Happy Friday Future Doctors!
So as promised I want to answer some of your questions about medical school and the journey so far. Before I get started, let me update you all on how these first four weeks have been!
We had our first exam on Monday, and not gonna lie- I was very overwhelmed and nervous about the volume of material we had to know. I hadn’t done an in depth study into all the material and just had cursory knowledge of lectures and labs. Hence, my anxiety built up the night before the exam. I had to stop studying by 8pm and watched a rom com on Netflix (Love, Guaranteed) to destress.
The surprising thing was I did higher than the class average and wayyy better than expected. Not saying it was easy by any means, but I came out of that experience learning about more effective study methods. There are certain methods that are working for me, and others that I need to rework.
Now for your questions:
Is medical school scary as people say it is? I want to study medicine but people always just tell me it will be soo hard and cause a breakdown. I’m going to do it anyway but yk! I wonder what I should prepare for!
Medical school is not scary. It is actually exhilarating and fascinating to learn about clinical correlations associated with all the basic science knowledge you’ve accumulated through your four years of undergraduate studies/ graduate school studies (if you were like me and pursued a master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences). You know those receptors, ions, enzymes, pathways you had to memorize for Cell Biology and Biochemistry? You will relearn all of those concepts IN ADDITION to ALL the drugs and diseases you will have to associate with them. For example- understanding what happens when an enzyme in DNA replication doesn’t work is the BASIS for a drug’s mechanism of action.
The alarming part is the overwhelming amount of material you have to know- and know well enough to explain to your future patients. The thing that has been a key motivator in learning this insane volume of material is the knowledge that this information will stay with you for the rest of your life. You HAVE to master it enough to be able to apply it to life-threatening scenarios.
Yes, there will be a period of functional anxiety. That is to be expected. You are embarking on a new journey. Into a field where people’s lives are dependent on YOU doing your job correctly. That is a scary thought.
HOWEVER, realize that anything worth pursuing (and in my humble opinion lol- MEDICINE IS SO TOTALLY WORTH PURSUING) comes with a certain level of discomfort.
That discomfort is what drives you to improve yourself and grow into a version of yourself you can be proud of. A person who is well-adjusted and WILLING to try new things. Failure will come, as will Success. Fearing Failure will hold you back from pursuing your dream/ a noble profession.
What year I am and how has the journey been so far?
I am currently a first year MD student. I have really been enjoying my journey so far! I have been a student who STRUGGLED (y’all you don’t even know) to make it here. I cannot be more grateful for the opportunity to be here. It truly is a blessing and a privilege that I acknowledge. I had a LOT of help getting to this stage and am well aware that not everyone has those same opportunities.
All of the hardships I have gone through in undergrad and graduate school (poor grades, bad advisors, unsupportive friends and family etc.) have prepared me for medical school more than I could’ve imagined. It has made me resilient, dedicated, and determined.
I’ve already made a couple of friends! We have Zoom study sessions every week and A LOT of conversation from GroupMe, Messaging, and WhatsApp lol. It’s a lot to keep track of lol- but I’m loving making new friends who have similar interests as me!
The only downside I’ve noticed is that my schedule tends to change day to day. I haven’t figured out an effective routine that allows me to incorporate an exercise routine. HOPEFULLY, within the next few weeks I’ll have something figured out.
Anyways! That’s all I have for now- as for the rest of your questions keep them coming! I will get to them in my future posts. I’m so glad to be able to share this with you all. Seriously here for motivation! I am NOT a super-smart, well-organized, all around A plus student. I am a real person lol. My philosophy is continuous improvement and dedication to the pursuit of medicine. Wishing you all the best and sending lots of love/ good vibes your way!!
