I've lost my motivation.

[cluckcluck]

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So I'm an MS2 now, and I think I'm pretty much in the biggest work slump I think I've ever hit in my life. I'm slacking in all my classes, and most of my day consists of just exercising, eating, and sleeping. I've never been so unmotivated in my life, and I think it's seriously just been a senioritis hangover from my last year in college that has just NEVER gone away. I am super grateful that I have never been remotely near failing a course, but I can tell my knowledge level is going to bite me in the rear in the near future, seeing as my classmates have much better recollection of material because they simply put the effort in studying consistently.

In undergrad and possibly even in high school, I was seriously busting my ass (besides senior year) all the time, and I studied on a fairly consistent basis. It's rarely the case that you lose your good study habits, but it has really happened this time. I thought to myself that after MS1 I could rework my study habits, and that the fear instilled by Step 1 would put me back into shape, but that has not happened.

To put things into perspective, I think I've now just realized I have a problem. It's gotten to the point where I'm ashamed to tell my classmates about my real study habits. I think the saddest part is when they ask what I've been doing, I have to LIE and tell them that I was "studying some lectures," when really I have been doing absolutely nothing at all. When I think about it, It's almost like being in denial to an addiction to slacking, lol.

Socially, med school hasn't been a problem for me. I frequently talk to my classmates when I do attend class, and I hang out with people on a regular basis, whether it's playing sports, going out drinking, or having lunch/dinner. I just can't quite point out what it is, but I am seriously feeling unfulfilled. Throughout all this, I know deep down I still want to continue medical school, and I am still interested in the material.

Anyway, I guess I don't really have a question lol, but just wanted to share my experience? Has anyone quite gone through something like this? Is it too late to turn myself around, especially near the end of MS2? I can imagine people who are burned out from overworking or having difficulty adapting to the workload of medical school, but never a complete loss of motivation. But, in my case, I don't even feel slightly stressed at all, just completely unmotivated.

 

[Ahmed786]

Im just an MS1...but I feel the exact same way you do man. Im just sick of the constant studying and stuff that they just keep piling onto us. Everyone keeps saying just keep studying hard itll all pass blah blah blah but when will it really ever pass?? I'm not about to keep studying 5-6 hours everyday for the next two years, I just really dont care enough. Third year only gets worse and then residency is an entirely different beast... i guess we just have to suck it up and keep moving and remember that med school is a privlege and we should be extremely greatful to be here

 

[LRAccord624]

So I'm an MS2 now, and I think I'm pretty much in the biggest work slump I think I've ever hit in my life. I'm slacking in all my classes, and most of my day consists of just exercising, eating, and sleeping. I've never been so unmotivated in my life, and I think it's seriously just been a senioritis hangover from my last year in college that has just NEVER gone away. I am super grateful that I have never been remotely near failing a course, but I can tell my knowledge level is going to bite me in the rear in the near future, seeing as my classmates have much better recollection of material because they simply put the effort in studying consistently.

In undergrad and possibly even in high school, I was seriously busting my ass (besides senior year) all the time, and I studied on a fairly consistent basis. It's rarely the case that you lose your good study habits, but it has really happened this time. I thought to myself that after MS1 I could rework my study habits, and that the fear instilled by Step 1 would put me back into shape, but that has not happened.

To put things into perspective, I think I've now just realized I have a problem. It's gotten to the point where I'm ashamed to tell my classmates about my real study habits. I think the saddest part is when they ask what I've been doing, I have to LIE and tell them that I was "studying some lectures," when really I have been doing absolutely nothing at all. When I think about it, It's almost like being in denial to an addiction to slacking, lol.

Socially, med school hasn't been a problem for me. I frequently talk to my classmates when I do attend class, and I hang out with people on a regular basis, whether it's playing sports, going out drinking, or having lunch/dinner. I just can't quite point out what it is, but I am seriously feeling unfulfilled. Throughout all this, I know deep down I still want to continue medical school, and I am still interested in the material.

Anyway, I guess I don't really have a question lol, but just wanted to share my experience? Has anyone quite gone through something like this? Is it too late to turn myself around, especially near the end of MS2? I can imagine people who are burned out from overworking or having difficulty adapting to the workload of medical school, but never a complete loss of motivation. But, in my case, I don't even feel slightly stressed at all, just completely unmotivated.

Eh I think you should enjoy your free time now while you can (and still pass) and stop feeling guilty about it. Sounds like you're burnt out. Take advantage of your holiday break... sleep, eat, drink, and be merry. And don't think about school. Hopefully you'll feel differently in January. If not, enroll in a step prep course and force yourself to do some serious as$-in-chair time.

 

[LRAccord624]

Im just an MS1...but I feel the exact same way you do man. Im just sick of the constant studying and stuff that they just keep piling onto us. Everyone keeps saying just keep studying hard itll all pass blah blah blah but when will it really ever pass?? I'm not about to keep studying 5-6 hours everyday for the next two years, I just really dont care enough. Third year only gets worse and then residency is an entirely different beast... i guess we just have to suck it up and keep moving and remember that med school is a privlege and we should be extremely greatful to be here

Actually, many people prefer third year over first and second year. And at some schools (like my own), second year is way better than first. Maybe you have better things to look forward to than you think

 

[auburnO5]

I feel ya OP. I'm in the exact same situation as you.

I'm not even worried about it either. Hopefully I can bust my ass for step 1...

 

[cluckcluck]

Eh I think you should enjoy your free time now while you can (and still pass) and stop feeling guilty about it. Sounds like you're burnt out. Take advantage of your holiday break... sleep, eat, drink, and be merry. And don't think about school. Hopefully you'll feel differently in January. If not, enroll in a step prep course and force yourself to do some serious as$-in-chair time.

I would totally be satisfied attributing it to burning out had I been actually working hard throughout the first year of med school. Unfortunately, I don't really have that excuse, since the last time I can remember being studious was the first couple weeks of medical school at the most. Since then, I've been pretty much "on vacation," with exception to small spurts of cramming a night or two before an exam.

 

[Isoprop]

I'm an MS1. I feel like I'm going to be you next year. I'm doing exactly what you described you were doing during your first year. E.g. cramming a few days before the exam and using the tiny bit of knowledge and test-taking techniques to somehow pass each block.

One thing I've noticed so far: not everyone is studying as much as they say. The stuff my classmates know seem to be just random stuff that I don't know. And the stuff that I know is just random trivia that my classmates don't know, so I guess I sound like I'm on top of the material especially when I tell people "I'm studying" at home.

I would probably guess that half the class feels the same way you feel. I know you're definitely not alone. Hang in there.

Enrolling in Kaplan or DIT or whatever for Step 1 sounds like a good idea. You'll get that "oh sh**" moment when you realize you don't remember anything, and then use that fear to "cram" for the boards.

 

[JackShephard MD]

Hang in there guys. I've heard from a lot of people, depending on your personality, 3rd + 4th year can be much better.

 

[officedepot]

.

 

[LRAccord624]

diagree. I did what the OP is doing and pretty much loved M1 and M2 years. No required classes. Listen/watch lectures on weekends. Hang out. Sleep in. It was awesome. Third year consists of terrible hours on most rotations, you being forced to do all core/required rotations, working 5-6 days/week at least 10 hours/day and then trying to study on top of that, playing politics with residents who are douches to you, the list goes on and on. Third year is only good if the rotation is relatively easy and you get to work with cool people, or if you love the patients, diseases, and treatments. But if you want to do something like derm, path, rads, rad onc, ophtho, etc you're only going to like specific patient issues (e.g. derm issues in outpatient rotations) or you're just going to have to suffer until you get to 4th year where you probably only have 1-3 months of crap rotations (e.g. EM and maybe a sub-i if you hate medicine and surgery) with the others being electives, interviews, study, etc.


OP, enjoy it while you can. Just get through your classes and then rock step1 and you're good. Most people are not studying as much as you think and the ones that are likely don't know more than you. I doubt anything you do now will make a difference come time for rotations where you'll figure out what you like doing (or don't like) and therefore be more motivated.

When I said "many" people, I did not mean "all" people. I have pretty much enjoyed first and second year for all the reasons you mentioned. What am I interested in? Path, rads, derm etc. I don't expect to love 3rd year (once again, for all the reasons you mentioned) but I hope to find parts of it that I enjoy.

I really think if you hate 1st/2nd year, you either 1. will end up liking third year more or 2. you just like to be miserable and that won't change.

 

[ICanDoAllThings]

So I'm an MS2 now, and I think I'm pretty much in the biggest work slump I think I've ever hit in my life. I'm slacking in all my classes, and most of my day consists of just exercising, eating, and sleeping. I've never been so unmotivated in my life, and I think it's seriously just been a senioritis hangover from my last year in college that has just NEVER gone away. I am super grateful that I have never been remotely near failing a course, but I can tell my knowledge level is going to bite me in the rear in the near future, seeing as my classmates have much better recollection of material because they simply put the effort in studying consistently.

In undergrad and possibly even in high school, I was seriously busting my ass (besides senior year) all the time, and I studied on a fairly consistent basis. It's rarely the case that you lose your good study habits, but it has really happened this time. I thought to myself that after MS1 I could rework my study habits, and that the fear instilled by Step 1 would put me back into shape, but that has not happened.

To put things into perspective, I think I've now just realized I have a problem. It's gotten to the point where I'm ashamed to tell my classmates about my real study habits. I think the saddest part is when they ask what I've been doing, I have to LIE and tell them that I was "studying some lectures," when really I have been doing absolutely nothing at all. When I think about it, It's almost like being in denial to an addiction to slacking, lol.

Socially, med school hasn't been a problem for me. I frequently talk to my classmates when I do attend class, and I hang out with people on a regular basis, whether it's playing sports, going out drinking, or having lunch/dinner. I just can't quite point out what it is, but I am seriously feeling unfulfilled. Throughout all this, I know deep down I still want to continue medical school, and I am still interested in the material.

Anyway, I guess I don't really have a question lol, but just wanted to share my experience? Has anyone quite gone through something like this? Is it too late to turn myself around, especially near the end of MS2? I can imagine people who are burned out from overworking or having difficulty adapting to the workload of medical school, but never a complete loss of motivation. But, in my case, I don't even feel slightly stressed at all, just completely unmotivated.

When feeling unmotivated and thinking 'the grass must be greener elsewhere', think about working construction in freezing cold for 40 hrs a week making 10 bucks an hour, or better yet being one of the 10% who can't even find a job and scraping to find food for their children.

 

[chiz2kul]

Eh I think you should enjoy your free time now while you can (and still pass) and stop feeling guilty about it. Sounds like you're burnt out. Take advantage of your holiday break... sleep, eat, drink, and be merry. And don't think about school. Hopefully you'll feel differently in January. If not, enroll in a step prep course and force yourself to do some serious as$-in-chair time.

qft

 

[gravitywave]

When feeling unmotivated and thinking 'the grass must be greener elsewhere', think about working construction in freezing cold for 40 hrs a week making 10 bucks an hour, or better yet being one of the 10% who can't even find a job and scraping to find food for their children.

in my experience, this is really only effective if you have actual life experience with something like these examples, or with anything that you actually did hate more than med school. otherwise you're just giving yourself a guilt trip and you end up feeling worse. Most people who think med school is the worst time of their lives, do so because of a poverty of life experience. It's really not that bad, but it can seem that way if you've never known anything worse.

 

[tiedyeddog]

When feeling unmotivated and thinking 'the grass must be greener elsewhere', think about working construction in freezing cold for 40 hrs a week making 10 bucks an hour, or better yet being one of the 10% who can't even find a job and scraping to find food for their children.

I do the same thing.... My job before medical school consisted of me being forced to work 12-13 hours days, with my only break being a 10-15 minute lunch break, by an insane boss who routinely sat me down for one-on-one face meltings for very pity things. And I was salaried, so when you factor in the hours I was doing without more pay, I was making something like 12 dollars an hour.

Besides the week before exams, medical school has been a crap ton better than that.

 

[Isoprop]

in my experience, this is really only effective if you have actual life experience with something like these examples, or with anything that you actually did hate more than med school. otherwise you're just giving yourself a guilt trip and you end up feeling worse. Most people who think med school is the worst time of their lives, do so because of a poverty of life experience. It's really not that bad, but it can seem that way if you've never known anything worse.

I disagree. I've had lots of terrible and s***ty jobs, way worse than med school. And med school still sucks.

To make an analogy: my father recently broke his arm. The fact that he passed kidney stones last year, an experience FAR WORSE than breaking your arm, doesn't make his broken arm more palatable.

 

[BlueElmo]

Sick of sitting in lectures halls/classrooms/webcasting for most of my life.
Want to go to hospital and WORK!!!!

 

[Elbowstoopointy]

Sick of sitting in lectures halls/classrooms/webcasting for most of my life.
Want to go to hospital and WORK!!!!

If you think MS3 is gonna be better......

BRB 80 hrs a week in the hospital, coming home and doing HPI/PE/shelf studying the few hours you're off. Getting in terrible shape and getting slapped around by residents.

Yeah...much better than sleeping 9 hours a day in MS2

 

[Sheldor]

Sick of sitting in lectures halls/classrooms/webcasting for most of my life.
Want to go to hospital and WORK!!!!

Ah the naivete of youth 🙂

Paying someone to let you get to the hospital at 5AM and not leave until 7PM when you are then expected to study for your quizzes/NBME that make up half your grade, is not awesome. It's crappy actually. Replacing sitting in a lecture hall with sitting in a small room watching your resident is not an improvement.

Personally Im not a big fan of third year, but everyone's different. My main point is, dont count on a change in scenery to make things better because every stage in the medical training process has some really terrible things about it. Instead focus on the good things, and learn to be happy regardless. Otherwise, you are in for a very, very long journey.

 

[gravitywave]

this thread stresses me out. I want so badly for preclinical and the Step to be over and to move on to what i came here to do. OTOH, I know i'm really going to miss the relative freedom i have now compared to what MS3 sounds like.

 

[bamtuba]

I think the saddest part is when they ask what I've been doing, I have to LIE and tell them that I was "studying some lectures," when really I have been doing absolutely nothing at all.

If you told your classmates how little you actually study while passing your classes they probably wouldn't believe you anyhow. Worse yet they might find it intimidating/think you are trying to intimidate them and think less of you.

A lot of people would love to be capable of succeeding through med school coursework with minimal effort. Most of the asinine non-clinical details will have to be reviewed anyhow so no point in worrying about what you have/have not done to this point.

Hopefully you can get yourself moving for STEP 1, work efficiently for that, and be ready for 3rd year. Many people that have come before you and I have been through this and made it through; you can too.

 

[JackShephard MD]

Some people would rather work all day with others then study after, than just studying all the time.

Comparing 1st/2nd year to 3rd/4th is hard because different personalities like to do different things and people study varying amounts 1st/2nd year (some intense, some laid back; getting 70% is much easier than 95%).

 

[Torr]

i disagree. I've had lots of terrible and s***ty jobs, way worse than med school. And med school still sucks.
.

+1

 

[medstud87]

ah the naivete of youth 🙂

paying someone to let you get to the hospital at 5am and not leave until 7pm when you are then expected to study for your quizzes/nbme that make up half your grade, is not awesome. It's crappy actually. Replacing sitting in a lecture hall with sitting in a small room watching your resident is not an improvement.

Personally im not a big fan of third year, but everyone's different. My main point is, dont count on a change in scenery to make things better because every stage in the medical training process has some really terrible things about it. Instead focus on the good things, and learn to be happy regardless. Otherwise, you are in for a very, very long journey.

qft

 

[KnuxNole]

80 hrs a week does NOT happen as a third year, unless you have a malignant course director or something. Med students are there to learn, they aren't interns.

 

[ucsfstudents]

Yes, it happens. Sometimes you just need a break. Hope you can get back into the swing of things.

 

[2012mdc]

80 hrs a week does NOT happen as a third year, unless you have a malignant course director or something. Med students are there to learn, they aren't interns.

So 80 hours a week does happen then

I experienced 80+ hours a week on multiple rotations. L&D nights was 6P - 8A 6 days a week. On Surg busy weeks (4 days of 12-14 hrs a day, one overnight call of 30+ hours, one post call day off).

I admit this was before the new work hour restrictions for interns so I'm not sure how much has changed but I do know M3's are still doing nights and taking overnight call. I am unaware of any rules regarding hours for students and I'm sure my school isn't the only one that goes 80+

 

[2012mdc]

If you think MS3 is gonna be better......

BRB 80 hrs a week in the hospital, coming home and doing HPI/PE/shelf studying the few hours you're off. Getting in terrible shape and getting slapped around by residents.

Yeah...much better than sleeping 9 hours a day in MS2

It's med school, every year can "suck", yes even 4th year. How much it sucks depends on the individual and the particular school.

The clinical years aren't better or worse, they are just different and it varies so much. I had so much free time on light rotations like Psych and FM that I went out even more than I did during M1.

I've enjoyed 4th year but I have classmates who haven't yet. If you're applying to a super competitive specialty, have to impress on multiple ways, have to fit in CK studying and improve on it, etc 4th year can be very stressful and tiring and that's even before interview seaon begins.

 

[KnuxNole]

So 80 hours a week does happen then

I experienced 80+ hours a week on multiple rotations. L&D nights was 6P - 8A 6 days a week. On Surg busy weeks (4 days of 12-14 hrs a day, one overnight call of 30+ hours, one post call day off).

I admit this was before the new work hour restrictions for interns so I'm not sure how much has changed but I do know M3's are still doing nights and taking overnight call. I am unaware of any rules regarding hours for students and I'm sure my school isn't the only one that goes 80+

maybe it does, haha but I think the longest I was at a hospital was like 10-11hrs for surgery(not counting 24 hr calls in one rotation). That would be crazy to rotate for 80 hrs, especially since we aren't workers D:

 

[2012mdc]

maybe it does, haha but I think the longest I was at a hospital was like 10-11hrs for surgery(not counting 24 hr calls in one rotation). That would be crazy to rotate for 80 hrs, especially since we aren't workers D:

Consider yourself lucky.

It was not uncommon for students to show up to the hospital around 5AM for prerounding and still be scrubbed into a surgery around 6 or 7 PM if not later.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I averaged about 90/wk during my plastics rotation and close to 80 during gen surg at the VA. OB weeks were up there in the mid 70's. Other than that, I pretty much cruised through third year. Despite the required daily "work," it still beats the pants off the first two years. If you're burning out in the pre-clinical years, my advice is this: chill out for awhile. Study enough to pass your classes, but do nothing but the bare minimum until you get your head right. Save up energy and focus for Step 1, rock that POS, and forget studying exists for awhile.

 

[2012mdc]

I averaged about 90/wk during my plastics rotation and close to 80 during gen surg at the VA. OB weeks were up there in the mid 70's. Other than that, I pretty much cruised through third year. Despite the required daily "work," it still beats the pants off the first two years. If you're burning out in the pre-clinical years, my advice is this: chill out for awhile. Study enough to pass your classes, but do nothing but the bare minimum until you get your head right. Save up energy and focus for Step 1, rock that POS, and forget studying exists for awhile.

I agree. Especially if you're a M1

 

[Brighty]

I feel ya OP .......This looks like "failure in the making".

If you rarely fail your exams and never really feared failure ...that might be the reason that you are unmotivated.

Add more challenge to your study habits !

 

[dude1344]

hang in there MS 2's and 1's. I'm a third year now and just through half of third year, MS3 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MS2 and 1.

 

[2012mdc]

hang in there MS 2's and 1's. I'm a third year now and just through half of third year, MS3 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MS2 and 1.

YMMV greatly on this. Differs by school and individual.

 

[MilkmanAl]

YMMV greatly on this. Differs by school and individual.

Absolutely. I had a really good time during M3, but I'm not bold enough to suggest that everyone will. I almost completely avoided the malignant attendings and residents that pepper the field and was lucky enough to be around people who cut me loose when the learning was done instead of having me sit around doing nothing.

 

[phospho]

I remember hating my life so much in m1. I hated m2 just a little bit less. Milkman OTOH kept telling me over and over to just get her done and get out, because 3rd year beats them all.

Once I started 3rd year, everything has been making sense this year. I have been having a blast. I have been working my butt off, but I am so happy. I miss you milkman! Hope all is going well! 🙂

 

[FlowRate]

I averaged about 90/wk during my plastics rotation and close to 80 during gen surg at the VA. OB weeks were up there in the mid 70's. Other than that, I pretty much cruised through third year. Despite the required daily "work," it still beats the pants off the first two years. If you're burning out in the pre-clinical years, my advice is this: chill out for awhile. Study enough to pass your classes, but do nothing but the bare minimum until you get your head right. Save up energy and focus for Step 1, rock that POS, and forget studying exists for awhile.

You're like my role model.

Joining in this thread's pity party. Straight-from-engineering-burnout in M1, Pass-Pass curriculum making me lazy. I think this nice winter break will have me back in shape to really study come january.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I have been working my butt off, but I am so happy. I miss you milkman! Hope all is going well! 🙂

You miss me? I'm still here! Glad you're enjoying life a bit more. All is definitely well. Fourth year is pretty sweet despite the hard work it requires at the beginning. I'm cruising.

 

[cluckcluck]

`

 

[coreytayloris]

as they say in the 'rines, suck it up and drive on!!!!! start cookin' with gas!!!!!

 

[Elbowstoopointy]

80 hrs a week does NOT happen as a third year, unless you have a malignant course director or something. Med students are there to learn, they aren't interns.

At my school they certainly do