Is crying a big problem?

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db4277

db4277

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I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
 
You're panicking. You'll be fine, enjoy the next couple of months before school starts.
 
You may want to develop thick skin at some point because not everyone is very nice like in ob/gyn and surgery. Plus, idk, wouldn't it be awkward if you start tearing up during rounds?
 
OB especially is pretty tough as far as bad attitudes and malignancy goes. Lots of complaints from that rotation from many different programs across the country.
 
db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
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You will grow out of it. I did when I turned 12. It just affects some people longer than others.
 
Dont worry about it. You could always do path or rads.
 
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No idea OP but I actually have the same problem, so we'll see how it goes 😉 Contrary to what some other people have replied, I don't really think it's a matter of "toughening up." At least for me, I'm not really a weak/overly-sensitive/thin-skinned person who takes things too personally or is offended too easily. I'm more likely to tear up about someone else being sad than I am when I'm yelled at or spoken to harshly at work. I'm not going to have a breakdown or anything, but I definitely get the "sympathy cries" which is basically just super awkward. All the feelz. We'll get better at it, I'm sure.
 
I hope for your sake you're a woman. If so then it's difficult to stomach but perhaps tolerable. If you're a man. Flip over your hand and backhand slap the **** out of yourself.
 
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Tired said:
Suspect that surgery will not find it tolerable.
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True. That was why I said perhaps. Why did the OP say surgery? I read about crying and shut down.
 
Tired said:
Suspect that surgery will not find it tolerable.
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Also suspect that a person with crying affliction, generally, is not particularly interested in surgery 😉 I've been wrong before though.
 
I had some concerns myself before starting medical school -- i.e. could I handle working with a cadaveric specimen during anatomy. During the interview, they ran us through the dissection lab and I gingerly made my way over to see what was going on and there it was -- a cadaver that was being dissected. I gritted my teeth and acted calm but inside I'm thinking,"Can I really do this?".

Around end of September/October of that same year, we started anatomy. That first lab was a big deal -- as we raised the specimen up from the tank and locked it in place, I was nervous. My tankmates booked off to get the boxes of gloves. I laid my hand on the specimen's shoulder and inside my head I apologized to him for what I was about to have to do to him. I knew he had gone on to his just rewards.

2 months after that -- I'm holding the left side of the cranial vault after we had evacuated the brain/spinal cord, one tankmate is holding the left shoulder, the other the right shoulder, the other is reading the dissection manual. I've got a tree saw in my right hand and I'm bisecting the cranial vault down to the sternal notch with it so we can appreciate the structures of the neck. I gave it no more thought than opening the page of a book.

My point -- you'll get used to it. Medical training has been going on for quite a while and the system is pretty doggone good about preparing you for what's coming by now. If you have issues, you'll have a close circle of classmates that'll help you get through it.

Dr. Dubin at TCOM once said, "Medicine will change you.". He was right....in more ways than one. You will grow up, you will have a depth of compassion that others will not understand, you will have the ability to handle crisis situations calmly, you will be able to control your emotions and you will find yourself ultimately thinking about what's best for the patient through the lens of patient autonomy.

You will never forget the first patient you pronounce, the first one you deliver or the first one you comfort.

Being a physician is so much more than being technically qualified to be a "doctor" -- yeah, some midlevels are fighting for independent practice rights at this time -- they can do all the business they want -- but you can only be trained to truly be a physician at medical school. It's a privilege -- don't ever forget that or take it for granted. You will connect with people at the depth of their need and in the final moments of their life when all that is important to them is standing right there in the form of the family. You will be there when they breathe their last and step over into eternity ---- you will be there to comfort them and to say," I'm your physician and I'm not leaving you. We will walk through this valley together and I will take you as far as I can go with you." ----

It is humbling.

Good luck to you ---
 
Tired said:
True dat. But there's still that pesky two-month rotation....
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Very true... just gotta survive. But honestly (and I'm not the OP), I don't think this is so much of an issue of "Can I survive a surgery/other rotation without crying if my resident is mean to me?" but rather "Will I cry if I'm in a room where a patient receives bad news and he/she or his/her family is visibly upset and crying?" I haven't started medical school yet, but I have had to deal with some of the latter through work experience, and I've been successful in controlling those emotions. However, I think it's crucial to recognize if you're the type of person who is more prone to extreme empathy in a situation like that.
 
Tired said:
The latter is socially acceptable if done quietly. The former is never okay.
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Agreed. In fact, I would bet that many patients and families would appreciate seeing your emotions because it shows you give a ****. The danger is making that moment about you not being an adult and holding it together, rather than bearing witness to human tragedy as a professional.
 
Tired said:
No, but presumably he/she will have to rotate through there. The male surgery residents will just feel awkward and stay away. The female surgery residents will lose their g**d*** minds.



True dat. But there's still that pesky two-month rotation....
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You don't give bro hugs in ortho?
 
Tired said:
Of course we do, accompanied by the obligatory heavy slaps on the back to make it more heterosexual.

But none of this applies to us (ortho). We don't yell at students, and emotional moments with patients are exceedingly rare. As you know, General Surgery is a very different animal.
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I'm from SF and have more gay friends than any straight man should, and have therefore been subjected to countless thorougly non-bro hugs. It should be noted therefore, that there is specific technique to the butch as F bro hug. You note the slap on the back. But one should go further to state that this is enough force to hurt a small lady and possibly dislocate the c-spine of a child. Secondly, the slap on the back is accompanied by a right handshake such that the forces of the chest bump that follows is absorbed by the shoulder of the shaking hand preserving the all-important space between the 2 men. Such that, at no time, is there the possibility of crossed swords.

This is all one fluid athletic movement. And the proper emotion is ..."yeah son!...we about to do this ****!" At no time does one express any feelings that doesn't involve getting pumped and kickin @ss!

Please observe these customs closely when on surgery and just in general. If at any point you feel like you need to cry other than having just won a game and possibly saving the life of a child or crippled person, proceed to the nearest stairwell and feel the shame of your existence in your silent whimpering misery, by yourself.
 
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JustPlainBill said:
I had some concerns myself before starting medical school -- i.e. could I handle working with a cadaveric specimen during anatomy. During the interview, they ran us through the dissection lab and I gingerly made my way over to see what was going on and there it was -- a cadaver that was being dissected. I gritted my teeth and acted calm but inside I'm thinking,"Can I really do this?".

Around end of September/October of that same year, we started anatomy. That first lab was a big deal -- as we raised the specimen up from the tank and locked it in place, I was nervous. My tankmates booked off to get the boxes of gloves. I laid my hand on the specimen's shoulder and inside my head I apologized to him for what I was about to have to do to him. I knew he had gone on to his just rewards.

2 months after that -- I'm holding the left side of the cranial vault after we had evacuated the brain/spinal cord, one tankmate is holding the left shoulder, the other the right shoulder, the other is reading the dissection manual. I've got a tree saw in my right hand and I'm bisecting the cranial vault down to the sternal notch with it so we can appreciate the structures of the neck. I gave it no more thought than opening the page of a book.

My point -- you'll get used to it. Medical training has been going on for quite a while and the system is pretty doggone good about preparing you for what's coming by now. If you have issues, you'll have a close circle of classmates that'll help you get through it.

Dr. Dubin at TCOM once said, "Medicine will change you.". He was right....in more ways than one. You will grow up, you will have a depth of compassion that others will not understand, you will have the ability to handle crisis situations calmly, you will be able to control your emotions and you will find yourself ultimately thinking about what's best for the patient through the lens of patient autonomy.

You will never forget the first patient you pronounce, the first one you deliver or the first one you comfort.

Being a physician is so much more than being technically qualified to be a "doctor" -- yeah, some midlevels are fighting for independent practice rights at this time -- they can do all the business they want -- but you can only be trained to truly be a physician at medical school. It's a privilege -- don't ever forget that or take it for granted. You will connect with people at the depth of their need and in the final moments of their life when all that is important to them is standing right there in the form of the family. You will be there when they breathe their last and step over into eternity ---- you will be there to comfort them and to say," I'm your physician and I'm not leaving you. We will walk through this valley together and I will take you as far as I can go with you." ----

It is humbling.

Good luck to you ---
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Slow clap. Great post.
 
Tired said:
Mainly it's the people.
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Nice to know they're horrific everywhere. Funny how they work in a similar region as urologists, and yet urologists are so much more pleasant to be around.
 
NeuroSpeed said:
Small, wrinkly, screaming alien-looking things don't tend to come out of the holes urologists work with.
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Yeah but if they did, I bet a urologist would make the best of it and would still be fun to be around. Probably crack a joke or two.
 
To follow up on my young colleague's comments, OP, if this interferes with your functioning, or your professional responsibilities, seek out a therapist.

Crying on a consistent basis in the workplace is simply not socially acceptable. People will forgive it or understand it if it happens a couple of times over a several year span (*Ive personally cried once with a patient's family and one other time at work in a private call room).
But if you are crying weekly/monthly/quarterly?
Your coworkers will question your emotional stability, rightly or wrongly. It will lead to meetings with your PD and questions of competency/safety/stability.
You'll eitber be fine or you won't. But crying in the workplace frequently? Not "fine"
 
db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
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If you find yourself tearing up in the workplace, you need to excuse yourself and go do it alone somewhere. That is not intense empathy, that is your emotion possibly destabilizing an environment where people will eventually turn to you for the answers. I am talking about your co-workers, the people above you, the people below you, and the patients you will be dealing with. I'm not saying fix yourself right this moment, but know that it isn't just a matter of knowing the right answer and knowing what to do, but delivering both in a way that will inspire confidence in the people around you. I think it is an effective way of relieving stress, but it has its place. One of those places is not around other people in medicine.
 
JustPlainBill said:
I had some concerns myself before starting medical school -- i.e. could I handle working with a cadaveric specimen during anatomy. During the interview, they ran us through the dissection lab and I gingerly made my way over to see what was going on and there it was -- a cadaver that was being dissected. I gritted my teeth and acted calm but inside I'm thinking,"Can I really do this?".

Around end of September/October of that same year, we started anatomy. That first lab was a big deal -- as we raised the specimen up from the tank and locked it in place, I was nervous. My tankmates booked off to get the boxes of gloves. I laid my hand on the specimen's shoulder and inside my head I apologized to him for what I was about to have to do to him. I knew he had gone on to his just rewards.

2 months after that -- I'm holding the left side of the cranial vault after we had evacuated the brain/spinal cord, one tankmate is holding the left shoulder, the other the right shoulder, the other is reading the dissection manual. I've got a tree saw in my right hand and I'm bisecting the cranial vault down to the sternal notch with it so we can appreciate the structures of the neck. I gave it no more thought than opening the page of a book.

My point -- you'll get used to it. Medical training has been going on for quite a while and the system is pretty doggone good about preparing you for what's coming by now. If you have issues, you'll have a close circle of classmates that'll help you get through it.

Dr. Dubin at TCOM once said, "Medicine will change you.". He was right....in more ways than one. You will grow up, you will have a depth of compassion that others will not understand, you will have the ability to handle crisis situations calmly, you will be able to control your emotions and you will find yourself ultimately thinking about what's best for the patient through the lens of patient autonomy.

You will never forget the first patient you pronounce, the first one you deliver or the first one you comfort.

Being a physician is so much more than being technically qualified to be a "doctor" -- yeah, some midlevels are fighting for independent practice rights at this time -- they can do all the business they want -- but you can only be trained to truly be a physician at medical school. It's a privilege -- don't ever forget that or take it for granted. You will connect with people at the depth of their need and in the final moments of their life when all that is important to them is standing right there in the form of the family. You will be there when they breathe their last and step over into eternity ---- you will be there to comfort them and to say," I'm your physician and I'm not leaving you. We will walk through this valley together and I will take you as far as I can go with you." ----

It is humbling.

Good luck to you ---
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Beautifully put. Thank you.
 
ananasmed said:
No idea OP but I actually have the same problem, so we'll see how it goes 😉 Contrary to what some other people have replied, I don't really think it's a matter of "toughening up." At least for me, I'm not really a weak/overly-sensitive/thin-skinned person who takes things too personally or is offended too easily. I'm more likely to tear up about someone else being sad than I am when I'm yelled at or spoken to harshly at work. I'm not going to have a breakdown or anything, but I definitely get the "sympathy cries" which is basically just super awkward. All the feelz. We'll get better at it, I'm sure.
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The sympathy crying struggle is real. And it's worse with certain people; the dude-cry really gets me. Did you ever watch Breaking Bad? Anytime Jesse cried I couldn't help it.

I forgot all about crying while being yelled at... that's an affliction. I have been yelled at so infrequently since being a kid that I forgot that angry-criticism-crying is bad, perhaps only worse to the crying that happens when someone asks if you're about to cry or tells you not to cry.

There's lots to learn.
 
I struggle with this exact problem--I cry all the time. I have found that a few things helped me survive med school. The first is to breathe deeply and not try to talk-- which in general is effective because we should be listening more than we do anyway. Most importantly, I remind myself that while the situations are sad and moving to me, patients and their families are the ones whose lives are changing, and so I shouldn't co-opt their grief and it doesn't help them deal with anything for me to be crying too. Focusing on giving patients what they need is usually enough to not cry. These few techniques were enough to never cry in front of a patient even though I am still a ready crier outside the hospital.
 
db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
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Seriously, are you talking about some form of pseudobulbar affect (PBA)?

I mean, anything that you consciously or subconsciously deem as a stressor or threat, you could react to by crying. But like Bill said, you get tougher, and even if there is a rare day that you have a bit of a meltdown, you go off by yourself, takes some deep breaths, pull yourself together, and move on. You get used to upsetting things. It's about becoming tough without becoming hard and callous. Yes. you learn to compartmentalize as a defense mechanism.

Personally, what I am finding is that when I let all the tension and stress and angst build up inside me, I am more apt to get a bit angry or a bit emo. What helps that? Remembering to commit to regular exercise. I am it helps you sleep better and helps you blow off the tension. A good run or fast walking at a steady past for a half hour can do wonders for clearing your head and releasing built up tensions.

If it's beyond something like that, then I am thinking you should see someone; b/c something may be out of balance somewhere.

I used to get pizzed off with someone I worked with who would laugh at very inappropriate times, until I learned this is part of her makeup. I don't know if she sees someone about it now, but it has gotten to be less. OTOH, there are people that just do this simply b/c they are, for whatever reason, less truly empathetic people. And then you have those that are too empathetic and sympathetic--yes that's a thing b/c of boundary issues and the need to be in control for the sake of your patients.
 
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I have the exact same issue too. I would say don't let these previous posters put you down. It's surprising how physicians, who deal with people in their most vulnerable and trying moments, can be so insensitive and careless. As a to-be medical student, this is something I've vowed myself to never become.

Anyway, I guess what I'm meaning to say is, we'll be okay. Don't worry about it right now. If other students, residents, or attending physicians are not okay with a co-worker expressing emotions, that's their problem, and they need to get over it. As long as it doesn't affect you that is. As long as you can get emotional, and then leave work away from home-life as well as perform properly as a physician, then don't listen to what others have to say.
 
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db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
Click to expand...

ananasmed said:
No idea OP but I actually have the same problem, so we'll see how it goes 😉 Contrary to what some other people have replied, I don't really think it's a matter of "toughening up." At least for me, I'm not really a weak/overly-sensitive/thin-skinned person who takes things too personally or is offended too easily. I'm more likely to tear up about someone else being sad than I am when I'm yelled at or spoken to harshly at work. I'm not going to have a breakdown or anything, but I definitely get the "sympathy cries" which is basically just super awkward. All the feelz. We'll get better at it, I'm sure.
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I'm with you, guys.
 
You can receive and be sensitive to affect and emotion but it demonstrates immaturity and probably a life long history of enabling relationships to your dramatic displays to not have some restraint on your own emotions. Your feelings are not the point of the clinical encounter. They can be utilized if skillfully controlled and regarded with some degree of detachment.

Responding emotionally is important and there may be times where displaying this is the best course. But it is not your party to cry at whenever you feel you want to.

You need to grow the F up.
 
Nasrudin said:
You can receive and be sensitive to affect and emotion but it demonstrates immaturity and probably a life long history of enabling relationships to your dramatic displays to not have some restraint on your own emotions. Your feelings are not the point of the clinical encounter. They can be utilized if skillfully controlled and regarded with some degree of detachment.

Responding emotionally is important and there may be times where displaying this is the best course. But it is not your party to cry at whenever you feel you want to.

You need to grow the F up.
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Having emotions does not demonstrate immaturity or manipulation, as you claim... clearly psychiatry is not your specialty. It demonstrates being a human being. Some people are more emotional than others, and that counts for medical professionals as well.

Your comment demonstrates the exact carelessness I was talking about, but I assume that's what you were going for. The words of a great physician..... Thank God you're not my doctor, and will hopefully never be my colleague.
 
ccrod2014 said:
Having emotions does not demonstrate immaturity or manipulation, as you claim... clearly psychiatry is not your specialty. It demonstrates being a human being. Some people are more emotional than others, and that counts for medical professionals as well.

Your comment demonstrates the exact carelessness I was talking about, but I assume that's what you were going for. The words of a great physician..... Thank God you're not my doctor, and will hopefully never be my colleague.
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If you were my patient we would not be having this conversation. I'm speaking to you as a senior colleague and telling you that not being able to tolerate some stressful and trying clinical encounters without falling apart is important. Nobody says to be Vulcan. I was exaggerating before to make a point.

The fact that you can't take that joke and would rather wallow in your solidarity to have the feelings you want without bearing the responsibility of being able to function clinically confirms that you need remediation at Grown @ss Woman School.
 
Nasrudin said:
If you were my patient we would not be having this conversation. I'm speaking to you as a senior colleague and telling you that not being able to tolerate some stressful and trying clinical encounters without falling apart is important. Nobody says to be Vulcan. I was exaggerating before to make a point.

The fact that you can't take that joke and would rather wallow in your solidarity to have the feelings you want without bearing the responsibility of being able to function clinically confirms that you need remediation at Grown @ss Woman School.
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I'm sorry, I guess I just didn't see the "joke" in your comment. Or previous negative comments for that matter.

I had literally just mentioned that as long as being emotional doesn't interfere with performing her obligations in practice, that it should be acceptable. Of course there's a problem with walking down the hallway on rounds balling your eyes out, but I don't think that's what we're addressing here. Having spoke with several attending physicians in my preparation for medical school, most admit to having cried either in front of or with a patient/family on more than one occasion, and go on to say that emotions are moderately incorporated into their practice of medicine. Of course this also depends on the specialty.

I remember in particular, speaking with a pediatric anesthesiologist, she said that especially when working with kids medicine can be emotionally challenging. She's cried with families on multiple occasions, but that maintaining composure as well as distance from the family and/or patient is critical.

Telling me that I need to learn to be a grown woman (after already saying that we need to "grow the F up") tells me that for some reason you find the portrayal of emotions synonymous with being a baby, immature, childish, which I fail to understand. I think you're just jumping to conclusions about the character of those who are emotional instead of realizing that having emotions, being compassionate and understanding, is what makes a physician human as opposed to cold and robotic.
 
db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
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you'll probably cry more at first and everyone will make fun of you. but then you will become numb and find yourself not crying when you probably should be.
 
The OP said she cried over spilled milk on a less than perfect day. I'm telling you that's a problem under the very real pressures of being a physician. That's a simple question, If I've misunderstood where you all stand on that question then perhaps I owe you an apology. But then again if this is not a simple question for you then perhaps I should let you simmer in your contempt for mine. I'm not reading over the details of the criers' sympathy for each other's tears over normal stressors.
 
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To kill this thread already, OP as I mentioned before you'll adapt and you'll stop being so emotional. Try to control yourself too, patients need a strong doctor, you're the one "saving" them, the last thing they need is to feel hopeless.
 
NeuroMaster316 said:
To kill this thread already, OP as I mentioned before you'll adapt and you'll stop being so emotional. Try to control yourself too, patients need a strong doctor, you're the one "saving" them, the last thing they need is to feel hopeless.
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I'm hoping that this thread dies too, but wanted to add that if OP really thinks she has an anxiety problem, it's wise to get help earlier rather than later. I know mine got the better of me at the beginning of the school year, and staying on top of your mental health is important for both you and your future patients.
 
We all have had those crying moments in private during our training, but you will very rarely be able to do so in public where you are under a microscope 24/7.

I heard Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked his chief surgeon's a** after actually making it through through med school and residency without any fears or really, really, really bad days happening on a regular basis, but the rest of us don't fare as well. It's not a bad thing to begin talking to a trained person on a regular basis now so that he/she can offer advise on how to cope with this now rather that later when you're in a new place and don't know anyone at all.
 
Really? Millennials?
 
db4277 said:
I'll be starting medical school soon, so I've been spending a decent amount of time being a little bit anxious about anything and everything I could be anxious about. Most of it is typical, and expected; the same anxieties I expect all soon-to-be-med-students are experiencing.

I have one anxiety that I can't seem to shake: I am a crier. I cry when sad things happen. I cry when I read sad things. I cry when a sad thing happens in a movie or television show. Sometimes, if I experience a "bad day," or series of mild mishaps, (like when you spill your coffee, forget to charge your laptop, stub your toe, and can't find your keys all in one morning) I will cry. Someone else is crying? I tear up.

I've often thought my intense empathy will help me be a caring physician, but now I'm starting to worry it may do just as much damage as good.

Will I be able to survive medical school and beyond as a person who tears up easily? Is my crying habit something I'll need to overcome, or will I develop a less emotional disposition simply with exposure? Can anyone relate?
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I'm not sure if I would call that intense epathy... it sounds more like you're hyper-reactive to things. The physical crying isn't as much of a problem as your emotional state. Medical school is quite demanding [understatement]. It's in your best interest to become a bit more emotionally resilient. Perhaps going through everything that you will in medical school will help you get there.
 
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