Help me to not turn into a gunner

[sylvanthus]

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Just a forwarning, this is not a brag post, but an honest attempt to diminish my stress level before I burnout.

Approximately a month ago I checked with a professor on how I was doing in his class. This professor also happened to be in charge of looking at all of our grades and mentioned I was at the top of my class. I did not ask what my rank is, as this information will not be given to us until the end of second year.

Now, I find myself getting depressed if I do not do as well as I want to on exams. The logical part of me knows this is ridiculous, but the illogical keeps thinking about how I may be dropping down in rank.

I am not shooting for a really competitive specialty, but for some reason my neurotic premed type A personality has kicked into overdrive recently. Any of you in the same boat? Any advice to calming the F down?

I know there are worse things that can be going on and this is really ridiculous. I just need to find a way to fully realize this. Any help or examples of someone else who has been in the same boat would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Trying to do your best is not the definition of gunner. If you try to get ahead while taking others out..then yes, you are a gunner.

Just chill the Eff out...

 

[JC Denton]

I'd actually recommend you don't calm down. I don't think we can say anything that would change your personality, anyways. Whatever's eating away at you is obviously helping you with your academic achievements, so as soon as you stop caring, it may all go away. This may in fact happen as you gradually burn out.

Just keep up the pressure if you don't want to "fall behind."
Being top of your class is apparently not enough to make you happy. Imagine what it would feel like be class average!

(Oh, and please. Trolling on SDN won't make it all better. There are people with real issues here, you know! 😎)

 

[medking]

Just a forwarning, this is not a brag post, but an honest attempt to diminish my stress level before I burnout.

Approximately a month ago I checked with a professor on how I was doing in his class. This professor also happened to be in charge of looking at all of our grades and mentioned I was at the top of my class. I did not ask what my rank is, as this information will not be given to us until the end of second year.

Now, I find myself getting depressed if I do not do as well as I want to on exams. The logical part of me knows this is ridiculous, but the illogical keeps thinking about how I may be dropping down in rank.

I am not shooting for a really competitive specialty, but for some reason my neurotic premed type A personality has kicked into overdrive recently. Any of you in the same boat? Any advice to calming the F down?

I know there are worse things that can be going on and this is really ridiculous. I just need to find a way to fully realize this. Any help or examples of someone else who has been in the same boat would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

By you asking this question, I'm assuming you are not happy with your current situation. So here is my advice.

You know you can do well enough to be amongst/keep up with the top of your classmates in terms of classes. So who freakin cares now? You can turn it up whenever you feel like it (boards). Of course you need to do decently well, but I wouldn't worry about class rank too much especially in the first two years. Focus on understanding the concepts and go enjoy your life. There is much more to life than just med school. Are you working out/staying fit? If not, you could work on that =)

 

[Deferoxamine]

Don't let that voice inside you shut up just yet.

One doctor I worked with prior to medical scool told me repeatedly something along the lines of: "You still need to be Type A when you are a student and when punctuality, marks, and evaluations matter. Save your Type B days for when you have a private practice with a 20-person staff that screws up and overbooks constantly, and a wife and kids."

 

[VoiceofReason]

Just a forwarning, this is not a brag post, but an honest attempt to diminish my stress level before I burnout.

Approximately a month ago I checked with a professor on how I was doing in his class. This professor also happened to be in charge of looking at all of our grades and mentioned I was at the top of my class. I did not ask what my rank is, as this information will not be given to us until the end of second year.

Now, I find myself getting depressed if I do not do as well as I want to on exams. The logical part of me knows this is ridiculous, but the illogical keeps thinking about how I may be dropping down in rank.

I am not shooting for a really competitive specialty, but for some reason my neurotic premed type A personality has kicked into overdrive recently. Any of you in the same boat? Any advice to calming the F down?

I know there are worse things that can be going on and this is really ridiculous. I just need to find a way to fully realize this. Any help or examples of someone else who has been in the same boat would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

try a prescription stimulant you'll be able to stay awake longer and focus better

 

[sunset823]

I look at the thread about the poor soul who was just dismissed from med school, and I look at this thread, and it just makes me sad.

I have no advice to give about how to not be a gunner, because I haven't been one in about 7 years, and I'm currently average/below average in school. But consider how much worse it is for the kids who are at the bottom of the class and struggling, and just be happy to be where you are. A gunner is someone who has no regard for anybody else but themselves.

I guess one way I've seen that people have avoided getting a 'gunner' title in my eyes at school: share your notes. On your class listserv, hard copies, whatever. You must be taking some darn good ones if you're doing this well, and everyone will like you.

 

[Deferoxamine]

I guess one way I've seen that people have avoided getting a 'gunner' title in my eyes at school: share your notes. On your class listserv, hard copies, whatever. You must be taking some darn good ones if you're doing this well, and everyone will like you.

Sharing notes is so freshman year of college. I've used other classmates' notes during MS1 and scored no better and was saved no extra trouble.

If you don't make the study sheet yourself, it's useless because you're basically reading someone else's thought process. And that doesn't help you squat.

 

[medking]

Sharing notes is so freshman year of college. I've used other classmates' notes during MS1 and scored no better and was saved no extra trouble.

If you don't make the study sheet yourself, it's useless because you're basically reading someone else's thought process. And that doesn't help you squat.

agree 👍

 

[docONcall]

Just a forwarning, this is not a brag post, but an honest attempt to diminish my stress level before I burnout.

Approximately a month ago I checked with a professor on how I was doing in his class. This professor also happened to be in charge of looking at all of our grades and mentioned I was at the top of my class. I did not ask what my rank is, as this information will not be given to us until the end of second year.

Now, I find myself getting depressed if I do not do as well as I want to on exams. The logical part of me knows this is ridiculous, but the illogical keeps thinking about how I may be dropping down in rank.

I am not shooting for a really competitive specialty, but for some reason my neurotic premed type A personality has kicked into overdrive recently. Any of you in the same boat? Any advice to calming the F down?

I know there are worse things that can be going on and this is really ridiculous. I just need to find a way to fully realize this. Any help or examples of someone else who has been in the same boat would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys.

I'm sorry but I am not on the top of my class. I probably am average and I don't really give a **** on my rankings as long as I'm passing my classes.

Just think that there are us - not top of their classes - and still can be satisfied and contented. Just do what you do and don't stress about it. If you're on top, then that's good. Stress out if you're doing real bad.

 

[docONcall]

I look at the thread about the poor soul who was just dismissed from med school, and I look at this thread, and it just makes me sad.

I have no advice to give about how to not be a gunner, because I haven't been one in about 7 years, and I'm currently average/below average in school. But consider how much worse it is for the kids who are at the bottom of the class and struggling, and just be happy to be where you are. A gunner is someone who has no regard for anybody else but themselves.

I guess one way I've seen that people have avoided getting a 'gunner' title in my eyes at school: share your notes. On your class listserv, hard copies, whatever. You must be taking some darn good ones if you're doing this well, and everyone will like you.

I so agree with this post. 👍

 

[sunset823]

Sharing notes is so freshman year of college. I've used other classmates' notes during MS1 and scored no better and was saved no extra trouble.

If you don't make the study sheet yourself, it's useless because you're basically reading someone else's thought process. And that doesn't help you squat.

by that logic, the professor's lectures/notes are someone else's thought process (the prof's); hell, even the textbook is someone else's thought process (the authors/editors); so the only way to get your own thought process is to take notes directly from the primary literature, right?

All of us are learning the same material - a few classmates have sent clinical correlates for one class, for example, which is a very helpful summary of the important information you need to know - I'm not saying this should be your ONLY study source, but it helps in two ways 1) putting less pressure on trying to do everything yourself for every class, especially if you aren't the study group type (which I'm not) and 2) it helps the people doing really well to not lose friends and alienate people, haha

 

[ACSurgeon]

Sharing notes is so freshman year of college. I've used other classmates' notes during MS1 and scored no better and was saved no extra trouble.

If you don't make the study sheet yourself, it's useless because you're basically reading someone else's thought process. And that doesn't help you squat.

Except in pharm where no "thinking process" takes place. It's all about drug class, mechanism, use and side effects.

 

[medking]

by that logic, the professor's lectures/notes are someone else's thought process (the prof's); hell, even the textbook is someone else's thought process (the authors/editors); so the only way to get your own thought process is to take notes directly from the primary literature, right?

All of us are learning the same material - a few classmates have sent clinical correlates for one class, for example, which is a very helpful summary of the important information you need to know - I'm not saying this should be your ONLY study source, but it helps in two ways 1) putting less pressure on trying to do everything yourself for every class, especially if you aren't the study group type (which I'm not) and 2) it helps the people doing really well to not lose friends and alienate people, haha

Wow, I would not want to be at your school if that's how people are really treated....

 

[sylvanthus]

Thanks for the advice guys. I know it is a stupid thing to be concerned with, but it adds stress to my life that I really do not need.

To whomever said to share notes...I generally study by reading through the powerpoints while listening to the lectures repeatedly. So, I really don't take notes as the pertinent info is on the slides already.

Anyhow, sorry for the topic, I just needed some people to tell me to calm the F down.

Thanks again.

 

[sunset823]

Wow, I would not want to be at your school if that's how people are really treated....

sorry, it was a joke - everyone at my school is actually pretty nice, though you can definitely tell who the gunners are. I am admittedly still adjusting to the small class size though, which will get even smaller (even though UIC as a whole is the largest school in the country, the individual sites outside of Chicago only have 25-50 people per class). I went to a pretty big high school and a huge undergrad, so it takes some getting used to.

 

[235009]

i want to know why OP even went to this prof to "ask how he was doing"? i'm assuming you know your grades and the cutoff to pass (and possible the cutoff to high pass or honor depending on your school's system)....so what's the point of going to the prof? clearly you only wanted to see how you were doing relative to everyone else. as long as you are that competitive you will never be happy. just do your best and don't worry about what others are doing.

 

[bambi]

Unfortunately I have no advice, I do however know how you feel. I started med school getting all honours and because of that have wanted all honours ever since (I'm 4th year). Now, whenever we have exams I always freak out like mad, to me passing really isn't enough and if I didn't get honours I would be really upset. I can't help it and I guess you can't either. If I hadn't started out doing so well I don't think I would be like this, it causes a lot of unnecessary stress. You wont get any sympathy from anyone I'm afraid. Like others have said most people are just hoping to pass and it isn't very nice to go on about honours etc in front of them. To me though honours is the same as passing is to them(sort of anyway) but they wont see it that way. Try not to let it get to you too much, enjoy your time at med school, we have huge medic parties all the time and I always used to go which took my focus off work. Saying that, I'm not one of those people that work constantly at all. Anyway, basically, you can't help how you feel about this, it will cause you extra stress but you just have to deal with it and try not to go crazy.

 

[physics junkie]

Just accept your status as a gunner and move on.