Doubting myself

[Mdcsmitty]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Up until recently I was super excited to be applying to med school this coming cycle. I am going to start working on a personal statement I already have some letters of recommendation received, and I am going to take the MCAT this summer after using the online Kaplan course. However over the past few weeks I started to really doubt that getting in is something I would be able to do. GPA wise I right at the average for DO schools and that is after dropping out of college a few years ago with a 1.27 gpa and over the past 2 years I have raised it to a 3.5. I have good EC's and Research experience and honestly getting in is part of my concern but my bigger concern is that if I do get in I will fail out and I'm not sure where this is coming from. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

 

[deleted480308]

Like 95% of people who start end up graduating.....if you get in and don't quit, your odds are good

 

[JPickos9989]

I had the exact same fears and doubts as you do. 90 percent of people experience it and it's normal. Little cliche, but it doesn't matter that you think those thoughts from time to time, it only matters how you respond to them. In the back of my mind I was scared s***less that I wouldn't get in because of my gpa or my MCAT or some other non-sense. Got accepted to DMU two days before Christmas and couldn't be happier. Fear is the greatest motivator you can have if you use it right. And if you really want to get in, you'll get in no matter what it takes. So study your *** off for the MCAT, get a 28+, keep the good grades rolling, and don't get cocky about anything. The easiest way to mess up is developing an attitude of entitlement.

Keep your head up and Good Luck!

 

[walleyealx]

If you really want it you will get it.

 

[hallowmann]

Stop worrying about whether or not you'll get in, just apply and see what happens. If you are around average you have a pretty darn good chance of getting in.

As far as worrying about failing out. I gotta be honest, I worry about that constantly, even though I haven't been particularly close to failing a course since October. It does keep me motivated though. It keeps me ontop of my readings, and it keeps me striving to work hard everyday. The truth is only 5-10% of med students "fail out" or leave for a variety of reasons. Even if you do fail one or two courses, there is still remediation.

My advice is just focus on getting in, then focus on working as hard as you can when you're there. Chances are that you'll be fine.

 

[medickdb]

From my understanding, most of the students who fail out do so in the first year, and it's usually because they party as if they were still in undergrad. Basically, many of them didn't take school seriously. And, that's incredibly selfish because they occupy seats that can be filled by many motivated applicants who didn't get the chance. Medical school isn't a right; it's a privilege. In many aspects of society, people often confuse the two.

I think it's a valid fear that most if not all medical students have. As long as you can keep chugging along, you should be fine. Stay motivated, and seek help when needed.

Good luck.

 

[EMDO2018]

From my understanding, most of the students who fail out do so in the first year, and it's usually because they party as if they were still in undergrad. Basically, many of them didn't take school seriously. And, that's incredibly selfish because they occupy seats that can be filled by many motivated applicants who didn't get the chance. Medical school isn't a right; it's a privilege. In many aspects of society, people often confuse the two.

I think it's a valid fear that most if not all medical students have. As long as you can keep chugging along, you should be fine. Stay motivated, and seek help when needed.

Good luck.

Have people ever dropped out during rotations? Third year seems to be the hardest.

 

[medickdb]

Have people ever dropped out during rotations? Third year seems to be the hardest.

I'm sure. I'm just going based off of what my fiancee, an IM resident, and other physicians have told me. Most of the people they've seen drop out are those who weren't mature enough to handle graduate school. Of course, there are other reasons.

 

[medickdb]

Have people ever dropped out during rotations? Third year seems to be the hardest.

As an aside, it seems like most medical students start procreating third year. She's seen it, and the students at the med school down the street demonstrate it.

 

[BuddyTheElf]

After getting my first acceptance, I started doubting everything. I thought for sure I'd fail out the first semester. There was no way I'd be smart enough or be able to handle the stress. You can do it! I'm surviving just fine despite "knowing" I couldn't do it. We all doubt ourselves at some point. Hang in there.

 

[Goro]

You need to work on your self-esteem. Anyone who can turn around a 1.25 drop out into a 3.5 can excel and thrive in medical school. We'll gladly take you!

All great endeavors are fraught with anxiety. Perhaps go have a chat with your school's counseling center?

Up until recently I was super excited to be applying to med school this coming cycle. I am going to start working on a personal statement I already have some letters of recommendation received, and I am going to take the MCAT this summer after using the online Kaplan course. However over the past few weeks I started to really doubt that getting in is something I would be able to do. GPA wise I right at the average for DO schools and that is after dropping out of college a few years ago with a 1.27 gpa and over the past 2 years I have raised it to a 3.5. I have good EC's and Research experience and honestly getting in is part of my concern but my bigger concern is that if I do get in I will fail out and I'm not sure where this is coming from. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

 

[medickdb]

I think it's easy for us to forget that we're also human. We cannot possibly know it all, do it all, be it all. A lot of us have the personality type that makes it hard to accept that. All you can do is your best. There is never a perfect answer as the answer is always relative to who's involved as well as the circumstances in that moment.

I worked in an emergency department that had over 10 attending physicians on at any given time. At first, it seemed that they all generally did the same things (i.e. ordered the same tests, treatments, etc.) which held true to an extent. But as time went on, I began to realize that this wasn't always the case.

Your answer may differ from mine. Understanding differs from patient to patient. But, you should always have reasons to give for your answer. I think this is what makes science beautiful. New evidence changes the picture, you reevaluate and see that new picture.

I believe the philosophical quote, "I know that I know nothing." Even things I think I know, I constantly reevaluate. Does this make me nervous? Sometimes. But, it motivates me to find better answers to the questions.

 

[Mad Jack]

You'll be fine. A lot of people who come back from failure, have modest socioeconomic backgrounds, or have a modest educational background tend to suffer from a fear of failure. Even after they succeed many can often suffer from imposter phenomenon, in which you feel like a fraud even in your own success, due to an inability to accept that you are no longer the person you were. Just try your best, and realize that you are a different person now. The old you is just a memory of failure that haunts you that you need to let go of.

 

[cliquesh]

Have people ever dropped out during rotations? Third year seems to be the hardest.

I've seen people get kicked out of school during rotations for failing comlex level 1 or level 2 multiple times.

Rotations, in general, are easier for most students than the preclinical years. You just have to show up on time and go home when you are told.

I hated them, though. You're ignored most of the time and you usually do not have many, if any, responsibilities. It feels like a waste of time after a few hours. Later in my 3rd year and in my 4th year, when I stopped caring so much, I'd usually just disappear after morning rounds and go read a medical book. I dismiss the medical students that are paired up with me around noon, unless there is some procedure or admission they can do. Other interns will make their students stay until 7pm or later, even though there is literally nothing for them to do. They just sit there. People in medicine enjoy to suffer or make people suffer for no reason, I guess.


Anyway, it's pretty hard to fail out of medical school or fail your boards. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[EMDO2018]

I've seen people get kicked out of school during rotations for failing comlex level 1 or level 2 multiple times.

Rotations, in general, are easier for most students than the preclinical years. You just have to show up on time and go home when you are told.

I hated them, though. You're ignored most of the time and you usually do not have many, if any, responsibilities. It feels like a waste of time after a few hours. Later in my 3rd year and in my 4th year, when I stopped caring so much, I'd usually just disappear after morning rounds and go read a medical book.


Anyway, it's pretty hard to fail out of medical school or pass your boards if you belong. I wouldn't worry about it.

Is everybody cool with this? So what do the people who don't take off and read a book do? Awkwardly stand around?

 

[cliquesh]

Is everybody cool with this? So what do the people who don't take off and read a book do? Awkwardly stand around?

Some people are cool with it and they will encourage you to go read. Some are not, however. No one gave me a hard time about it. But I actually read. I didn't "cut class" so to speak.

Otherwise, yea, you stand around until there is something to do or someone tells you to go home. Its aweful.

 

[Dr. Zombie]

Some people are cool with it and they will encourage you to go read. Some are not, however. No one gave me a hard time about it. But I actually read. I didn't "cut class" so to speak.

Otherwise, yea, you stand around until there is something to do or someone tells you to go home. Its aweful.

So what do you tell the attending? "Can I go read my book?"

What books did you read?

Also, if you did disappear, what time did you go home?

 

[cliquesh]

So what do you tell the attending? "Can I go read my book?"

What books did you read?

Also, if you did disappear, what time did you go home?

Attendings are not usually around. It's mostly residents/interns who will supervise you. I usually wouldn't ask anyone's permission. I'd just go to the resident work area or the library to read. People will page you if they need you. I usually went home at 5 or so.

I'm not telling you to do this. What I did was abnormal. I just felt like I was wasting my time on rotations for the most part. All of my evaluations as an intern have been above average, so I don't think I hurt my education any.

I'd usually read review articles for new stuff I encountered that day or I'd read these books called "case files" for whatever rotation I was on. They make one for every speciality. They are decent for board prep. After step 2 and after I applied for residency, I just started reading anesthesia books and ignored pretty much everything else.

 

[818DOctor2B]

Up until recently I was super excited to be applying to med school this coming cycle. I am going to start working on a personal statement I already have some letters of recommendation received, and I am going to take the MCAT this summer after using the online Kaplan course. However over the past few weeks I started to really doubt that getting in is something I would be able to do. GPA wise I right at the average for DO schools and that is after dropping out of college a few years ago with a 1.27 gpa and over the past 2 years I have raised it to a 3.5. I have good EC's and Research experience and honestly getting in is part of my concern but my bigger concern is that if I do get in I will fail out and I'm not sure where this is coming from. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

I have the exact same fear you have. I didn't try as hard in undergrad and have spent the last two year paying for those mistakes. The thing is, if I play it the same way, there won't be a way to make up for my mistakes after med school. So yes, I'm a bit apprehensive as well. What have I done to address these (ir)rational thoughts? I've talked it through with some friends and family, which has helped a bit.

I know my reasons for not doing well in college, and I'm trying to be brutally honest with myself in terms of whether I'll be able to appropriately address those issues before tuition is due.