stressed out

[shireen]

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i'm having this slight problem. every time i think about med school and admissions and the mcat and how much it's going to cost to apply and fly out to interview, i feel like i'm having a heart attack.
i feel all this pressure from my family and friends, and pressure from the schools themselves to be incredibly perfect, and the mother of all pressure that i put on myself.
i feel like i am being lazy unless i am studying. i even laminate my notes so that i can multi-task in the shower.
does anyone else feel this way??? if not, how do you handle the stress?

 

[nochaser]

i'm pretty stressed too. running helps me unstress, so try some physical exercise. when sh** really gets me down, i sit in a scalding hot tub (not good to do, i know, but it feels sooooo good)and imagine everthing turning out the way that I want it to. but you know what? sometimes just knowing that you are not alone in your struggle is enough. that's what's so great about the SDN boards.

 

[md2be06]

i even laminate my notes so that i can multi-task in the shower.

I'm sorry, but damn. chill out. It only gets worse once you're in med school. You have to find a way to strike some sort of balance in life, otherwise you'll go crazy. We're all stressed, and we all will be till we get an acceptance letter. That's just the reality of this cruel process.

 

[Trek]

Goddamn- you gotta do something fast. You'll be so burnt out BY med school that it'll be pointless to go. Take MD2BEs advice and do something to chill. --Trek

 

[none]

Don't worry. It's primarily these message boards. 🙂 The vast majority here are gunners. It can definitely stress you out if you think most of the applicant pool even comes close to resembling the visitors to this board. It doesn't. 🙂

 

[snowballz]

Calm down. Find a hobby, do some exercise. I have found yoga to help me alot. I like to read something OTHER than a text book..or find a destressing volunteer activity. Work with some children and witness their sophisticated thought processes...they help me alot.

We all get stressed out and overwhelmed sometimes. I am right now in fact. Wanna know my dilemma? I am getting a low D in a bio 101 lab course. I am trying to decide whether to withdraw from the course (eventually taking it somewhere else..when I transfer to Purdue, perhaps? ) or fight on and eventually get a bad grade anyway. (If anyone has ever been in this situation and can offer advice..let me know.)I am very discouraged since I studies six hours for the exam....and the exam wasn't over what I studies. Shucks.

I thank God that my parents do not put pressure on me. My parents never went to college, so they think any amount of accomplishment is wonderful..let alone be a doctor!! 🙂 When I gain entrance, I hope they are proud of me..but they don't have to be. My own feeling of pride (..and what a privilege!)would out weigh that.

Good luck..hope you do okay. 🙂

Alicia

 

[lilninja]

I agree with "none" - while everyone has been really helpful and suportive of each other, people on this forum seem to be pretty consumed by the whole process (not that it is a bad thing, it's just that not everyone is the same) and therefore it is not necessarily representative (besides, how many people are on this site compared to how many who aren't?). I used to be really stressed out the at the beginning when AMCAS revealed it's whole mess, but not I kind of think it's a bit comical (even though my verified application has not been sent to any schools yet, and I submitted 7/8 - it's in "verification"). Medical schools don't expect you to be perfect, in fact probably far from it - and the costs, yeah well I hear you - but just think that this is hopefully a one-time investment that will be open up a new door for you. It's the atmosphere, not something that's wrong with you - I bet you'll be fine in medical school (probbaly even less stressed than you are now!)
Hang in there - we'll all do it together.

 

[lilninja]

plese don't mind the terrible spelling errors - I am in a rush - LN

 

[drdrtoledo]

I purchased a punching bag recently... I must say it has totally relieved me. I get home, check my mail, then proceed to beat that bag until I'm too tired to stand. I occasionally tape the emails from AMCAS on the bag for motivation 🙂 ! Just remember, you don't have to be perfect to get into medschool. Anyone can study all day and get good grades. Don't waste college away, you only get one shot at it. If you grow old and have nothing to look back at... what was the point?

 

[lilycat]

First off, you don't have to be perfect to get into med school -- don't have to have perfect grades, perfect MCAT's, "perfect" extracurriculars, etc. I was not "perfect" in many ways (I even had, gasp, a C and a W on my transcript!), applied last year, and received several interview offers and acceptances.

Second, like some of the previous posters, I strongly recommend that you find some sort of hobby or outside interest to help you decompress a little. Physical activities are usually great stress relievers, so whatever is your thing -- running, yoga, kickboxing, etc. Just do something non-academic, non-medically related a few hours a week.

Third, you do need to start working on balance in your life now because med school is far more stressful, in my opinion, than what you are probably experiencing right now. I'm in my 9th week of classes, and the stress level I've felt so far is like nothing else I've experienced, including studying for MCATs, going to interviews, waiting for acceptances, etc. If I didn't already have some sort of perspective or support system worked out, I know I would be truly miserable.

Anyways, take a little time for yourself, and get some perspective on things. Good luck.

 

[SMW]

And welcome to SDN! 😀 I don't think the people on this forum are gunners at all. They seem to be highly motivated folks who find out what they need to do and do it and don't mind helping other folks do the same.
This board has been a lifesaver for me during this year's crazy application process.

So, chill out, stop laminating those notes and sing in the shower instead 😉, check in with SDN as needed, get some exercise and have some fun. You're going to be fine. And if you do continue to feel like you're having a heart attack, then for pete's sake, find someone sympathetic to talk to.

 

[leorl]

I agree with the exercise part. Something that helps you relax. And there's always the all-out getting smashed which is great for livening things up 😉 (just not too often before you turn into an alkie)

 

[snowballz]

Just another note, many underestimate the impact a pet can have on ones psyche. Have you ever thought of getting a fish or a bird?

True Story: My mother always had blood pressure problems. Last January, I adopted a dog from the local human shelter (I am a shelter animal/spay and neuter advocate). Before Hank, she was on blood pressure meds...and had severe problems. After Hank, she has not needed another medication for her bp. She is calmer, more relaxed and much happier when at home. It is certainly something to think about.

Alicia

 

[Cobragirl]

Just don't get a dog...you won't have time to pay attention to it once you get into med-school, and the guilt of not being able to play with your "best friend" can be horrible (I know from ongoing experience!)...same goes for large birds (anything bigger than a parakeet!). Birds are "social" animals, so if you do get ANY bird, make sure you get TWO, or you'll have the same problems as with a dog (and YES birds CAN die of boredom...seriously...it stresses them out, and when they stress, they die).

As for admissions, I have to agree with Lilycat...you DO NOT have to be a "perfect" student to get in (and most people that get in AREN'T perfect students...they're real PEOPLE) I had (HUGE GASP!!!!) FOUR C's, ALL in Chemistry (General AND Organic), and a BELOW-30 MCAT and I got into a damn good school! They liked me because I was "different" and "interesting", not because I had a 4.0! 😀

Quit laminating...if you're that anal NOW, you'll NEVER survive medical school without a complete mental breakdown!

 

[E'01]

Hey Snowballz - I got a D in bio lab...hmm 6 years ago. I retook it...you may want to think about that considering that on some of my secondaries they explicitly state that grades below C need to be retaken. But not all schools stated that - you might want to double check with the schools that you are applying to via their handbooks/webpages (no don't call admissions and say I think i'm getting a D in bio lab...is that okay)? If you think you can pull it up to a C ... or even a B then you're all set. Good luck!

 

[snowballz]

Cobragirl,

I'm not that anal..I was just wondering. I'm gonna withdraw from the course. I figure, if I get a D or F, I will have to retake anyway. Why torture myself now when I will have to retake in the future? Double torture. 🙂

I am becoming less and less anal as my undergrad career goes by....I think that's a good thing!! 😀

Thanks for the ideas!!

Oh, and the dog thing..I know what you mean. I was referring to a couple parakeets or some fish. 🙂

Alicia

 

[Chadleez1]

You said Bio 101....what is that at your school? At my school it's Life Science for non biology majors, so I was wondering what it is at yours.

 

[snowballz]

Here it is Life Science for majors. A packed class of about 150...about average for a 100 level, I suppose. Many, many premeds in there.

Alicia

 

[shireen]

thanks for all the suggestions...there might be a cute little goldfish for me in the near future. i suppose stressing out the way that i do is not exactly the healthiest way to live. i look forward to hearing from you guys and wish you all the best of luck! 🙄