How do you recover from burnout?

[ceasefire]

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I always think that this knowledge will one day save someone's life. That's usually good enough for me. For the non-sciences, I tell myself that I must do well and fully understand the courses so that I can respond intriguingly when my patients try to small-chat with me.

 

[45408]

You're assuming they actually believe what they're saying. I'm sure some of them do but for others it's just another way of bragging. They're so good they don't even realize what they're doing is hard, don't you see?

Don't get me wrong, there are times when I would probably do the same thing. Let's say Meghan Fox walks out of my bedroom and passes through a by a few of my friends on her way out the door. When they finally pick their jaws up off the floor and start grilling me for answers am I going to say "OMG I still can't believe it either!!!"? No, of course not, I'm going to say "Oh, Meg? Yeah she's a cool chick. So what are y'all up to tonight?" However it's a stupid thing to do on the internet, a rude thing to do to a stranger, and an incredibly rude thing to do to a stranger looking for help.

There's a relevant movie quote about some guy doing something like that, but it escapes me right now. I want to say it was Shia La Boof with Megan Fox in Transformers or something...

 

[TobiasFunkeMDFACS]

OP, if I were you, I would take TheProwler's advice to heart. I agree with him on how hard it is, and it certainly took ALL I've got to do well. Don't let anyone make you think that it was easy for them, because whether they admit it or not, they've had their fair share of hard times. If not, they are just not human. You're in the thick of things right now, and think of this as a chance to prove to yourself that you can overcome any challenges. You don't have time to second guess, just be single-minded and focused for now. BUT once the semester's done, do take time off and travel. Everyone feels burned out when they're in the midst of a tough semester, but it really helps to look forward to the end. And realize that the harder you work now the sweeter the end will be.

I still think that you should use anti-burn out techniques that don't require a lot of time (ie. not working out for 2 hours a day or socializing too much). Just visualize what you're doing, look forward to the end. I also used to listen to music (Jay Z and Kanye) to help pick me up. And religion (if you're into it). Also, for me, my mom passed away in the hands of a doctor (in India) who was grossly irresponsible. And whenever I was slipping, it made me think that I was going to be that doctor. If you dig deep down, you might also be able to find something--some reason why you really want to be a doctor.