How to stop feeling guilty of kickboxing/powerlifting outside of MCAT studying?

[ConfusedAboutEverything]

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I'm in a Kickboxing Gym that meets for 2 hours 3x a week and I also lift weights. (I also work 2 days a week ~12 hour shifts) and do some volunteering on the side.

Currently, I'm studying for MCAT.

However, since I studied the MCAT, I have developed this false and persistent perception that "people are generally only good at one thing, you can be good at all three; people who ace the MCAT were not focused powerlifters/kickboxers and dedicated their energy entirely to MCAT". The doctors that I shadowed pretty much do not have any other activities outside of work and family, they aren't powerlifters etc. The powerlifters and kickboxers I work with have pretty simple (low wage) jobs and are dedicated to the sport. The doctors are the same, they are good at that one thing.

This really worries me, as whenever I even spend a couple hours to workout, I have this powerful feel of guilt that I should dedicate my energy and be good at ONE thing, as rarely there are powerlifting doctors.

I really really really need help with this. Do you guys do other serious activities besides study.

One other thought I had is that most people in medical school don't go to martial arts practice and almost none are gym rats. This also worries me as I want to be able to be good at multiple things.

TL;DR: I don't think I can be good at 2 things (being a doctor) vs. (Powerlift/kickboxing). I feel I have to compromise one for the other. I guess I'm asking for a pep-talk, if you can provide your insight please help!!

 

[eteshoe]

If you're disciplined why can't you be better at more than one thing?

P.S. I lift, do research, and have done well in med school thus far.

 

[confidentandgood]

Richard Feynman enjoyed drawing. Marie Curie loved cycling. Polly Matzinger trains championship border collies. The list goes on.

Doctors enjoy other things, too; I find it hard to believe that the doctors you've met have no outside interests, even if they're not powerlifters. I enjoy many non-scientific hobbies. There's nothing wrong with dedicating your energy and determination towards more than medicine. If you've never heard of a powerlifting doctor, then be the first one.

 

[Goro]

Medical schools look for people who can walk and chew gum at the same time. You need to be able to balance work and life. If you don't you will burn out in medical school and never be a doctor.

So get your head out of your ass and go lift some weights!

I'm in a Kickboxing Gym that meets for 2 hours 3x a week and I also lift weights. (I also work 2 days a week ~12 hour shifts) and do some volunteering on the side.

Currently, I'm studying for MCAT.

However, since I studied the MCAT, I have developed this false and persistent perception that "people are generally only good at one thing, you can be good at all three; people who ace the MCAT were not focused powerlifters/kickboxers and dedicated their energy entirely to MCAT". The doctors that I shadowed pretty much do not have any other activities outside of work and family, they aren't powerlifters etc. The powerlifters and kickboxers I work with have pretty simple (low wage) jobs and are dedicated to the sport. The doctors are the same, they are good at that one thing.

This really worries me, as whenever I even spend a couple hours to workout, I have this powerful feel of guilt that I should dedicate my energy and be good at ONE thing, as rarely there are powerlifting doctors.

I really really really need help with this. Do you guys do other serious activities besides study.

One other thought I had is that most people in medical school don't go to martial arts practice and almost none are gym rats. This also worries me as I want to be able to be good at multiple things.

TL;DR: I don't think I can be good at 2 things (being a doctor) vs. (Powerlift/kickboxing). I feel I have to compromise one for the other. I guess I'm asking for a pep-talk, if you can provide your insight please help!!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Echoing the above. No reason you shouldn't be able to do more than one thing at a time. If you're not able to, look into why. Your time management skills might be off, i.e., how effectively you're using your time, how much time you're devoting to each area (which is also related to how effective the time you put in is), etc.

I am studying for the MCAT, doing research, raising two kids, working 70 hours a week, going to church, volunteering, and writing all at the same time. It's all about time management.

 

[partypantss]

I'm in a Kickboxing Gym that meets for 2 hours 3x a week and I also lift weights. (I also work 2 days a week ~12 hour shifts) and do some volunteering on the side.

Currently, I'm studying for MCAT.

However, since I studied the MCAT, I have developed this false and persistent perception that "people are generally only good at one thing, you can be good at all three; people who ace the MCAT were not focused powerlifters/kickboxers and dedicated their energy entirely to MCAT". The doctors that I shadowed pretty much do not have any other activities outside of work and family, they aren't powerlifters etc. The powerlifters and kickboxers I work with have pretty simple (low wage) jobs and are dedicated to the sport. The doctors are the same, they are good at that one thing.

This really worries me, as whenever I even spend a couple hours to workout, I have this powerful feel of guilt that I should dedicate my energy and be good at ONE thing, as rarely there are powerlifting doctors.

I really really really need help with this. Do you guys do other serious activities besides study.

One other thought I had is that most people in medical school don't go to martial arts practice and almost none are gym rats. This also worries me as I want to be able to be good at multiple things.

TL;DR: I don't think I can be good at 2 things (being a doctor) vs. (Powerlift/kickboxing). I feel I have to compromise one for the other. I guess I'm asking for a pep-talk, if you can provide your insight please help!!

I don't know where you got the idea that people in medical school don't also go to the gym. At interviews I saw plenty of med students that clearly lift. (certainly not the majority, but it isn't exactly a super rare trait.)
I bench 315 and DL over 405 and I got a 516 on the MCAT. My brother has been in Dental school for over 2 years and has lifted regularly throughout (and likely has higher lifting numbers than I do.)

At one school I was talking to one of the tour guides about working out and lifting and she mentioned how a couple of the students actually have been to powerlifting competitions.
You aren't going to be a professional powerlifter/ kickboxer if you also want to be a doctor, but you can still dedicate time and energy to improve the hobby.

Also, working out is important for your mental health and will likely help you do BETTER on the MCAT. When I studied for the MCAT I was also working full time as a Phlebotomist and I still always lifted for about 1.5 hours every morning..

 

[theonlytycrane]

This is me and I did well on the MCAT. YMMV

 

[futuremdforme]

I can't go to the gym without seeing at least 4 classmates there.

 

[lpp06]

Medical schools look for people who can walk and chew gum at the same time. You need to be able to balance work and life. If you don't you will burn out in medical school and never be a doctor.

So get your head out of your ass and go lift some weights!

Well, I'm out.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I don't know where you got the idea that people in medical school don't also go to the gym. At interviews I saw plenty of med students that clearly lift. (certainly not the majority, but it isn't exactly a super rare trait.)
I bench 315 and DL over 405 and I got a 516 on the MCAT. My brother has been in Dental school for over 2 years and has lifted regularly throughout (and likely has higher lifting numbers than I do.)

At one school I was talking to one of the tour guides about working out and lifting and she mentioned how a couple of the students actually have been to powerlifting competitions.
You aren't going to be a professional powerlifter/ kickboxer if you also want to be a doctor, but you can still dedicate time and energy to improve the hobby.

Also, working out is important for your mental health and will likely help you do BETTER on the MCAT. When I studied for the MCAT I was also working full time as a Phlebotomist and I still always lifted for about 1.5 hours every morning..

There was a woman who competed in CrossFit, regularly winning or placing high in the CF Games the entire four years she was in medical school. She "retired" in fourth year because she wanted to focus on residency.

 

[ortnakas]

Hobbies are a good thing, especially if you have a hobby that keeps you healthy and sane.

If you find you're not getting the practice scores you want, it might be time to cut back a bit. But there's no need to pre-emptively quit over the notion you have to have a one-track life.

 

[Goro]

Indeed. That's why app forms have a space for hobbies. They let Adcoms know that one is not merely studying and doing research.

Hobbies are a good thing, especially if you have a hobby that keeps you healthy and sane.

If you find you're not getting the practice scores you want, it might be time to cut back a bit. But there's no need to pre-emptively quit over the notion you have to have a one-track life.

 

[partypantss]

This is me and I did well on the MCAT. YMMV

I never thought I would see a Kali Muscle link on SDN. Listen to his album if you want a good laugh (or find that a lot of grunting, deep laughing and the words "big" and "curls" helps motivate you while lifting.)

 

[mistafab]

Dude in my class is practicing for the upcoming olympics.

Yeah, i'd wager to say you can do more than just study or just work.

 

[libertyyne]

Some of us held down full time jobs while studying for the MCAT. I dont think a 10-20 hours of powerlifting will be detrimental to your MCAT studying. When I was studying I would hit the gym and have a playlist of MCAT related lectures that I would run through while working out. Stop Comparing yourself to others you do you, let others worry about what they are capable or not capable of accomplishing.

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

I went through most of a training cycle while studying for the MCAT (and working a full-time job with kids and a deployed husband). Not my best meet, but I still managed to qualify for USAPL Nationals and a 518 on the MCAT.

If you can't find time to have a hobby outside of studying, I'd highly recommend reevaluating your schedule. I mean, you might make it through a couple months but at some point you're going to hit a wall and burnout. You shouldn't feel guilty about having a life, especially when that life includes exercise.

There was a woman who competed in CrossFit, regularly winning or placing high in the CF Games the entire four years she was in medical school. She "retired" in fourth year because she wanted to focus on residency.

Are you talking about Julie Foucher? If so, she only made it to the Games during M2 and then took a year off from school to train, during which she was injured at Regionals. She hasn't competed on any level since she started clinical years. She still does L1 seminars and demo team, but most of her competitive career was as a premed. If not, do you remember who it was? I love stalking, I mean following, athletes who are med students/doctors.




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[Mclovin0351]

I went through most of a training cycle while studying for the MCAT (and working a full-time job with kids and a deployed husband). Not my best meet, but I still managed to qualify for USAPL Nationals and a 518 on the MCAT.

If you can't find time to have a hobby outside of studying, I'd highly recommend reevaluating your schedule. I mean, you might make it through a couple months but at some point you're going to hit a wall and burnout. You shouldn't feel guilty about having a life, especially when that life includes exercise.



Are you talking about Julie Foucher? If so, she only made it to the Games during M2 and then took a year off from school to train, during which she was injured at Regionals. She hasn't competed on any level since she started clinical years. She still does L1 seminars and demo team, but most of her competitive career was as a premed. If not, do you remember who it was? I love stalking, I mean following, athletes who are med students/doctors.




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Not a doctor yet but a man named Aria Attia just started medical school and he has an all time world record deadlift.

The original question has been beat to death but I seriously wouldn't have been able to do as well on the mcat as I did without 1-2 hours a day to put on some metal and lift.

 

[longhaul3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Duvernay-Tardif

 

[hsmooth]

I did a bulk phase with my weight lifting during my intern year of residency working 70 hours a week. Put on like 25-30 lbs, did a blog about it, and reap the rewards of affiliate marketing every month and I haven't updated the blog in like 3 years.

I like tech toys and cameras. During my 3rd year of med school I started a wedding cinematography business with my non-medicine friends and turned it into a 6-figure-in-sales a year business.

A guy I know and went to med school with, later went on to be an ER doc, and he won this year's "Ultimate Guy" competition for Men's Health Magazine and he was on the cover of their magazine.

So yeah, you can make time to stay healthy and work out and have hobbies while doing things like studying for MCAT or working. You just have to fit it into your schedule.

 

[ciestar]

Not a doctor yet but a man named Aria Attia just started medical school and he has an all time world record deadlift.

The original question has been beat to death but I seriously wouldn't have been able to do as well on the mcat as I did without 1-2 hours a day to put on some metal and lift.

Aria is also one of our class presidents.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I went through most of a training cycle while studying for the MCAT (and working a full-time job with kids and a deployed husband). Not my best meet, but I still managed to qualify for USAPL Nationals and a 518 on the MCAT.

If you can't find time to have a hobby outside of studying, I'd highly recommend reevaluating your schedule. I mean, you might make it through a couple months but at some point you're going to hit a wall and burnout. You shouldn't feel guilty about having a life, especially when that life includes exercise.



Are you talking about Julie Foucher? If so, she only made it to the Games during M2 and then took a year off from school to train, during which she was injured at Regionals. She hasn't competed on any level since she started clinical years. She still does L1 seminars and demo team, but most of her competitive career was as a premed. If not, do you remember who it was? I love stalking, I mean following, athletes who are med students/doctors.




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Yeah I remember she got hurt in the last year but I think you might be confusing her with someone else.

She started medical school in 2012. She competed in the Games in 2010 and 2011, taking 5th both times. She competed again in 2012 and took 2nd (while in med school).

She took a year off to focus on school, then competed again in 2014 and won 3rd place (while in med school). She competed again in 2015 and tore her Achilles (again, while in med school).

So she clearly had time to train extensively during undergrad and med school, including four top 5 finishes.

 

[Sheiko]

gains>MCAT

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

Yeah I remember she got hurt in the last year but I think you might be confusing her with someone else.

She started medical school in 2012. She competed in the Games in 2010 and 2011, taking 5th both times. She competed again in 2012 and took 2nd (while in med school).

She took a year off to focus on school, then competed again in 2014 and won 3rd place (while in med school). She competed again in 2015 and tore her Achilles (again, while in med school).

So she clearly had time to train extensively during undergrad and med school, including four top 5 finishes.

I think we are saying the same thing except the 2012 Games were before she matriculated. 2014 was M2 and Regionals in 2015 was the year she took off from school.

She trained at my box last year and let me grill her about med school and training. Basically, she said that you can still find time to train during school, but for her, recovery got to be an issue and she knew that she wouldn't be able to train as a Games athlete during clinical years. At the time, she said she would still be open for comps like Wodapalooza, but she'd only be doing it for fun.

But I haven't competed in CrossFit since 2014 Regionals so it was all a moot point for me.


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[Dr. Jan Itor]

Not a doctor yet but a man named Aria Attia just started medical school and he has an all time world record.

Saw the deadlift. Had no idea he was in med school. That's awesome.

Edit - I googled him and found a bunch of bros on Reddit talking about how he skips leg day.


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[Mclovin0351]

Saw the deadlift. Had no idea he was in med school. That's awesome.

Edit - I googled him and found a bunch of bros on Reddit talking about how he skips leg day.


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Lmao he just put up a vid of a 700lb squat in sleeves. His Instagram is bigpoppachazi and he's an M1 at Drexel I believe.

 

[Ceke2002]

I'm in a Kickboxing Gym that meets for 2 hours 3x a week and I also lift weights. (I also work 2 days a week ~12 hour shifts) and do some volunteering on the side.

Currently, I'm studying for MCAT.

However, since I studied the MCAT, I have developed this false and persistent perception that "people are generally only good at one thing, you can be good at all three; people who ace the MCAT were not focused powerlifters/kickboxers and dedicated their energy entirely to MCAT". The doctors that I shadowed pretty much do not have any other activities outside of work and family, they aren't powerlifters etc. The powerlifters and kickboxers I work with have pretty simple (low wage) jobs and are dedicated to the sport. The doctors are the same, they are good at that one thing.

This really worries me, as whenever I even spend a couple hours to workout, I have this powerful feel of guilt that I should dedicate my energy and be good at ONE thing, as rarely there are powerlifting doctors.

I really really really need help with this. Do you guys do other serious activities besides study.

One other thought I had is that most people in medical school don't go to martial arts practice and almost none are gym rats. This also worries me as I want to be able to be good at multiple things.

TL;DR: I don't think I can be good at 2 things (being a doctor) vs. (Powerlift/kickboxing). I feel I have to compromise one for the other. I guess I'm asking for a pep-talk, if you can provide your insight please help!!

The Psychiatrist I see, who is a senior consultant, trained in several different martial arts all throughout med school, has competed in Muay Thai fights while he's been in practice, and currently trains others on the weekend in both Muay Thai, and Yujiaquan Kung Fu.

Tell me again how you can't be a Doctor and a trained martial artist? 😉

I'm sure you'll do just fine. 🙂

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I think we are saying the same thing except the 2012 Games were before she matriculated. 2014 was M2 and Regionals in 2015 was the year she took off from school.

She trained at my box last year and let me grill her about med school and training. Basically, she said that you can still find time to train during school, but for her, recovery got to be an issue and she knew that she wouldn't be able to train as a Games athlete during clinical years. At the time, she said she would still be open for comps like Wodapalooza, but she'd only be doing it for fun.

Nice. Not sure why her profile says she started med school in 2011 if she didn't start until 2012. Presumably she wrote it.

I remember watching her finish regionals with that big ass boot on. Crazy.

But I haven't competed in CrossFit since 2014 Regionals so it was all a moot point for me.


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I haven't done crossfit in a while since I had my second daughter. It wasn't bad when we only had one because we would bring her to the box and alternate, but it's too much with two. They go wild and we don't want to distract everyone.

Also, we were living in Hawaii and I had just gotten back from deployment, so not a great time or place.

Edited because of autocorrect.

 

[PB&Jam]

I'm in a Kickboxing Gym that meets for 2 hours 3x a week and I also lift weights. (I also work 2 days a week ~12 hour shifts) and do some volunteering on the side.

Currently, I'm studying for MCAT.

However, since I studied the MCAT, I have developed this false and persistent perception that "people are generally only good at one thing, you can be good at all three; people who ace the MCAT were not focused powerlifters/kickboxers and dedicated their energy entirely to MCAT". The doctors that I shadowed pretty much do not have any other activities outside of work and family, they aren't powerlifters etc. The powerlifters and kickboxers I work with have pretty simple (low wage) jobs and are dedicated to the sport. The doctors are the same, they are good at that one thing.

This really worries me, as whenever I even spend a couple hours to workout, I have this powerful feel of guilt that I should dedicate my energy and be good at ONE thing, as rarely there are powerlifting doctors.

I really really really need help with this. Do you guys do other serious activities besides study.

One other thought I had is that most people in medical school don't go to martial arts practice and almost none are gym rats. This also worries me as I want to be able to be good at multiple things.

TL;DR: I don't think I can be good at 2 things (being a doctor) vs. (Powerlift/kickboxing). I feel I have to compromise one for the other. I guess I'm asking for a pep-talk, if you can provide your insight please help!!

I'm a strong believer in being a Renaissance person. I would have been miserable in undergrad if all I did was take science courses/complete required ECs/study for the MCAT. I will be miserable in medical school, in residency, and as a doctor if all I do is medicine. I've been a member of my school's marching band since I was a freshman, and am a section leader this year. If you know anything about marching band, you know it eats up time like nothing else. We practice and perform for 20 hours a week, and I practiced even more outside that. The vast majority of the band is majoring in something other than music, usually something time consuming, like engineering or the sciences. Many are pre-med. We all manage to find time to excel at both our classes and at band.

I've also taken classes that are completely unrelated to science or medicine–and not just as gen eds. I'm minoring in Spanish, not just because it will help me communicate with hispanic patients, but because I love learning about the language and culture. Most of the people in my upper division Spanish classes are not Spanish majors, and they excel in both their major classes and in Spanish. I've taken Creative Writing classes to give me a more concrete way to pursue my love of writing, a hobby I've had since I was young. I dedicated a lot of time to those classes, and still write on my own, for fun. I'm currently writing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It takes up several hours a week, hours I could spend studying. But I do both, because I enjoy and am good at both. I've taken several philosophy classes, after a philosophy gen ed piqued my interest in the field. The upper division ones require insane numbers of hours of reading and essay writing per week. I do both because of the way philosophy gets me to think differently.

No one is just a doctor, or an engineer, or a lawyer, or a writer. No one does just one thing with their lives, all the time. Physicians have hobbies, just like everyone else, be it sports, or art, or kickboxing. In fact, having those outside interests, IMHO, makes them better doctors and better people. Hobbies relieve stress and give you something to talk to patients about. Personally, I'm more comfortable with a doctor who can throw small talk about basketball or music in with the medical stuff, and I think a lot of patients would agree.

TL;DR: As long as you budget your time while studying, so that you finish what you need to get done in the limited time you have, keep on kickboxing. If you can pursue a hobby you love while studying or practicing medicine, more power to you. You'll be a pretty kickass doctor.

 

[Terry Toma]

Unless the kickboxing is nonconsensual, I don't see any reason to feel guilty.

 

[BrownEMS]

It sounds like you have some bad role-models in your micro-environment. My advice is to not look at the people around you in your little micro-environment. The internet is filled with people (a minority compared to general population) who excel at multiple things. Take them as your role-models.

My cousin is a medical student at UNECOM, and he lifts 6 days a week, including everyday before class.

 

[JPSmyth]

What's your total? It directly correlates to your MCAT score