What motivates medical students?

[Samuel88]

I was wondering if there are any books or collections of interviews with medical students that explains their motivations.

I often see, both on this forum and in my classmates, people who have lapses in motivation. Those are the most visible. People rarely say "I'm so motivated today! Look at my success."

Where are examples of highly motivated, happy people? How are you motivated?

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[Chibucks15]

I was wondering if there are any books or collections of interviews with medical students that explains their motivations.

I often see, both on this forum and in my classmates, people who have lapses in motivation. Those are the most visible. People rarely say "I'm so motivated today! Look at my success."

Where are examples of highly motivated, happy people? How are you motivated?

Just look at your loan servicing site....those big numbers are as much of motivation as you'll ever need

 

[mistafab]

You don’t need to be happy and highly motivated all the time bro - that is not sustainable.

Better to be satisfied and disciplined IMO.

 

[Samuel88]

"Just look at your loan servicing site....those big numbers are as much of motivation as you'll ever need"

I know a guy who dropped out and is on an income based repayment plan. He earns very little, pays very little, and lives a very simple life. He's always posting photos of himself hiking in the woods.

There has to be something more to motivation...

 

[IntheClouds4ever]

Motivating any student is relatively simple- sex, drugs, and rock & roll.... wait that was a previous generation. This generation is sex, drugs, and mumble rap.

 

[Chibucks15]

"Just look at your loan servicing site....those big numbers are as much of motivation as you'll ever need"

I know a guy who dropped out and is on an income based repayment plan. He earns very little, pays very little, and lives a very simple life. He's always posting photos of himself hiking in the woods.

There has to be something more to motivation...

Eh people get in this life because they wanna be doctors. Most people have been raised such that anything less than completing your goals is failure. We're a neurotic bunch, and if don't have resolve and internal motivation at this point idk how you get through residency

 

[BluegrassBuckeye]

For me there's not one single motivating force that keeps me going. Some days it's a genuine wholesome drive to learn to be the best doctor I can be because that's what I truly believe I was put on this Earth to do. Some days its the anxiety of knowing I have a family to support and I'm way too far in to back out now. Some days it's just habit because I've been working on this goal for 10 years now so I know I'm supposed to keep working. I would imagine most people similarly have a variety of motivating factors, so if you're looking for something definitive you probably won't find it.

 

[Oso]

I often see, both on this forum and in my classmates, people who have lapses in motivation. Those are the most visible. People rarely say "I'm so motivated today! Look at my success."

Uh yeah, it's called real life. No one is happy/motivated all the time, especially during medical training.

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Motivating any student is relatively simple- sex, drugs, and rock & roll.... wait that was a previous generation. This generation is sex, drugs, and mumble rap.

Lot of disappointment awaits

 

[Goro]

Motivating any student is relatively simple- sex, drugs, and rock & roll.... wait that was a previous generation. This generation is sex, drugs, and mumble rap.

In a similar vein, anything that activates those dopamine receptors, right?

I have some students (typically at the top of the class) who tell me that they love learning. Yet even top students get tired. The key thing is to look after your well being. Marathoners hit "the wall" too, you know, and what do they do? They push on through.

 

[MerYangBey]

Lately I’ve found myself saying only a “year and a half left” whenever I’m dealing with annoying 3rd year stuff.
So I guess looking forward to a new phase/finally accomplishing something you’ve worked towards for several years.

Plus knowing that failure isn’t really any option because it will make all my haterz happy.

 

[humblethinker]

authentic motivation in some students may be derived from the belief that some of the most fulfilled aspects of being human come from the continual development of body, mind, and spirit. being able to learn new things everyday fulfills an insatiable desire to never stop developing your mind while widening your perspectives on various issues in our society

 

[VincentAdultman]

Vengeance

 

[IntheClouds4ever]

Lot of disappointment awaits

Same story you hear time after time.. Too sexed up and trippin balls to enjoy it anymore and not diggin mumble rap; so the only sensible thing left to do at that time was go to medical school, ya know?

 

[MedicineZ0Z]

Same story you hear time after time.. Too sexed up and trippin balls to enjoy it anymore and not diggin mumble rap; so the only sensible thing left to do at that time was go to medical school, ya know?

More like, if you think that lifestyle awaits you as a doctor... oh boy you're in for some surprise.

 

[atomi]

A burning desire to waste away the peak years of your life so you can instead enjoy a modest finacial reward during the decline of your remaining life.

Mid life crises hit doctors HARD.

Most people decide to make this trade around age 19. Lol. Like any 19 year old has the perspective to make that decision. By the time you’re 30 it’s too late to bail. You’re bitter, but hey at least you drive a sweet beige Lexus and can upgrade to business on domestic flights. All worth it right?

 

[Apothecary Aquinas]

All of my motivation stems from a deeply held insecurity that I'm not good enough. Every minute spent relaxing or in the blissful company of friends is finely coated with anxiety. An anxiety filled with shame and guilt telling me that I could've done better, I could've accomplished more, I could've done something meaningful if I would have just not been such a lazy, worthless piece of human garbage. And so I run from the anxiety and shame, because usually the anxiety is worse than forcing myself to study and go through the motions that are required to prove to myself that I'm actually worth something. But sometimes I'm just so tired and burnt out that the anxiety is easier to take than the work. So I just sit there, staring at my computer in a pit of self-deprecation and despair until its too much to take and the cycle resumes once more. Always running in circles.

The worst part of it all is once you release it will never really stop. You'll always be chasing another goal or another accomplishment to feed that insatiable self-hate. Only the inevitable heat death of the universe will finally quite the shame that rages inside of me. And so I beckon fate to hastily end this world and my existence as I call forth to the ancient one, Chthulu. Come forth and silence the unending cycle of desperation that we all swim blindly through, never finding dry land.

Praise be his name

 

[THEBACKANDFORTH]

crippling fear of failure

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

A harem of Russian escorts in my future as I roll up joints with dollar bills is my motivation.

 

[DiscusKeeper]

Debt and masochism.

 

[Tenk]

My favorite motivational speech:

 

[Raney Schauer]

I just remind myself that if I don't succeed then I can't deliver the 8-10 I-told-you-so's that I owe all over.

I-told-you-so is my favorite thing. I will not be denied my joy. I can run years on a really good ITYS.

 

[IntheClouds4ever]

More like, if you think that lifestyle awaits you as a doctor... oh boy you're in for some surprise.

You mean you can’t be snorting coke off of a hookers bare cheeks while blaring post malone down the highway in your red doctors Porsche?? You have harpooned my life goals.. :rollseyes:

 

[allantois]

Money and chicks, duh

 

[Roxas]

crippling fear of failure

A harem of Russian escorts in my future as I roll up joints with dollar bills is my motivation.

I like to think I function with a healthy balance of both of the above

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Ego.

 

[SouthernGent]

Just look at your loan servicing site....those big numbers are as much of motivation as you'll ever need

We get an email the weekend before our finals normally that states our total debt. A gentle reminder if you would.

 

[Chibucks15]

We get an email the weekend before our finals normally that states our total debt. A gentle reminder of you would.

Wow that's one way to throw off your students before finals...that cruel

 

[Neopolymath]

Ego, anger, the metaphysical idea that to suffer is to experience the fullest form of living

but mostly:

 

[Planes2Doc]

What motivated me most was the 9 to 5 office job I used to work. I was sentenced to a lifetime of mediocrity. That was enough for me to bust my ass and do my best in medical school. I couldn't be happier.

You can either take it easy now, and work hard for the rest of your life. (Not literally, but working a job you loathe for the rest of your life will suck.) Or...
You can work hard now, and take it easy for the rest of your life. (Healthcare is a hard career, no doubt about it. But at least you will be passionate about what you do.)

 

[Ho0v-man]

I’m a career changer and it was fine tbh. But I just felt...stagnant. Like even giving it 50% effort was still way more than what the situation warranted 95% of the time. It felt like brain atrophy.

I’m most jobs, being more knowledgeable, thorough, or even more productive literally provides no benefit. You can do your absolute best or phone it in everyday and nothing will really change.

Contrast that to being a med student. Now I just wish I could phone it in just a little...sometimes lol.

 

[sniderwes]

Honey, money, and helping people.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You mean you can’t be snorting coke off of a hookers bare cheeks while blaring post malone down the highway in your red doctors Porsche?? You have harpooned my life goals.. :rollseyes:

Bruh you went to the wrong school. USC is that way--------->

 

[deleted707454]

What motivates me to continue and push hard through school? FEAR. Its really difficult to study in depth until, say, about 4 days before the next exam.

Motivation in life? Nothing related to school or medicine. Separate the two.


Also I used to be a teacher. I've seen the other $35,000 side. I know am on the greener side of the grass