How to maintain Intellectual Humility

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Hi everyone,
I am writing looking for some advice, and possibly to get a discussion started. I believe that intellectual humility is incredibly important to success, at any level of academia. I think I had it when i was studying for the MCAT, and I did great on that which i think was in large part due to this humility. Now I'm in school two years after taking it, and I feel like an arrogant idiot. I came in expecting to be towards the top of my class because, my MCAT was a full standard deviation better than the class average, but I've been scoring worse than I would like, and below average on most of my tests and quizzes (B's mostly). I want to do better, and I feel that the arrogance I came into school with is playing a major role in my inability to achieve that grades that I want.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this before coming into med school? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve humility academically, or at least how to become less arrogant?

Thanks for your help.

-L

 

[Goro]

Med school is a great leveler. Be thankful that you're there, and remember it's all about the patients, not you.

 

[Redpancreas]

Hi everyone,
I am writing looking for some advice, and possibly to get a discussion started. I believe that intellectual humility is incredibly important to success, at any level of academia. I think I had it when i was studying for the MCAT, and I did great on that which i think was in large part due to this humility. Now I'm in school two years after taking it, and I feel like an arrogant idiot. I came in expecting to be towards the top of my class because, my MCAT was a full standard deviation better than the class average, but I've been scoring worse than I would like, and below average on most of my tests and quizzes (B's mostly). I want to do better, and I feel that the arrogance I came into school with is playing a major role in my inability to achieve that grades that I want.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this before coming into med school? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve humility academically, or at least how to become less arrogant?

Thanks for your help.

-L

I can relate but I don't think you should beat yourself up. By the time you've hit college, if you worked hard up till then, most of the college material will come easy. The MCAT/Undergrad were basically the pinnacle of 12-14 years worth of math/science education. Arithmetic and spelling was rote, then came algebra, physics, and cells and then more abstract topics like calculus and organic chemistry.

With medical school, you're starting over learning new fundamentals. The basic science factoids are the rote things and are akin to the language of medicine. Afterwards there's application with the introduction of pathophysiology and board questions. Every inexperienced medical student thinks they know the material cold until they take the test and all the buzz-words are gone. The biggest reason beginner students struggle is not because they couldnt memorize but because they think "ok, now I've gotten through all weird stuff in undergrad, this is just memorization". While memorization is important to learn the language and sometimes it'll be the difference between the right and wrong answer on the test what they haven't developed is RECOGNITION skills. Is the patient hemodynamically stable? Then it's probably not XYZ. The point is these are new skills you need to develop and those who develop them quicker are the ones to excel earlier.

 

[Crayola227]

this is pretty standard

med schools basically end up with students who were likely around top 10% of undergraduate level, and people with college degrees aren't exactly the monkeys of the lay-pop
they take the creme de la creme

you were a big fish in a big pond, now you're a small pond with only big fish
so you're a little fish in a big pond

of a group of above average individuals, someone has to be average for the group

I find when you get used to putting things in perspective, it's easier to deal with the bruising to the ego

you'll just have to get used to being one of a small group of extra-ordinary individuals

 

[deleted480308]

Hi everyone,
I am writing looking for some advice, and possibly to get a discussion started. I believe that intellectual humility is incredibly important to success, at any level of academia. I think I had it when i was studying for the MCAT, and I did great on that which i think was in large part due to this humility. Now I'm in school two years after taking it, and I feel like an arrogant idiot. I came in expecting to be towards the top of my class because, my MCAT was a full standard deviation better than the class average, but I've been scoring worse than I would like, and below average on most of my tests and quizzes (B's mostly). I want to do better, and I feel that the arrogance I came into school with is playing a major role in my inability to achieve that grades that I want.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this before coming into med school? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to achieve humility academically, or at least how to become less arrogant?

Thanks for your help.

-L

Look at your B on that quiz

 

[Tenk]

Perspective helps. Think of studying as a means to be a better doctor not as a competition with your peers. Think of the goal of being humble not to score better grades but to kill less patients. Arrogance kills. Literally.

 

[mbeus]

Just wait until the slap in the face that is M3

 

[Aerus]

People bloom at different rates. You bloomed a bit earlier than others, so you had a head start. Now, everyone's at a more equal playing field and you no longer have that early advantage.

In my experience, the people who are at the top of my class are the ones who know how to learn information using the best suitable style for them while being good at taking tests. Add a lot of hard work to that as well.

The top students at my school are definitely not the 4.0/high MCAT scorers or the ones from the Ivy League undergrads.

 

[kb1900]

So the grade that tells you you aren’t as gifted as you think you are doesn’t convince you?

 

[Raryn]

Wait till your surgery rotation. They'll maintain plenty of humility for you.

 

[Peach Newport]

Woah, hold up there sonny boy. Whats this "intellectual humility" baloney you're on about? The smug confidence that I'm better than all my classmates is literally the only thing that gets me up in the morning.

 

[Goro]

Woah, hold up there sonny boy. Whats this "intellectual humility" baloney you're on about? The smug confidence that I'm better than all my classmates is literally the only thing that gets me up in the morning.

OP surmises that because s/he did well on MCAT, then they should be an excellent medical student.

 

[IlDestriero]

Just be smarter than everyone else. (Or almost everyone else.)
Do it.
Goal one- be better. Every day. 10 minutes, 20. Never quit. You think you know everything about X? No you don't. Learn more.
Quietly gun, laughing inside at other people's errors in judgement, questionable management, etc. rounds become secret comedy hour.
Score a 10/10 residency. Swim with the big fish and the sharks. And repeat the above for x years. Grind it out, quietly gun away, master the craft, then be better.
Learn to fake humility. Focus on balance in your life while others struggle to keep up, publish marginal research, etc.
You're at the gym. BUT while on the bike you read 2 articles...
Take a high flying job where you're surrounded by the biggest fish in the biggest pond. Now you're at the pointy end of the spear.
Goal- no change- just be better.
Grind it out.
Flash occasional brilliance to dazzle your colleagues when they're not expecting anything and leave them amazed.
Then give them the "oh I thought everyone knew that, it was written like 20 years ago" look.
Laughing on the inside wondering how they manage to get up in the morning.
I took my job and thought "I want to be that guy" - the grey haired master, 25+ years in who walks into any situation with no notice and kills it. No sweat, no drama, no handwaving, no self absorbed BS. Just kill it every day.
Examine your saves, your near misses, others errors, grand rounds, interesting case conference, CQI, cases that went well but could have been better. Study them.
Read. Think. Be better. Tomorrow you're better than today. 20 minutes at a time.
Then one day that guru will ask your opinion on how to manage something...
Amazing.
People don't do this. They get fat and lazy. They get complacent. They peak early and think they're superstars. Then they gun for admin jobs and committee work and get dumber and weaker.
Don't be that guy.
You didn't peak early, you're just awakening to the fact that you're NOT a superstar. Good lesson to learn early. BUT you CAN be. And it's really not that hard. And the more you sub specialize it's even easier. And more of your colleagues will become fat and lazy thinking fellowships and some shady articles made them superstars. But you'll know the truth.
Then quietly align with the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. By now you know who they are.
They're laughing on the inside as well.



--
Il Destriero

 

[Foot Fetish]

Just be smarter than everyone else. (Or almost everyone else.)
Do it.
Goal one- be better. Every day. 10 minutes, 20. Never quit. You think you know everything about X? No you don't. Learn more.
Quietly gun, laughing inside at other people's errors in judgement, questionable management, etc. rounds become secret comedy hour.
Score a 10/10 residency. Swim with the big fish and the sharks. And repeat the above for x years. Grind it out, quietly gun away, master the craft, then be better.
Learn to fake humility. Focus on balance in your life while others struggle to keep up, publish marginal research, etc.
You're at the gym. BUT while on the bike you read 2 articles...
Take a high flying job where you're surrounded by the biggest fish in the biggest pond. Now you're at the pointy end of the spear.
Goal- no change- just be better.
Grind it out.
Flash occasional brilliance to dazzle your colleagues when they're not expecting anything and leave them amazed.
Then give them the "oh I thought everyone knew that, it was written like 20 years ago" look.
Laughing on the inside wondering how they manage to get up in the morning.
I took my job and thought "I want to be that guy" - the grey haired master, 25+ years in who walks into any situation with no notice and kills it. No sweat, no drama, no handwaving, no self absorbed BS. Just kill it every day.
Examine your saves, your near misses, others errors, grand rounds, interesting case conference, CQI, cases that went well but could have been better. Study them.
Read. Think. Be better. Tomorrow you're better than today. 20 minutes at a time.
Then one day that guru will ask you're opinion on how to manage something...
Amazing.
People don't do this. They get fat and lazy. They get complacent. They peak early and think they're superstars. Then they gun for admin jobs and committee work and get dumber and weaker.
Don't be that guy.
You didn't peak early, you're just awakening to the fact that you're NOT a superstar. Good lesson to learn early. BUT you CAN be. And it's really not that hard. And the more you sub specialize it's even easier. And more of your colleagues will become fat and lazy thinking fellowships and some shady articles made them superstars. But you'll know the truth.
Then quietly align with the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. By now you know who they are.
They're laughing on the inside as well.



--
Il Destriero

Amazing.
Is this original content?
This is officially my favorite post on SDN.
I'm going to read this every day until I become the surgeon general 😀


To OP, listen to Il Destriero. The only thing I would add is that, while it is crucial to be aware of how little you actually know, there is also something to be said about harnessing the power of unfounded narcissism, otherwise known as "faking it 'til you make it." It's a fine line you must walk. On the one hand, you need to be able to realistically evaluate your weaknesses so you can aggressively address them. On the other hand, your energy, endurance, and motivation will skyrocket if you can convince yourself that you are some sort of manic genius. It sounds crazy, but it works for me. If you can convince yourself that you are better than the rest while working tirelessly in the manner Il Destriero described to actually BE better than the rest, then one day the delusions of grandeur will become realities of grandeur.

 

[IlDestriero]

Wow. Is this original content?
This is officially my favorite post on SDN.
I'm going to read this every day until I'm the surgeon general 😀

Every now and then I give a peek inside my head.
Welcome to the party.

PS you don't want to be the surgeon general. Didn't you read about the admin and committee work?
Just be better and kill it, every day.


--
Il Destriero