Depression...

[dancinjenn]

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I feel like I am in the middle of a downspiral. I have passed my classes so far and I actually did OK on the biochm test we just had, however I completely failed my physiology test. This is the hardest physio test. Last year, according to rumor, close to 100 people failed this particular test. This year 54 people failed and I was one of the worst. I can still pass the class, I've done the math, but I am having a hard time trying to put this behind me and focus on the new material.

Add to that this upcoming biochm test is the hardest (oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism, etc.) and I have had very little biochm. So I try to budget time each day for each subject but I feel like I am spinning my wheels. Our biochm profs are horrible! Even other faculty agree with students on this point. So I have to basically learn it all by brute memorization, which takes time....alot of time...leaving less time for physiology...AARRGGHH!!!!!

I just need to get out of this funk but I don't know how...help...

 

[bigfrank]

This too shall pass, I promise. The first half of the first year of medical school is the hardest part of medical school! You're trying to tackle several obstacles and adjust to the world (or underworld!) known as medical school.

All I can say is Don't give up! Talk to somebody if you need to, but hang in there. All of your classmates feel the same way at this point, I promise!

Best wishes.

 

[Elysium]

Please know that you're not alone. I know how hard it is to adjust to the constant beatings of med school. I'm also a first year and I think about quitting school on a daily basis. I completely punted my last cardio test (like, really punted it) and I felt like total crap about it for a long time. It's hard to recover from stuff like that emotionally, especially since there's always so much more to do! You feel like you're constantly behind and that you're never going to catch up with everyone else.

Don't know much how to make you feel less depressed, except to try and keep it in perspective and realize that lots of people feel the same way.

 

[waterski232002]

Dancinjenn...

Everyone feels like that during the first year of med school. Inadequate, stressed, can't keep up with the material, overwhelmed.... Some people just hide it and lie about it better than others. Seriously, have comfort in the fact that you are NOT alone. 54 others failed that test, so it's obviously not your problem. That being said, keep your head up and kick the **** out of the next test. Study 16 hrs a day if you need to (seriously).... just remember that life gets A LOT BETTER as you progress to second yr, third yr, and then vacation (I mean 4th yr!!!)

 

[quideam]

You're not alone!!!! Believe me, I seriously think about quitting at least once a week - and that's when I have enough time to think about it! Hang in there - we all have our tough moments; I had biochem last semester, and it was soooo difficult; but, i'm still alive! 🙂. Seriously, just try to stay positive, and keep in mind that doing well on these tests isn't going to make you a good doctor; understanding the material is going to make you a good doctor. Do your best, and i'm sure that it will be good enough. Think about it this way: you are certainly not the least intelligent person to go through medical school, and yet lots of people have done it. Conclusion: you will also make it!!!!

Good luck!!!!!! We're here for you!!!!!

 

[thackl]

Even the people getting A's feel like this. Nearly everyone (even if they don't admit it) feels like this.

If you're seriously feeling depressed or anxiety is getting out of control, get help for it right away. A lot of the time, it as easy as talking the problem out and getting to the root of it (where it comes from) or getting your sleep pattern back on track. Effectiveness is shot if you're depressed/anxious.

Good luck.

 

[yovngman]

Last year, according to rumor, close to 100 people failed this particular test. This year 54 people failed

i thought that it only happens at some caribbean schools. i am surprised to learn that US schools also fail large amount of students.

i suppose that once one fail a class or two, s/he would not be possible to get any good matches 😕

 

[lotanna]

I know that feeling, been there, was there all of last semester. Hang in there, but I think the best thing is to sit back and remind urself why on earth u are doing this, 4get everyone for once, 4get the 54 others who failed, focus only on you. Why and What. Why you are doing this, and what you can do to make it better. This attitude is what is getting me out of the pits that I dug myself into in med schl my 1st semester. I turn a blind eye to what and how my classmates are doing, and focus on me, and how and what I need to do. Its a mental ballgame more than anything else.

 

[Paws]

I know that feeling, been there, was there all of last semester. Hang in there, but I think the best thing is to sit back and remind urself why on earth u are doing this, 4get everyone for once, 4get the 54 others who failed, focus only on you. Why and What. Why you are doing this, and what you can do to make it better. This attitude is what is getting me out of the pits that I dug myself into in med schl my 1st semester. I turn a blind eye to what and how my classmates are doing, and focus on me, and how and what I need to do. Its a mental ballgame more than anything else.

I have finally figured out that I need to do this too. Cripes, I was all about what the other peeps were doing and I would get all psyched out and mental first semester. Now it's second semester and I have decided to be more bloody minded and just keep the focus on me. It's weird, you would think that would make me a real b^tch but instead, I find that when I do decide to talk or hang with school buds, that I am much more selective about who it is and then I really, really enjoy the conversations often. I guess it's the "have NO (NO, NO!!) expectations" thing. Then you stand a good chance of being pleasantly surprised sometimes.

54 other people failed?! girlfriend, you can't take that to heart. I mean, you are just one of look how many. What a messed up exam where 54 people fail.

Just get selfish and tough and say: the heck with all this $#@!, I am going to just focus on doing the very best that I can do. 🙂

 

[dancinjenn]

Yes, 54 people failed this test. It is said to be THE hardest test of the entire first year. I'm just incredibly glad that the tests are not cumulative for this class. I really need to do alot better and that is what is worrying me.

I am trying to say those thing to myself....do the best you can...be steady...don't worry about other people...don't worry about the final grade as long as you pass... Just so hard to work so much and still not make the grade. It just sucks!!! Sucks raw open a$$!!! I think venting helps though.

I know that these tests do not make a good doctor...I just am way more of a hands on person...one of the reasons I loved gross anatomy. However if you don't do average on the tests THEY won't let you get to the hands on portion. My frustration level is definatly lower now compared to earlier this week. Not that I feel great...but better.

 

[katrinadams9]

Yes, 54 people failed this test. It is said to be THE hardest test of the entire first year. I'm just incredibly glad that the tests are not cumulative for this class. I really need to do alot better and that is what is worrying me.

I am trying to say those thing to myself....do the best you can...be steady...don't worry about other people...don't worry about the final grade as long as you pass... Just so hard to work so much and still not make the grade. It just sucks!!! Sucks raw open a$$!!! I think venting helps though.

I know that these tests do not make a good doctor...I just am way more of a hands on person...one of the reasons I loved gross anatomy. However if you don't do average on the tests THEY won't let you get to the hands on portion. My frustration level is definatly lower now compared to earlier this week. Not that I feel great...but better.

Jenn, I am totally in your shoes. I am also one of the 54 who failed... first actual failing grade in med school so far. It really bites and I'm really worried about passing the damn class now. Plus, the next biochem exam is supposed to bite just as bad as the first physio exam. I passed the first biochem, but not with the flying colors I expected. So I'm now torn between where to devote my time more. I need to do really well on both of the next exams to keep my average up!!!

Damn the second years for telling us it was all downhill after Anatomy! Damn them all!!! 😡

 

[AF_PedsBoy]

Ha ha during my second year we had a director for pathophysiology who routinely failed the majority of the class because she didn't go to any of the lectures, didn't know what we were being taught, didn't give us any text suggestion, didn't tell us even vaguely what we were being tested on, and would come up with the most unrelated trivia that wasn't anything we were being taught. We'd also get our old test back the week before the next test - one of them was the day before - so we'd have no idea if the change in our study tactics helped or not. After the third test it was bad enough that the program directors arranged a little Q&A for the class with the director - which was the first time we'd even met the person - and my entire class BITCHED her out. Near the end our program directors started trying to deflect the students' pointed questions. One student asked, "A lot of us are having trouble figuring what to study for these tests," to which she answered, "What's important. I would think it would be self evident." "Obviously not since most of us are failing." Needless to say she started talking with the lecturers and giving us a little more input on what we should be studying and the class pass rate picked up remarkably.

 

[youngstud]

Last year, according to rumor, close to 100 people failed this particular test. This year 54 people failed ...

i thought that it only happens at some caribbean schools. i am
surprised to learn that US schools also fail large amount of students.
i suppose that once one fail a class or two, s/he would not be possible
to get any good matches

 

[ddmo]

I felt like screaming last night while reading Ackerman's notes on lipid metabolism. Their lectures and notes are just a complete waste of time.

I am convinced biochem should be removed from the medical school curriculum and just be made an undergrad req. First, it's not something that really has that much application in everyday medicine. If it's something you would use, you would obviously learn it. Most of the top docs now never had the biochem we are learning and seem to be doing fine. Second, it is one of those topics that nobody remembers past the test.

Regardless, I got an A+ in biochem in undergrad but am currently freaking out over it this unit. They don't teach it well, and nobody has the time to go over things a million times in order to rememeber them. It doesn't help when people like Brislow don't put figures in the notes, so we are supposed to go look up everything. arrgghhh... i need to stop ranting.

point is, you are not alone!

 

[dancinjenn]

Where you there when she flipped out because Matt asked her what was going to be important on the test??? She said "Everything I have emphasized in class" like, duh you dipsh*t haven't you been listening....so then she went on to explain that we have to know all the pathways, activated intermediates, enzymes, allosteric activators and inhibitors, etc. Basically everything in her notes.

A word of warning about Brusilow...second years have said that you really need to go by what he says in class, not just what is on his notes. He tests on what he says in class. So basically the notes are worthless!!!!

Ok, rant of my own....don't Rossi's notes suck as well. I could read the book and get more out of them. Cryptic little satanistic sentences....grrr. So how is your
GFR today????

 

[adoggie]

😱

 

[youngstud]

This year 54 people failed and I was one of the worst. ..

hey, people. so what do they do ? can they still hope for better residencies, etc? or once they fail, they are just doomed to be fps?

 

[Flobber]

hey, people. so what do they do ? can they still hope for better residencies, etc? or once they fail, they are just doomed to be fps?

It's just one exam... there are two others to take and off-set it to make a passing grade in the course. Even if they were to fail, at our school you can re-take classes during the summer.

 

[lotanna]

hey, people. so what do they do ? can they still hope for better residencies, etc? or once they fail, they are just doomed to be fps?

do u know how many people fail med schl exams? LOL@doomed to be fps 👎

 

[Man In The Box]

And there's nothing wrong with being a family doc! I think they're the most important docs.

 

[MeowMix]

every time I think my school really sucks, I read something on here about a school where it sucks the same or EVEN MORE!!! Wow, I am thankful not to be out there with you all.

thank you everyone for making me feel a little better about yesterday's biochem exam where I forgot half the intermediates and enzymes

 

[dancinjenn]

I'm happy for you...I'm glad that my suffering makes others feel good. ha ha ha. On a good note THEY usually set the pass rate so only 10 or so people fail on a particular class, so as long as I can make it up the ladder a decent amount I shouldn't have a problem passing. However there is no way I can make honors.