable where I am but I'm just excited to be starting something new. I guess I'm used to change so maybe it doesn't affect me so much...?

oh well, what it is to be a weirdo 😉

Originally posted by badgergirl
i'm just nervous about that first day of orientation... it takes so much energy to be "on" all the time, meeting complete strangers and finding how your personality fits into your class.

😉 I think this one is the only bit I come close to 'relating' to. I'm not *nervous* about orientation but I totally agree that being 'on' all the time is a lot of work. But I also have to say I'm not sure I can be bothered being 'on' all the time as I'm not going to end up best buddies with every class mate. Some may even hate me. Oh well, too bad for them 😉 I'm sure we'll all find our 'niche' whether that is with lifelong friends we find in our class or elsewhere. I've always got along ok in the past (some peeps will like me, some just won't - and I can respect that), this will be no different...

g'luck everyone. This is meant to be the bit we enjoy after all that hard work getting in!

 

[JM.]

I don't wanna go to a pool party. I don't wanna go to a pool party. I don't wanna go to a pool party.

 

[mikebeas]

I got that same orientatin packet talking about buying syllabi and bringing a large bag. What's that all about. Well, I suppose it's good to know that I'm not the only future hawkeye with fears about it.

 

[zzeyfzz]

then, don't go to the pool party! i'm having second thoughts my self. well actually all of my thoughts were about avoiding the pool party.

 

[Doc Ivy]

Do you guys ever go into the Clinical Rotation Forum or the General Residency Forum, and think "what the hell are these people talking about?"

That's what I'm scared of... the first two years are hard, but it's school, you know, you're still in your element, you know the expectations. But third year, WTF 😕 When do you learn how to be a "doctor"???--- When do you learn what the heck you do on rounds? who/what is preventing me from stepping onto the wards on my first day of rotations and not seriously messing up someone's medical care? ARGH. I'm scared.

 

[DW]

i wonder if we're going to have any of those lame "ice breakers" events we had during college orientation god, i hated those things

 

[carrigallen]

I agree w/ doc ivy - the first two years are just going to be the bad elements of high school + insane coursework mixed together.

The hectic part starts on rotations...and you keep on doing it for the rest of your life. 😱

 

[Trix]

I was explaing to a resident last week how afraid I was, hope I didn't talk my way into something I can't handle etc. and he gave me a analogy that I hope is true.

He said med school is very much like being a cow on a conveyor belt. Once you get on you just move along with the herd, and although its difficult, it would take even more effort to get off the belt. Then one day you get to the end of the belt, you walk off like everyone else, and your a doctor.

I hope its true. 🙁

 

[JM.]

Originally posted by zzeyfzz
then, don't go to the pool party! i'm having second thoughts my self. well actually all of my thoughts were about avoiding the pool party.

Ok - let's make a plan to skip out and get beer at a bar. Also - been talking to hopie about a mon night before orientation going out for sdners at Temple.

 

[IOE]

Thank God I'm not the only one!

I'm not worried about the academic workload in the least bit....I guess the same law that applies to any kind of school also applies to med school : Work hard = Get A's....Play hard = drop out...balance the two = a happy man!

What I'm scared of is the whole "niche" thinggie....I really don't want to have friends who'd talk about congestive heart failure while we're out clubbing or dining or whatever!u know what i mean? I really love medicine and want to learn it and make it a big PART of my life....I don't want it to be the ONLY thing in my life!

i wonder if we're going to have any of those lame "ice breakers" events we had during college orientation god, i hated those things

TELL ME ABOUT IT!!!! if during the orientation they start any of that crap, I'll just pack my things sign the roll and leave!! we're too old for this rubbish!

 

[pwrpfgrl]

I have yet to go to an "orientation" that doesn't include some sort of ice breaker. and that includes conferences and meetings where most of the attendees were in their 40's. i don't mind the "let's go around the room and introduce ourselves" kind of ice breaker, but if one person starts trying to associate the first letter of my name with an animal/characteristic/location, i'm running like the wind.

 

[ussdfiant]

Although I am technically not scared about starting med school, I am terrified of taking Step 1 next summer. I know it's not the same thing, but...

 

[zzeyfzz]

i have no worries about starting med school. i just am fearing the next step when we have to apply to residencies, write a new personal statement, get LORs, and interview all over again.

 

[JM.]

Originally posted by zzeyfzz
i have no worries about starting med school. i just am fearing the next step when we have to apply to residencies, write a new personal statement, get LORs, and interview all over again.

Of course you aren't afraid - you are a kung fu master!

 

[Doc Ivy]

Originally posted by Trix
med school is very much like being a cow on a conveyor belt. Once you get on you just move along with the herd, and although its difficult, it would take even more effort to get off the belt. Then one day you get to the end of the belt, you walk off like everyone else, and your a doctor.

I hope its true.

I like that analogy Trix, I figure the process of becoming a competent doctor just sorta happens, like puberty. You don't really notice all changes till it's over and you're not the same person you were 4 years before.

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by Doc Ivy
I figure the process of becoming a competent doctor just sorta happens, like puberty.

I'm going to start growing hair in even MORE places!?

oh gawd...

 

[Doc Ivy]

Originally posted by tBw
I'm going to start growing hair in even MORE places!?

oh gawd...

 

[dakotaman]

It's a slow process...I agree. I'm the same person I was when I started college but I'm more mature and "seasoned." I'll be REALLY seasoned in another four years. But I'll still be under 30 and have an M.D. You can't call that wasted time! It's an accomplishment, and chances are we're all gonna make it. 🙂

Panda Bear, your line about Taco Bell Combo Meals cracked me up. That's hilarious!

"Okay, look at the cauda equinus (horse's tail)."

"Hmm...horse's tail...horses...I need to make a run for the border and get either Combo Meal #L2 or #S4! Wait a second..."

😛

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by dakotaman
I'm the same person I was when I started college but I'm more mature and "seasoned." I'll be REALLY seasoned in another four years.

what kind of seasoning? salt? pepper? bbq? do we get to choose?

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Originally posted by tBw
what kind of seasoning? salt? pepper? bbq? do we get to choose?

Hopefully teryaki...mmmm...