Fighting burnout

[electrophile1984]

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Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the last quarter of my post bacc. I'm taking biochem, orgo, the labs and studying for the MCAT. I'm scheduled to take the MCAT June 20. I've been in a post bacc the past two years and doing volunteering, research, etc during.

Lately I have been overwhelmed. I am extremely burnt out right now, and I am afraid I'm not going to finish well. I'm not sure how to feel better. I'm isolated, sad and struggling.

Orgo is giving me problems this quarter. Our old professor, who is now on sabbatical, used to curve to a low B/B-, but our new professor is curving to a C+ so now I have to do notably above average to even get a B. Our orgo class went from 60 in the fall to 34 now, so it's all the high performing people left fighting for the few A's that will be given out.

I'm doing about average in that class right now so I have a C+. If I shift more time to orgo I won't be able to dedicate as much time to the MCAT. I feel like I'm doing everything poorly right now and I'm so tired. I know I can do this if I had more energy, but I'm running on fumes.

What should I do?

 

[NonTradJp]

For burnout, do light exercises twice a day each day with a good dab of sleep and enough yum yum. This is an easily forgotten prescription but works wonders.

 

[Dressagequeen 247]

Do you have any hobbies? As crazy as it sounds I protect my hobbies with my life, its the ONLY thing keeping me sane at this point! Exercise, sleep and a good moderately healthy meal will do wonders for you 🙂. Also boundaries are a MUST! I get several calls a week asking to fill in at work but with my already full time+ schedule I am firm with saying no.

 

[ddmbmom]

We are all busy and feel the pressure. Take it one day at a time. I used to train for Ironman 25 hours a week, work full time as a diabetic educator and care for 2 under age 2. I thought that was so overwhelming. Now I still work full time, take 2 classes, run pre-teens to all their stuff and CHERISH a 10 min jog 1 or 2 times a week while waiting for them to get out of practice, and am ECSTATIC to enjoy a 2 hour lift of Saturdays...Sucks but that's it for me time...keeping the big picture in mind is all I can do at this point...

 

[Yoshers]

Hey!

We've all been in a situation where we try to juggle too many things at once. It's especially difficult to balance organic chemistry and MCAT prep at the same time. In my opinion, it is extremely important to do well in an organic chemistry course because it reflects your critical thinking and analytical skills. It will also be found on the MCAT; therefore, if you do not perform well on the course, the chances of you performing well on that part of exam are also small.

I would possibly consider pushing off the MCAT to a later date, and spending more time focusing on this class and your grades. Additionally, it is important that you take care of your mental and physical health. Exercise, eat well, go out every now and then, and at the same time, finish this semester on a happy note.

I do understand, however, that every situation is unique. If you feel like your preparation for the MCAT is going strong, and it's really your grades that you are worried about, then I would take the time to get organized this weekend. Make a plan. Prepare a timeline. Drop the inessentials for the time being (volunteering, research...). Understand where you are going wrong in terms of studying for the class exams. Be true to yourself, and things will work out.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[packersfans]

like everyone above has said we've all been there. I dont have any excellent suggestions, but I do like @Dressagequeen 247 suggestions of finding space for hobbies. I'm over the premed hump but I do know that at work it helps me when I do something fun that I planned ahead of time without feeling guilty (key being to make sure you plan responsibly, not too much fun and not enough work). My other suggestions would be to allow a little spontaneity in your life. Like a random activity or accepting an invite to something you may have declined otherwise due to pressure from responsibility. I think habit and routine are important for achieving success but too much rigidity can make you go crazy.

Best of luck!

 

[Vespasian]

...What should I do?

My suggestion- plan a day in which you do no studying or school work, just sleep in, have a huge breakfast, a little exercise, catch a movie or lay around the house. Treat yourself to a fantastic dinner and dessert and pretty much veg your evening away. If you live near the beach (like I do) lounging in the sand and letting your mind wander can be refreshing too.

But that's just what I do from time to time when I feel overwhelmed or on the verge of burning out.

 

[DrDreams]

I played video games between my "15" minute MCAT study breaks. I found myself coming with a better mindset after i played a game or did something i enjoyed. Just an FYI fix it soon because the deeper you get into it, the harder it is to recover. So find something you really enjoy, i love food so i also went out and ate etc and just do it. once you do something you enjoy you will come back not only feeling better but also more motivated to get things done. just my 2 cents.

 

[Deranged Medic]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the last quarter of my post bacc. I'm taking biochem, orgo, the labs and studying for the MCAT. I'm scheduled to take the MCAT June 20. I've been in a post bacc the past two years and doing volunteering, research, etc during.

Lately I have been overwhelmed. I am extremely burnt out right now, and I am afraid I'm not going to finish well. I'm not sure how to feel better. I'm isolated, sad and struggling.

Orgo is giving me problems this quarter. Our old professor, who is now on sabbatical, used to curve to a low B/B-, but our new professor is curving to a C+ so now I have to do notably above average to even get a B. Our orgo class went from 60 in the fall to 34 now, so it's all the high performing people left fighting for the few A's that will be given out.

I'm doing about average in that class right now so I have a C+. If I shift more time to orgo I won't be able to dedicate as much time to the MCAT. I feel like I'm doing everything poorly right now and I'm so tired. I know I can do this if I had more energy, but I'm running on fumes.

What should I do?

Like someone else mentioned, I would consider pushing back your MCAT. Focus on getting good grades, because your GPA is pretty important. Once you have that out of the way, focus on the MCAT.

Sounds like you definitely need a gap year. I'm currently in my gap year, and I just got home from an overseas trip, which totally gave me back my enthusiasm for school/medicine. Now, I'm actually excited about starting school in July (I bet this lasts like 2 weeks...)

 

[electrophile1984]

I took everyone's advice and pushed my MCAT back. Thank you everyone.

I think staying sane will involve taking time off... it's easy to get tunnel vision and push myself to exhaustion.

 

[dorothyntoto]

You need to do something you like to do...