Pre-Med Anxiety

[Dr. Bojangles]

I posted this in the Osteopathic Forum page but thought maybe I could get some good insight here as well...

I was recently accepted to one medical school and have to interviews coming up. I am starting to get nervous about if I will do well in medical school or if I really want to be a doctor. When I think about it, I'm sure that I do, and I can't imagine myself doing anything else. Still, there are times when I get nervous and wonder if I'll be able to handle medical school. I was hoping other people had this same problem before starting and that perhaps could calm my fears. Is is normal to be anxious/nervous about succeeding or should I be worried that I am doubting myself? Should I not go to medical school this year if I have these doubts or is this normal?

Thanks for any advice!

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[xstetsonx]

First of all, congrats. I do that all the time. If anyone tells you he or she is not nervous or anxious at all, they are a big fat lair!! Med school seemed impossible for me at first, but i now have multiple acceptances. If you put in hard work in the next 4 years, I bet the outcome will be pretty similar. You can do it buddy.

 

[Dr. Bojangles]

First of all, congrats. I do that all the time. If anyone tells you he or she is not nervous or anxious at all, they are a big fat lair!! Med school seemed impossible for me at first, but i now have multiple acceptances. If you put in hard work in the next 4 years, I bet the outcome will be pretty similar. You can do it buddy.

Congrats on the acceptances! And thanks so much! It's just nice to have some reassurance that I'm not alone in my doubts.

 

[just_SAIYAN]

Right there with you! I'm super nervous about starting up school. I'm just going to work my A** off and let the chips fall where they may. We've made it this far, and if we can muster up some confidence I think we will be fine. It's scary because it's new and you have doubts because of the unknown. It's not going to be easy but if you're serious, motivated and willing to work hard you will be fine. If you have preformed well enough to gain acceptance you can handle med school! ...Relax, binge on some Netflix (I currently am) and enjoy your life before school starts up.

 

[KP2AZ]

everyone is nervous...but make sure you know that part of it is excitement! there are many unknowns in what you are about to embark on. It is natural to be unsure of what will happen next (like when you are a kid and you are about to jump into a swimming pool for the first time). what I did those years ago--> sit in your car, where no one can hear you, and practice answering the questions "why medicine, why DO, why this school" until it feels like second nature. don't talk from a script, but make sure you have the general talking points nailed out in your head even before you walk into the interview. this small amount of control that you have over the process will help calm you down. then after you kick the interview in the butt, take a month off and go visit friends & family.

 

[dreee]

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[sandstorm223]

You can do this. You've been accepted, and that is the hardest thing you or any of your friends has done thus far in life. So congrats!
The human mind seems to be automatically wired to accept defeat easily. Maybe it was once advantageous evolutionarily, but not so now. You just have to fight through all anxiety and fear, and trust yourself through the whole process.
You can excel in med school.

 

[cliquesh]

SDN exaggerates how hard medical school is.

 

[costales]

I am starting to get nervous about if I will do well in medical school or if I really want to be a doctor. When I think about it, I'm sure that I do, and I can't imagine myself doing anything else. Still, there are times when I get nervous and wonder if I'll be able to handle medical school.

If your IQ is higher than ambient summer temp and you're not a TV/WoW/FB/drug addict, you'll be fine.

 

[Dr. Bojangles]

Thanks everyone!! Feeling a lot better! Just wanted to make sure it was normal and I shouldn't be rethinking my career choice ha!

 

[dreee]

I was also beginning to get so nervous about med school. I remember my doctor saying med school is not "hard," time consuming is more of the correct term. You just need to show up to class and put in the time to study, like a full time job.

SDN has helped me a lot in the past, but sometimes I forget many people on this site are on the extreme spectrum of things. And reality is not as bad as SDN makes it seem.