I am about to start medical school--the sacrifices feel heavier than ever.

[I Love Cats]

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I'm sure many of you in my situation are experiencing a similar feeling. At least I hope some of you are (or have) so that I can gain some insight from and collaborate with those who have been pondering many of the same things. Essentially, while slaving away for years, I knew the sacrifices that would need to be made in order to accomplish this noble task in life. I have made many already to get here. The more future sacrifices and utterly life-changing ones just didn't have to be fully accepted yet due to the distance between the younger me and the goal. This future is truly the only future--a perfect fit for someone like me--that I can envision for myself because it encapsulates the majority of what makes me me that I most value and that will allow me to impress myself upon this world in a profound way.

Just because I see the beautiful fit for me in the profession though, doesn't mean that what I currently perceive as "losses" disappear and don't bother me. I'm pitching this topic out there in hopes of being hit over the head with some knowledge from those who are currently feeling the same or have felt the same about making enormous sacrifices (which I have already made much of in my life) in order to accomplish something and become someone that is felt to be necessary in order to live life true to themselves.

To give some idea about the perceived sacrifices, here is a list of certain things that run through my head:

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.
2. Prolonging finding and/or cultivating love, settling down and starting a family while many of my friends already have this (before 25). I recently had a long-term relationship implode over the tremendous strain that was due to the fact that I was going to medical school.
3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.
4. Physical and mental health strain due to the demands.
5. Continuing to find meaningful and satisfying ways to live (in the midst of the demands) while working for the next 8 years towards something that is extremely meaningful. More delayed gratification...
6. Etc.

I see it as being worth it in the long run, truly, but what ways do you all look at the sacrifices and strains that make the burdens feel lighter to bear as you work or prepare to work towards this future? What kinds of thoughts are running through your minds? Wisdom and different perspectives are very welcome 🙂

 

[ChEMD]

In order to be happy you need to actually enjoy the things you're doing right now. If you don't like what you're doing right now, and are only doing it while hoping the future will be better, you may end up disappointed if the future isn't as great as you imagined and regret all of these sacrifices that you're talking about. So my best advice would be to try and enjoy the present and not think about all of the things that you're missing out on, but instead cherish the things you do get to do.

 

[AspiringERMD]

I don't know if you've ever done something really difficult that took a long time and seemed not worth it at the time but was worth it in the end... but I have, and remembering those times is really helping me. I remember days during those times when I cried and wanted to quit, etc, but didn't because I knew I'd regret it if I did. Having been through those things, I know I need to expect a number of those bad days. So, try to think if you've ever been through anything analogous and emerged from it better off than you would have had you not been through it.

Sorry for the vagueness. I have drum corps in mind, for me, but nobody ever knows what that is...

 

[Zelda840]

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.

This one runs through my mind quite a bit. I've applied all over the country, but I'm praying I get into my state school. I'm older than most applicants and haven't lived with my family for almost 20 years, but we are still very close. I see my mom every week and my sister even more often. Moving away from them is going to be a huge sacrifice.

3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.

Same here. This is one of the major reasons I'm casting such a wide net. You never know what random school will end up giving you the most need-based aid.

 

[dbeast]

If it's any consolation, you're certainly not the first person to experience this. In fact, I'd argue that every single medical student feels this way at one point or another in their training. But, we have the luxury of a job where we get to wake up every day and help people.

It's pretty well understood by all of society that a medical education is exhausting and filled with sacrifice, yet somehow there is still a huge excess of qualified applicants. Something has to keep drawing people in despite how much we are expected to give up. It's worth it buddy, hang in there.

 

[yanks26dmb]

This is why I'm happy to be applying as an older applicant (30). I got to enjoy my 20's, about to get married, and am more self-aware of what I really want to do. Not really answering OP's questions, but to other non-trads out there who may be feeling iffy about their age, focus on the positives.

To the OP - your debt will be paid off, just as it is for 90% of other physicians... stop worrying about it, accept it as a part of life, like taxes. Be glad you haven't "settled" down by the age of 25...believe me, I've seen some friends do it and it hasn't gone well. The others that have waited longer, late 20's 30's are much ahppier.

 

[Lamel]

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.

This is my biggest concern. I hope I get to stay near my friends/family.

 

[Xenoblade]

medicine is a higher calling that I am going to follow through and through.

 

[masaraksh]

Find awesome roommates?

 

[AspiringERMD]

This is why I'm happy to be applying as an older applicant (30). I got to enjoy my 20's, about to get married, and am more self-aware of what I really want to do. Not really answering OP's questions, but to other non-trads out there who may be feeling iffy about their age, focus on the positives.

To the OP - your debt will be paid off, just as it is for 90% of other physicians... stop worrying about it, accept it as a part of life, like taxes. Be glad you haven't "settled" down by the age of 25...believe me, I've seen some friends do it and it hasn't gone well. The others that have waited longer, late 20's 30's are much ahppier.

Thank you for this post. It's something I worry about a lot.

 

[yanks26dmb]

Thank you for this post. It's something I worry about a lot.

Glad it could help. Really, you shouldn't worry. I worried a while too...but then I thought about it. Us older applicants really do get to have our cake and eat it too (i hate this saying, but it seems appropriate). We get to do all the amazing things people do in their 20's and STILL become doctors...whereas pre-meds coming straight out of college miss out on all that 20's stuff...and by the time they're done they're into their 30s and in a full-time career with debt. I count my blessings every day that I didn't go to med school right out of college...the past 8 years have been nothing short of amazing...and I'm sure ill happily look back on how things played out when I'm old and gray and reflecting on the course of my life.

That said, this isn't to knock those pre-meds who actually have their **** together when they're 18-22 ( i certainly didn't ) and go straight into medicine.

 

[alpinism]

In order to be happy you need to actually enjoy the things you're doing right now. If you don't like what you're doing right now, and are only doing it while hoping the future will be better, you may end up disappointed if the future isn't as great as you imagined and regret all of these sacrifices that you're talking about. So my best advice would be to try and enjoy the present and not think about all of the things that you're missing out on, but instead cherish the things you do get to do.

Truth.

If you can't find happiness in the journey, you won't find it at the destination.

If that's the case, find a new path.

 

[Blizzard18]

I definitely can relate to moving from
Cherished friends and the stress of the huge debt. I come from a poor family also and I know I'm on my own and it's sink or swim. I'm also coming from a small state school and will be in class with people from Ivy League colleges and stuff. However, I don't see the next 7+ years (4 med school and 3+ residency) as a means to an end. On the contrary, I realize that it's the journey that matters most. Will I be hella-stressed? Definitely. But after step 1, when I get to begin rotations is what I am most excited about. Sure, I have a lot of anxiety about the classes and all, but this is what we've been busting our asses for. I think freaking out is to be expected, but you're gaining a lot despite all the sacrifices. I imagine I'll probably have a mental meltdown myself the closer August gets so you're not alone. But you'll do great. If you couldn't, you wouldn't have got in.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

We're all right there with ya, buddy. It'll be a hell of a ride, though, you know?

To enter medicine is to make sacrifices. You knew this coming into it. Don't worry about the 'cold feet' you're developing.

 

[NickNaylor]

The struggle - it's real.

 

[Cambover]

We will surely make sacrifices and there will be moments both wonderful and terrible along the way. But it'll be a hell of a journey, won't it? We didn't pick this route because it was easy, but because we can't see ourselves doing anything else. This journey into medicine is daunting but it's also exciting. It's up to us to frame how we see it.

Also as others have said, do your best to enjoy the here and now. If you haven't, a passion or hobby that's unrelated to medicine and releases stress. That helped me keep sane throughout undergrad.

 

[darklabel]

Right there with you, I'm going to go very far from my comfort zone and its going to be a whole new experience. I'm both excited and nervous about it. The worry of debt doesn't help, but I try to push that away.

 

[I Love Cats]

I like the idea of knowing to a certain extent that we are all in the same boat (unless the person going to school had always lived in the same city). I suppose the best way to cope with this problem that is the anxiety about the sacrifices and finding meaning that outweighs the cost (sacrifices) is finding comfort and satisfaction in a quick assimilation into the community of the city and/or medical school one attends.

Is there generally a large sensitivity in the already established community and incoming students towards the need to integrate and form community quickly and a desire to actually integrate and form community in these situations--like beginning medical school?

 

[orthogenes]

I get where you are coming from. And as a few insightful posters mentioned, you need to find a way to be happy during the journey not just at the destination.

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.

As a (now former--yay for getting out!) military spouse, I can tell you that it is a blessing to be able to move around and meet new people--new people you wouldn't otherwise know. The cost of this is distance from your other friends and family. Just put your hand out to your new community. Make the most of it, make friends and it will ease the homesickness.


2. Prolonging finding and/or cultivating love, settling down and starting a family while many of my friends already have this (before 25). I recently had a long-term relationship implode over the tremendous strain that was due to the fact that I was going to medical school.

You will find love wherever you will find love. There are no guarantees anywhere in any field of work--why should your chances be any worse in medicine?

3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.

This gives me the freaking creeps. At the same time, I bet you won't drop out in your 3rd year knowing you have those loans...

4. Physical and mental health strain due to the demands.

Most if not all schools have free mental health care for students. If you have physical health concerns, talk to your doctor. They know your situation--and they've been there.

5. Continuing to find meaningful and satisfying ways to live (in the midst of the demands) while working for the next 8 years towards something that is extremely meaningful. More delayed gratification...

It is life. You will make yourself find joy in it. The darker life is, the brighter the joys become. If you cannot--there is mental health care for students.

6. Etc.
You did it! Getting in is kind of anticlimactic. So is a lot of life. Step back. Congrats--you're following your dream! And you are not alone.

 

[LMBLBM]

I'm sure many of you in my situation are experiencing a similar feeling. At least I hope some of you are (or have) so that I can gain some insight from and collaborate with those who have been pondering many of the same things. Essentially, while slaving away for years, I knew the sacrifices that would need to be made in order to accomplish this noble task in life. I have made many already to get here. The more future sacrifices and utterly life-changing ones just didn't have to be fully accepted yet due to the distance between the younger me and the goal. This future is truly the only future--a perfect fit for someone like me--that I can envision for myself because it encapsulates the majority of what makes me me that I most value and that will allow me to impress myself upon this world in a profound way.

Just because I see the beautiful fit for me in the profession though, doesn't mean that what I currently perceive as "losses" disappear and don't bother me. I'm pitching this topic out there in hopes of being hit over the head with some knowledge from those who are currently feeling the same or have felt the same about making enormous sacrifices (which I have already made much of in my life) in order to accomplish something and become someone that is felt to be necessary in order to live life true to themselves.

To give some idea about the perceived sacrifices, here is a list of certain things that run through my head:

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.
2. Prolonging finding and/or cultivating love, settling down and starting a family while many of my friends already have this (before 25). I recently had a long-term relationship implode over the tremendous strain that was due to the fact that I was going to medical school.
3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.
4. Physical and mental health strain due to the demands.
5. Continuing to find meaningful and satisfying ways to live (in the midst of the demands) while working for the next 8 years towards something that is extremely meaningful. More delayed gratification...
6. Etc.

I see it as being worth it in the long run, truly, but what ways do you all look at the sacrifices and strains that make the burdens feel lighter to bear as you work or prepare to work towards this future? What kinds of thoughts are running through your minds? Wisdom and different perspectives are very welcome 🙂

Omg I am feeling exactly same thing!!!

When I am depressed, I tried to think that life is all about journey, not about reaching certain destination. I mean think about marathon. You will never be satisfied if you only like reaching the finish line. Concentrate on the journey itself, and trying to ignore where you will end up later. I think I mumbled but I hope you understand what I meant.

 

[poopsicle]

I cope by accepting medical school as a new chapter in the story of my life.

 

[Leslie_Knope]

I'm not even accepted (applying this cycle) and I worry about these things. It is normal. If you weren't worried, that would be worrisome. 😉

Have you read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle? It is worth the short amount of time you'll spend reading.

 

[snowys435]

I'm sure many of you in my situation are experiencing a similar feeling. At least I hope some of you are (or have) so that I can gain some insight from and collaborate with those who have been pondering many of the same things. Essentially, while slaving away for years, I knew the sacrifices that would need to be made in order to accomplish this noble task in life. I have made many already to get here. The more future sacrifices and utterly life-changing ones just didn't have to be fully accepted yet due to the distance between the younger me and the goal. This future is truly the only future--a perfect fit for someone like me--that I can envision for myself because it encapsulates the majority of what makes me me that I most value and that will allow me to impress myself upon this world in a profound way.

Just because I see the beautiful fit for me in the profession though, doesn't mean that what I currently perceive as "losses" disappear and don't bother me. I'm pitching this topic out there in hopes of being hit over the head with some knowledge from those who are currently feeling the same or have felt the same about making enormous sacrifices (which I have already made much of in my life) in order to accomplish something and become someone that is felt to be necessary in order to live life true to themselves.

To give some idea about the perceived sacrifices, here is a list of certain things that run through my head:

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.
2. Prolonging finding and/or cultivating love, settling down and starting a family while many of my friends already have this (before 25). I recently had a long-term relationship implode over the tremendous strain that was due to the fact that I was going to medical school.
3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.
4. Physical and mental health strain due to the demands.
5. Continuing to find meaningful and satisfying ways to live (in the midst of the demands) while working for the next 8 years towards something that is extremely meaningful. More delayed gratification...
6. Etc.

I see it as being worth it in the long run, truly, but what ways do you all look at the sacrifices and strains that make the burdens feel lighter to bear as you work or prepare to work towards this future? What kinds of thoughts are running through your minds? Wisdom and different perspectives are very welcome 🙂

LOVE THIS THREAD. I have been feeling this more and more recently and I'm about to start in august too. I literally thought I was the ONLY person who felt this way.

On a bright note, I feel more positive today. Went to a dinner witha bunch of alums who are consultants, lawyers, and I bankers and on the drive home i was like....wow I dont have to sit at a computer doing b**** work all day. I am super excited to be moving around and seeing patients all day some point🙂 cheered me up and made me pumped for med school this fall! for the first first time in a while I actually forgot about 1-7 that you listed and felt it was worth it🙂

 

[hippocampus503]

I had the exact same worries, OP. I always feel better when I realize that this is truly the only career that will give me the satisfaction that I need. This is my calling, as corny as that sounds. I am willing to make the sacrifices because what I will get at the end of the road is worth it for me. When you start school you won't have much time to worry about the sacrifices, so in the meantime, spend time with family and friends and look forward to this amazing journey.

 

[winterchill]

Wow, OP. This thread is uncannily timely. I have these thoughts all the time lately and I'm glad to hear others chiming in that it's pretty common. I am fortunate to be able to remain near my family but I also come from a poor background and this debt load (150K) is frightening. As school approaches, I'm also feeling the weight of the personal sacrifices I'll have to make. Feet are getting chilly. 🙂

Mine is not being able to travel. I've never left the country and just wish I could spend a weekend each month flying somewhere new. Hard fantasy to let go.

This might be self-soothing but I really think you'll be okay. Your awareness is a big plus. Take care of yourself so that you don't burn out, make time for the relationships you have and that you want while working smart and I think you'll be able to get what you want out of your professional life and your personal one.

 

[mehc012]

Sorry for the vagueness. I have drum corps in mind, for me, but nobody ever knows what that is...

Wait, did nobody else's teachers make them watch Drumline EVERY time there was a sub?
(we may have had a few divas in our orchestra whom she wanted to hammer a point into...)

 

[boboyahoo]

Being in the same social strata, I see that happiness is in the little things you see in life and not the purchases you will make in the future with what you will become. Take a look at how people live with even the smallest of resources and you will see that happiness is not something you can achieve when you try hard but rather something that fits in. Your education should be looked at as a duty (just like elementary and high school). If you keep thinking that it was a CHOICE, it will be harder. I know that because I am constantly told that my college education was my choice and not something I should have pursued... This makes it hard on me because I have taken decisions that were not always aligned with my aspirations because I constantly think that I shouldn't have even gone to college since the major I switched into with the frenzy of financial situations is not what I want to do. Just go into med school, concentrate on what you like and stick with it. It's important that you don't let the "what-if's" get the best of you.

 

[Doudline]

The happiest persons in every demanding profession are the ones who understands that life doesn't start after you're done with X and Y; if you're finding excuses to delay your happiness as a college student, it'll be the same as a medical student, as a resident, as a fellow, and as an attending. There's always going to be something out there to keep you down.

Ultimately, there's no one but yourself to ensure that your life is worthwhile and enjoyable. And that rhetoric of "be miserable now to be happy later" is ridiculous. Dark patches happen to everyone, but if it's a reoccurring theme, you might as well question your life orientation.

 

[Endure]

I recently finished filling out the last of my financial aid paperwork and it was scary. I realize that a physician's debt burden is manageable, particularly in the specialties that I am (presently) considering, but something changes once the MPN is signed.

I think going to medical school brings with it a number of worrisome thoughts. None of us really know whether we can handle the workload, clerkships sound universally terrifying, Step 1 is often described as the worst period of medical school, relationships become strained when one party is time-conscious and stressed, and the match ultimately dictates where we'll be living next.

You know you've made the right choice when the list of concerns fades when you think about what you'll be doing in a couple months. You'll be training to become a physician! Whenever I think how amazing it will be to actually understand how to help people, I know there's nothing else I would rather be doing. I love the science, intense, goal-oriented nature of medicine, and the ability to change the trajectory of a person's life. I know I'll love the work, just as I loved the pre-medical journey (excluding the application process).

Regarding the move - I agree, it sucks. It is the thing that has me the most concerned. Instead of viewing it as period where I will be distancing myself from those I love, I see it as an opportunity to experience an entirely new culture, call a new city my home, and grow up. I'm concerned, just like the whole lot of you, but I'm hanging onto my enthusiasm to get me through is.

Good luck everyone!

 

[AspiringERMD]

Wait, did nobody else's teachers make them watch Drumline EVERY time there was a sub?
(we may have had a few divas in our orchestra whom she wanted to hammer a point into...)

Everyone I know doesn't even bother to make fun of that movie because it's so bad. It would just be like picking on a little kid. 😉

 

[kkcc]

Consider that even for residencies and fellowships you may not have your ideal choice of locations, that you have to go wherever your are matched to. Esp. for more competitive specialties, you may have to settle for an less desirable location just to be able to to be trained in that specialty.
Yes, hard to stay with a loved one and start a family when moving around so much.

The happy med student/doctor couples I have seen are those where 1 spouse is willing to accommodate the other and move or find residency wherever the other spouse is matched to. Or the couple can do long-distance relationship and connect via the internet for most of the time. I feel the life of a med student/resident is a tough test for a relationship.

 

[winterchill]

You know, it'd be really cool if we could bump this thread a few months into school to see how we're feeling.

 

[mehc012]

Everyone I know doesn't even bother to make fun of that movie because it's so bad. It would just be like picking on a little kid. 😉

Every. Time.
I must have watched that movie at least 8x.
By the end, we used to beg for her to play it for us, so there must be some sort of brainwashing effect!

 

[Xenoblade]

If having someone who won't leave you is the most important aspect you seek, You can always marry a desperate fatty. She'll follow you to the ends of the world with an eager smile.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

LOVE THIS THREAD. I have been feeling this more and more recently and I'm about to start in august too. I literally thought I was the ONLY person who felt this way.

On a bright note, I feel more positive today. Went to a dinner witha bunch of alums who are consultants, lawyers, and I bankers and on the drive home i was like....wow I dont have to sit at a computer doing b**** work all day. I am super excited to be moving around and seeing patients all day some point🙂 cheered me up and made me pumped for med school this fall! for the first first time in a while I actually forgot about 1-7 that you listed and felt it was worth it🙂

Hmm, you haven't been in a hospital with EHR?? Sitting at the computer is becoming more and more the practice of medicine.

 

[woltej1]

I'm sure many of you in my situation are experiencing a similar feeling. At least I hope some of you are (or have) so that I can gain some insight from and collaborate with those who have been pondering many of the same things. Essentially, while slaving away for years, I knew the sacrifices that would need to be made in order to accomplish this noble task in life. I have made many already to get here. The more future sacrifices and utterly life-changing ones just didn't have to be fully accepted yet due to the distance between the younger me and the goal. This future is truly the only future--a perfect fit for someone like me--that I can envision for myself because it encapsulates the majority of what makes me me that I most value and that will allow me to impress myself upon this world in a profound way.

Just because I see the beautiful fit for me in the profession though, doesn't mean that what I currently perceive as "losses" disappear and don't bother me. I'm pitching this topic out there in hopes of being hit over the head with some knowledge from those who are currently feeling the same or have felt the same about making enormous sacrifices (which I have already made much of in my life) in order to accomplish something and become someone that is felt to be necessary in order to live life true to themselves.

To give some idea about the perceived sacrifices, here is a list of certain things that run through my head:

1. Moving away from friends/family/familiarity to attend school in another city.
2. Prolonging finding and/or cultivating love, settling down and starting a family while many of my friends already have this (before 25). I recently had a long-term relationship implode over the tremendous strain that was due to the fact that I was going to medical school.
3. I grew up in a poor situation, so the 200k+ debt is also starting to feel more real than in the past.
4. Physical and mental health strain due to the demands.
5. Continuing to find meaningful and satisfying ways to live (in the midst of the demands) while working for the next 8 years towards something that is extremely meaningful. More delayed gratification...
6. Etc.

I see it as being worth it in the long run, truly, but what ways do you all look at the sacrifices and strains that make the burdens feel lighter to bear as you work or prepare to work towards this future? What kinds of thoughts are running through your minds? Wisdom and different perspectives are very welcome 🙂

1. Moving is good and bad. You will be away from them for a few years, but you also get to experience something new. I met some of my best friends in college, and will again get to go back to school and meet more amazing people. I think people forget how much your social life stagnants when you aren't surrounded by people your age who want to meet new people also.
2. Why do you want to get tied down with a family before 25? Yes it is a good thing, but the timing isn't the same for everyone. If you wanted an early family you could've still done it while going to med school. Probably a good thing your relationship ended as it was most likely not compatible. Got that stress done with before school.
3. Work your ass off for grants and scholarships and also to a high paying specialty.
4. Your personality has a lot to do with this. I don't see why your physical health has to be strained in any way. In undergrad I was extremely short on free time yet stayed in top physical shape. Take preemptive measures to keep your mind from shutting down from stress.
5. You'll be surrounded by people who are dealing with the same problems as you and also love the same profession as you. This sounds like a good group to connect with and make some amazing memories with. Just because you won't be doing it in a Lamborghini doesn't mean it is worth complaining about.

You seem like a glass half empty kind of person and I'm sorry for that. You chose this path so why sit there and bitch about it now? Make the best out of it. Also, it isn't too late to back out, you could get another degree in 2 years or less probably and get into a different career.

 

[intamin]

Everyone I know doesn't even bother to make fun of that movie because it's so bad. It would just be like picking on a little kid. 😉

Out of curiosity, what corps were you in?

 

[AspiringERMD]

Out of curiosity, what corps were you in?

Edited for anonymity... PM coming 🙂

 

[Total180]

You are absolutely justified in all of your fears, as everyone else has said. As a rising 4th year, I can tell you that it has been HARD. However, I have made the best friends of my life in school, I have had some absolutely amazing experiences, and I would definitely do it again. Medicine is an interesting beast in that it will push you to your limits and then some. There is no way to prepare for what you will go through, you kind've just have to keep on chugging. There will be times when you want to quit...when you feel like there is no way this is ever going to pay off, and that you are giving up too much, but for me, those feelings were few and far between (and mostly during board studying haha).

You will make friends, and they will become your family if you have to move away. As for finding love, it's difficult but it's possible to have meaningful relationships while in school. Your life shouldn't STOP because of medical school...med school should just be PART of your life. Remember to do things for you that don't involve medicine, and to take opportunities to have fun. That one last ppt can usually wait, and if your brain isn't in it, there is no point in going over it anyway. Know/learn your limits with studying. When you reach that limit, go home.

If your home friends/family is your support network, make sure you make time for them as well. It will be hard to keep the same relationship with them. It will be hard because it's hard for them to understand a lot of the aspects of medical school, but they were there before med school, and should be there during and after, and that will help your mental health. As others have mentioned, if you feel like you need help from a counselor don't wait for it to get so bad that it affects your grades. It seems like you are pretty good at knowing what you are feeling, and if it's too much, get help. A lot of people do, there is no shame in it.Make time to workout/do something outside/do something physical....sitting all day gets rough. Sometimes I would just take my notes and walk up and down the stairs or take a walk outside with friends for a break to get away.

I don't want you to think that med school is all puppies and rainbows, but some of the "this is the worst thing in the world" doom and gloom really isn't true. I had the most fun I have ever had in med school (and also cried the most too haha). You are absolutely going to have to make sacrifices...but if all it seems like is sacrifices, you are going to have a rough time. I'm going to say it again because I think it's important. Your life shouldn't stop because of medical school, med school should just be part of your life. Don't sweat it, we have all done it and made it through, and you will too. Oh, and the debt sucks...there's no way around that one. Just don't be stupid after you graduate.

 

[I Love Cats]

There are so many wonderful insights here. I love being able to throw myself and ideas out there and receiving thoughtful and intensive critiques as well as encouragements. Very well done, everyone. Thank you 🙂

 

[Psai]

Try studying for step 1 when it seems like everyone on facebook is going on some fabulous vacation
makes you want to blow your brains out no joke

 

[URHere]

Just keep in mind that most of the things you are fearing…really haven't happened to you yet.

It can be a good thing to be prepared and aware of what you're getting yourself into, but when things are inevitable (like the transition you have chosen to make to medical school) I've found that it can be best to just take things as they come. Like anything else in life, you'll adjust. Even if the thought of some of these things terrifies or depresses you now, it may be easier to handle once you're in the heart of it. You'll be more mature, you'll have more experience, and you're likely to be a bit more resilient than you are right now.

So…try not to get too sucked into all of it just yet. Many people have been there before you. We've survived and so will you.

 

[cs24]

I definitely had some cold feet going into medical school last year. A big part of it was the contraction of life possibilities. As an undergrad, I could have entered almost any career, there were so many things I could have pursued. Now, I will be a doctor, and that's it. I still believe I made the best choice, but it was kind of depressing at the time.

Overall though, you'll get through it. I took the time to sit down why I had wanted to go into medicine in the time between I was accepted and started school, and it helped me remember why I had made the right choice. I also go back and look at it from time to time when I get really annoyed with school now.

 

[hunterjumper14]

I'll chime in as a student that has just finished first year. I am lucky to go to medical school close to my family, but I still worry about many of the same things. It gets particularly hard at family events/holidays when everyone flocks to my sibling who is recently married, just bought a beautiful home, and has a brand new baby. These are the measures that many people use to define "success" and I've found that lots of people (extended family included) are content to ignore what I'm doing. It sounds stupid, but it's hurtful when friends and family at the most ask a fleeting "how's school?" before flocking to praise my sibling on their recent accomplishments. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be 25 and married with a baby... But somehow I'm still jealous of them. Weird, huh?! I think we all understood the sacrifices logically before going to med school, but they become real as friends get married, buy property, travel, and have children.

Anyway, medical school is a bit of a bubble, which is good and bad. The bad: it isolates you from other people. It's not just school, it's a huge part of your life. And most of the time, we are all happy to be immersed in science, physiology, and awkward patient encounters. However, most people outside of medical school are not all that interested in medical school… And, for me at least, it can be frustrating to be busting at the seams wanting to tell people about all of the COOL things they let us do, and no one really cares all that much. The good side of it is, you become very close to your classmates because you all are in the same boat and you actually do think it's awesome when another med student wants to tell you about their overnight shift in the ED or the first patient they suture. So it can be a good and a bad thing.

In the end, I have to look at the people I'm envious of and ask myself if I'd really rather be in their shoes... And the answer is always NO. Yeah, it's great to go to happy hour multiple times a week and buy a cute condo, but I would be miserable if I worked in an administrative position at any of the companies my friends do. Nothing in life is certain, and the most I can tell you is that yes, there are sacrifices. And you will be bitter and jealous at some point (even if you don't admit it). And I think that's normal. We have picked a difficult road, to be sure. But it's an awesome one, too!