Fear

[shauna]

I am an upper sophomore undergrad majoring in psych and preparing for med school. Not sure where this fits in but I have been experiencing fears about med school lately, two in particular: not being able to handle the sleep deprivation, and fear of math & orgo. My history has been that I underestimate myself; I've had a fear of taking a class then did well in it. I hope history repeats itself in that vein, but, my fears are so overwhelming that I am considering switching to psych grad, even though I love medicine. Are my fears normal for a pre-med? Are they an evolutionary advantageous system designed to smoke out red herrings and cut my losses early? Or is my amygdala clearly in overdrive?

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[HSUReddie]

If you really love medicine, then I'd say still go for it. I'm having similar issues I guess, as I am set to take orgo this semester. Every single time I tell someone I'm pre-med I always add a disclaimer like, "For now..." I go to a small school, and my advisor is like a second dad to me. I think I probably get on his nerves because I'm always saying things like "if I get in..." He's told me he'd be shocked if I didn't get accepted. I believe him, but at the same time, I don't want to get my hopes up too much. You said you have a fear of taking certain classes, and then end up doing fine in them. This sounds all too familiar. And if you're doing fine in them, then I'd say you probably have the determination and intelligence to make it. I think for me, to some extent, it's that I want to have some level of humility about things. I guess it helps me to appreciate the opportunities that I am afforded in life.

 

[bravofleet4]

unfortunately i can't really help allay those fears except to say that you are not alone. everybody says that when you have sleep deprivation you're cranky and lose concentration but for me lack of sleep is one of the most stressful things. some days i suffer from insomnia and then i wake up going to class feeling sick to my stomach and it doesn't go away always after an hour or with a cup of coffee. after many successive days (3-5 hours per day), i really feel like breaking down. i worry i just won't cut it during 3rd year or residency when they expect me to work long hours and drop to sleep on the drop of a dime and for only 6 hours.

the funny thing is med school orientation starts for me in a few days....

 

[DrTroll]

I tend to underestimate myself too, lots of times I'm guessing myself in the 70s range for a test, but end up somewhere in the 90s, so you are not alone. Good thing about this is you will always turn out better than you expected, keep that in mind, it'll help you reduce some stress.

Sleeping issue is a big problem though, see a doctor and see if you can get some medication to deal with it. Not enough sleep can make your day extremely miserable even in a good day by normal standard.

 

[shauna]

“it's that I want to have some level of humility about things. I guess it helps me to appreciate the opportunities that I am afforded in life.”

I can relate. Its better to go in modestly than overconfidently, as the latter can cause you to overlook critical nuances.

I heard certain states have different laws about residency hours, esp. New York. I might be able to handle one night/week of a 30 hour shift.

 

[Web MD]

My friends in residency (some in the midwest some on the east coast) said that work hour restrictions are pretty much a joke, and those are only an average so there are ways around it (working a 60 hour week followed by a 100 hour week for example). Bottom line is you're going to have some sleepless nights. As far as fears about math/orgo, orgo really isn't as bad as it's hyped up to be. If you really like medicine then stick with it, from what I've heard there's not a lot of math used in med school and the orgo you need to remember is mostly general concepts

 

[shauna]

My friends in residency (some in the midwest some on the east coast) said that work hour restrictions are pretty much a joke, and those are only an average so there are ways around it (working a 60 hour week followed by a 100 hour week for example). Bottom line is you're going to have some sleepless nights. As far as fears about math/orgo, orgo really isn't as bad as it's hyped up to be. If you really like medicine then stick with it, from what I've heard there's not a lot of math used in med school and the orgo you need to remember is mostly general concepts

I have no problem doing 60-80 then 100 hours/week, as my workday including commute & school already runs about 80 hours/week (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily); occasional sleepness nights, which I already experience due to insomnia, are o.k. too. Continuing on the upside, I am a non-trad so by the time I'm in residency I may be going through menopausal insomnia (!), which may come in handy. My fear is based on a prior experience I had switching from from day to night shift work multiple times and ended up developing circadium rhythm disorder (could not willingly sleep for days ).

 

[Web MD]

That's where your good friend heavy drinking comes in