Testing Anxiety

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CampUnity

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I have my first wave of test this Monday and I can't help but being scared. It's draining my energy. How do you all deal with a first wave of test that you are not familiar with? I am worry that I might flunk anatomy. I've spent so much time studying for it that I've been neglecting biochem and histo. Yet I am still afraid that I might flunk anatomy.
 
I have my first wave of test this Monday and I can't help but being scared. It's draining my energy. How do you all deal with a first wave of test that you are not familiar with? I am worry that I might flunk anatomy. I've spent so much time studying for it that I've been neglecting biochem and histo. Yet I am still afraid that I might flunk anatomy.

I felt the same way before my first anatomy/histology exam. I found it useful to study with other people to quiz each other and talk things out. It also allows you to gauge how much you know compared to other students and which areas you should study more.

Don't second guess yourself. Sometimes it might seem like your mind goes blank but the knowledge is all there. Take a warm shower the morning of the exam, and don't load up on caffeine. Relax. If there is a lunch break between exams don't study. The extra 30 minutes of cramming won't do much and might only make you anxious.
 
I totally know what you mean. I never had testing anxiety in undergrad, but there's so much pressure in med school. Like, "Oh God, if I fail this test, I'm going to fail anatomy, and if I fail anatomy I'll fail the whole first year, and I'll have to redo first year, and be another 20K in debt, and I don't even know if I WANT to be here, or if I'd do it over if I failed, and oh God, what're my family and friends going to think. Oh God I'm going to fail this test."

Haha...but maybe that's just me...I literally sobbed hysterically (in the privacy of my bf's apartment) before my first two tests... and then I got over it. Que sera sera.
 
I totally know what you mean. I never had testing anxiety in undergrad, but there's so much pressure in med school. Like, "Oh God, if I fail this test, I'm going to fail anatomy, and if I fail anatomy I'll fail the whole first year, and I'll have to redo first year, and be another 20K in debt, and I don't even know if I WANT to be here, or if I'd do it over if I failed, and oh God, what're my family and friends going to think. Oh God I'm going to fail this test."

Haha...but maybe that's just me...I literally sobbed hysterically (in the privacy of my bf's apartment) before my first two tests... and then I got over it. Que sera sera.

I feel the same way and I am making adjustments. Hopefully things will be better the next round of test.
 
I literally sobbed hysterically (in the privacy of my bf's apartment) before my first two tests...

I think that every new medical student has this moment of mental and emotional anguish. I'm pretty sure that most of my classmates have broken down at one point or another. I know that I do before every single exam - except, instead of crying, I react by freaking out and staying up all night cramming. (I did cry once last year, during neuroscience. I've never been so exhausted in my life). Just do what you have to do - flip out, cry, stress, throw things, yell, scream, whatever it takes, but once you're done, get on with it. The sooner you have your meltdown and get it over with, the better.

Medical school will constantly push you to your limits. And, just when you think you can't go any further, you realize that you have to. That's when you muster the strength you never knew you had, and you just do it. To be honest, I did not walk into a single test last year feeling prepared. Not one. It's a horrible feeling, walking into an 8am exam, having gotten 1 hour of sleep the night before, shaking from all the caffeine you've had, knowing you've got to pull it together for at least the next 3 hours, and feeling like you are going to bomb and fail and get kicked out of school. But, I swear to you, every time this happens, its the same result every time - it turns out just fine. I finish in plenty of time, get my score, and realize that I've passed on to the next phase. Then I feel really silly for stressing out so much in the first place. This probably happens to a lot of people.

As long as you see all the material presented in your lectures at least once, I'm convinced that you'll pass (not "you" specifically, OP, but in general). Depending on what your own personal goals are, how much more you do on top of that is up to you. If you can do this, you will NOT flunk. You may not get an A, but you will not flunk. Concentrate on seeing everying a minimum of 1 time, and then build on that.
 
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