Is it me or is medical school just as competitive as undergrad? Granted, people do share notes, stratagies etc. but the competition is still there. Everyone says that its not competitive but I beg to disagree. Any thoughts on this.
The person that you are in competition with most often is yourself. With every exam, you want to do your best and do better. Sometimes, it works out and sometimes you make stupid mistakes or it's just a bad day.
You will be ranked in some manner be it by USMLE/COMLEX scores, exam results etc. Again, you want the highest ranking that you can achieve. For some folks, this will be at the top of the class, for others, it will be lower. The important point to remember is that if you pass, you will become a physician and that often the point difference between first and last in the class will be less than 10 points. In general, the folks that fail a test or fail a class usually do so by one or two points. This is far different from most undergraduate experiences.
It is always in your best interest to help your classmates as much as possible. This helps with class cohesion and it helps you review the material. At some point, you are going to need help yourself which may be someone to cover for you while you run a needed errand third year or notes etc for something that you missed. If you are the consummate professional, you help your colleagues because one day, you may have to refer your patients to them and you want the best care for your patients.
If you are truly the number one person in your class, you have nothing to fear from those around you or behind you. This is why the "gunner" generally winds up being the "horse's rear-end" most of the time because the "gunner" is insecure and needs to put down others to compensate for things that they lack on a social level. If your ego is so dependent upon how you perform on a test or answering questions in class, that doesn't seem like a healthy ego.
Competition is present and it need not be a negative situation. Challenges are good and can often spur one to higher achievement. My gross anatomy tanks mates were always competing among ourselves to get the highest score on a lab practical. It was all good natured and we all helped each other learn the material. It was generally like a "pick-up game of shooting the hoops". On some days, you can't miss and on others you get a workout but that's fun too.
Most of the time, most students in medical school are too busy trying to get the material mastered to "play competition games". Again, you have to keep your own house in order before worrying about what other folks are doing. Anything that anyone can do that keeps the class cohesive and cooperative is going to contribute positively to your medical school experience but ultimately, your performance is dependent on you and your work ethic whether the school atmosphere is competitive or cooperative.
