Stressing out about Step 1

[Mygod]

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Hey guys I'm a new member here and I was wondering how you guys dealt with the stress of this exam? I currently have 2 months till my exam and have already been studying for a month and have noticed that everyday I become more and more anxious as well as feeling more and more helpless. I barely eat anymore because I find myself losing ample study time and I quit working out or doing anything with my girlfriend or friends. It feel like i should just be able to get through this but I know once im done with step one its just going to be back to long work days, more hours of studying, and less self esteem. HELPP

 

[happykid]

It's probably a bad sign when the first thing your post makes me think of is that it should be "HELLP"

All I can offer is that what you're going through is normal to a point, or at the very least, common. I think this is the reason people stress keeping up with your exercise routine/sleep etc during Step 1 prep. What I keep telling myself is that this level of intensity is temporary, and that it will eventually get easier/better/more enjoyable... I hear this from residents, too (other than surgical interns...😛). If you feel like you're really slipping into unhealthy territory, though, you should probably talk to someone who knows what they're talking about for real... even cognitive behavioral therapy can work wonders. Your mental health is important, and it's definitely worth your time to seek help . Good luck.

 

[Mygod]

Hahah yeah I guess you're right it should be hellp hahha. Yeah that's really what I'm hoping. For it to get not as stressful. Reading all these sdn forums should help but I feel like sometimes I just get annoyed at people. " hopefully I do well on step 1, only got 265 and a 259 on my nbme tests " . To be honest I would be happy would much lower than that. Thanks for the advice and happy studying to you my friend.

 

[JShephard]

Work as hard as you can while remaining balanced. That's all you can do. And for almost every med student, that's enough. Keep the faith.

 

[Phloston]

Staying off SDN wouldn't hurt. I agree with the above. There's no shortage of gunners and gunner wannabees on this site and all of their neuroticism is big heat seeking missle of anxiety, seeking out anyone who ventures for useful information.

I recommend this for a short period AFTER you sit your Step1, but as much as it may seem pedantic at times, SDN's posts are incredibly beneficial to read before your exam.

After you get your score back, when you stay off for a few weeks, you'll realize you did better than you thought. SDN can make us all feel that we need to constantly strive for more.