Thinking of Dropping out

[dabears405]

First year here. So far, school has been hell, the curriculum for my school is really bad leaving us no time to study. I'm barely passing my tests, mostly getting mid-high 70s. I dont enjoy study anything so far ever since school started and I'm just so burnt out. Everyday, I think about dropping out, but I'm conflicted because I seriously have no idea what I'll be doing if I dropped out. Sometimes I just want to work a normal job so I can have more time after hours to socialize with more people / my friends/etc. Somehow though, at the end of the day, something is convincing me to stay in the program. I think the main reason why I want to drop out is because the overwhelming amount of material I'm given, and because I'm struggling with classes. Not sure what I should do here. Lots of people are telling me to stick with it but they don't know what med school is like.

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[zeppelinpage4]

First year here. So far, school has been hell, the curriculum for my school is really bad leaving us no time to study. I'm barely passing my tests, mostly getting mid-high 70s. I dont enjoy study anything so far ever since school started and I'm just so burnt out. Everyday, I think about dropping out, but I'm conflicted because I seriously have no idea what I'll be doing if I dropped out. Sometimes I just want to work a normal job so I can have more time after hours to socialize with more people / my friends/etc. Somehow though, at the end of the day, something is convincing me to stay in the program. I think the main reason why I want to drop out is because the overwhelming amount of material I'm given, and because I'm struggling with classes. Not sure what I should do here. Lots of people are telling me to stick with it but they don't know what med school is like.

Hey! Sorry to hear that.
I don't know if it will help at all, but I felt exactly like this the first several months of MS1 also. I worked hard but barely passed and in some cases failed exams. It sucks to be struggling from the get go, but I do think you have what it takes to do this if it's really what you want.

I wanted to quit more times than I can remember and the thought of surviving the 4 years seemed impossible...yet, despite being overwhelmed at every stage, and having all kinds of set backs and failures, the years still passed on by. It's a messy road for sure, but I think you will get better at handling it as you progress. For me, the start of med school and transition was still the hardest part of it (the only exception to this is step 1 lol) and things did get better overall each year moving forward.

I wish I could offer more practical advice, but don't stop reaching out to friends and family and don't lose sight of who you are outside of medicine. That's what kept me sane all these years. It takes some of the pressure off of doing bad and makes it seem a little less overwhelming. Also, see a counselor if you can. I ended up getting diagnosed with depression and after getting treatment found that I did a lot better. This process is tough, but you don't have to go it alone.

 

[Localnative]

Hey Cubbie-
Grow a pair . Life outside that bubble is hella hard.
Love, Mom.

 

[Milotic]

First year here. So far, school has been hell, the curriculum for my school is really bad leaving us no time to study. I'm barely passing my tests, mostly getting mid-high 70s. I dont enjoy study anything so far ever since school started and I'm just so burnt out. Everyday, I think about dropping out, but I'm conflicted because I seriously have no idea what I'll be doing if I dropped out. Sometimes I just want to work a normal job so I can have more time after hours to socialize with more people / my friends/etc. Somehow though, at the end of the day, something is convincing me to stay in the program. I think the main reason why I want to drop out is because the overwhelming amount of material I'm given, and because I'm struggling with classes. Not sure what I should do here. Lots of people are telling me to stick with it but they don't know what med school is like.

If you bring that to SDN, people will just tell you to Git Gud.

 

[ayanzbreeze]

my question is...what did you expect medical school to be like? i recommend falling back on your support groups(family, friends etc) for help.

 

[DO2015CA]

The first semester of medical school is by far the worst one. All the material is disconjointed and you really have no idea how to study. I didn't get into my study swing until mid-late spring semester. Stick it out. Once you get your study rhythm down you will find a lot more time in your day

 

[Brorthopedic]

Thousands of people who are struggling just as much, if not more, are getting through medical school everyday. Don't overthink it. Just keep pedaling... You'll get use to the current and until then, just maintain those passing grades.

 

[Entadus]

Well, if you quit you'll never be a doctor. How much do you care about that?

 

[ifnotnowwren]

Does your school have a student development department or counseling services available to you? Might be worth checking out. Student development might be able to help with your study habits and counseling might help you work through your feelings/thoughts/goals.

 

[Anicetus]

My algorithm:

1. Do you want to be a doctor more than anything else out there?
No: drop out and pursue that career you want more.
Yes: don't drop out. See next step.

2. Are you feeling burnt out?
No: continue to go hardcore.
Yes: identify stressors in life, fix those outside stressors first. If there are no outside school stressors and burnout is pertaining to school alone, see next step.

3. Is your mental/physical health in danger?
Yes: go into cruise control mode (survival mode) of med school, doing barely minimum schoolwork while reviving the health.
No: still go into cruise control mode since you're burned out and don't leave med school until you are kicked out. For precaution see below:

4. Can you you see yourself in a noncompetitive specialty?
Yes: stay in cruise control until they kick you out.
No: soul search for non medical career that you would rather have other than a noncompetitive medical specialty and when you find one, go back to step #1.

 

[SansaStarkMD]

Use a program like brainscape to make 20-30 flash cards per lecture on material you think is high yield. For the boards do USMLE world system based, twice. For rotations just show up and do what's expected. There's no reason you can't pass. You won't match derm but there's no reason to quit.

 

[Mace1370]

Suck it up and don't quit. Know that your worst year lies ahead (MS3) and after that it will be downhill during MS4. Internship and residency will be worse, but at least you will be doing something much more practical than memorizing biochem pathways. It's only about 7-10 years of your life and after which you will be setup to enjoy a wonderful lifestyle for the next 40+ years.

 

[Goro]

If you value your medical career at all, get to your school's counseling center STAT.

And be aware that whatever worked in college isn't going to work in med school. Visit your school's learning or education center for help with learning styles/skills.

You worked very hard to get to where you are, so you convinced a lot of people that you can handle med school and be a good doctor. You're not alone; I'd say about 30% of my student go into what the bacteriologists call a lag phase, before you hit log phase. You just have t find what works for you.

In the worst-case scenario, consider taking a LOA and come back stronger.

First year here. So far, school has been hell, the curriculum for my school is really bad leaving us no time to study. I'm barely passing my tests, mostly getting mid-high 70s. I dont enjoy study anything so far ever since school started and I'm just so burnt out. Everyday, I think about dropping out, but I'm conflicted because I seriously have no idea what I'll be doing if I dropped out. Sometimes I just want to work a normal job so I can have more time after hours to socialize with more people / my friends/etc. Somehow though, at the end of the day, something is convincing me to stay in the program. I think the main reason why I want to drop out is because the overwhelming amount of material I'm given, and because I'm struggling with classes. Not sure what I should do here. Lots of people are telling me to stick with it but they don't know what med school is like.

 

[ortnakas]

My algorithm:

1. Do you want to be a doctor more than anything else out there?
No: drop out and pursue that career you want more.
Yes: don't drop out. See next step.

2. Are you feeling burnt out?
No: continue to go hardcore.
Yes: identify stressors in life, fix those outside stressors first. If there are no outside school stressors and burnout is pertaining to school alone, see next step.

3. Is your mental/physical health in danger?
Yes: go into cruise control mode (survival mode) of med school, doing barely minimum schoolwork while reviving the health.
No: still go into cruise control mode since you're burned out and don't leave med school until you are kicked out. For precaution see below:

4. Can you you see yourself in a noncompetitive specialty?
Yes: stay in cruise control until they kick you out.
No: soul search for non medical career that you would rather have other than a noncompetitive medical specialty and when you find one, go back to step #1.

Adding to these wise tips:
--School seems all-consuming, but don't let it be. Obviously, you need to study, but don't be afraid to take a break if you need it (see his/her number's 2&3).
--I got really overwhelmed first year when I tried to study all day every day. I switched to studying for lots of one hour chunks, with one topic per chunk. It adds up to the same quantity in the end, but it was a lot more manageable to set up a bunch of mini goals that I could actually accomplish. (A spin-off of Netflix's wise Kimmie Schmidt's "I can do anything for ten seconds" philosophy).
--Do you feel like you're the only one in class struggling and everyone else is doing better than you? Because I guarantee that's not the case. I remember having that feeling, and realizing later that most of my colleagues were in the same boat, and just better at putting on a brave face than I was. And that if I would have reached out instead of being scared to talk to people for fear of feeling inadequate, I could have had friends and study buddies a lot sooner.
--@Goro is right-- mental health is important. If you need help, get it. You won't be alone in this, either.

 

[DocWinter]

1st semester is not a great time to feel good about life. Accept that feeling and believe you'll get used to it.

There is no shortcut through delayed gratification. You're going to be a doctor, dammit, and that costs. Pay the price and get your mind off fun and socializing for the next while.

 

[Haybrant]

consider sticking it out but if you want to do something else leave. as an attending i assure you nothing in my first year med school matters. heck, nothing in my first 3 and to be honest 4 years of med school really matters now. Having a good foundation of clinical medicine is all that matters in the long term. Not sure if this is helpful but I would say be resolute about what you do, dont pussyfoot it.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

get academic counseling, study more, study early, study between stuff, use a white board, go into lab more if anatomy is killing you.

 

[atomi]

If you really want to be a doctor, or if you ever at any point really wanted to be a doctor, you should probably keep going and finish the year and decide over the summer if you should continue. A year of lost med school tuition isn't a huge deal in the long run.

If you were never really gung-ho about this to begin with, pushed into it, just did this because it was the next step after college, then it might be worth thinking about bailing now. I fit into this category, and am currently kicking myself as I near the end of residency and wishing I could go back and not do this.

Another thing to consider is that most schools will grant a year LOA for students who are struggling to think about whether to continue or not. I know a few people who did this. At least one ultimately did not return.