Dealing with adversity...

[Studmuffin123]

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Too often I feel like as pre-dentals all we worry about are how high our stats are, how much we impact others, and if getting into dental school is even possible. Our lives revolve around helping others, however what do we do when we need to help ourselves? I've spent the last 4 years of college trying to make a difference in my community; caring about the well-being of others. Recently my father was diagnosed with cancer and I do not know how to cope with it. Mentally I have been checked-out and lately I have felt guilty that I got into dental school because I know that he'll need me for support when treatment arises. Just wondering what y'all think, Has anyone else out there dealt with adversity and how did you overcome it? How did you help yourself get through it when life seemed to just knock you down?

 

[HabituallyPlacid]

I’m sorry to hear that about your father, I hope his treatment goes well and these times are looked back on to be a meager blemish on his and your life. We as human beings will at some point in our lives all know adversity in some way, shape, or form— the best thing I could say to is to remain resilient and don’t be afraid to ask for help from those close to you when things get tough. If you can, reaching out to people going through similar challenges as you find yourself in now could possibly work to alleviate the discomfort you may be feeling. While there isn’t a way to rid yourself completely of adversity’s side effects, it is something that can make you and your father stronger down the road.

 

[RocuROMANium]

I went through a similar situation in my early years of undergrad. The mistake that I made was not realizing that I let the issue diffuse into my academic life, which hurt me and my future. I would go to class and be like, “none of this information is helping me through the hardest part of my life so I’m not going to class anymore.” The result was that my GPA plummeted after failing a few classes and today, 9 years later, I’m still paying for those mistakes.

What I learned was that I should have talked to someone (professor, advisor, dean, etc.) to figure out what the best path was for me to take during those extremely difficult times. Why let something personal hurt your academic/professional life when most institutions have protocols to help people in these situations? Withdraw, take a LOA, or whatever but don’t screw yourself over.

 

[Studmuffin123]

Thank you both for the helpful advice. I'm hopeful that this situation will be overcome and I'll be sure to continue taking care of myself to the best of my abilities.