Not excited about heading back to med school after winter break...

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bumpy

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Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
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bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
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"Cant wait to go back to working 12 hour days after this wonderful break!" - said no one ever
 
ugh. quit your whining. Wait until MS3 during your surgery rotation when you have to be at the hospital at 4:30AM to pre-round and won't be allowed to leave until 5-6PM.
 
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JamesPotterMS-3 said:
ugh. quit your whining. Wait until MS3 during your surgery rotation when you have to be at the hospital at 4:30AM to pre-round and won't be allowed to leave until 7PM.[/QUOTE

Love to hear med school gets better.
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For real tho - do you like medicine and just dislike your school and the workload? If thats the case then i think youre fine.
 
bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
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I'm not in med school because I desperately want to be a med student, I'm in med school because I want to be a doctor and this is how you get there.
 
You should have used your break to volunteer somewhere with terrible conditions. It helps you appreciate everything you have, when you see others suffer. Then everything in your life, even med school, will seem great.
 
TheIllusionist said:
You should have used your break to volunteer somewhere with terrible conditions. It helps you appreciate everything you have, when you see others suffer. Then everything in your life, even med school, will seem great.
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This really isn't helpful. Just because other people have problems that are considered "worse", doesn't mean your problems don't matter.
 
Lannister said:
This really isn't helpful. Just because other people have problems that are considered "worse", doesn't mean your problems don't matter.
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I wasn't trying to imply that. But I always feel better about mine, when I see other people struggling with conventionally worse stuff.
 
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Don't know why there's so much negativity on this thread. Everyone agrees that med school is damn hard work, so of course you're gonna be sad to see the holiday break end. You'll get right back into the swing of things before you know it, OP! It's not so bad once you get in the thick of it again. Sometimes you just gotta focus on what's immediately in front of you, because thinking of 3 more years of med school is exhausting.
 
Donald Juan said:
Wait, seeing people in bad situations makes you feel bad?....and you want to be a doctor?
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Nope. Having people tell me "hey, look at those suffering people, they have it worse than you, so cheer up!" when I'm going through a difficult time sometimes makes me feel worse.

It's pretty unnecessary to judge someone's ability to be a physician based on one post they made on the internet.
 
Lannister said:
Nope. Having people tell me "hey, look at those suffering people, they have it worse than you, so cheer up!" when I'm going through a difficult time sometimes makes me feel worse.

It's pretty unnecessary to judge someone's ability to be a physician based on one post they made on the internet.
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Nobody judged you. Just pointing out the irony.
 
Donald Juan said:
Nobody judged you. Just pointing out the irony.
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Well, given the clarification above, there really is no irony. I also think it's pretty normal to feel emotional when confronted with people who are struggling with difficult situations, anyways. Nothing wrong with that.
 
Lannister said:
Well, given the clarification above, there really is no irony. I also think it's pretty normal to feel emotional when confronted with people who are struggling with difficult situations, anyways. Nothing wrong with that.
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I think someone who is so defensive will be a bad doctor. I'm now judging you based on 3 posts.
 
bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
Click to expand...

Normal. You're allowed to feel stressed and wish you had more time to relax and decompress.

Idk why some people are being jackasses here.
 
Nah, I feel that way, too- this is coming from an M3. I enjoy my free time. I had burnout after step 1, right before I started rotations so that worked out nicely lol. You're not alone in that feeling 🙂 i hear life is better after you finish rotations and step 2 ck. So keep on pushing. If you're still in preclerkship, I like thinking of something to look forward to like a TV show or something of the like. It'll be okay, but continue to enjoy your break! And happy new year in advance ~~

Sent from my [device_name] using SDN mobile
 
To the OP. No, definitely do not feel that way. We are part of the select few in the world who have the opportunity to study medicine. Very, very few people get that chance.
 
Oso said:
Idk why some people are being jackasses here.
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Lol sorry, I should have just stopped after my first comment. Didn't mean to derail your thread OP!
 
I am not jumping for joy to go back either. I think medial education in the US is antiquated. Along this vein, I have come realize that I am no closer to helping a person in any medical context then when I started 5 months ago. In June I will still be unable to help clean a wound, perform CPR, or help someone who is choking. Does medical school ever get better or do you generally feel that residency is the place where doctors are made?
 
A_Future_MD said:
To the OP. No, definitely do not feel that way. We are part of the select few in the world who have the opportunity to study medicine. Very, very few people get that chance.
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I would first go through what OP is going through before passing judgement or telling OP how to feel.
OP, It is natural not to want to go back into the grinder, but onwards and upwards! Your reason in wanting to go to medical school hasnt changed so tap into that enthusiasm and drive that got you there in the first place.
 
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I think that's a pretty normal feeling. If your break was anything like mine, I spent the whole time sleeping, hanging out with friends, etc. I could definitely use another week or two of that before heading back to school haha. However, based on your past posts, I would recommend seeking counseling at your school or somewhere off-campus if you are not comfortable seeking counseling at your school. While it's normal to not be super excited to resume studying constantly, feeling depressed is a sign that you should seek help.
 
I'm the opposite. I used my break to do absolutely nothing productive. It's been a straight 3 weeks of doing nothing but relaxing, so now I'm itching to get back to school.
 
JamesPotterMS-3 said:
ugh. quit your whining. Wait until MS3 during your surgery rotation when you have to be at the hospital at 4:30AM to pre-round and won't be allowed to leave until 5-6PM.
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This sounds awesome. Different strokes...
 
bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
Click to expand...

Pay no attention to the nay sayers here saying you should be thrilled to go back to school. They are the future neurosurgeons and cardiologists who are antsy AF to get back to the hospital.

Pain through the misery of med school, do derm and take 1 month vacation in Aspen over Christmas as a staff.
 
You too??!!

bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
Click to expand...
 
life is what you make of it. that type of thinking makes life suck, plain and simple. unless you're depressed or something, i'd say you need to think happy thoughts, suck it up, and get back to work. good luck man
 
One week has been more than enough to catch up on my sleep and exercise routine. Another week of the Bahamas is left for me before I go back to the meat grinder.
 
bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
Click to expand...

It’s a good sign in my opinion. I’d be more worried if you were looking forward to going back. This shows that you got some good rest. All good things must end. Achievement is never painless. Keep marching forward
 
Yeah I feel the same way. Over my break this time I went back to my home country, and saw how great I have it. But I feel even worse now, because I should be feeling better but I don't. I kind of wish I had just go to thailand and eastern europe and banged hookers for 2 weeks.
 
thatawkguy said:
Yeah I feel the same way. Over my break this time I went back to my home country, and saw how great I have it. But I feel even worse now, because I should be feeling better but I don't. I kind of wish I had just go to thailand and eastern europe and banged hookers for 2 weeks.
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Are you the next @failedatlife? Except this time with a constant reference to failing with women.
 
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You shall know the Truth said:
I am not jumping for joy to go back either. I think medial education in the US is antiquated. Along this vein, I have come realize that I am no closer to helping a person in any medical context then when I started 5 months ago. In June I will still be unable to help clean a wound, perform CPR, or help someone who is choking. Does medical school ever get better or do you generally feel that residency is the place where doctors are made?
Click to expand...

Get yourself out of the library and into the hospital every now and then. You might be surprised at what people will let you do as a shadowing M1 if you're engaged, have done your homework on the specialty you're shadowing, and seem to generally not be too much of an idiot. If shadowing surgery, learn the relevant anatomy, watch youtube videos and know the steps of surgeries you'll be watching. Learn what the most common problems in the specialty are and read about them on UpToDate. This will help remind you why you went to med school.

Also don't equate skill proficiency with medical knowledge. Changing dressings, doing CPR, ain't no thang. If doing those things is your gold standard of helping people, you should have gone to nursing school. The knowledge base you're building in class is what will enable you to make impactful decisions in people's treatment down the road. Or maybe I've had a bit too much of the kool aid.
 
bumpy said:
Is it bad that I'm kind of dreading returning to med school after my winter break is over. The idea of heading back to a place I don't really like and studying all time leaves me with a pit in my stomach. Anyone else feel similarly?
Click to expand...
I love my job and I like my hospital, and yet you've described exactly how I feel at the end of every week off EVER. It's normal, dude. Work's not supposed to be all fun. It's supposed to be work. Take some solace is the knowledge that, in this regard at least, you're not the slightest bit unique. (And that's good. People that are unique in this way are freaks, man.)

WedgeDawg said:
Yes, let's please not derail OP's thread. Stay on topic and keep your interactions professional. Thanks.
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The line is "Stay on target." C'mon, man!
 
Gurby said:
Get yourself out of the library and into the hospital every now and then. You might be surprised at what people will let you do as a shadowing M1 if you're engaged, have done your homework on the specialty you're shadowing, and seem to generally not be too much of an idiot. If shadowing surgery, learn the relevant anatomy, watch youtube videos and know the steps of surgeries you'll be watching. Learn what the most common problems in the specialty are and read about them on UpToDate. This will help remind you why you went to med school.

Also don't equate skill proficiency with medical knowledge. Changing dressings, doing CPR, ain't no thang. If doing those things is your gold standard of helping people, you should have gone to nursing school. The knowledge base you're building in class is what will enable you to make impactful decisions in people's treatment down the road. Or maybe I've had a bit too much of the kool aid.
Click to expand...

This. When I was a med student on my sub-i we had an M1 come by the OR just to watch and we had her scrubbing in and helping out and got her involved as much as possible because she clearly had an interest (and is now a resident in the same field). So yes, get thee out of the library sometimes and remind yourself where this is heading. Nobody comes to medicine day dreaming about studying for 12 hours a day -- you'll never see a medical reality show focused on the pre-clinical years.

What you're feeling OP is totally normal. Shoot, I love what I'm doing and I'm still in some denial about my break being over in a couple of days. I definitely remember feeling a little burned out during January of MS1 and I ended up doing some more shadowing, taking some additional R&R time on weekends, and working on setting up some summer research opportunities. It passes; just keep your eye on the prize.

The truth is you don't really have much of the library life left -- maybe 12-13 months depending on your school. Then the clinical years start and most people find those far more enjoyable although the hours can take some getting used to. MS4 is really only 2-3 months of real work and then 9-10 months of people looking at you and asking why you're still in the hospital at the late hour of 10am.
 
Enjoy M1, it is by FAR the best year of medical school. Very little research, easy material, time to actually have a life. Everything goes downhill from there.

I never felt more anxiety in my life than M2. Writing 4 first author manuscripts on top of Pathology, Pharm, Micro classes. Qbank, Pathoma, Sketchy continuously. I never had a life because I was such a gunner. I developed extremely bad anxiety.

Then I took Step 1 and my life ended metaphorically.

M3 was even more terrible. You have to be on your game from 6am to 5pm every day, and watch what you say at every moment. But...still that part is only half the battle. You have to go home and study for extremely difficult Shelf exams which make up the other half of your grade. Writing another 5 manuscripts. All the while the depression of your Step score never goes away...you think about it day and night. You don't have a life now because you are embarrassed of yourself (and still a gunner despite knowing your career is over).

M4. SubIs. Try but know they will judge you on one score...everyone does. Step 2 exams are even more painful than Step 1. Interviewers mock you. You get shunned because of a test score. Still stupidly writing manuscripts. All the while you hope this misery will all just come to an end soon. Still half a year to go...

Summary: Enjoy first year kid. Do nothing but study for Step 1. One score can make medical school 4 years to remember or a living hell.
 
Newyawk said:
For real tho - do you like medicine and just dislike your school and the workload? If thats the case then i think youre fine.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I'm not sure if I love medicine the way a lot of my classmates seem to love it. The material can be interesting but it mostly just feels oppressive bc there's always so much of it. Also I don't really like my school's location (depressing cold old city) and frankly don't feel much of a connection with most of my classmates. Otherwise it's ok I guess.
 
JamesPotterMS-3 said:
ugh. quit your whining. Wait until MS3 during your surgery rotation when you have to be at the hospital at 4:30AM to pre-round and won't be allowed to leave until 5-6PM.
Click to expand...
Ugh. Quit your whining. Wait until you’re an attending and have to take care of all the patients (not just a few), while possibly teaching medical students who complain about being there on forums, while possibly also teaching residents who are actively trying to kill said patients all while trying not to get sued.

You ain’t even to the hard part kiddo. You’re still playing the tutorial.

@op, don’t worry. It just means you’re a normal human being who is realizing that nonstop work makes for a crap lifestyle.
 
You shall know the Truth said:
I am not jumping for joy to go back either. I think medial education in the US is antiquated. Along this vein, I have come realize that I am no closer to helping a person in any medical context then when I started 5 months ago. In June I will still be unable to help clean a wound, perform CPR, or help someone who is choking. Does medical school ever get better or do you generally feel that residency is the place where doctors are made?
Click to expand...

As others have said, yes. M4 I had a few rotations where I was basically treated like a PGY-2 and carried my own patient load, made diagnoses, treatment plans, etc (all under supervision, of course), so definitely felt like I was legitimately part of the medical team. Even on the rotations when you're not doing as much, just talking to patients and helping them understand their situation and what is happening can help you feel like you're actually doing something. So yea, it definitely gets better.
 
bumpy said:
Sometimes I'm not sure if I love medicine the way a lot of my classmates seem to love it. The material can be interesting but it mostly just feels oppressive bc there's always so much of it. Also I don't really like my school's location (depressing cold old city) and frankly don't feel much of a connection with most of my classmates. Otherwise it's ok I guess.
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Preclinical Med students are the worst when it comes to trying to one-up the other student at who loves what theyre learning more. Its an odd competition.
I remember during BIOCHEM of all classes people would ooo and ahh at every little factoid (but then turn around during physio and not like cardio?...). Just do you man and dont worry about comparing your experience to others
 
thatawkguy said:
Yeah I feel the same way. Over my break this time I went back to my home country, and saw how great I have it. But I feel even worse now, because I should be feeling better but I don't. I kind of wish I had just go to thailand and eastern europe and banged hookers for 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
Pattaya will always be there my friend. She ain't going nowhere...
 
Stagg737 said:
As others have said, yes. M4 I had a few rotations where I was basically treated like a PGY-2 and carried my own patient load, made diagnoses, treatment plans, etc (all under supervision, of course), so definitely felt like I was legitimately part of the medical team. Even on the rotations when you're not doing as much, just talking to patients and helping them understand their situation and what is happening can help you feel like you're actually doing something. So yea, it definitely gets better.
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Thank you.
 
failedatlife said:
Enjoy M1, it is by FAR the best year of medical school. Very little research, easy material, time to actually have a life. Everything goes downhill from there.

I never felt more anxiety in my life than M2. Writing 4 first author manuscripts on top of Pathology, Pharm, Micro classes. Qbank, Pathoma, Sketchy continuously. I never had a life because I was such a gunner. I developed extremely bad anxiety.

Then I took Step 1 and my life ended metaphorically.

M3 was even more terrible. You have to be on your game from 6am to 5pm every day, and watch what you say at every moment. But...still that part is only half the battle. You have to go home and study for extremely difficult Shelf exams which make up the other half of your grade. Writing another 5 manuscripts. All the while the depression of your Step score never goes away...you think about it day and night. You don't have a life now because you are embarrassed of yourself (and still a gunner despite knowing your career is over).

M4. SubIs. Try but know they will judge you on one score...everyone does. Step 2 exams are even more painful than Step 1. Interviewers mock you. You get shunned because of a test score. Still stupidly writing manuscripts. All the while you hope this misery will all just come to an end soon. Still half a year to go...

Summary: Enjoy first year kid. Do nothing but study for Step 1. One score can make medical school 4 years to remember or a living hell.
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Not sure why I’m biting but...
Was Step 2 really worse than Step 1 for you?
Why did you try to do 5 more papers MS3 after going gungho on research MS2 didn’t pan out?
Did interviewers really mock you?

Really, truly hoping that either you are a troll or that 2018 turns everything around for you (or at least your outlook on life) somehow.
 
Newyawk said:
"Cant wait to go back to working 12 hour days after this wonderful break!" - said no one ever
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I hate vacations and breaks; they totally interrupt my flow and I get stressed out leading up to every single one of them, and it feels great to dive back in after. I have built myself a life I love at med school, and I honestly don't understand why everyone acts like I should be grateful to have that ruined once a semester or so.
 
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