Thinking real hard about getting out

[wkabenga]

Hey everyone. I'm really in need of some advice here, got a lot of issues I'm trying to sort out.

In short, I'm a third year in the 4th year of med school after repeat a year. I've barely been passing and I understand that in order to pass I need to work constantly and have no social life, no relationship, no friends, etc. This is taking a huge toll on me, especially now that I'm in clinicals. I passed Step 1 on the first go, but I've failed most of my shelves and haven't felt content with my life at all over the past 2 years. Overall, I enjoy the basic sciences, but for some reason medicine just doesn't click with me at all, and I've been incredibly apathetic about whether or not I fail out of school or graduate for the past few months. I feel that it's impending that I am going to fail out of my school and a part of me really wants to walk away and try to live a more stable life in another profession, but I really am afraid to talk about this with anyone close to me because I don't want to be perceived as a quitter.

I've always felt like I wanted to do primary care medicine prior to 3rd year, but I've come to realize in third year that I REALLY HATE family medicine and would not want to do that as my career. But realistically that's all I'm competitive for. A big factor keeping me from walking away is that I really liked psychiatry and could see myself going into that field, but I feel like being as burnt out and apathetic as I've been for this long is a very bad sign before residency.

I'm sorry this is rambling and all over the place, but just wondering if anybody had some neutral advice about what I should do? Thanks

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[BorntobeDO?]

Psych is what I was thinking before you even mentioned liking it. You got to do what it takes to get past the hump of third year. You can do it man, I know your burned, but your almost there. Rally and get it done, find something positive and focus on it. This is not the time to quit!

 

[QueenJames]

Damn man, sorry to hear that.

But in all honesty... psych is starting to get pretty competitive since people like the lifestyle it affords.

There were no open seats last cycle.

Hope you figure it out broheem.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I recommend taking a leave and figuring your stuff out. You sound burnt out and disgruntled.

 

[ForgotUserName]

I think you should try to finish medical school. If you truly do not want to practice clinical medicine then you can possibly use your degree to pursue other opportunities outside of medicine.
You may never know but perhaps your enthusiasm for medicine may be reinvigorated after graduating medical school and prior to starting residency. I lost my motivation during intern year but looking back on it now I am glad I didn't quit because things do get better, especially after completing residency.

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone. I'm really in need of some advice here, got a lot of issues I'm trying to sort out.

In short, I'm a third year in the 4th year of med school after repeat a year. I've barely been passing and I understand that in order to pass I need to work constantly and have no social life, no relationship, no friends, etc. This is taking a huge toll on me, especially now that I'm in clinicals. I passed Step 1 on the first go, but I've failed most of my shelves and haven't felt content with my life at all over the past 2 years. Overall, I enjoy the basic sciences, but for some reason medicine just doesn't click with me at all, and I've been incredibly apathetic about whether or not I fail out of school or graduate for the past few months. I feel that it's impending that I am going to fail out of my school and a part of me really wants to walk away and try to live a more stable life in another profession, but I really am afraid to talk about this with anyone close to me because I don't want to be perceived as a quitter.

I've always felt like I wanted to do primary care medicine prior to 3rd year, but I've come to realize in third year that I REALLY HATE family medicine and would not want to do that as my career. But realistically that's all I'm competitive for. A big factor keeping me from walking away is that I really liked psychiatry and could see myself going into that field, but I feel like being as burnt out and apathetic as I've been for this long is a very bad sign before residency.

I'm sorry this is rambling and all over the place, but just wondering if anybody had some neutral advice about what I should do? Thanks

How about PM&R?
You've got <1.5 years to go...you can do this?

Are you getting counseling?

 

[cryhavoc]

Your emotions are temporary from burn out. Your student loan debt is permanent.

What I tell myself on my worst days.

You normally like medicine and helping people, right? Don’t let temporary, situational feelings make long-term decisions.

I let that debt fear propel me through rough days.

 

[theonlytycrane]

 

[IslandStyle808]

Hey everyone. I'm really in need of some advice here, got a lot of issues I'm trying to sort out.

In short, I'm a third year in the 4th year of med school after repeat a year. I've barely been passing and I understand that in order to pass I need to work constantly and have no social life, no relationship, no friends, etc. This is taking a huge toll on me, especially now that I'm in clinicals. I passed Step 1 on the first go, but I've failed most of my shelves and haven't felt content with my life at all over the past 2 years. Overall, I enjoy the basic sciences, but for some reason medicine just doesn't click with me at all, and I've been incredibly apathetic about whether or not I fail out of school or graduate for the past few months. I feel that it's impending that I am going to fail out of my school and a part of me really wants to walk away and try to live a more stable life in another profession, but I really am afraid to talk about this with anyone close to me because I don't want to be perceived as a quitter.

I've always felt like I wanted to do primary care medicine prior to 3rd year, but I've come to realize in third year that I REALLY HATE family medicine and would not want to do that as my career. But realistically that's all I'm competitive for. A big factor keeping me from walking away is that I really liked psychiatry and could see myself going into that field, but I feel like being as burnt out and apathetic as I've been for this long is a very bad sign before residency.

I'm sorry this is rambling and all over the place, but just wondering if anybody had some neutral advice about what I should do? Thanks

Based on this, I feel like the problem started when you weren't doing well academically in 3rd year (did you pass your 2nd year class okay?). Now that you are two years in, you are burnt out because it is 1 year longer than it should be.

First thing is to find a way to de-stress, not sure how but this would be the first thing. The next is focusing on what about third year is giving you a hard time. I had some management type subjects during 2nd year and I have to say I suck at it. So while it is BS I am getting this stuff now, I am grateful that I can see it this problem now and rectify it before 3rd year.

Do you do vignettes when you study for your shelf exams? This may clue you into what is the problem. When I did step 2 vignettes, I could see that my problem was when the treatments were all the same. Disease were not a problem for me since, it was all about differentiating them. However, when it came to using treatments that were the same for some disease it would trip me up. It even lead to me to thinking I had the diagnosis wrong.

As you go further into your education, less and less of the medicine connects. So if that is what has gotten you through the 1st 2 years then you will need to change things up. Try to make connections in different ways and see if this works. Draw flow charts showing diagnosis and then treatment. Do what you need to do to make it work.

Good luck

 

[Cinemed]

You've put in an extra year of work. You're half way through third year. You're burnt out. You're racking up an incredible amount of debt. You're in pain -- you might as well get a reward for it. Please, please change your attitude and your outlook: You DO have time for other things, you CAN make it through the last year-and-a-half of medical school successfully, and you CAN do it without compromising your happiness. Medical school is not and should never be about giving up everything. It's entirely about prioritizing the things that mean the most to you and balancing them with your studies. Don't give up on yourself. Don't trick yourself into thinking you CAN'T do something. You were accepted for a reason. You've made it this far for a reason. Yet, something very clearly has to change. Adapt. Be positive. Show gratitude. Talk about your problems with someone.

Best of luck, soon-to-be doc.

 

[W19]

You are probably 6 to 8 months from finishing so you should keep fighting. After one takes CK/CE and CS/PE, the rest of med school (aka 4th year) is BS.