reservations about starting soon

[timurx]

So i know there have been a few threads out there along similar lines, but i've been feeling a bit unsure about what im gettting myself into...

I consider myself a very, very realistic person. I'm generally positive but am very well aware of the realities that lie ahead of me. With that in mind, I can't help but feel a bit uneasy when I think about starting med school. I have been reading countless threads about the current state of medicine, unhappy/miserably cynical med students and residents, and a general negativity surrounding the field. As I think back to myself exactly one year ago when i starting applying, I could not think of anything I was more excited about/anxious about--getting into medical school was something I just wanted so so bad. Soon after I got in, the excitement wore off, and continued to wear off especially after reading/ hearing from doctors so much negativity. Now I find myself, one month away from the start of classes, the least excited I have ever been about becoming a doctor. What worries me the most is that if I've become so jaded about the profession even before starting, I can't imagine myself four years down the road when I just may be one of those cynical ******* physicians that I have always told myself I'd never become.

Any one else feel this way? Im interested in hearing back from med students and residents who have any advice.

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[Lukkie]

give up your spot to me bro.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

I've also had reservations, not the least of which stem from the fact that I fist decided to apply to medical school less than a year ago. Since then, everything has happened so fast, and I'm going into a field that I picked with (relatively, compared to the people on here) little research into it.

I do know, however, that I'm a huge geek and really get a kick out of emergency medicine, so I don't think I'll have too much trouble with it.


Just remember - there are almost as many niches within medicine as there are doctors. Find something you love doing, and stick with it.

 

[pincheeric]

The people who tend to be the most vocal are the ones who have seem problem to yell about. That's why you hear so many horror stories. The happy people just go about their business, it's the unhappy ones that make all the noise. I'm 3+ years in and happier now than on day one. Medical school is largely a reaffirming experience. You'll have days that suck, but you'll have many where you say to yourself, "This is why I'm here." Enjoy it.

 

[Little Etoile]

The people who tend to be the most vocal are the ones who have seem problem to yell about. That's why you hear so many horror stories. The happy people just go about their business, it's the unhappy ones that make all the noise. I'm 3+ years in and happier now than on day one. Medical school is largely a reaffirming experience. You'll have days that suck, but you'll have many where you say to yourself, "This is why I'm here." Enjoy it.

THANK YOU. I am so happy to hear from people who are HAPPY in medical school. It seems like such a rarity, especially on here. Thanks for counteracting the negativity!

 

[Alfred E Newman]

It's easy to get caught up in the game of "getting in" when you're a pre-med. It's as if you lose sight of everything and all that matters is winning at the game and getting that acceptance letter--forget the long hours, hospital politics, decreasing reimbursements, malpractice issues. Medicine is not perfect by far, and from what I understand many med students will become jaded by the end of 1st year. You just opened your eyes sooner than most. Most people are still thinking they won at the game.

So i know there have been a few threads out there along similar lines, but i've been feeling a bit unsure about what im gettting myself into...

I consider myself a very, very realistic person. I'm generally positive but am very well aware of the realities that lie ahead of me. With that in mind, I can't help but feel a bit uneasy when I think about starting med school. I have been reading countless threads about the current state of medicine, unhappy/miserably cynical med students and residents, and a general negativity surrounding the field. As I think back to myself exactly one year ago when i starting applying, I could not think of anything I was more excited about/anxious about--getting into medical school was something I just wanted so so bad. Soon after I got in, the excitement wore off, and continued to wear off especially after reading/ hearing from doctors so much negativity. Now I find myself, one month away from the start of classes, the least excited I have ever been about becoming a doctor. What worries me the most is that if I've become so jaded about the profession even before starting, I can't imagine myself four years down the road when I just may be one of those cynical ******* physicians that I have always told myself I'd never become.

Any one else feel this way? Im interested in hearing back from med students and residents who have any advice.

 

[Diksha]

I only have the few medical students I have met to go on, but most of them seemed pretty happy, if a little jaded. The couple of first years I have spoken to are delighted with med school. The third/ fourth years seemed tired but happy. So you might enjoy your first two years, at least, if that is any consolation

 

[bcat85]

The people who tend to be the most vocal are the ones who have seem problem to yell about. That's why you hear so many horror stories. The happy people just go about their business, it's the unhappy ones that make all the noise. I'm 3+ years in and happier now than on day one. Medical school is largely a reaffirming experience. You'll have days that suck, but you'll have many where you say to yourself, "This is why I'm here." Enjoy it.

This is exactly right. Pretty much every doctor I've talked to about it has given me some version of "You know... no profession's perfect and there are things that are rough, but I love what I do and I wouldn't want to do anything else." The doctors that hate it talk about why they hate it, and the doctors who don't... don't

 

[Nomdeplume]

While I was shadowing a private-practice physician I know, I asked him during a slow moment in his office, "Do you feel appreciated in your job?"

This guy has to deal with stressed, neurotic mothers with their own diagnoses and all sorts of insurance issues every day. He's actually remarked about them (I wouldn't quite call it complaining) to me a couple of times throughout my experiences shadowing him. I asked him the question because I, too, hear some the horror stories from people in the profession or in training, and it's a bit unnerving.

He answered without missing a beat. He said, "That's a very good question. Yes." He said that he definitely did feel appreciated. From being there, I got the impression that he's very happy with his job, and if he could go back to his senior year of undergrad, I think he'd make the same choice time and time again.

It's true what some others have said; the loudest people are the unhappy ones.

 

[brsboarder]

Medical School will be amazing, its as simple as that. From my friends who have graduated from med school, are 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, all of them love it. Undergraduate was amazing, but everyone says that it is sooo much fun. Yes, lots of hard work, but, you'll love what you're learning.

Don't be afraid. I'm more excited than ever, and only 1 month and 6 days away!

 

[CCLCMer]

I agree with pincheeric. I just started my third year and I generally have enjoyed med school so far. Sure, there are bad days too (you can read my blog if you're interested in some of the gory details from my first two years!), but overall it's been a positive experience. I don't think I'm any more jaded now than I was three years ago as a premed. Maybe I'm more tired and cranky now.

timurx, a lot of people have cold feet initially because you're starting something new and unknown. It's a little scary. But just realize that all of your classmates feel the exact same way that you do right now. You will wind up going through he!! together sometimes, but you'll get through. Sure, some people you meet along the way will be miserable, but probably a lot of them would be miserable no matter what they were doing. You always will have people who love to complain about everything. Just do the best you can and try to avoid people who are negative and make you feel down as much as possible. Good luck!

 

[Concordia]

I feel ya timurx. And that anxiousness has not been improved by the growing realization of just how much debt you would be accumulating in years to come. Hopefully you can hold on to your personal reasons (whatever they may be, no matter how selfish and oh-so-not-alturistic) for deciding to do this. Good luck

 

[TheRealMD]

Reservations mean you're human. You should be worried about the people who think med school is an extension of college.

 

[neuro1617]

I only have the few medical students I have met to go on, but most of them seemed pretty happy, if a little jaded. The couple of first years I have spoken to are delighted with med school. The third/ fourth years seemed tired but happy. So you might enjoy your first two years, at least, if that is any consolation

Except for one 3rd year who realized med school isn't anything like she thought it'd be (and couldn't believe all she does is study...what did you think you'd be doing??), these are the same feelings I got from the other med students I talked to while shadowing. Although they were tired & stressed, there still isn't anything else they would rather be doing.

 

[Raryn]

I remember a thread a little while back that had this wonderful piece of advice:

"Don't think of it as medical school, just think of it as 17th grade."

Really, if you've made it this far and are bright enough to get in to medical school, you can make it through the rest of the process. I'm not going to start bring up specific statistics, but lets just say that the US Allopathic schools screen well enough that if you were likely to fail, you wouldn't have gotten in. You'll be fine.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Medical School will be amazing, its as simple as that. From my friends who have graduated from med school, are 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, all of them love it. Undergraduate was amazing, but everyone says that it is sooo much fun. Yes, lots of hard work, but, you'll love what you're learning.

Don't be afraid. I'm more excited than ever, and only 1 month and 6 days away!

Is this post a joke? Med school is a very mixed bag. Difficult but probably ultimately worth it. I would not describe it as an overall "fun" experience esp M1/2.

 

[Law2Doc]

Is this post a joke? Med school is a very mixed bag. Difficult but probably ultimately worth it. I would not describe it as an overall "fun" experience esp M1/2.

Agreed. If you have a sense of what's to come (both good and bad/hard), and as TheRealMD suggested (and NOT as Raryn suggested) you don't look at it as a continuation of college or the 17th grade, you'll probably be okay. If you are going into this knowing it's going to take a lot of work but that it's what you really want to do with your life, you'll find it worth it. If you are focused on trying to keep the life you had in college going, and continuing with your job, or hanging out with your friends at the bar each night, or keeping the band together, or spending all night playing GTA every night, you will be sorely disappointed.

The first hardest thing is going to be not knowing what you are doing. You won't know how to stay organized with the ton of material they throw at you at first, don't have a study system that is proven. You grasp at straws and try to do what upperclassmen say works, but ultimately have to pick what works best for you, by trial and error. That shakes up some people who thought they knew how to study from college. Often the same tools don't work. The second hardest thing for many the first couple of years is going to be to always say "sorry, gotta work" to so many social invites, and to trudge off to the library most sunny weekends while all your non-med friends bask in the sun. The next hardest thing for a lot of people is learning that they are no longer toward the top of the class (as they generally were in college to even get into med school). Half of all med students will find themselves below average and in the bottom half of the class for the first times in their lives. And this usually fosters longer hours in the library. And finally, the last hardest thing in the first two years is the sheer volume of material that comes at you. It's not particularly hard stuff, but you've got to remember and be able to apply a ton of it. And then there's the side issue of not knowing anyone yet and having to make new friends on top of all this.

So yeah, there's a lot of stresses in med school, you often seem overwhelmed, lost, isolated. By second year you know what you are doing, but the volume has increased, and you start glancing ahead at the Step exam looming in the distance, so you can't really relax. And then third year is a different animal altogether. In 3rd year, it's cool that you finally get out of the classroom and see/do stuff, but your time is not your own and at times you can find yourself hitting (or surpassing) that 80 hour/week mark you've heard so much talk about. Fourth year is less work intensive, but you've got the whole application process to deal with again.

So that's it in a nutshell. If you are truly interested in the patients and procedures you'll get to do down the road, you will do fine, and probably have some "fun" with it, but as Amory suggested it probably won't be an overall "fun" experience. It will be an ordeal, a rite of passage. But you will survive it -- almost everyone does. You probably won't be the same person at the other end, and probably won't have nearly as many of your original set of friends. And you will be hundreds of thousands of dollars poorer. But you will make it. Good luck.

 

[s1lver]

The people who tend to be the most vocal are the ones who have seem problem to yell about. That's why you hear so many horror stories. The happy people just go about their business, it's the unhappy ones that make all the noise.

Quoted for truth.

You see the same scenario on various video game message boards - dominated by posts from ppl who have something to complain about.

 

[CCLCMer]

So that's it in a nutshell. If you are truly interested in the patients and procedures you'll get to do down the road, you will do fine, and probably have some "fun" with it, but as Amory suggested it probably won't be an overall "fun" experience. It will be an ordeal, a rite of passage. But you will survive it -- almost everyone does. You probably won't be the same person at the other end, and probably won't have nearly as many of your original set of friends. And you will be hundreds of thousands of dollars poorer. But you will make it. Good luck.

Yeah, you definitely have to be the kind of person who is ok with spending most of your time studying and hanging around in the hospital for the next four years. If you always wish you were somewhere else or you don't want to have to work on evenings and weekends, you aren't going to be very happy in med school. You also have to be able to deal with the ambiguity and not be too much of a control freak while you're in med school. But even if you totally hate some of your courses or rotations, in a few weeks you'll be doing something different anyway. That's what got me through first year neuro block. But even neuro wasn't unbearably awful, though I'm glad I never have to take it again.

 

[brsboarder]

I didn't mean to imply that it is a continuation of undergraduate what so over. Far from it, completely different. However, what I did mean was that you will be studying what you've been waiting to study for so long, and that will be fun, incredible and amazing. Sure, it will be extremely tough, but that doesn't mean tough isn't fun. I loved studying for the mcats, and while that is nothing compared to what is to come, I'm not afraid of struggling, of learning, and growing.

 

[spicedmanna]

I didn't mean to imply that it is a continuation of undergraduate what so over. Far from it, completely different. However, what I did mean was that you will be studying what you've been waiting to study for so long, and that will be fun, incredible and amazing. Sure, it will be extremely tough, but that doesn't mean tough isn't fun. I loved studying for the mcats, and while that is nothing compared to what is to come, I'm not afraid of struggling, of learning, and growing.

Well, some parts of the first year are fun, but there is also plenty of grueling, mind-numbing work, and simply too much to learn. It was a completely new experience for me. I was frequently on overload and had an almost constant, looming, sense of near-panic of not being able to pass, since it often seemed as if the gap between doing well and failing wasn't that large, especially at the beginning. No matter how hard I tried and worked, it never seemed as if I were on top of things and could grasp everything fully, a feeling that I eventually became accustomed to. I felt, at times, that medical school was some kind of cruel hazing ritual by which the profession broke you down and initiated you into their ranks. In the past, I thought of myself as having a decent level of intelligence, but medical school made me feel fairly dumb, very frequently. Sometimes I thought of quitting, but then remembered why I was here. Medical school is kind of like boot camp. After I got the hang of things, however, and settled into a comfortable level of performance, medical school because a bit more enjoyable for me, and I was able to relax, relatively speaking, into the process more. I began to consider the craziness to be rather normal and got used to the pace. Also, it helped that I had developed a strong support system with a group of classmates as we struggled together. Sometimes you can only laugh together at the absurdity of the process.

You are right, though, it's cool learning all these new things; my mind loved that. It's like being a kid and having an endless supply of candy, but you also happen to live in a pressure cooker and frequently the candy is way too much to swallow all at once. You try to swallow as much as you can, sometimes to the point of where it hurts and maybe even a little beyond. It's just that sometimes you let the hectic and fast-paced environment get the better of you, when the reality of the process sets in. Although, I suppose it's true that we all handle stress differently. I had friends who cracked readily and frequently under the pressure, while others walked around as if there wasn't a care in the world. Most of us were right there in the middle, with occasional leaps to either extreme. Medical school is many times more challenging than anything I've ever experienced, academically. It'll likely challenge you more than anything has thus far and might even push you to the edges of your capabilities. A lot of it is learning how to digest vast amounts of information quickly and efficiently. It is also learning how to manage your time and how to have a good time and take care of yourself, despite the challenges. You'll more than likely enjoy the challenge, but make no mistake, it'll probably end up being a whole lot of experiences, complete with plenty of ups and downs. It'll put you through the extremes, but you'll more than likely come out stronger than you started. You'll feel changed by the process and see yourself rising to the challenges placed in front of you, sometimes to your surprise. However, as one of my good friends likes to point out, get used to falling right back to the bottom every few years.

 

[ineedsleep]

I just wanted to chime in here. I agree a lot with what is being said. Having reservations is good, it means you care. People tend to complain and those with bad experiences tend to complain the loudest. I love to complain about things (medicine in particular, all things in general), but it doesn't mean I could see myself doing anything else.

As for med school, I guess everyone has a different version of fun. Did I have some good time? Hell yes. Did some days suck a**. You better believe it. It is a challenge and an ego check. As state before, it is a right of passage. I'm glad I did it, but wouldn't be thrilled to do it again (I would, but I would complain the whole time).

Am I cynical? Yeah, but I started out that way. If you don't want to be a certain kind of doctor (like bitter and cynical) you don't have to be. The experience changes you, but you can decide who you want to be in the end.

 

[ACSurgeon]

I think part of the problem is that MANY doctors and med students ignore what the alternative is. I agree that many (but certainly NOT most) doctors could have gone into business or another field and made more money, but I would argue that most [current med students or doctors]would have ended up in fields making less money [over their lifetime after subtracting loans and loss of investments]. Being able to get into and through med school does NOT mean you for sure could have become CEO of a company (or rich by other means). The path to becoming a doctor is clear (grades, application, MCAT...etc). However, you cannot tell someone, follow these steps as an engineer (or other field) and you will be CEO in 5,10 or 20 years. Many of my undergraduate buddies in engineering are still looking for jobs (a year after graduation). Many WILL be fired due to down-sizing, relocated to a different state (yes uproot their families with kids, move and start over) and many will switch multiple companies during their careers (not for improvement but for need). I would bet that of the 4 million or so foreclosed homes, a MUCH smaller percent of home owners were doctors than small business owners, lawyers, engineers... etc. Something to think about.

 

[littlealex]

Eff it. School is almost starting. Let's roll.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

I think part of the problem is that MANY doctors and med students ignore what the alternative is. I agree that many (but certainly NOT most) doctors could have gone into business or another field and made more money, but I would argue that most [current med students or doctors]would have ended up in fields making less money [over their lifetime after subtracting loans and loss of investments]. Being able to get into and through med school does NOT mean you for sure could have become CEO of a company (or rich by other means). The path to becoming a doctor is clear (grades, application, MCAT...etc). However, you cannot tell someone, follow these steps as an engineer (or other field) and you will be CEO in 5,10 or 20 years. Many of my undergraduate buddies in engineering are still looking for jobs (a year after graduation). Many WILL be fired due to down-sizing, relocated to a different state (yes uproot their families with kids, move and start over) and many will switch multiple companies during their careers (not for improvement but for need). I would bet that of the 4 million or so foreclosed homes, a MUCH smaller percent of home owners were doctors than small business owners, lawyers, engineers... etc. Something to think about.

Very true...a point that is often overlooked by many traditional students.

 

[Kaydubz]

Agreed. If you have a sense of what's to come (both good and bad/hard), and as TheRealMD suggested (and NOT as Raryn suggested) you don't look at it as a continuation of college or the 17th grade, you'll probably be okay. If you are going into this knowing it's going to take a lot of work but that it's what you really want to do with your life, you'll find it worth it. If you are focused on trying to keep the life you had in college going, and continuing with your job, or hanging out with your friends at the bar each night, or keeping the band together, or spending all night playing GTA every night, you will be sorely disappointed.

The first hardest thing is going to be not knowing what you are doing. You won't know how to stay organized with the ton of material they throw at you at first, don't have a study system that is proven. You grasp at straws and try to do what upperclassmen say works, but ultimately have to pick what works best for you, by trial and error. That shakes up some people who thought they knew how to study from college. Often the same tools don't work. The second hardest thing for many the first couple of years is going to be to always say "sorry, gotta work" to so many social invites, and to trudge off to the library most sunny weekends while all your non-med friends bask in the sun. The next hardest thing for a lot of people is learning that they are no longer toward the top of the class (as they generally were in college to even get into med school). Half of all med students will find themselves below average and in the bottom half of the class for the first times in their lives. And this usually fosters longer hours in the library. And finally, the last hardest thing in the first two years is the sheer volume of material that comes at you. It's not particularly hard stuff, but you've got to remember and be able to apply a ton of it. And then there's the side issue of not knowing anyone yet and having to make new friends on top of all this.

So yeah, there's a lot of stresses in med school, you often seem overwhelmed, lost, isolated. By second year you know what you are doing, but the volume has increased, and you start glancing ahead at the Step exam looming in the distance, so you can't really relax. And then third year is a different animal altogether. In 3rd year, it's cool that you finally get out of the classroom and see/do stuff, but your time is not your own and at times you can find yourself hitting (or surpassing) that 80 hour/week mark you've heard so much talk about. Fourth year is less work intensive, but you've got the whole application process to deal with again.

So that's it in a nutshell. If you are truly interested in the patients and procedures you'll get to do down the road, you will do fine, and probably have some "fun" with it, but as Amory suggested it probably won't be an overall "fun" experience. It will be an ordeal, a rite of passage. But you will survive it -- almost everyone does. You probably won't be the same person at the other end, and probably won't have nearly as many of your original set of friends. And you will be hundreds of thousands of dollars poorer. But you will make it. Good luck.

This was a riveting post, and also addressed some of my concerns as well as the OP's. Thanks.

 

[NY Musicologist]

Nowhere near med school myself...yet...but it sounds to this nontrad like you've got plain old cold feet, kind of like pre-wedding jitters. You're about to take a big step in life. If you weren't feeling at least a little anxious, I'd be worried. But you said yourself that you're a realistic person. Try to set those doubts aside and trust that whatever you felt a year ago that has gotten you this far was the real deal. Best of luck to you. Wish I was in your shoes.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

So that's it in a nutshell. If you are truly interested in the patients and procedures you'll get to do down the road, you will do fine, and probably have some "fun" with it, but as Amory suggested it probably won't be an overall "fun" experience. It will be an ordeal, a rite of passage. But you will survive it -- almost everyone does. You probably won't be the same person at the other end, and probably won't have nearly as many of your original set of friends. And you will be hundreds of thousands of dollars poorer. But you will make it. Good luck.

I think that bears repeating. I remember having butterflys in my stomach prior to starting medical school but L2D is right - You will make it.

The number of people who enter and then drop out of MD programs never to complete them is very small. They are a combo of

1. People who genuinely cannot hack it academically. (rare)

2. People who decide medicine is not for them. (rare)

3. People who chose to cheat or otherwise act in such a way so as to be expelled. (rare)

4. People with horrible socialization problems who flounder in the "teamwork" culture of medicine. (most of them actually make it and go into surgery - I kid I kid)

The chance that you as an incoming medical student will be in one of these grounds (esp #1) is very, very small indeed.