Hate medical school

[doctorNMeastcoast]

Agree with the advice, except that the steps are easier than the MCAT. Couldn't disagree more. But of course, people are different.

I'm old! Took it in '03. So maybe the MCAT has become useful and reasonable. LOL. When I took it I started laughing about a question with a bug wearing a backpack with rockets on it. I thought they would throw me out! It was SO dumb. There were only 2 questions on nutrition then. I hear maybe now it's a bit useful.

 

[Eye-eye]

I'm old! Took it in '03. So maybe the MCAT has become useful and reasonable. LOL. When I took it I started laughing about a question with a bug wearing a backpack with rockets on it. I thought they would throw me out! It was SO dumb. There were only 2 questions on nutrition then. I hear maybe now it's a bit useful.

Definitely was more straightforward when I took it in 2016. They had also just added the psychology and sociology sections, which I thought were super easy (and on which I scored highest), but which some really science-heavy applicants seemed to struggle more with. Either way, sounds better than what you took. Whereas I had a classmate get a question on step 1 regarding how various kidney function parameters would be expected to change in space flight...

 

[Candidate2017]

Knowing what I know now I would have never applied to med school. Honestly I don't even know why I really applied. I would have been content being a teacher or clinical psychologist. Everyone tells me that its only a few years and soon I'll be making money and have loads of time off- but that's not true. It just feels like I've signed my life away for something I dont even enjoy. I think of quitting all the time.

Seriously, how many people actually enjoy med school? Let's be honest, if there were no negative consequences, what would most people pick between lying on the couch eating bon bons and watching 10 hours of TV vs 10 hours of med school lectures or rounding or standing in the OR?

I'm glad I did med school, but if I was forced to go through it again vs work at Starbucks, I'd serve lattes all day long. I'm glad I'm going through residency but if was forced to repeat it vs Starbucks, you guessed it: lattes all day long, every day, all day and night. I look at the poor, poor interns and residents below me and, even though I made it through fine, I feel like there's no way I could endure it again.

Anyway, sounds like you just need to pull back from the big picture and make time for med training and time for whatever you enjoy. Also, I recommend psychiatry.

 

[ActuallyMadeIt]

I thought that after getting through 1st semester the feeling of hating med school would go away. For the most part I know how to study now and I successfully passed all my classes to this point. Yet here I am starting second semester and I'm still searching up posts about quitting medicine. Its not that the material is hard or anything, I just hate it. I don't find it interesting. I used to love my Neuro classes in undergrad and actually looked forward to learning. Now I wake up everyday and force myself to watch lectures that I care nothing about. I dont care for the diseases that so and so causes. I don't care for correlating things together. Im just trying to pass.

And then I start thinking about the future. About how many years I have left. About how I have to study for the STEP and COMLEX soon and how I have no idea how I'll do it since studying for the MCAT was so difficult. Then Ill be giving up my time for clinicals and the stress of 3rd year. I have given up so much already for medicine. I just moved across the country from my family and hate it. I miss everyone and I feel guilty for leaving them behind. Im driving myself into so much debt.

Knowing what I know now I would have never applied to med school. Honestly I don't even know why I really applied. I would have been content being a teacher or clinical psychologist. Everyone tells me that its only a few years and soon I'll be making money and have loads of time off- but that's not true. It just feels like I've signed my life away for something I dont even enjoy. I think of quitting all the time. I probably would if it weren't for the peer pressure. I know I probably sound whiny and I wouldnt usually post this on SDN but I need to get it out somewhere.

I firmly believe that only those called to this profession should go into it. Medical school is NOT fun and the luster of being a doctor becomes more and more dim every year.

You may have written this in an emotionally charged state. But if you still feel this after you have calmed down (especially the part where you said you'd be content in another field), I urge you to leave now.

The debt is sickening. You sell your life away to this profession. I sometimes think it was the wrong move for me too. It is endless frustration and stress. I really do hate it sometimes.

 

[deleted1082375]

I thought that after getting through 1st semester the feeling of hating med school would go away. For the most part I know how to study now and I successfully passed all my classes to this point. Yet here I am starting second semester and I'm still searching up posts about quitting medicine. Its not that the material is hard or anything, I just hate it. I don't find it interesting. I used to love my Neuro classes in undergrad and actually looked forward to learning. Now I wake up everyday and force myself to watch lectures that I care nothing about. I dont care for the diseases that so and so causes. I don't care for correlating things together. Im just trying to pass.

And then I start thinking about the future. About how many years I have left. About how I have to study for the STEP and COMLEX soon and how I have no idea how I'll do it since studying for the MCAT was so difficult. Then Ill be giving up my time for clinicals and the stress of 3rd year. I have given up so much already for medicine. I just moved across the country from my family and hate it. I miss everyone and I feel guilty for leaving them behind. Im driving myself into so much debt.

Knowing what I know now I would have never applied to med school. Honestly I don't even know why I really applied. I would have been content being a teacher or clinical psychologist. Everyone tells me that its only a few years and soon I'll be making money and have loads of time off- but that's not true. It just feels like I've signed my life away for something I dont even enjoy. I think of quitting all the time. I probably would if it weren't for the peer pressure. I know I probably sound whiny and I wouldnt usually post this on SDN but I need to get it out somewhere.

I'm weeks away from being done with preclinical and I can relate. Honestly it gets a lot better toward the beginning of second year if you're on a normal curriculum. The content gets more interesting, useful, and relatable although the schedule and load is much much worse.

Studying all the time sucks and I thought about quitting a lot too. But it comes to an end, I promise. Being scared of passing and keeping grades up is never a good feeling. Living in constant fear and dread is not a good feeling.

If you really want it, hang on. If you really don't, quit. Do what your heart tells you.

 

[Doc_Ock]

I know the general attitude is "hang with it, it will get better" but I'm leaving medical school and can't remember the last time I felt this happy. I talked to a friend who did the same thing after her first year and she felt the same way.

 

[Kumorebi]

I know the general attitude is "hang with it, it will get better" but I'm leaving medical school and can't remember the last time I felt this happy. I talked to a friend who did the same thing after her first year and she felt the same way.

leaving as in graduating?

 

[Doc_Ock]

leaving as in graduating?

No, leaving as in leaving. Quitting.

 

[Osminog]

No, leaving as in leaving. Quitting.

Aren’t you approaching the end of third year? What made you decide to quit so late in the game?

 

[Eye-eye]

To be fair, you don't really see anything relating to your potential future career in medicine until M3 at most schools. It's a ****ty situation, because if you hate M1-2, that's just normal. If you hate everything about M3 (not just the evaluations, constant pimping, and feeling like you have to try to impress people 24/7, but the actual patient care), that's not a great sign for your career longevity in medicine (except perhaps in a niche specialty). And at that point it's almost too late to quit because you need a hell of a lot of income if you want to pay off those loans, yet it's the only time you can actually make an informed decision to leave medicine IMO. Of course, there are ways to get the loans discharged outside medicine, but it's a ****ty position to be in, for sure.

 

[Doc_Ock]

Aren’t you approaching the end of third year? What made you decide to quit so late in the game?

I have my reasons that I don't feel comfortable getting into here.

 

[DO2015CA]

I have my reasons that I don't feel comfortable getting into here.

If you are happy then I say congrats. I certainly understand why anyone would choose to leave this place behind

 

[catnip12]

We start our clinical rotations a little earlier so I got a chance to see what it’s like to do both preclinical and clinical work before the end of my second year.

I have enjoyed some parts and not others. But most importantly, I worry about some of the stuff I see on here and wonder what this career will look like for us who are still very junior in our training. SDN for all its faults has been on the mark for many things (eg P/F step discussions way before it hit the mainstream) and so I heed the warnings on here seriously though with a baseline of caution, as with all things.

And depending on what you’ve had to sacrifice to get here, it may or may not be worth it in the end. But the end is very far away and there is only one way to find out. Unfortunately many come to find what they already knew for years and are filled with regret and nihilism. And others find it much better later on.

Roll your dice.

 

[pately]

I thought that after getting through 1st semester the feeling of hating med school would go away. For the most part I know how to study now and I successfully passed all my classes to this point. Yet here I am starting second semester and I'm still searching up posts about quitting medicine. Its not that the material is hard or anything, I just hate it. I don't find it interesting. I used to love my Neuro classes in undergrad and actually looked forward to learning. Now I wake up everyday and force myself to watch lectures that I care nothing about. I dont care for the diseases that so and so causes. I don't care for correlating things together. Im just trying to pass.

And then I start thinking about the future. About how many years I have left. About how I have to study for the STEP and COMLEX soon and how I have no idea how I'll do it since studying for the MCAT was so difficult. Then Ill be giving up my time for clinicals and the stress of 3rd year. I have given up so much already for medicine. I just moved across the country from my family and hate it. I miss everyone and I feel guilty for leaving them behind. Im driving myself into so much debt.

Knowing what I know now I would have never applied to med school. Honestly I don't even know why I really applied. I would have been content being a teacher or clinical psychologist. Everyone tells me that its only a few years and soon I'll be making money and have loads of time off- but that's not true. It just feels like I've signed my life away for something I dont even enjoy. I think of quitting all the time. I probably would if it weren't for the peer pressure. I know I probably sound whiny and I wouldnt usually post this on SDN but I need to get it out somewhere.

Hey! I'm in the same boat as you! I feel like I'm always afraid that I'm not good enough and that I would be better off doing something in healthcare but not medicine. However, what helps me get through these feelings is trying to remember WHY I wanted to become a physician rather than focusing on how much time I have left. If your school is offering mental health services, I would recommend talking to someone-- they may help you sort out your feelings. Another recommendation I would have is to reread your personal statement and figure out WHY you applied to medical school and if medical school is the only way you can accomplish your goals. Clearly, when applying there was something that drew you to medicine and rereading your personal statement may help you remember why you decided to go through this long process. And for me what also helps is that I talk to my family at least 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes after dinner. This makes me feel like I'm less alone and less guilty for not spending time with them. I hope you end up figuring out what you want to do and are happy with whatever decision you end up making!