When did you feel that you finally "made it"?

[Anicetus]

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As cliché as it sounds, I love the fact that my profession consists of learning and practicing medicine everyday. If you don't like that, I don't know what to tell you. So in a sense, I made it when I got that acceptance letter to medical school.

^this is what it's supposed to be like for us all. For those of us who keep struggling day in and day out hoping to finally "make it" that feeling will never go away. This is important for deciding your career. Perhaps those who feel it's a struggle to get out of bed and feel like everything in medicine is a grind may need to look at different specialties than the core ones in third year.

 

[Anicetus]

Only if you let it. One must learn to make lemonade from lemons sometimes, it's all about changing your perspective and expectations.

Of course. For someone who fails step 1, only let it affect you if you let it? This is borderline fairy tale especially if you would do anything to be back in California but end up in Arkansas for failing step 1. Close your eyes on your porch and keep saying "I won't let it get to me". Or if you absolutely hated primary care but failing step 1 forced you into a life of outpatient primary care 8-5pm keep closing your eyes after every patient saying "I won't let it get to me." You would turn psychotic. I agree with a lot of the "brush it off" thinking but unfortunately step 1 is one of those things you're pretty much f***ing stuck with and is pretty life changing if you even remotely had specific preferences for a life in mind.

 

[DubVille]

Sort of feel like I "made it" now as I'm essentially done with residency (but I am doing a fellowship). At this point I would need to massively, repeatedly, unapologetically f-up to not be board eligible at worst.
Financially, idk when I will feel like I "made it." Probably when I am contributing adequately to retirement, savings, and really making a dent in this debt. I just try to enjoy each day and not focus on "making it" but I do think about it at times.

 

[Mad Jack]

Of course. For someone who fails step 1, only let it affect you if you let it? This is borderline fairy tale especially if you would do anything to be back in California but end up in Arkansas for failing step 1. Close your eyes on your porch and keep saying "I won't let it get to me". Or if you absolutely hated primary care but failing step 1 forced you into a life of outpatient primary care 8-5pm keep closing your eyes after every patient saying "I won't let it get to me." You would turn psychotic. I agree with a lot of the "brush it off" thinking but unfortunately step 1 is one of those things you're pretty much f***ing stuck with and is pretty life changing if you even remotely had specific preferences for a life in mind.

My point isn't that step 1 doesn't matter, it's that you can find happiness regardless of your score if you realign your expectations and craft a path forward that can work for you. Happiness is not your career, your income, or your location, it's a state of mind.

 

[byaaaaaaah23]

As a fourth year after match when my team asked if I wanted to go home early and I said yes and left without worrying about my grade. Made it.