Burn Out?

[FutureDoc4]

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I still got 5 weeks to go. I definitely am feeling a little burnt out (especially after final shelfs)....I feel like its taking me twice as long to get things done. How is everyone else doing with this/dealing with this?

 

[HTxFrog]

I felt like I was about to crack last week. I was so tired and I had convinced myself I was getting stupider the more I studied. I decided to take two days and not do my UWorld questions in the morning and take it easy a little bit. I basically just read a couple of the sections I consider easier in FA, for me that was psych and like behavioral or something. Anyways, point is I quit early, had dinner with my g/f and watched tv and I feel a million times better after just two days of semi-rest. Trust me you are not the only one that is feeling burnt out so you can at least take solace in the fact that there are lots of us in the same boat. I don't know if that helps but like I said taking a couple days really helped me.

 

[badasshairday]

I feel you. My study period is 4.5 weeks total. I am 1.5 weeks in, and hit some burn out earlier today. I had been studying literally 12-15 hours a day. Like 1.5 hour of break time total. I got a crap ton done, but I wasn't even working out or anything... I felt like a machine.

Felt super restless today and decided to final stretch my super cramped legs and go for a jog. I feel so much better. I will be stretching and jogging every morning from now on.

 

[Gozar]

go get a workout in. turn on goljan so that you can think you're studying, but just zone out. hop on a treadmill and watch some of the basketball postseason.

 

[PokerDoc]

Gym and yankee games do it for me.. do you follow any sports teams playing right now?


I intentionally saved the last 4 episodes of Lost for the day before the test to help me get through that day lol.. if anyone spoils it I will personally hunt you down... fair warning.

 

[HTxFrog]

everyone dies...

 

[HTxFrog]

not really

 

[MilkmanAl]

I intentionally saved the last 4 episodes of Lost for the day before the test to help me get through that day lol.. if anyone spoils it I will personally hunt you down... fair warning.

It's a sled. There, I just saved you four long, boobless hours.

The anti-burnout tactic that seems to be working for me is to play Modern Warfare 2 as my break. It lets my eyes focus on something not 2 feet from my face for a little bit before I get back to it. I also run errands and stuff. I guess the most important part of all that is to remember to take regular breaks and stop when you get fatigued, regardless of where you are or how much more you want to get done. Studying when you can't remember the last sentence you read won't do you much good anyway.

 

[PokerDoc]

hate u all

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I don't know that I'm "burned out", but there is a time just about every day, while I'm reading over the same UW explanations for the 4th time, trying not to drool all over myself. where I think to myself "If someone walked into this room and shot me right now, it wouldn't be that bad"

 

[username456789]

I just got my ass handed to me on a block of UW questions. I've been more unmotivated than burnt out lately (although the lines are blurred), but that sure is a strong impetus to get my ass in gear again tomorrow and stop screwing around.

 

[pottymouth]

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t-NAum8kY8&feature=fvw

motivational video for all those who are feeling the pain.

 

[username456789]

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t-NAum8kY8&feature=fvw

motivational video for all those who are feeling the pain.

Good deal. Hate Creed, but I've been a fan of Derek Redmond since I saw that race in Barcelona. Had to be painful.

Here's another motivational video for all you guys out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoBc-eNZO6k

Now get to work.

 

[Tourterm]

I'm not burned out in the sense that I'm tired, but I'm getting very frustrated by the slew of questions that rest or otherwise hinge on knowing some detail tucked away that's barely, if at all, mentioned in things like FA, Goljan, etc.

 

[metalrex]

Not too long ago I posted a similar topic.

Means I find that lessen my burn-out:

Hammering my PS2 hard- Flight simulators,Metal Gear Solid series,NFS.Joysticks stand true to their name.

Calvin & Hobbes comics- Bundled up my own collection,I read em often during the day-always cracks me up.Calvin's such a smart arse.

Hibernation marathon- Sleep for 10 hours straight-did that yesterday

Binge on McD's or KFC (the step 1 hysteria has made me put on 5 kilos 😱) But who cares as long as the result comes out good?You can burn it off on a cruise later.

Tackle some behavioral /ethics questions- some answer choices can be so ridiculously ridiculous,makes you question if there's anybody who is peanut brained enough to mark em- gimme a break, we are med students.

Reader's Digest -Best Pranks April Fool's edition.Replete with several forms of perpetrating idiocy.Holy Grail for some quick laughter.This lovely digest also has an article on "what doctors don't tell you" which talks about our innate impatience and other amusing aspects.

Greying around with 'Grey's Anatomy'

Watching re-runs of my Fav soccer match btw Portugal vs.The Netherlands, World Cup 2006 - 16 Yellow cards and 4 reds- pure adrenaline charged rough 'bad boys' match.

......and ofcourse, SDN ,some of you guys have a good sense of humour😉

I'll post if I find any other 'novel' ways to chill out.

Basically, taking interspersed breaks in your schedule helps big time.Don't deny yourself one if you really need it.Could be the best thing you do to sharpen your study.

Keep chugging along.

 

[IMGUSMLEStep1]

When I feel burned out, I take a day or half a day off. I go out for a walk, watch a movie, and eat anything I want. Treat yourself to something you like and relax for awhile. You deserve a break every once in awhile.

 

[Domenech]

Watching re-runs of my Fav soccer match btw Portugal vs.The Netherlands, World Cup 2006 - 16 Yellow cards and 4 reds- pure adrenaline charged rough 'bad boys' match.
.

Oh my God that match I remember it so well but even better was Portugal vs England. Felt so happy Portugal won

And I have been feeling the same way. Crashed. And today I was feeling a bit depressed as well. less than 2 weeks to go now, I just CAN'T wait to FINALLY get done with step1!

 

[metalrex]

Hell yeah! I remember that one too, was rooting for portugal as well. penalty shoot-outs I think?

Sheesh, now I can't wait for this thing to be over so that I can recline and enjoy the World Cup with no care in the world- until MS 3 starts atleast

 

[neopentanol]

I have been feeling this way as well. A dreadful feeling that I am forgetting more than I am learning each day with UWorld right there to fuel my paranoia by making me feel worthless for not knowing that SIADH patients have normal body volume!!! who the hell knows that!

 

[metalrex]

SIADH patients have normal body volume!!! who the hell knows that!

Funny I just encountered that on UW today.I did not know that either, if it's any consolation.😉

 

[username456789]

Funny I just encountered that on UW today.I did not know that either, if it's any consolation.😉

Body volume = Salt amount.

That's essentially what it comes down to (and our curriculum danced around that fact until finally one of our awesome professors cleared it up completely for us with that simple explanation). It's actually an important concept that I'm surprised your school didn't stress (anything involving "EUVOLEMIC hypo/hypernatremia" means ADH or DI (or drugs/paraneoplastic diseases that cause either one of those).

Adding or subtracting pure water (DI or SIADH) does NOT make you hypo/hypervolemic. That only comes with SALT changes.

It's counter-intuitive, but just run with it (I think the explanation is something like since you increase water, volume will very transiently increase but the kidney adapts differently than when you add salt and then drink to quench thirst.....I don't feel like actually thinking hard about it since I'm in the middle of something else).