Do you ever get angry/jealous/depressed when you see others enjoying life?

[medstudent87]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Studying is semi-bearable when I'm stuck at school with a bunch of other people doing that same thing. The problem is, whenever I talk to friends, family, or my long-distance bf, they always tell me about all the fun stuff they are doing, weekend plans, etc.
I even get jealous of stuff that they might not consider to be fun (mowing the lawn or painting some rooms, for example). Don't they realize that whenever I'm miserable, they should be miserable as well?! (i'm j/k)

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

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[ar2388]

you need to figure it out for yourself if its worth it... everyone sacrifices alot.. whether its 20+hrs of dancing a week or just being able to go see a movie every weekend or something.
we have been told many times in school that medical students are the epitome of going through delayed gratification.. we work our as*ses off for years and years and years just in the hopes that one day, 10 years from now, we will be successful, the hard ridiculous studying will be behind us, and we can finally enjoy life again more like normal people..
especailyl 2nd year i have had many moments where i think if this is worth it. maybe i should have just gone to culinary school and opened a restaurant with my dad or something.. and would have been able to keep dancing as much as i would have wanted.. etc etc...
you need to figure out for yourself if this is worth it

 

[myhandsarecold]

no, but you should talk to someone 😉

 

[medstudent87]

I'm a second year (at least for another couple weeks) and the boards are coming up fast....hence these feelings

 

[drizzt3117]

Eh, you can still have fun if you plan your time well.

 

[weightyheart]

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

Same here. It's hard for any premed to understand what becoming a doctor really means and the sacrifices that you will be making. Medicine isn't some holy grail of anything. In the end, it's just a job that you do to provide for yourself and your family. So consider that if you hadn't gone into medicine, you would have had 8 more years for yourself and your family.

 

[MDofIre]

I'm a pre-med so my opinion doesn't really have any value. But from my perspective... in 10 years you'll be in a much better position than many of your friends. You'll be in a secure profession that has many opportunities for personal and intellectual satisfaction. Medicine is delayed gratification in the extreme...

Oh to be a pre-med again.

 

[amakhosidlo]

Eh, you can still have fun if you plan your time well.

This. Went climbing this morning, going out tonight (girl's dragging me by the ear). Got a big hairy midterm on Monday. I've been hard at it all week, yesterday for 10 hrs until ~1am (outside of class).

You make time for what's important to you.

For the record: You'll never get your 20's back, your friends (of equivalent drive and intelligence) will make more, live more, and be happier than you. From an objective standpoint, no way in hell is it worth it. But I couldn't see myself doing anything else. No other field incorporates life-long learning to the same extent, and nothing else seems as....important? Worthwhile? And honestly I sort of enjoy the stress, responsibility, commitment, etc. Tailoring a life around medicine is more a challenge than anything else, and I'm a sucker for a challenge.

 

[Marcus Brody]

another quality thread by medstudent87

 

[DrYoda]

I enjoy my own life.

and I'll echo the above comments that good time management is key.

 

[IHeartNerds]

Medicine isn't some holy grail of anything. In the end, it's just a job that you do to provide for yourself and your family.

Attitudes like this are why the current generation of physicians are producing crap for significant medical advancements. I'm dead serious. Maurice Hilleman didn't make half a dozen vaccines because he went to work to pick up a paycheck.

I love what I do. Why would I get depressed when I see other people enjoying their lives? Good for them, I enjoy my life too.

 

[ILikeSugar]

Not everyone can "make time" for hobbies in med school. I was an all-star in undergrad. I'd cram a few days before my finals and have set the curve on a few exams.

But when I got to med school, my intellectual abilities were less than some of my classmates who could juggle E.Cs while I pretty much had to study all the time.

So yeah, I feel pangs of frustration when I see the undergrads, nursing students, etc. I get your pain.

But here are a few things that have helped me:
1. Make sure that you always make time to eat healthily and exercise. Trust, me, if your brain isn't performing at a high enough level, this is one the best ways to boost it. Caffeine just doesn't work when you take it every day.

2. Get a study partner. That way, you get some socializing time while you study.

3. Realize, that medicine is very uh...front-loaded. Yes, you "give up" your 20s but you don't ever have to worry about job security. You may have to work longer hours and for less. But you will never ever have to worry about being outsourced or obsolete. It's kind of like job insurance. Granted, you're paying a *VERY* high premium, but perhaps that peace of mind can be a source of comfort.

4. Start shadowing doctors. Most of the happy docs that I see consider medicine a calling/vocation. Maybe you'll find a field that piques your curiosity.

 

[DoctwoB]

The bigger question is do my friends who have a pointless 9-5 job get jealous/angry/depressed when they see me learning about the wonders of the human body and bettering myself? They'll be doing the same thing forever while (until step1 at least) the entire medical world is my oyster.

I'm being facetious, but don't give into a "grass is greener" syndrome. Your friends with work careers are dealing with a lot of crap too. Med school is tough and busy, and yes we are poor, but don't assume that your 100k/year consultant buddies life is all sunshine and daisies.

 

[DocDanny]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

I commuted to college, and was a math/science geek in high school. So I'm pretty used to never doing anything on the weekends. Med school just continues that routine. So I adjusted to it, I guess.

What does get me is classmates talking about it. They lament the fun they USED to have. Or they somehow find time to party, date, and go on vacations (how they afford it I'll never know) while I lock myself in my room in the evenings or spend my weekends in the coffee shop.

Sometimes I doubt things will ever change. Am I going to be spending my life like this as a resident and into any fellowship? Will I spend my weekends reading a book while the others go party and drink? Will I spend my vacations at home catching up on sleep?

Medical school is boring. That's the way it is. I think it is normal for all of us to have doubts. But medicine really should be a calling. It is for me, so it keeps me going through all this ****.

 

[Antibodies]

OP: I agree. Hearing/reading (facebook) about all the things people are doing can be somewhat depressing. However, when I talk to my non-med friends they are always wondering about that I am doing. So the grass is always greener somewhere else.
The thought that in a few years I will be a doctor... that is just mind-blowing and I can't wait.
Plus you need money to do all the fun stuff... 🙂

 

[DocDanny]

Money can't buy happiness. But it can buy things that MAKE you happy.

 

[Mean Muggin]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Studying is semi-bearable when I'm stuck at school with a bunch of other people doing that same thing. The problem is, whenever I talk to friends, family, or my long-distance bf, they always tell me about all the fun stuff they are doing, weekend plans, etc.
I even get jealous of stuff that they might not consider to be fun (mowing the lawn or painting some rooms, for example). Don't they realize that whenever I'm miserable, they should be miserable as well?! (i'm j/k)

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

Poor, suffering soul...all alone in a world of toil and hardship. My heart is brimming with pity. How is it possible that you were so unfortunate?... condemned to a life of misery and isolation while other people frolic around you in a state of bliss. I was moved to tears when you said you yearn for respite...to suck some pleasure out of a task as menial as mowing a lawn...like a man in the desert dying of thirst looking for a drop of water to moisten his lips. Oh kindred spirit, if I had a lawn, I'd let you mow it; if I had a dog, I'd let you pick up its ****. Damn the devil who duped you into going into medicine!

 

[amakhosidlo]

Yes, you "give up" your 20s but you don't ever have to worry about job security...you will never ever have to worry about being outsourced or obsolete. It's kind of like job insurance.

This is extremely naive.

 

[weightyheart]

Attitudes like this are why the current generation of physicians are producing crap for significant medical advancements. I'm dead serious. Maurice Hilleman didn't make half a dozen vaccines because he went to work to pick up a paycheck.

Alright, you go make your vaccines, while I take care of patients, make a family, and spend my time doing things that I enjoy. But I expect you to make some sort of medical discovery by the end of your life. Don't disappoint me. Good luck.

I don't have to sacrifice everything and spend my whole life working in order to be happy. What makes medicine more worthy of my time than anything else in my life?

 

[BlueElmo]

Haha, OP, you and I think alike. I kind of regret choosing this path.
I wish economy had been better, then I would have gone into business, finances, engineering, or something else. I would be out in the real world earning money and having a life instead of reading syllabus the size of a textbook about things I don't really care about.

I wouldn't feel half as depressed if med school was shorter, like 3 years or something. Maybe just cut out a year of basic sciences (I know, wishful thinking, haha). But 4 freaking years, man, I feel like drowning.

 

[Yope]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Studying is semi-bearable when I'm stuck at school with a bunch of other people doing that same thing. The problem is, whenever I talk to friends, family, or my long-distance bf, they always tell me about all the fun stuff they are doing, weekend plans, etc.
I even get jealous of stuff that they might not consider to be fun (mowing the lawn or painting some rooms, for example). Don't they realize that whenever I'm miserable, they should be miserable as well?! (i'm j/k)

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

Absolutely not miserable. I'm too talented to be idle, so bring on the work. Let the hoi polloi eat, drink, and procreate.

 

[AnonymousHandle]

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[RoseInTheMud]

What does it matter how much "fun" everyone else is having? Take a year off and go party with them. No? Ok well stop complaining. You're doing something huge with your life and trust me your friends are probably jealous of you. Just because they brag about how much fun their having doesn't actually mean its true. Pysch 101.

 

[clinicallabguy]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Studying is semi-bearable when I'm stuck at school with a bunch of other people doing that same thing. The problem is, whenever I talk to friends, family, or my long-distance bf, they always tell me about all the fun stuff they are doing, weekend plans, etc.
I even get jealous of stuff that they might not consider to be fun (mowing the lawn or painting some rooms, for example). Don't they realize that whenever I'm miserable, they should be miserable as well?! (i'm j/k)

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

I think we medical students often blame our misery on medical school because it's such a convenient scapegoat. However, no one is forcing anybody to give up anything. Mow the lawn if you want. Travel a little bit. Go out for food and drinks. You can do these things in medical school. The question is are you willing to give up studying more to do them. Or are you willing to give them up to study more. It's up to you.

Medical school is hard, but it's exhausting how many threads there are on SDN dedicated to how the rest of the world doesn't understand how hard life is for us (this is a general statement not directed at you specifically, OP). The only thing that we've got going against us sometimes is how much we feel sorry for ourselves, or how victimized we feel by our situation. I personally don't think life is that hard for us at all. There's nothing on our plates that we didn't put there ourselves (generally). That makes us more fortunate than a lot of people.

I'm sure you'll get everything figured out, and this was probably just a rant to let out some frustration. There's no harm in that. But, I think that if you consider everything, you probably have a lot of good things going for you. I could be wrong, but you've got lots of great opportunities ahead of you.

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

You don't sacrifice your twenties. I know plenty of people who get married and have relationships and go to concerts for the weekend. Also they still make good grades. Ultimately it is you who decided to go into medical school and the fact that you are envying everyone who is enjoying "regular" life shows that you never really experienced "regular" life.

I'm sorry that you make big decisions without thinking them through and have to face the consequences.

 

[random cell]

If you don't like the med student life then quit. You're not Jesus nailed to a cross suffering for everyone's sins by going to med school. This may be hard for you to accept, but people before you have completed medical school.

 

[Antibodies]

Wow, the replies in this thread are kind of shocking. Yet not surprising, since everyone on SDN is willing to throw others under the bus.
Why are the pre-meds replying? As if they have anything to add.

OP: Don't worry, there are tons of people like you. We all know medicine is what we want to do, but that dumb 9-5 is sometimes tempting.

 

[ProtossCarrier]

What do you say we be kind on her? Medical school can be incredibly diffcult to pull through.

 

[coldweatherblue]

spent like 12 hours at the beach today. i am enjoying my life, dammit, in spite of medical education. oh ya and you do some really cool stuff in medicine that could possibly borderline on "enjoyable".

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

I'm not that far removed from medical school, and don't recall that it was that bad. Certainly better than internship, where you kinda have to be somewhere for 60-80 hours a week and you're pretty tired the rest of the time.

If you go to class 4 hours per day (which is crazy), and study 6 hours a day (which is crazy), you've put in a 10 hour day -- just like everyone else. That leaves plenty of time to do whatever you want. It's even better in some ways, because you can study whenever you want.

The only real difference is that you're not getting paid, and so you're living off of your loans/savings. This I can understand -- it's harder to go out or take trips without money. But time shouldn't be an issue.

 

[DocDanny]

I just worry that the best years of my life are over. I'm not spending time with family or friends. And like I said above, I've done NOTHING ELSE with my life. No travel, no wild parties, no dating.

I'm only on here now because the coffee shop doesn't open until 10.

I'm really worried that the rest of my life is going to be this same monotonous routine. But I really don't know how to break the cycle.

 

[Ok2Panic]

If you don't like the med student life then quit. You're not Jesus nailed to a cross suffering for everyone's sins by going to med school. This may be hard for you to accept, but people before you have completed medical school.

I can't think of the necessity at all for responses like this. Many of us have these moments, and it really contributes nothing to respond like this when the OP is obviously just looking for some support.

Good god, people around here seem to be getting worse and worse.

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

I'm not spending time with family or friends. And like I said above, I've done NOTHING ELSE with my life. No travel, no wild parties, no dating.

Why not? You don't get extra points for martyrdom at the end.

 

[chiz2kul]

fabulous thread.

to the OP: I feel you. I absolutely hate not having time to do anything. I'm not one of those rich superstars that can juggle travel around the world etc (where do they get money from???) and tons of EC - and then study a few hours a day and still be able to set the curve. Curse you!!!#$%#*&%# 😀
I have to work my butt off - and when i'm not busy working, i'm too drained to want to do anything else. Dammit i'm already ready to raise a family, and follow all my other interests outside of medicine - but there's no freaking time to do anything else. And dont give me that bull about time management - thats def not my issue.

But thing is I dont see myself doing anything else. Even if I won the lottery tomorrow and set for life cash-wise, I would still be a doctor. No, i'm not gung-ho crazy about medicine per se - but it does epitomize everything that i've always wanted to be. Everything else - law, business, engineering, 9-5 cubicle type gig etc - waaaay too boring for me. Zero interest.

So yea, I guess this is the price we have to pay. Sure does suck. But it could be much worse. Besides, isnt 2nd year right before boards supposed to be the lowest time ever in med school or something like that?

 

[ACSurgeon]

I'm a second year (at least for another couple weeks) and the boards are coming up fast....hence these feelings

This sums it up... that was the worst time of med school for me. I was terribly burnt out to the point of not caring, yet I knew I couldn't afford to not care with step 1 fast approaching.

Bust your ***** for the next 2 months, and realize that things get much better in 3rd year. Your time is no longer yours, but the amount of studying is significantly less. Also, in third year you get to see (and maybe even do) what you'll be doing for the rest of your career: being a doctor.

 

[Perrotfish]

[/B]

This sums it up... that was the worst time of med school for me. I was terribly burnt out to the point of not caring, yet I knew I couldn't afford to not care with step 1 fast approaching.

Bust your ***** for the next 2 months, and realize that things get much better in 3rd year. Your time is no longer yours, but the amount of studying is significantly less. Also, in third year you get to see (and maybe even do) what you'll be doing for the rest of your career: being a doctor.

I'm not sure I would promise that things will get better in third year. My worst rotations were WAY worse than boards, and even my better ones were almost as bad. Thingswill get better, but (other than a brief vacation in fourth year) I wouldn't count on it getting all that much better before you're done with at least Intern year.

To the OP: as many have said medical school is a choice to delay gratification. It sucks now but soon you'll be done and most of your friend will be jealous of you.

 

[2012mdc]

I'm not sure I would promise that things will get better in third year. My worst rotations were WAY worse than boards, and even my better ones were almost as bad. Thingswill get better, but (other than a brief vacation in fourth year) I wouldn't count on it getting all that much better before you're done with at least Intern year.

To the OP: as many have said medical school is a choice to delay gratification. It sucks now but soon you'll be done and most of your friend will be jealous of you.

Sorry to hear that.

2nd and 3rd year are pretty different and each have their advantages/disadvantages but as a whole 3rd year is better than 2nd year.

2nd year we had 4-6 tests in one week every 4-5 weeks. Step 1 looming. Couldn't take more than a couple days off without falling behind.

3rd year varies greatly on the rotation. Surg was hell but it was only 8 weeks. IM was very manageable. FM and Psych were cake. I went out more on Psych than probably the entire 2nd half of M2

I love not having the pressure to study all the time (outside of shooting for honors on IM).

I love having my weekends back (outside of Surg) - I lucked out and never had Sat/Sun call on IM. I didn't mind going in for a few hours Sat morning and being free the rest of the weekend.

The worst thing about M3 is that everything is mandatory but there are ways around it if you play the game right.

I will say that it sounds like the 3rd year experience varies a lot between schools and even within schools

 

[2012mdc]

And if so, what do you do to deal?

Studying is semi-bearable when I'm stuck at school with a bunch of other people doing that same thing. The problem is, whenever I talk to friends, family, or my long-distance bf, they always tell me about all the fun stuff they are doing, weekend plans, etc.
I even get jealous of stuff that they might not consider to be fun (mowing the lawn or painting some rooms, for example). Don't they realize that whenever I'm miserable, they should be miserable as well?! (i'm j/k)

Seriously though, I get so depressed when I think about how I'm spending the best years of my life sitting on my butt staring at books while everyone else is regularly going out for food and drinks, traveling, making $$, getting laid, etc.

I know its a sacrifice I voluntarily signed up for, but sometimes I wish I never chose this path.... 🙁

Guess I never really understood what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth it?

Except making $$ (unless gambling counts) I have done all of the above during med school.

You aren't using your time effectively if you don't have enough time to grab a quick drink or meal.

Even during my month of dedicated board studying I still found time to grab an occasional drink, eat some bbq with friends, catch some of the World Cup and NBA playoffs, and get laid.

When you find yourself becoming miserable, go do something fun

 

[ArcGurren]

If you budget your time nobody is gonna prevent you from having a life. I would go out bowling, go to movies, bars, etc. with friends (not always other med students), went to a comic-con, etc. Still managed to get good grades and maintain some semblance of sanity. Right now I'm in the midst of boards studying and it's definitely very different, lot less free time. But after this is over, sure third year is long days of work but it's a different experience.

If you're bored and miserable at times, as 2012mdc said, go and have some fun. It doesn't have to be something elaborate or wild, just go chill with some friends, go out to eat, etc. Take pleasure in the small things in life. If you have a family, spend time with them. If there's friends you haven't seen since the end of college, chill with them too.

And I don't know why people are being jerks on this thread. Everyone copes with medical school in their own way. If he's having trouble and wants to let it out here, there's nothing wrong with that.

Also consider this, OP - those people in their 9-5 jobs may or may be just as miserable as you are for all you know. They may hate their jobs and put on a facade of cheeriness. They may have all sorts of other stresses upon them financially which, while we're in some serious debt, don't have nearly as much of. I was also similarly jealous of a friend of mine who was working while I was in medical school. He got laid off because of downsizing and is now interviewing all over the place. Imagine the stress that he's under.

 

[armorshell]

In almost every poll on the subject I've seen, a tiny minority of people rate their 20's as "the best years of their lives"

Just pray that you don't miss out on your 50's, since that's the decade most people have the best times of their lives.

 

[Shadowmoses]

sometimes it gets to me, but I just remind myself where I was before. I had a career as a software engineer before and I absolutely hated it. Medical school is refreshing in that sense where I am learning new things and I feel more control of my life now than before despite being jobless. I have many reasons for my career change, but I lived most of my 20's already and had a blast. Basically its my late 20's and early 30's which will be used up in med school.

 

[Mattchiavelli]

I think knowing when to stop studying is a problem for some students, especially if you have a few very vocal very anxious students that talk about studying ALL THE TIME. I also think as students all my friends talked up our studying a little more than we actually did to not come off as slackers. If when you sit down to review a lecture and you know all the stuff already just quit because you're not gaining anything....studying things youalready know is like masturbating, it feels good at the time but later you realize you're just screwing yourself.

I know as an M1/M2 you kind of get tunnel vision and think the world will end if you get an HP instead of an H and you'll have to do residency in OBGYN for a women's correctional facility in north dakota, but med school is the best place to try to figure out a work/life balance.

 

[searun]

Actually I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for my two best college buddies who are about to graduate from mid tier law schools with virtually no job prospects, no money, and $100,000 plus law school debt. The debt collectors will be banging on their front doors soon enough!

 

[AlexMorph]

Actually I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for my two best college buddies who are about to graduate from mid tier law schools with virtually no job prospects, no money, and $100,000 plus law school debt. The debt collectors will be banging on their front doors soon enough!

This is unrelated, but it's a crime what law schools are doing right now. Charging an arm and a leg for an education that won't lead to a decent job. The educational loan bubble will be the next to burst.

 

[Democritus]

I think it's hilarious to hear from all you med students who have never worked a real job in your life, how great working out there "in the real world" is.

How many of you have worked full time? I'd like to compare the opinions of those who have really worked to those who have not.

As for the 100k/yr consultant crap.. who really gets jobs like that? I spent two years working in research and let me tell you that every single person stuck in their dead end research tech jobs yearns to get out and 1/2 of them regret "not going to med school." Funny, no?

The grass is always greener on the other side--especially when you're looking at it from far away (e.g. have no damn experience with a real job at all.)

 

[Democritus]

I was accepted this cycle, class of 2015.

Question: Do you really spend >10 hours per day studying on average in years 1 and 2?

If not, why on earth would you envy people who work 9-10 hours a day--as if they have such a wealth of free time on their hands.

 

[medstudent87]

I was accepted this cycle, class of 2015.

Question: Do you really spend >10 hours per day studying on average in years 1 and 2?

If not, why on earth would you envy people who work 9-10 hours a day--as if they have such a wealth of free time on their hands.

People with jobs like that go to work in the morning and check out in the evening. They have every evening free to themselves, along with weekends. In med school, you study most evenings (along with going to class/watching lectures/ studying during the day) and most weekends as well. I'm not saying they have it sooo easy...its just that in med school, there isn't any "designated" free-time. You will always be thinking, "hmmm....i really ought to be studying right now"

 

[BlueElmo]

People with jobs like that go to work in the morning and check out in the evening. They have every evening free to themselves, along with weekends. In med school, you study most evenings (along with going to class/watching lectures/ studying during the day) and most weekends as well. I'm not saying they have it sooo easy...its just that in med school, there isn't any "designated" free-time. You will always be thinking, "hmmm....i really ought to be studying right now"

This, basically. I check out when I'm sleeping.

 

[clinicallabguy]

I was accepted this cycle, class of 2015.

Question: Do you really spend >10 hours per day studying on average in years 1 and 2?

If not, why on earth would you envy people who work 9-10 hours a day--as if they have such a wealth of free time on their hands.

Class lasts from 8 or 9am until 4 or 5pm at my school. Then many students probably study between 3 or 4 hours most nights. So ya, on average medical school is probably at least equivalent to that. It's not a cake walk. You'll see.

Of course, it's great that you have valuable experience coming from a previous career (that's what it sounds like you're coming from). But there's no need to be condescending here. Medical school is not THAT bad, it's true. But it's no walk in the park either. There are valid reasons to be dissatisfied with medical school, or a dead end job, or a professional degree that hasn't yielded gainful employment. It's pointless to say that one person is more justified in his/her misery than another.

However, you're point that choosing to wallow in misery is silly is a good one. While medical school can be tough, it IS rewarding sometimes. You CAN enjoy yourself. But know this, at some time or another YOU WILL BE MISERABLE. Every body goes through it. Burn out happens to every medical student. At least it's been universal in my class. But that doesn't have to mean that you will hate yourself or your life. For me there have been times when I realize that I do enjoy the material I'm learning, even if it is about 10x the volume I can handle at any given time. Valuable life experience does not make anyone superior to other medical students. As someone who worked a little in the "real world" I have colleagues that I respect in my class who came straight from college and those who didn't.

 

[random cell]

I can't think of the necessity at all for responses like this. Many of us have these moments, and it really contributes nothing to respond like this when the OP is obviously just looking for some ATTENTION.

Fixed it for you.👍