Burned Out

[Surgeon2711]

Hi all,

I recently joined in the hopes of asking you all for some advice. Please take my story at face value, I am not trying to brag or whine, just trying to paint you my picture.

I was always pushed academically by my family and by myself, and once highschool started up I went into overdrive, taking 10 AP classes and doing very well on most of them. I played lots of sports and studied really hard; no weekend parties or evenings out for me. After junior year, in which I had taken 5 AP's and gotten 5's on all of them, I simply was too burned to function. Add to that an unfortunate family affair which occurred during the summer after that, and my senior year was shot.

Once I came to college, I kicked myself into high gear again, and have done extremely well in Biomedical Engineering. Of course, high performance requires sacrifice. I have definitely spent more hours in the library than I could count on a thousand hands, and I feel as if there is a large part of being a college student that I have missed out on.

Here is my quandary: should I take a year off? I'm a bit scared to think of the unknown that represents a year off, but I don't think I can keep up any sort of high level of work. I have always wanted to be a surgeon, and I still do very much. I am just afraid that if I continue to doggedly push through each obstacle that arrives, I'll just be miserable; and though I may end up attaining my goal of becoming a surgeon, I will have lots of regrets in retrospect. I am currently a junior, and I'm studying for the MCAT (with some difficulty, as forcing myself to study is harder and harder as the days go by). I think I need a break, but what do you all think?

Thanks for reading, your help is much appreciated.

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[paranoid_eyes]

i don't think you need an ENTIRE year for a break. Take a quarter/semester abroad or something (or take it off completely). The problem with breaks is, when you get back to school, it's hard to get back into the routine.

 

[mongrel]

I don't think you need to take a full year or even semester off. Just make a deal with yourself that you'll start having more "college fun" and stick to it. Besides, summer is coming pretty fast---- take off and do something spontaneous for it.

 

[Mobius1985]

I think you are wise to recognize a potential problem with burnout, and even wiser to realize that a year off to recharge your batteries is the best thing you could do. Getting into medical school isn't a race. Getting in when you're ready to do your best ensures you won't have a crisis of performance at the worst possible time: sometime in the first two years of med school. On these forums you'll see lots of discussion of taking time off before med school to do research, travel, join the Peace Corp or Teach America, have some fun, or to take a fantastic job opportunity that explores an unrelated area of interest. Those who have done so have no regrets. Trying to finish a semester with a high GPA and study for the MCAT at the same time is very difficult if you want to do your best to get a competitive score. Decompressing the two efforts will allow you to have the best possible application, as well as a great experince of some type that you'll never forget.

 

[cdmccart]

I don't think you need to take time off... it's a matter of finding a balance. Or just take a summer off. You don't need to spend every free second studying or doing homework. Try to take one night a week off. Whether that means going out with friends, watching movies, or just getting to bed early, just find some time for yourself.

I got to a point this semester where I felt like I shouldn't go out or watch tv or really do anything for myself. My thought process was "If you have time to go out, you have time to do physics homework". Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't been out since December. I was miserable and stressed out and on the verge of probably a complete breakdown. But one weekend I decided to put off what I could and go out with some of my sorority sisters. It was crazy how much better I felt. Sure I had more work on Sunday to do, but it helped so much just to get out and not think about school. Since that weekend I've made it a point to get out a couple times a week and just have fun.

I'd suggest the same for you. We're obviously very different and what works for me may not work for you. I think it's just a matter of finding a balance.

 

[Kernal83]

I would say take the time off. There really isn't any harm in taking a year or two off after undergrad and applying. They say the average age of incoming matriculants is increasing due to schools looking for people with more "life experience". I must say being able to study for the MCAT, do applications, and fly out for interviews was a whole lot easier than it would've been during undergrad.

 

[metalgearHMN]

First things first, your nearing the end of your Junior year and will probably be applying soon so this is a very important time. If you've managed to make it this far just force your to go a couple more months? I don't know I take time off when I need to so i don't burn out.

Like others have said before, don't take a year off, but maybe a quarter? OR just chill during the summer and maybe take some easier classes.

 

[Doc11Hopeful]

Take a year off. You will be nice and refreshed when you start back in school. By the time you start you will be anxious to get back into books. I'm taking a year off now and I can't wait to get back to school. It's a better feeling than being burnt and hoping I can barely scrape by in terms of motivation.

After college I took a year off and lived in Europe for 4 months. I didn't do anything productive. I just traveled, worked stupid jobs, and had fun. Every interviewer I've had this cycle has asked me about this experience and seemed impressed by it. So you don't always have to go go go. Go enjoy life a bit.

 

[patiencebites]

Do it. You deserve it.

 

[brsboarder]

I think you need a change in lifestyle and the unknown challenge of a year off might be well spent. I wouldn't consider a year off a waste whatsoever. You can challenge yourself in different ways, learning and growing at the same time.

 

[thebeatblitz]

Well, you just spent 7+ years of studying your *** off. Just wear it, study for the MCAT, and do well. Senior year is practically "taking a year off" anyways. Underload, enroll in golf or something, and get out more; you need to practice for interviews anyways.

I'm all for taking time off, but an entire year to unwind seems a bit much. Unless you actually have something planned to do during that year, you're going to spend the first month in lazy bliss, and then wonder what the hell you're going to do for the next 11 months.

 

[novastorm]

Just be warned it can be extremely difficult and sometimes impossible to take time off. I know someone in almost the same exact situation who did burn out and took time off (required LOTS of effort to be granted this). Really sit and think about it.

 

[fireflygirl]

I agree with those that want you to take time off. You do sound burned out and even a semester off might be a good thing for you. Arrange something organized so you don't get bored and feel like you are wasting time. Maybe take a semester abroad or volunteer somewhere within or outside the US or even do an outward bound trip. The point is to get away from what you are doing and recharge. The other thing to think about since you are a junior is to push off applying, studying for the MCAT...etc for a later time. Maybe just focus on getting through your last year of college and doing those things that are fun and that you never got a chance to do. As someone else said, applying to medical school isn't a race - you have to do it when you are absolutely ready and now may not be the time. Think about what you know would help you recharge and do that. And my advice is hold off applying and MCATing until after school is over. You can take a break during that glide year and find something low key to do while you take the MCATs.

 

[wjustice]

I think I remember some secondary applications asking about time taken off during college and requiring some sort of explanation. I'm not sure how medical schools view time taken off during college. You probably have to have some activity or job lined up. If I were in your position, I would focus on getting through senior year but try to make it as enjoyable as possible. Take some courses in new areas. Play some intramural sports. Study abroad. You are smart so you can probably pull of good grades without quite as much effort. Then definitely think about taking some time off after college. I really have never regretted doing that. I worked odd jobs, travelled around a bit, explored some interests in depth which I will not have the time to do once I'm in med school. I think it will enrich your perspective on why you want to be a surgeon and help you to appreciate school more.

 

[Luxian]

Slow down a little, take one fewer classes or something and don't apply to med school this year. Doing interviews plus studying for the MCAT will just add stress to your life. After you graduate, there is nothing wrong with taking a year off. I think you'll find that even if you do research, it will probably take less time than what you are currently pulling as an engineering major. You can save a little money, take a vacation, and just breathe. It will also allow you to add something different to your eventual application than what the main throng of applicants has.

Med school will still be there, and it really doesn't matter if you finish at 25, 26, 27 or later!

(I'll be finishing when I'm 36, Gah!)

 

[apricotattack]

Absolutely take some time off, it's much better to do it now than in the middle of med school. But you need to learn how to manage your time better when you go back, too. Study with people and force yourself to take time off and not try to honor every single class!

 

[ar2388]

i feel what you aregoing through. I am also currently a junior, trying to study for my MCATs (which are in 15 days!) and having some difficulty finding motivation. I am so burned out from the pst 3 years, not taking HS into account. However, I do not want to take a year off because i just dont know what i would do with myself.I knoew medicine is for me and I dont want to stall it anymore. SO my plan is to have an easy senior yr, which wont be too hard because I have been working my a** off for 3 years taking 18 credits and dancing and working and whatnot. And also, if i get into med school (man, i hope i get in), the summer before I am doing NOTHING! I will be taking that summer to recharge, refuel, and get my head back on straight.
I think the question for you would be whether there is something you want to do during a year or two off. Because doing nothing wont look good, but working 40+ hrs a week at a job wouldnt exactly relax and recharge you.

 

[notdeadyet]

If you think you need the time off, take it off.

You'll always get a lot of "Nooooooo!!! You'll ruin your chances!!!" replies from premeds. They tend to be very much pack animals.

The irony is that your odds will probably improve for medical school if you take the time off. Most of the pack pretty much go straight through, working hard all the way and have the lack of well-roundedness and lack of social abilities to show for it (yes, every premed alive thinks they interview well, but here's a newsflash: just because you ain't shy, doesn't mean you're engaging.)

When you get to the stage of your interview, you will find that most interviewers will talk about your work or your travel that you did during your year out. Trust me, nothing is more dull than hearing yet another iteration of your ER volunteering, running code 3 as an EMT or your campus leadership. It's well trodden ground.

You will come back from your time out able to tackle the final hurdles of med school admissions well rested, well rounded and passionate again. It will show in your application and interview.

So it's your call. If you think you need it, take it. If all you need is to take fewer classes, find a hobby, and get laid, by all means go that route. But definitely take a feww moments to recharge. Once you hit medical school, you'll be going another 7-10 years and it's a lot harder to take time off.

Best of luck to all in the application process...

 

[Ella Shepherd]

Hi all,

I recently joined in the hopes of asking you all for some advice. Please take my story at face value, I am not trying to brag or whine, just trying to paint you my picture.

I was always pushed academically by my family and by myself, and once highschool started up I went into overdrive, taking 10 AP classes and doing very well on most of them. I played lots of sports and studied really hard; no weekend parties or evenings out for me. After junior year, in which I had taken 5 AP's and gotten 5's on all of them, I simply was too burned to function. Add to that an unfortunate family affair which occurred during the summer after that, and my senior year was shot.

Once I came to college, I kicked myself into high gear again, and have done extremely well in Biomedical Engineering. Of course, high performance requires sacrifice. I have definitely spent more hours in the library than I could count on a thousand hands, and I feel as if there is a large part of being a college student that I have missed out on.

Here is my quandary: should I take a year off? I'm a bit scared to think of the unknown that a represents a year off, but I don't think I can keep up any sort of high level of work. I have always wanted to be a surgeon, and I still do very much. I am just afraid that if I continue to doggedly push through each obstacle that arrives, I'll just be miserable; and though I may end up attaining my goal of becoming a surgeon, I will have lots of regrets in retrospect. I am currently a junior, and I'm studying for the MCAT (with some difficulty, as forcing myself to study is harder and harder as the days go by). I think I need a break, but what do you all think?

Thanks for reading, your help is much appreciated.

I think you should take some time off. If you think a year would be best then go for it. You won't be wasting time by taking a break. You need to relax and refresh yourself otherwise you'll find yourself drowning later on. And you won't be happy that way - plus, you'll really be wasting your time that way because you won't be able to concentrate and all that.

Have a vacation from academic life before getting into med school. It will be harder to do that when you're in med school already. After the break, you can go back to studying. Good luck to becoming a surgeon! I aim to be the same and I try to study for it, too. I wish I could be as smart as you, though. lol

 

[Jolie South]

Do you think you could finish out senior year and then take a year off?

It seems kinda weird, to me, to take a year off in the middle of undergrad, though I agree that you could probably use some time off before med school.

here are some suggestions. do with them what you will.


for this year:
-try to do well in your classes
-make time one/two days a week to do fun stuff. get out with friends. work out. watch tv. cook.

for summer:
-find an engaging non-academic activity. if you need money, work. i worked every summer of undergrad as a lifeguard and pool manager. it was fun and i got a lot of exercise. or if money is not an issue, volunteer in a health-related capacity.
-take vacation. hang out. drive to a friend's place in another town.

for senior year:
-don't overload. do everything you need to for graduation, but don't over do it.
-take some fun interesting classes. i liked the golf suggestion of another poster.
-keep getting clinical exposure/volunteering.

for your year off:
-find a job. it could be research, phlebotomy, teaching in english in a foreign country, whatever sounds good to you.
-if your job is not health related, continue to volunteer.
-take a little time to travel or do something that you've always wanted to do.

 

[lalalala]

notdeadyet nailed it.

 

[dEterm1ned]

I took a year off in the middle of undergrad and highly recommend it!!
Lots of people do for service or missionary type activities.
I worked as a youth volunteer for 10 months. Most amazing time of my life (lots to talk about on my app essays as well).
Time off is a great idea, and ONE year in the scheme of things is NOTHING!
Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[RLMitchell1]

PLEASE take a year off! You and I are incredibly similar in many ways. The breaking point for me was also not being able to get myself to study for the MCAT, and a real crack in my previously ironclad belief that I wanted to be a doctor.

I took a year off, took care of myself and actually had a life, and just got accepted to my dream school and cannot even begin to say how stoked I am to matriculate! NO school that I know of will hold that year off against you, a huge number of people do it, and sometimes take even more time. Especially if you are doing something that is interesting to med schools, but still serves the purpose of being less stressful for you. (I am currently on a Fulbright in India, and i love it! I am reading novels again!)

Please feel free to ping me if you want to talk more, I really do understand where you are coming from.

 

[45408]

i don't think you need an ENTIRE year for a break. Take a quarter/semester abroad or something (or take it off completely). The problem with breaks is, when you get back to school, it's hard to get back into the routine.

Given how many of my classmates took at least 1-2 years off, I doubt that it's as big of a problem as you suggest. This isn't like someone saying they're going to take a year off before college and then ends up in a dead-end job for life.

 

[alphagojo]

My .02: you would be bored out of your mind if you took time off. I can relate with you, but I have found that people who "burn the candle at both ends" do not do so because they like to make themselves miserable, but because they are more miserable with nothing to do.

MHO...

 

[rosiemarie]

I'm coming at this with a slightly different perspective than most. I was not a premed during college, but went straight to a post-bac program that did all the premed courses during 14 months straight. I finished last summer, took the MCAT, and got a research position for this year while I applied to schools. I've had great acceptances, and have also met many other students doing post-bacs who took much more unusual routes that I did (peace corps, fulbrights, random traveling/research/volunteer work in africa or south america, etc). In general, all of these things made us BETTER candidates as well as better future physicians. Oddly enough, because of my own story, I never actually took a "year off," but I wish I had every time I think about it! I also was very motivated/pushed while in high school, and actually tried to convince my parents to let me defer college a year. They did not let me, and then when the time came for study abroad, I decided not to because I had made certain commitments to an organization during college that I felt I could not break. In a sense, I have all of the downsides of having taken a year off (difficulty showing commitment to medicine, etc) and few of the benefits (travel, break from work and pressure, exposure to perspectives of other people/societies). I hope that you don't listen to those who tell you to suck it up and keep going. You can take a year off now, before your senior year, or you can cut back a little on the stress, put off the mcat for a year, and plan on a year off after graduation when you are applying. The fulbright is an amazing option, and you have plenty of time to make the deadline in the fall for the following year. Go for it!

 

[paranoid_eyes]

Given how many of my classmates took at least 1-2 years off, I doubt that it's as big of a problem as you suggest. This isn't like someone saying they're going to take a year off before college and then ends up in a dead-end job for life.

well, it's hard for me to get back into the study mode after even winter or summer break. I guess everyone is different

 

[Surgeon2711]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all of your input. I really appreciate you all taking the time to help me. I'm leaning even more towards taking the year off (after college), and if I do I will definitely have plans as opposed to vegetating on the couch (though I believe I will do a bit of that ).

Though I wish I could take it easy senior year, I have a pile of BME classes to take, so I'm going to have to keep powering through until graudation I guess. I never thought about taking off a year before senior year, it would disrupt my friendships and such, but I had a followup question: for normal applicants, senior year grades are not taken too much into consideration are they? Now, if I take a year off, then my senior year grades will count, correct?

Thanks again for all the words of wisdom and inspiration.

 

[Blade28]

I was always pushed academically by my family and by myself, and once highschool started up I went into overdrive, taking 10 AP classes and doing very well on most of them. I played lots of sports and studied really hard; no weekend parties or evenings out for me. After junior year, in which I had taken 5 AP's and gotten 5's on all of them, I simply was too burned to function. Add to that an unfortunate family affair which occurred during the summer after that, and my senior year was shot.

Once I came to college, I kicked myself into high gear again, and have done extremely well in Biomedical Engineering. Of course, high performance requires sacrifice. I have definitely spent more hours in the library than I could count on a thousand hands, and I feel as if there is a large part of being a college student that I have missed out on.

Wow...your story actually sounds a little like mine.

I always pushed myself hard as well - was pulling the occasional all-nighter for school starting 9th grade. I also took a ton of AP classes in high school. I was also a Bioengineering major in college, and it was during my time in undergrad that I also first became interested in surgery.

Have I ever felt burned out? You bet. I combatted it by taking breaks - sometimes this would mean skipping a class here or there or taking a whole day off from anything academic. Sometimes this would mean spending a weekend here or there out of the city, in order to recharge my batteries. I felt a little burned out towards the end of my junior year of college, and felt it again towards the end of my MS-III year in med school.

So you gotta figure out what helps you destress - and do plenty of that.

Best of luck.

 

[diosa428]

I would recommend trying to get through senior year if you can (MCAT time is always a hard time; I also studied for the MCAT while in school and definitely felt burned out by the end). Then take a year (or two) off while you're applying to med school - aka, don't apply as a senior. That would be my advise.

Also, "taking a year off" does not necessarily mean sitting around doing nothing, as so many posters seem to think. You can get a job, do research, travel, do things that you will not have time to do as a medical student - it just means doing things that aren't school or studying.