Burnout

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FutureDoc4

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I am feeling really exhausted right now (finishing up my thesis for undergrad), and I will be starting med school next fall. Trust me, I will be doing NOTHING this summer academic. I will be spending time on the beach, traveling, and spending time with the gf. Maybe I will do some part time construction (stay in some sort of shape) but that's it. However, I am still afraid that I will not be back to 100% by next fall ( I'm not sure how I will recoup over the summer, I haven't had a summer off since hs). Has anyone else felt this way? Did you find you were able to bounce back pretty well? Any suggestions of other things to get myself back to 100% before starting this fall. Thanks in advance.

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I dont really have an answer but Id just like to say good luck in finding some comfort, seriously.
 
If you aren't sure, don't do it. Defer for a year, enjoy your year off, make some money, then start the next year. It is much better to be ready and do well than not be ready, do mediocre, and finish a year earlier
 
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My guess is that if you do absolutely NOTHING this summer - no job, no volunteering, no time commitments - you will be ready for school by the time it starts. You'll probably enjoy yourself for a month, maximum, before you get bored with having nothing to do, and going back to school will be more of a relief than anything else. Not to mention that you're going to a new school, and the beginning of the year will be spent meeting new people, possibly exploring a new place?, and you'll probably be excited to be there.

My advice to you would be to avoid burning out again once you've started school refreshed. I personally worked my a** off during one of our first blocks... and after that, my attention span was gone. The rest of the blocks, I just did what I had to do to pass, because I couldn't motivate myself to study at all. Med school is marathon, so don't start off studying 12 hours a day.
 
If you aren't sure, don't do it. Defer for a year, enjoy your year off, make some money, then start the next year. It is much better to be ready and do well than not be ready, do mediocre, and finish a year earlier

Terrific advice. If you can find a way to defer for a year and work, do it. If you slog it out for a year in a 9-5, you will be so ready to get back to school to work toward a career that will be rewarding and interesting every day. Without exception, every MD I have ever discussed this with has recommended taking a year off to work and/or travel between college and med school. Every time I get frustrated in med school I can put it in perspective by remembering how much better it is than working a "real job".
 
One more thing. You are probably in your early 20s right now, with minimal responsibilities and commitments. You are entering into a minimum 7 years of schooling which will be much more intense than undergrad was. You will likely come out of this 7 years with a lot of debt and a lot more responsibilities (family, mortgage, etc.). This summer may be your last chance to do something cool/crazy. This summer: Travel, get drunk, enjoy yourself...but don't get arrested.
 
If you slog it out for a year in a 9-5, you will be so ready to get back to school to work toward a career that will be rewarding and interesting every day... Every time I get frustrated in med school I can put it in perspective by remembering how much better it is than working a "real job".

Well said, cpants, well said.

Med school is so much more rewarding, fun, and interesting than the alternative. Which for most [all the inane and unsubstantiated references to medical students being qualified to work in investment banking aside] would be some semi-professional 9-5 career pulling down about 40 G's/year and paying off our undergrad debt while we feel our 20's slipping away from us.
 
Your anatomy block will whip you in to shape in no time. Veg out while you can. :cool:
 
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