Burning out as Pre-Med?

[herewego]

Guess I'm just looking for some encouragement at this point, I'd appreciate not being flamed.

Last 2 years or so have really been devoted to being a very good candidate for med schools, whether it be grades, volunteering, leadership positions, research, shadowing etc..

I'm feeling burned out more than ever, trying to keep up this blazing pace, and with the MCAT right around the corner.

How did/are you guys do/doing it? Keeping the motivation up, with little to no reward for your hard work, and no guarantee that it will ever pay off.

Any positive thoughts appreciated.

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[lisasimpson87]

hey, i have definitely been in your boat many times during the last few years...it is really hard to stay focused on the "end goal" of becoming a doctor when theres so many things in the way..whenever i get really really burned out i take a break from all the work (a bad grade on a test or paper every now and then really isn't going to make or break your application) and just relaaaax for a few days, but i usually end up thinking about how awesome it'll feel in 10 years or so when im finally a doctor doing what i want to do. so yea, my advice would be to not get too stressed when you're feeling burned out and let the slump take its course, and also try to stay focused on the end goal...maybe talk to some patients or something when you're volunteering, to remind yourself why you really want to be a doctor

 

[biggiesmallsiz]

Guess I'm just looking for some encouragement at this point, I'd appreciate not being flamed.

Last 2 years or so have really been devoted to being a very good candidate for med schools, whether it be grades, volunteering, leadership positions, research, shadowing etc..

I'm feeling burned out more than ever, trying to keep up this blazing pace, and with the MCAT right around the corner.

How did/are you guys do/doing it? Keeping the motivation up, with little to no reward for your hard work, and no guarantee that it will ever pay off.

Any positive thoughts appreciated.

dont be a wuss. i've been doing it for 3 years now (took biochem1+2 too)
it is what it is man, itll pay off.

you have to be a special kind of masochist to keep at it. being pre-med/med takes a special kind of person.

 

[Auron]

You have to think about the future, and do things to motivate and inspire you. For me, this means shadowing and reading books about the medical field. When I saw a surgeon finishing an operation and telling their family that they're going to "make it" and you see the look on the family's faces...that's motivating. As for handling stress I make an effort to do something fun every weekend, and I work out which help relieves the stress. I also have a couple of great hobbies which make me happy. Try not to overly stress about medical school, pursue your other passions. I'll admit, I'm involved in a lot of activities to become the strongest applicant I can possiby be, and it can get crazy at times - just pace yourself, and remember why you're doing this in the first place. Remember, this is a journey not a race, take time to enjoy yourself along the way.

 

[taponthecloud]

Guess I'm just looking for some encouragement at this point, I'd appreciate not being flamed.

Last 2 years or so have really been devoted to being a very good candidate for med schools, whether it be grades, volunteering, leadership positions, research, shadowing etc..

I'm feeling burned out more than ever, trying to keep up this blazing pace, and with the MCAT right around the corner.

How did/are you guys do/doing it? Keeping the motivation up, with little to no reward for your hard work, and no guarantee that it will ever pay off.

Any positive thoughts appreciated.

when i was a senior in college, i averaged 24-28 units of course credit per quarter while taking care of my research project, preparing to publish, and running several student organizations. i didn't feel burnt out because i was really passionate about the stuff i took on. i suppose most students would look at my then schedule and think i was crazy but i felt motivated and really on top of all my tasks.

i think you need to kill that short-sighted premed mentality which drives you to think solely about how to best present yourself before med school admissions committees. drop a few activities that you aren't too crazy about and that are holding you down; focus on the ones that you really like. this will help you rediscover your motivation. finally, stop stressin' and loosen up!

 

[TheRealMD]

After you get in somewhere, it becomes all worth it. 👍

 

[135892]

dont be a wuss. i've been doing it for 3 years now (took biochem1+2 too)
it is what it is man, itll pay off.

you have to be a special kind of masochist to keep at it. being pre-med/med takes a special kind of person.

What sort of "special" qualities must pre-meds possess?

 

[unsung]

Get a hobby you're passionate about, whether it's playing a sport, being in band, doing dance, or whatever. Stress reliever and "organizational experience"- two birds with one stone. Preferably it's an actual physical activity, as I find it easier to relieve stress through some kind of "transporting" activity like playing music or rock climbing or what have you... hard to hold on to your worries when you're in the middle of a sonata or high up on a cliff face.

But, if you're passionate about something like stamp collecting, I guess that's great too... but I find it harder to stuff like that when I'm stressed. For ex, I'm trying to learn a language on my own, and while I really really enjoy that, it's hard to motivate myself when I'm really busy and already stressed out with studying for mandatory subjects. Otoh, I tend to always enjoy playing sports, making music, etc.

Whatever your stress relieving activity is, find one and stick with it.

 

[Drogba]

when i was a senior in college, i averaged 24-28 units of course credit per quarter while taking care of my research project, preparing to publish, and running several student organizations. i didn't feel burnt out because i was really passionate about the stuff i took on. i suppose most students would look at my then schedule and think i was crazy but i felt motivated and really on top of all my tasks.

i think you need to kill that short-sighted premed mentality which drives you to think solely about how to best present yourself before med school admissions committees. drop a few activities that you aren't too crazy about and that are holding you down; focus on the ones that you really like. this will help you rediscover your motivation. finally, stop stressin' and loosen up!

This is essentially what I was going to say, highlighting the same thing taponthecloud did:

Last 2 years or so have really been devoted to being a very good candidate for med schools,

Devote yourself to something you are passionate about and the work becomes so much easier. Devote yourself to building a predetermined image and you are certain to burnout.

 

[taponthecloud]

This is essentially what I was going to say, highlighting the same thing taponthecloud did:

great minds...

 

[dd128]

This is essentially what I was going to say, highlighting the same thing taponthecloud did:

I'm with tap and drogba as well. There are just so many points of possible burn out if you don't really enjoy the current step you're on, it will catch up with you in the end. That said, I understand wanting to move on to the next step after a while. Just keep in mind getting into med school is just yet another step of the many in becoming a physician. Don't forget about boards (repeatedly), applying for a residency, getting accepted into a residency, and constantly having to be up to date with the most advanced procedures and research in your given field.

 

[herewego]

First of all, thanks for some of the replies.

Yes, I am passionate about the end goal. I wouldn't have put myself through all of this if I hadn't given it serious thought. But there HAS to be a BALANCE. Many of you have suggested trying to strike that balance, which I completely agree with. But when you are literally forced to do all the things I've mentioned to stay competitive, REGARDLESS of how much I do enjoy say, volunteering, it still becomes tiresome.

I also do have hobbies and exercise religiously. Sometimes it helps the motivation, sometimes it doesnt.

And please, to all who said something along the lines of, "it'll pay off," you, out of ALL people, out of the dozens of times people have said that to me, SHOULD KNOW THAT IT ISN'T NECESSARILY TRUE. Any premed who deludes themself into thinking that they are guaranteed payoff for all the work put into this is just naive. Take a look around the forums, see how many of our fellow premeds DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.

That being said, for me at least the best piece of advice was enjoying the journey. I've heard that one before, thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Auron]

First of all, thanks for some of the replies.

Yes, I am passionate about the end goal. I wouldn't have put myself through all of this if I hadn't given it serious thought. But there HAS to be a BALANCE. Many of you have suggested trying to strike that balance, which I completely agree with. But when you are literally forced to do all the things I've mentioned to stay competitive, REGARDLESS of how much I do enjoy say, volunteering, it still becomes tiresome.

I also do have hobbies and exercise religiously. Sometimes it helps the motivation, sometimes it doesnt.

And please, to all who said something along the lines of, "it'll pay off," you, out of ALL people, out of the dozens of times people have said that to me, SHOULD KNOW THAT IT ISN'T NECESSARILY TRUE. Any premed who deludes themself into thinking that they are guaranteed payoff for all the work put into this is just naive. Take a look around the forums, see how many of our fellow premeds DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.

That being said, for me at least the best piece of advice was enjoying the journey. I've heard that one before, thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for all the replies.

One thing I want to note here: Don't compare yourself to other applicants and start freaking out. SDN can do that to you. Just focus on being the best applicant that YOU can be. The fact is that if you have a high gpa, high mcat, great ec's, clinical experience, research exp, interview well etc you will likely get in somewhere. Don't dwell on the negative experiences of others, that's not going to help you, rather - use it as motivation to improve your app. Be positive and put your best foot forward.

 

[Lecter]

Hope you burn out. Another spot open for me. 😀

Seriously though, people stretch themselves too thin with these bull**** "leadership positions and volunteering." Gimme a break.

 

[Drogba]

First of all, thanks for some of the replies.

Yes, I am passionate about the end goal. I wouldn't have put myself through all of this if I hadn't given it serious thought. But there HAS to be a BALANCE. Many of you have suggested trying to strike that balance, which I completely agree with. But when you are literally forced to do all the things I've mentioned to stay competitive, REGARDLESS of how much I do enjoy say, volunteering, it still becomes tiresome.

Again, it's not about being passionate about the end goal that makes the process easier its being passionate about what you are doing on a day to day basis. Sure it can be hard for a lot of people to get to excited about gen chem but thats why you involve yourself with things you can get excited about. For me its global health, social medicine, medical anthropology and builidng a strong supportive community at my school among pre-meds and exposing them to the infinite possibilities available here.

 

[T12]

Seriously though, people stretch themselves too thin with these bull**** "leadership positions and volunteering." Gimme a break.

I agree with this to an extent. It seems to me that too many pre-med students are being forced into quotas on volunteer hours and the like by the competition out there. If you don't enjoy it, you shouldn't waste your time doing it. But so many these days do it regardless of whether they want to or not..."Better rack up at least 300 hours at the free clinic or I might not get in to so and so"...

That's not to say that volunteering isn't enjoyable, it just so happens every opportunity afforded to me thus far has been very mundane, and rarely have I been able to actually experience patient contact -- or any human contact really. So why should I waste my time doing this? Merely because there exists that ever-present insecurity that it will come down to that one fault on the application -- too few this, too few that.

Collectively, I think all pre-med students should decide to do all the ECs they enjoy, and NONE that they don't. Should wind up better applicants and people for it, right?

 

[EpiPEN]

Bah, that's nothing!

When I was your age...

 

[DadAndPreDOinMO]

I wasn't motivated at all my first two years- 2.5 gpa. I didn't care about school. I changed my mind pretty quickly when I got married and started a family. I didn't really enjoy a lot of the prereq's, but knowing doing well in them would some day pay off (it will) was motivation enough. I worked 50 hours a week, had a 3.5 and did research. When I felt burnt out I would play with my kids. Just find something that is relaxing for you and take a break. Get rejuvenated and get your butt back to work. Don't question whether or not it will pay off. If you work hard enough it will pay off.
Another thing that will help you to stay fresh is exercising consistently.
Good luck

 

[Ella Shepherd]

One thing I want to note here: Don't compare yourself to other applicants and start freaking out. SDN can do that to you. Just focus on being the best applicant that YOU can be. The fact is that if you have a high gpa, high mcat, great ec's, clinical experience, research exp, interview well etc you will likely get in somewhere. Don't dwell on the negative experiences of others, that's not going to help you, rather - use it as motivation to improve your app. Be positive and put your best foot forward.

Well said. 👍

I still can't help wishing though that I'd get into the med school I want. But whatever. All I know is I want to be a doctor, and the best one I can be. Getting into this or that med school won't change that. I just want to get into a good one and be as great a student I can be, without stressing myself too much. 🙂

 

[BlitzSleep]

Guess I'm just looking for some encouragement at this point, I'd appreciate not being flamed.

Last 2 years or so have really been devoted to being a very good candidate for med schools, whether it be grades, volunteering, leadership positions, research, shadowing etc..

I'm feeling burned out more than ever, trying to keep up this blazing pace, and with the MCAT right around the corner.

How did/are you guys do/doing it? Keeping the motivation up, with little to no reward for your hard work, and no guarantee that it will ever pay off.

Any positive thoughts appreciated.

Watch a few episodes of the first season of Scrubs 😛

Seeing someone else suffer usually takes my mind off my miserable state of mind 🙂

Quit some of your EC's. After 2 years i'm sure you have plenty of clinical experience by now. Take that time that you used to use for the EC and do something that you enjoy. Whether that be playing some video games, watching TV, or hanging out with what friends you have left that aren't obsessed with studying.

The key is just to pace yourself. Give yourself plenty of personal time to wind down. You'll thank yourself later on.

 

[BlitzSleep]

Sorry for the double post. My laptop is acting up and i'm about to toss it out the window.

 

[Livingapparatus]

what are you burned out from primarily? do you have a job? how demanding is your job? do you have kids? how bad do you really have it comapared to others? do you have to worry about eating? do you have to worry about feeding someone else?

thats what i ask myself when i get that feeling. and you know what its usually not that bad once you put it nto perspective into other peoples situations. I work 50 to 60 hours a week, i have to pay rent every month, I have 13 hours of science classes, i volunteer. but you know what i really dont have it as bad as the guy who has to lay concrete in under the sun 10 hours a day and i dont have kids to feed, i dont have a wife to care for, and im healthy.

i think i would have burned out if i didnt realize how hard it can be and i thank god every morning that i dont have it that hard. I hoped this helped.

stick with it!

 

[nontypicalazn]

Well, for me, and many of my pre-med friends are passionate about going to med school, but we also like to explore and do things as an undergrad, because chances are, we won't have as much time, or even at all, when we start med school.

Burn out is not uncommon, especially with all the classes you are juggling with, but have a balance in a sense that you don't lose yourself, getting buried underneath the huge pile of to-do list mindlessly. Even Energizer Bunny needs some recharging. Honestly slacking off once in a while, or indulge yourself won't put a damper on your application. Not every med school applicant is 35+, 3.8, 1000 hours shadowing experience, publications (note the sarcasm here, but in all honesty, if this is what you are going for, then good for you).

For me personally, I really liked what I studied, so when I was taking 5 advanced bio classes, I really enjoyed learning the material, which made it soo much easier on me. I also loved my research-lab, as it was a very friendly and helpful environment. Having some friends who are in similar situations to talk to definitely helps. I had an MCAT buddy for the 2 months I spent studying, and it helped tremendously to just have someone to walk the journey with you.

Don't give up. Have some fun when the MCAT is done. And just be positive. Remember that about 45-50% applicants get in med school.

 

[Isoprop]

just a note, burning out often isn't a symptom of doing something you are not passionate or interested in.

 

[Luxian]

OP, I'm sorry you're feeling burned out, but on the plus side, this is a really great learning opportunity. When you're in med school, when you're a doctor, you will also need to remember when to put yourself first. Yup! That's what I said. Put YOURself first.

Everyone has a limited set of emotional, mental, and physical resources. When you use up every last drop, you have less to give. You need a core to be able to maintain yourself and give back to the world.

A few thoughts:
A) You can't cover all the bases. You can't do as much volunteering as the next guy, AND get a higher GPA, AND a higher MCAT, AND more research. It's just not possible, and it will make you an unhappy person. Instead of trying to do everything, focus on what you enjoy most. If that's volunteering, great, cut down on some other things. If it's research, drop the volunteering! I'm serious! You've done some already, so you can talk about it. You don't need to do it all!

B) Second point (and last), doing what everyone else is doing will actually hurt your application in the long run. It is far more important to have an excellent LOR or a clinical experience you can talk about in your personal statement than to have Xhundred hours of volunteering and a 3.9 GPA. Seriously. They see literally thousands of 3.9 GPA bio majors with research. It's the ones that stand out, from experiences, from eloquence, from dedication, from passion, that they choose. Don't let the process wear you down, cause it's the remaining passion that is THE most necessary part!

C) Last thing, really! It's not the end of the world if you don't get in. In fact, a lot of people are taking one or two (or more) years off before going back to med school. Schools look well on this (if it's for a good reason). It brings you back to school with some real world experience, some extra maturity, and a better sense of life balance. I would strongly recommend you scale back a little bit, keep your sanity, and take a year to do whatever you most like about medicine -- volunteer, research, work with kids, whatever -- and use that experience to focus your application. It will allow you to stand out way more than an extra .2 GPA ever will.

Good luck!

 

[VoiceofReason]

just a note, burning out often isn't a symptom of doing something you are not passionate or interested in.

Sentence makes my head hurt.

I burnout on economics after half a semester of an introductory course... but I read biochemistry like it's a good novel and I read healthcare policy in my spare time. Think twice about medicine if you don't love it.

And I don't mean to say you shouldn't do it, but just think long and hard. I'm not going to pretend that there is nothing attractive about medicine other than the nature of the work, but you should still do what makes you happy, in my opinion. Even if you don't make the same money, gain the same level of prestige, or gain the same level parental/familial approval.

 

[sunny1]

I burnout on economics after half a semester of an introductory course... but I read biochemistry like it's a good novel and I read healthcare policy in my spare time. Think twice about medicine if you don't love it.

And I don't mean to say you shouldn't do it, but just think long and hard. I'm not going to pretend that there is nothing attractive about medicine other than the nature of the work, but you should still do what makes you happy, in my opinion. Even if you don't make the same money, gain the same level of prestige, or gain the same level parental/familial approval.

I have to disagree. People burnout on jobs they love all the time - especially in the healthcare field! It doesn't mean you don't love what you do. It just means you are going through a stressful time and haven't taken the time to care for yourself as much as was needed.

OP, google burnout and ways to address it: http://www.coping.org/growth/burnout.htm.

As others have said, make a list and cut out stuff you don't absolutely have to do that isn't making you happy. Take a daylong or weekend vacation just doing nothing/relaxing stuff.

 

[sunny1]

Keeping the motivation up, with little to no reward for your hard work, and no guarantee that it will ever pay off.

This might be the crux of your problem. 1) You feel like you're not getting any reward or recognition for your hard work. 2) And you doubt it will ever pay off.

1) The key here is to enjoy the journey and rejoice in smaller victories then. Getting an A in a class or a good grade on a test is great! Be sure to share that news with your family or close friend so they can echo back that your hard work paid off. Try to focus on the joy you can bring to others by helping them if you volunteer. Heck, if you want to, take a year off after you graduate and travel or do something fun just because. Depending on your timing, your MCAT will still be valid and you'll be a more balanced, well-rounded person.

2) SDN skews our perceptions of what is normal and what is exceptional in a premed applicant. If you must, head over to the What are my chances thread and post your stats, or start an MDapplicants page to gather feedback. Better yet though would be to meet with your premed advisor or someone else you trust to get feedback on your application so far. Heck, you yourself would be a good judge. Start putting together a listing of all your accomplishments, like a CV or resume but more detailed. Not only will this help you with your AMCAS extracurriculars listings when you apply, but it can be a good ego booster to remind yourself of all you have done already. When you are doubting yourself, take a peek at your GPA or ECs and be proud of all the work you've done. If you want to be a doctor and you are reasonably capable academically, personable, and apply wisely, it is within your reach. For some, it might take more than one cycle of applications or DO vs MD, but it is certainly an attainable goal.

 

[45408]

what's the rush? graduating in five years instead of four won't put you at any type of disadvantage. Take fewer credits and chill out more. Hang out with friends.