Sophomore slump: Anybody else out of gas?

[Toadkiller Dog]

Anybody else out there feel as bone-weary as I do? All the lectures, all the fluff assignments, the constant barrage of tests. . . .

As I begin my fourth semester, I find myself just out of gas. I don't think I can stand the four hours of lecture every day, the constant stress, or riding all the silly faculty hobby horses any more. Even though its our last semester in the classroom, I am just sick of it.

I was #2 in our class at the end of first year. After first semester of this year, I am down to somewhere around 8-12 (I got a B in Path). Now I don't feel like I have the motivation to do anything, let alone get A's. And it all starts again on Monday..........

I find myself signing up for boards now, thinking, "Boy, I wish I could take a semester off. If I have to sit in that stupid seat one more hour, I swear I'm going to puke right on the floor."

Maybe I should pick a different seat.....

How about it? Anyone else?

(pre-meds and overly enthusiastic freshmen kindly keep giddy cheerleading to a minimum. I think it will make me hang myself).

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[KyGrlDr2B]

I think everyone goes through what you are feeling at some point. Since you were ranked so high, maybe you pushed yourself too hard your first year. If that's the case, then you definitely have a reason to feel burnt out. I don't know what kind of motivation you need, but hang in there because at least it's almost over. Maybe someone else has some good advice.

 

[southerndoc]

Hang in there Toadkiller. It gets better your third year. Trust me! More hours, but it's a lot more fun, less studying, and a lot less stress with tests.

Hang in there!

 

[inositide]

Your feelings are understandable and normal.

 

[caedmon]

This being our final classroom semester our "lecture load" has increased to 6 hrs. of class per day. Path, Micro, Pharm, and Clinical Medicine. Talk about burnout!!!!

 

[deleted4401]

Totally agree with you, Toadkiller.

I'm dying to take time off, too, but with rotations oh so close .. Don't know how I'm gonna make it. But, I'll give it one more go.

Dreading Monday,
Simul

 

[southerndoc]

If you ever think of quitting...

Just ask yourself, how hard will it be to pay off your debt when you spend all day asking "Would you care to supersize that today?"

Seriously, most of us are so far in debt that we can't afford to quit.

 

[GrandMasterB]

I never run out of gas, I eat a lot of bean burritos....

 

[Gator05]

Right there with you. Find myself realizing that this stuff is important, but.... I've discovered I have a mental block at reviewing some of our notes; Find myself reading several different sources just to find some small variety during the daily drudgery.

3rd years swear it gets better. Plus, spring semester always seems a bit better...

 

[Dodge This]

Been out of gas for about 3 months now because I worked doing research through summer instead of vacationing. I couldn't even imagine how it would be if there was the pressure of grades and ranking too. Thank goodness for the P/F system...

 

[Amy]

I'm glad to hear that other people feel the same way I do. We just have to keep counting down to Step 1, and all this will be over soon enough.

 

[AznTrojan]

ironically...

i'm having a total breeze my 2nd year in comparison to my 1st year... the main difference is gross anatomoy (good gawd it's over).. i guess each school's curriculum determines your stress level.. as well as if your school is p/f or not..

 

[southerndoc]

Originally posted by Gator05
3rd years swear it gets better. Plus, spring semester always seems a bit better...

I was told this too, but I never believed it.

Now as a third year, I can now tell you that it truly is better. You do more work (I put in 100-120 hours/week during surgery), but your free time is more "free." You don't have the guilt hovering over you to study. Just start studying a few weeks before your exams and you'll do fine. The tests are nowhere near as stressful.

As Amy stated, just keep going fullspeed ahead until you conquer Step I. It seems to be all downhill from there (on the stress scale at least)... well, maybe a slight bump ahead during the match process.

 

[ms1inmw]

I hit that wall after about three weeks of my first year; now entering the last semester of MSII, I think that I would quit if it were not for the loans. I guess that I just hate school.

I am not worried about my career choice though; quite the contrary. If I were actually getting off on being in class all-day and studying all night, then I would be concerned. After all, I did not get into this to be a student the rest of my life; I think there was something about being a doctor. What bothers me even more than school itself are my classmates that claim to enjoy school. Their either full of **** or fooling themselves or they are in for a big disappointment next year when we leave the classroom behind. Whatever the case may be, they are all a bunch of uptight butth0les.

The good thing in your change of heart Toadkiller dog is that as your class rank has dropped and your attitude has soured, I am sure that you have become less and less of a nerd. Now you can make fun of people that gun for class rank. And also, hopefully you are drinking more beer than last year. I know that I am, and my class rank was not even good to begin with. At least I have improved my golf handicap in med. school.

 

[galactica2001]

Originally posted by ms1inmw
The good thing in your change of heart Toadkiller dog is that as your class rank has dropped and your attitude has soured, I am sure that you have become less and less of a nerd. Now you can make fun of people that gun for class rank. And also, hopefully you are drinking more beer than last year. I know that I am, and my class rank was not even good to begin with. At least I have improved my golf handicap in med. school.

no comment

 

[kd]

I feel the exact same way. Like you, I'm starting 2nd semester of 2nd year tomorrow and I have absolutely no desire to spend yet another semester studying myself to death! Oddly enough, I'm one of those "nerds" who actually enjoyed studying for most of med school (well, except for Anatomy and Neuro). Now I'm dreading yet another semester of this. I've heard from the 3rd years that it really does get much better, so hopefully we can all hang in there until after the boards.

 

[Stitch]

This reminds me of all the questions I get over the holidays: "How do you like medical school?" How the heck are we supposed to answer that?
I usually, so "Well, I don't, but I can't think of another way to become a doctor..."

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Originally posted by Geek Medic

As Amy stated, just keep going fullspeed ahead until you conquer Step I. It seems to be all downhill from there (on the stress scale at least)... well, maybe a slight bump ahead during the match process.

I'd have to say that 3rd year and 4th year of medical school rocked and were generally lower on the stress scale than the 1st two years. Unfortunatly, then I started internship. Much higher on the stress meter and very disheartening at times. As some of the other interns and I have discussed, the stress of medicine never ends. We look forward to our non-call months this year, then we realize that, even when we get out of residency, the lifestyle of a physician sucks.

 

[Toadkiller Dog]

Ah, thank you my brothers (and sisters) for joining me in our camaraderie of misery. Nice to know I am not alone!

I laughed pretty hard at the comments above by Geek Medic, ms1inmw, MD'05, Stitch, and the others. Thanks for the smile.

And it was nice to have a bit of the doomsaying from Whisker Barrel as well. Jeez, and he's in rads......

I had to laugh at Stitch's comment about all the questions you get over the holidays about "How's med school?" That was exactly the answer I *should* have given!

only 19 hours left......

 

[CANES2006]

Originally posted by Stitch
This reminds me of all the questions I get over the holidays: "How do you like medical school?" How the heck are we supposed to answer that?
I usually, so "Well, I don't, but I can't think of another way to become a doctor..."

LMAO!! I love this post!

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by Stitch
This reminds me of all the questions I get over the holidays: "How do you like medical school?" How the heck are we supposed to answer that?
I usually, so "Well, I don't, but I can't think of another way to become a doctor..."

I've been telling people that at least I don't have to be in the anatomy lab any more! (my hair has finally lost that smell! )

 

[Zeffer]

Same here (MSII). I can't wait for this semester to end and it hasn't even started yet! I am trusting many of my upper classmen and respected posters (ex: Geek Medic, WBC) that third and fourth year is much better. Until then I find things that help me relax and keep myself from filling all of the requirements for Major Depression. Some of the things I do are: gym, XBOX, and talking with others. Just know that you are NOT alone. WE WILL MAKE IT!!!!!!

 

[southerndoc]

Originally posted by Zeffer
respected posters (ex: Geek Medic, WBC)

Respected poster?

Just kidding... thanks for the compliment though!

It does get better.

By the way, Xbox is the bomb! I'm addicted! You'll have a lot more Xbox time your third year.