Med School Burnout + Other Career Choices

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aphroditelily

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Hey guys! I'm a first year medical student taking an MD/MBA degree. Gross anatomy exam tomorrow, and I'm really burned out. I get around three hours to five hours sleep a day, I barely have time for my family, and classes between eight to five from Monday to Friday and then studying until around 12 are just really getting to me. Back in college, I felt like I was far more sociable and cheerful, but these days, I barely have time to breath. Sometimes nothing goes into my head anymore. What to do?

I've been thinking of other career choices like going into Health Informatics or into corporate, or starting a business instead (hopefully health related). Another option is probably dentistry, cause my mom's already a dentist (and they don't have residencies and internships). I've already finished my Health Sciences undergraduate degree, and it's got a few management subjects stuck into it. My family can handle the finances moderately (with a little bit of strain), so I'm not in debt. Will probably be throwing out half a semester's worth of money though, and a private school ain't cheap. I'm not sure if this is just a phase, or I should probably explore other things, or another medical school that doesn't have an MBA added into the workload and doesn't use a modular system (like one course per month rather than 6 courses in one semester).
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Wait, you'd rather have 6 courses a semester instead of the modular?
 
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Learn to study smart, not hard. Give it some time and you'll figure it out. I managed to sleep 8 hours a night, spend time with my fam and do well in school but it took me figuring out how to study efficiently. Right now at the beginning everyone study's with brute force, ie reviewing the lectures a ton of times. Once you've taken a few tests you'll start to learn what they test on, and you'll figure out how to only go through the lectures twice.

Give it some time, it will get better. If it doesn't, you should know that first year is going to be the "easiest," so it only gets worse from there. That said, you get better at dealing so it feels better.

Stick with it!
 
Why don't you sleep 0 hours a night, then you'll have even more time to study?

Seriously, sleep 8 - 9 hours a night and study intensely for shorter periods.
 
aphroditelily said:
Hey guys! I'm a first year medical student taking an MD/MBA degree. Gross anatomy exam tomorrow, and I'm really burned out. I get around three hours to five hours sleep a day, I barely have time for my family, and classes between eight to five from Monday to Friday and then studying until around 12 are just really getting to me. Back in college, I felt like I was far more sociable and cheerful, but these days, I barely have time to breath. Sometimes nothing goes into my head anymore. What to do?

I've been thinking of other career choices like going into Health Informatics or into corporate, or starting a business instead (hopefully health related). Another option is probably dentistry, cause my mom's already a dentist (and they don't have residencies and internships). I've already finished my Health Sciences undergraduate degree, and it's got a few management subjects stuck into it. My family can handle the finances moderately (with a little bit of strain), so I'm not in debt. Will probably be throwing out half a semester's worth of money though, and a private school ain't cheap. I'm not sure if this is just a phase, or I should probably explore other things, or another medical school that doesn't have an MBA added into the workload and doesn't use a modular system (like one course per month rather than 6 courses in one semester).
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This post made me cringe multiple times. Let's break down a few issues.

Burnout. If you're burned out before your first anatomy exam, this is a red flag that you are doing something wrong. Getting no sleep and studying all day every day is a poor way to go through life and med school. You need to cut back on the studying. A lot. Med school is hard, but you are not expected to be a robot. I think the first thing you should do is reconsider your goals in these classes. If it means you get a pass in exchange for your happiness, I would recommend it.

Other career choices. All of the ones you listed sounded like horrible ideas. Dropping out of med school to start a health related business? What does that pitch sound like? Also, never ever EVER start a sentence with "cuz my mom's a dentist/lawyer/doctor/scrabble player." EVER. This is a recipe for disaster. Be your own person. It's ok to overlap with your parents' interests, but get to them independently, not by association.

Take care of your mind too! What I'm about to say may be reading into things a bit much, and it may sound derogatory, but please believe that it is meant to be helpful. I think you should see someone in psych. Between the contrast to your cheerful college days, your flight of alternative career choices, the unusual study pattern, and the very nature of your post here, it wouldn't surprise me if you were experiencing a bit of depression and/or overwhelming anxiety at this point. These are completely normal and common reactions many students face upon entering medical school. Many schools have psych staff that offer support or guidance, and I would highly recommend you tap into that resource before making large decisions.

Med school IS hard, but that doesn't mean you're in it alone, and it doesn't mean you are going about it the best way. Save your sanity. Once you've addressed that and readjusted your study habits, and perhaps gotten past an exam or two, THEN you should think about reevaluating your career decision.

Hope this helped.
 
oh and for the person who is bound to post a big troll face on this one: I'd rather fall for trolling than potentially let a fellow med student go without help. i realize the odds, but posted anyway.
 
Shouldn't you have considered this BEFORE going to medical school? Seriously, I can't understand how this is news to you.
 
startswithb said:
Shouldn't you have considered this BEFORE going to medical school? Seriously, I can't understand how this is news to you.
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Seriously...I feel a bit overwhelmed as well, but it's not like I didn't know damn well it was coming.

BTW OP, there's no reason you have to sleep 5 hours a night. I'm sleeping 8 to 9 and not having any problems keeping up. Can't you stream lectures? I started the first week off getting 5 to 6 hours a night, and after doing that for 3 years in college I was sick of it, so I said screw it, and started sleeping 8. My retention went way up. I'm not going to sleep less unless I absolutely have to (e.g., during residency).

Just relax a bit man. I felt like you did at first, but I've been sleeping more + doing some other fun things (going out last weekend, watching tv last week) and it really mellowed me out.

BTW, how do you plan to go to dental school? "Yea, med school was too much for me, so will you give me a spot in your dental school instead?"
 
CaptainSSO said:
BTW, how do you plan to go to dental school? "Yea, med school was too much for me, so will you give me a spot in your dental school instead?"
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To play devil's advocate, I've actually heard of universities with both medical and dental schools letting students transfer from medicine to dentistry, simply because a transfer looks better than a drop out. It's not guaranteed, but it does happen. That said, I think it would be absurd for OP to go this route.
 
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As others have said, it doesn't have to consume your life as much as you are letting it. Is this only your first exam? You'll get in the groove of things as time passes.
 
if your mom is already a dentist, then you can just take over her clinic after you become a dentist.

This is an easy decision.

Don't know why you are wasting your time with medicine.
 
nburnett3 said:
To play devil's advocate, I've actually heard of universities with both medical and dental schools letting students transfer from medicine to dentistry, simply because a transfer looks better than a drop out. It's not guaranteed, but it does happen. That said, I think it would be absurd for OP to go this route.
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Interesting...

if your mom is already a dentist, then you can just take over her clinic after
you become a dentist.

This is an easy decision.

Don't know why you
are wasting your time with medicine.
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Maybe because medicine is infinitely more interesting than dentistry?
 
Dude you just started... It would be pretty damn lame to think about quitting when you haven't even taken your first med school exam yet. Keep chugging, and good luck on your exam.
 
J DUB said:
I would say about 40-50% harder......

the pure volume is insane......
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While this might be true don't you find the material... inspiring/interesting/other positive adjective?
 
Give it until after your first test or two, then see how you feel. My bet is that you will kick ass with honors, then you can either choose to keep going or tone down your studying. Or you may just decide that this is just not your thing and move on. Either way, remember that it is a personal decision. That being said, I would totally get some counseling at your student health center. I have a friend that does this monthly, and he finds great comfort in talking to someone who knows exactly what we are going through and has seen it hundreds of times.

Best wishes!
 
J DUB said:
welcome to med school!! :laugh:

It is hard......deal or move on.

I was a pharmacist....well still am...
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I've always wondered if they would make a pharmD take the pharmocology classes required for med school? Easy A for you I suppose.
 
J DUB said:
welcome to med school!! :laugh:

It is hard......deal or move on.
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Yup, exactly. There's no sense suffering this much before an exam... That really doesn't make sense.

I mean, I get 5-6 hours of sleep/night, but I'm not "OMG STRESS IMMA DIE!" I just get my coffee and I'm good to go. OP, you need to calm down. Realize that you'll adjust and be okay.
 
with 32,000+ locations world wide, there is always a place waiting for you at mcdonalds.
 
Hey guys! Thanks for the updates. Okay, so I've survived my gross anatomy exam. I'm not sure if I passed yet. But it seems as though the days pass by quickly. We're off to our head and neck module.

It's gotten to a point wherein I feel like I've been eating pancakes for the past few months, since June (when med school starts in my country). Tastes okay at first, then you'd want to regurgitate it very quickly. (I get this metaphor from a blog of a really dedicated med school student, so I've been trying to find some motivation). And my feelings stay the same, if not worse. I feel trapped. We get this annoying 8-5 schedule of pure lectures every day in the same seat in the same classroom (except for exam days and labs). It's driving me nuts and getting me fat. That's why I'd probably prefer a typical 6 or 5 subject per semester style. Variety. It's been a while since I last exercised (like, three weeks now).

I'm on the hunt now for other schools with a more traditional or problem-based approach. It sucks being spoonfed and not knowing what's going to come next. We don't even have class schedule for the next month (except that it's 8 to 5, big surprise). I'd take dentistry simply because my cousin in her dentistry clinicals can STILL swim everyday with her varsity team. The semester ends at October and I've paid for it anyway so I'm thinking of taking a leave of absence after that. Do something else. Something outside of that stuffy auditorium. I don't care if one seatmate makes a perfect pillow (love her for it), or the other is the most amusing person who can take my mind off lectures. I think it's about time I take a breather. If I don't find a medical or dental school to transfer to, I'll have to look for a job. Probably research or intern in a company. Or do sales for the family business (industrial). I'll probably apply to everything in sight. And decide later.
 
aphroditelily said:
It's gotten to a point wherein I feel like I've been eating pancakes for the past few months, since June (when med school starts in my country). Tastes okay at first, then you'd want to regurgitate it very quickly. (I get this metaphor from a blog of a really dedicated med school student, so I've been trying to find some motivation). And my feelings stay the same, if not worse. I feel trapped. We get this annoying 8-5 schedule of pure lectures every day in the same seat in the same classroom (except for exam days and labs). It's driving me nuts and getting me fat. That's why I'd probably prefer a typical 6 or 5 subject per semester style. Variety. It's been a while since I last exercised (like, three weeks now)..
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I actually feel the same way...M1 and I feel burned out. I don't know if dental school is a good alternative because the first two years are basically the same as med school and yes...you have to take anatomy.

I'm actually strongly considering applying for grad programs before my low med school GPA starts to chip away at my high undergrad GPA.
 
If you're thinking of dropping out make sure its because you are SURE that you don't want to do this as a career, not just because you're burnt out. Most (all?) medical students get burnt out at some point, but if its what you want to do you will always regret leaving.
 
I wouldn't recommend any big life changing decisions when you are under a lot of stress. Take a step back when you can and reflect. Maybe medicine is not for you... or maybe you just need a day or two off to regroup.
 
startswithb said:
Shouldn't you have considered this BEFORE going to medical school? Seriously, I can't understand how this is news to you.
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You pillick. Why don't you try helping the kid out rather than insinuating that he is stupid.

You either have one of two problems here, OP. The first is that you're just devoting way too much time to studying, in which case you just need to chill out, get some evenings out with the other students partying or whatever, find a boyfriend or girlfriend, and learn to be satisified being in the lower half of the class. Get rid of the type A thing and roll with the waves as they come.

The second problem is that the material is too over your head, in which case a change of career is appropriate. I doubt, however, that this is the case as its a rigorous process to get into med school in the first place. You're allopathic, right?

Hope my tips help, unlike the pillick's above.
 
Zuerst said:
with 32,000+ locations world wide, there is always a place waiting for you at mcdonalds.
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Thanks again for helping the kid out. I'll chip away at these pillicks at trolls, one by one.
 
ccmonopolies said:
So, you stayed in medicine, MrCheetah?
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Yes, I did. Thanks for the reply. Its a decision I feel much better about now that I've discovered IBR and PSLF (look them up if you don't know what they are).
 
tiedyeddog said:
Me too. We have between one and four hours a day, I'd say an average of 2.5. The rest of my day is crazy study time.
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Me three.

I guess you could sit in the back and just study, earplugs or something.
 
You're doing it wrong man. Lectures are a goddamned waste of time. Listen to the podcasts/read transcripts (for me it takes longer, but I do comprehensive notetaking and referencing to class notes) and then you have already made one pass at the material that would have been more effective than going to lecture, getting nothing out of it, being confused and then having to figure it out on your own anyways. My teachers in med school have been by and far much worse than those I have ever had (knowing english is actually not a prerequisite to teach).

With regards to gross anatomy I would say that if you are straight up trying to memorize structures without relating it to what they actually do, you're doing it wrong (again). My gross teacher always asks us WHY we think some structure is what it is. If you are trying to recognize a structure by how it looks you will fail gross anatomy. Every person is different and every angle you look at a structure can make it look different. If you relate the structure to what it does, you cannot get confused. Take the radial nerve for instance. How the hell do you know it's the radial nerve? Well, because it has both superficial and deep parts. Why else? Well, I know it's not the radial artery because that branches off of the brachial artery and is more medial, etc. My gross teacher told me the other day that she accidentally cut an artery because she thought it looked like a vein. The way she realized this was when she looked for the artery and couldn't find it. It's all about relating structures--it's not that bad.

Tl;dr
1. Gross anatomy is about relating structures.
2. Class is a waste of time.
 
FIREitUP said:
1. Gross anatomy is about relating structures.
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I think that's pretty obvious...

Without relating structures there's no way you could just look at a random artery or nerve and know what it was.
 
CaptainSSO said:
I think that's pretty obvious...

Without relating structures there's no way you could just look at a random artery or nerve and know what it was.
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that's very true, however, I wouldn't say it's out of the ordinary for someone to get very accustomed to their own cadaver and become complacent in the fact that it's all relative (there is a lot of different morphology between bodies), and that's how you have to go about identifying things. But I suppose that's why everyone of use leaves this forum; because of uber helpful users like you.
 
Hey guys! Here's an update to life in med school so far. I've gone both extremes. One of complete burnout and resulting apathy in medical school. It's gone to a point wherein I skipped lab just to look for a job. That close to losing it.

On the bright side, I think I've gotten back on my feet, and looking for some balance despite my 8-5 school life. Head and neck's finally over, and so is their insane modular schedule of a full day's worth of lectures. The module coordinator for Cardiology and Pulmonology is a bit nicer since they don't stock them full of lectures, and I've been going out a little more, sleeping a little more, and catching up with old friends. Looks like all I need is a sense of balance, wherein 1. I sleep enough, and therefore retain more during lectures, 2. Get out of the classroom once in a while, pretending to go to the bathroom, and actually seeing sunlight for the first time during the day, and look at the transcripts instead of sitting it out, 3. Go out with friends, celebrate someone's birthday, down a couple drops of good old alcohol (half a beer doesn't hurt - and it's been five months since I last drank), flirt or date a little, 4. Have some family time, 5. Fix all my clutter and read some books, and finally, 6. Pray to God or whatever deity you're into. Or if you don't believe in God, just try to get a little personal reflection as to why I'm doing whatever I'm doing.

I'm still into medical school, apparently. Hope this good mood lasts until I get that MD/MBA degree.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and support, especially to MrCheetah for those kind words of encouragement. :)

Just to note though, I'm a girl.
 
aphroditelily said:
Just to note though, I'm a girl.
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Oh, that explains everything!


:p jk. Glad to see you worked through it. You'll probably face stuff like this again year 3 and residency. But hopefully you'll be used to it by then :thumbup:
 
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