Is med school doable?

[eturch]

Hi everyone, I’ve recently been admitted to a couple of DO programs and as time comes to put a deposit down, the anxiety of what it will mean to actually be in med school is starting to set in. I have dreamed of being a doctor for so so long and I’m so excited for this opportunity but i can’t help but start freaking out. I was wondering if I could get the perspective of current students or anyone in general about how it truly was to be a first year med student and if they found it manageable without going completely insane and becoming absolutely sleep deprived. Tysm!! Any input is appreciated!

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[TragicalDrFaust]

For the average student, med school is roughly as much work as a full time job. If you were able to achieve sufficient MCAT and GPA to be accepted, you are more than capable of passing medical school. Your future classmates are also human so nothing in didactic is going to push you past reasonable limits. Yes there are a few people who study 14 hours a day and do anki on their daily 7 mile run but that's not average and the medical school curriculum isn't designed around that kind of person. Trust me. Me and my mental illness scraped by on 2-4 hours of studying a day.

My advice, first year I wish I hadn't listened to so much bs on SDN. Success in medical school looks a little different for everyone. There are some evidence backed methods such as active learning always being preferable to passive learning and Pomodoro timing. However very little advice applies to everyone. Some people will try to convince you that lecture is a waste of time. Others will insist its absolutely necessary. Neither is true - it depends on you. Some people will say anki is the best way to get top scores and some people will say its garbage. Again, neither is true. So in my most nonsensical advice of all time, don't listen to random people on SDN. There's an extreme selection bias here.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I can only say don't rely solely on online advice. But everyone is different when it comes to struggles. That's why you get help from the administrators and faculty at the schools proactively.

EDIT: Also, be aware that sometimes advice you get from advisors may be incorrect. You have to know how to address advice you get in any case.

 

[Goro]

All new endeavors are fraught with anxiety.

You can do. Keep your eyes on the prize

 

[swamzi]

See a therapist, I wish I did before I started, I'm an attending now and continue to grow/work on myself daily

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Run your own race. What I mean is, I was your typical med student and had to take a lunch pail approach to med school. Put in my 8 hrs a day, plus we had mandatory attendance for many classes. I finished in the top half of my class. My wife, an elite student went to class to socialize and graduated in the top 10% with never less than 8 hrs of sleep. Most of the pressure you put on yourself. Very few students drop out for academic reasons. Most don't like the grind of med school and just withdraw. In my experience, usual total attrition is like 2 to 5 % the first year. Don't make yourself a nervous wreck. You won, you're in. Keep your head down, work very hard, and you'll be fine. Good luck and best wishes!

 

[eturch]

Run your own race. What I mean is, I was your typical med student and had to take a lunch pail approach to med school. Put in my 8 hrs a day, plus we had mamdatory attendance for many classes. I finished in the top half of my class. My wife, an elite student went to class to socialize and graduated in the top 10% with never less than 8 hrs of sleep. Most of the pressure you put on yourself. Very few students drop out for academic reasons. Most don't like the grind of med school and just withdraw. In my experience, usual total attrition is like 2 to 5 % the first year. Don't make yourself a nervous wreck. You won, you're in. Keep your head down, work very hard, and you'll be fine. Good luck and best wishes!

Thank you so much this helped a lot

 

[Osminog]

Tens of thousands of people in the US graduate from med school every year. The attrition rate at most US med schools is very low. If you gained admission, you’ll probably be able to make it through.

Recent video on MSI about combating imposter syndrome:

 

[deleted1133766]

If you got into a US medical school, the school will see to it that you graduate. (Assuming you do your part of course.)

The "dumbest" person in a graduating medical school class is still a doctor.

Also, I still have no idea what Anki is so that is okay if you don't either.

My advice is to pursue a specialty that you actually LIKE. Don't pursue a specialty for prestige or money. If you like FM and it suits your personality, then choose that.

 

[annoyedpsychiatrist]

Hi everyone, I’ve recently been admitted to a couple of DO programs and as time comes to put a deposit down, the anxiety of what it will mean to actually be in med school is starting to set in. I have dreamed of being a doctor for so so long and I’m so excited for this opportunity but i can’t help but start freaking out. I was wondering if I could get the perspective of current students or anyone in general about how it truly was to be a first year med student and if they found it manageable without going completely insane and becoming absolutely sleep deprived. Tysm!! Any input is appreciated!

Late reply but, im an Attending now. When I was a first year medical school student anatomy destroyed me, and almost caused me to fail out right off the bat. That course was brutal for me because I would do fine on the written but bomb the lab exams because i sucked at spatial orientation and wore glasses at the time that would fog (now i have lasik which would have been nice back then). Once I got over that hump, I ended up doing fairly well since and continued to evolve my studying and become more efficient to the point that by second year I was able to maintain a life.

 

[DO2015CA]

I also freaked out the first week of medschool. Just the amount of material I was getting hit with. I actually talked to one of the professors and asked if I made a mistake and should withdraw. Thankfully they talked me into staying. Finished 1st quartile. It’s doable and everyone has the nerves. I’d be suspicious if someone did not

 

[emchickendoc]

OMS1 here, just finished my first semester and starting my second semester. Im going to be honest, I also thought the same way as you did before I started school. I heard about being sleep deprived, not having time for anything, going insane and etc. TBH I think a lot of people over exaggerate. Yes its a lot of work but i dont think its hard per se. Its only hard because of the amount of material in a short amount of time, but thats it. I still have time to do what I want, with planning of course. During exam weeks my schedule looks different because my focus is on exams, but not every week is like that. Most of the time I go to class from 10-2 , eat in between, study until maybe 8-9 , watch a show and then go to sleep and repeat. Ive gone home several times, have gone out with friends, gone to weddings, parties and events. Its all about coordinating/anticipating and planning ! But also I am not a straight A student, but I am passing and that's all that really matters to me. I told myself in the beginning of this journey that I dont need to be a star, I just need to pass. And its gotten me this far. I think its cool what I do, and the opportunity to learn, you will be amazed how much you will learn within four months and how efficient you will be at doing so. Dont stress too much , leave that for later.
Ill also be frank and the hardest part for me personally has been leaving home, and being alone. THAT has been hard for me, I am a home body and having to uproot from home and go away to another state has affected my mental health. But I have gone to therapy through my school which has helped me a lot ! Dont be afraid to ask for help, with anything once you start school ! medical schools want you to succeed once you are there.
Good luck enjoy this moment

 

[eturch]

OMS1 here, just finished my first semester and starting my second semester. Im going to be honest, I also thought the same way as you did before I started school. I heard about being sleep deprived, not having time for anything, going insane and etc. TBH I think a lot of people over exaggerate. Yes its a lot of work but i dont think its hard per se. Its only hard because of the amount of material in a short amount of time, but thats it. I still have time to do what I want, with planning of course. During exam weeks my schedule looks different because my focus is on exams, but not every week is like that. Most of the time I go to class from 10-2 , eat in between, study until maybe 8-9 , watch a show and then go to sleep and repeat. Ive gone home several times, have gone out with friends, gone to weddings, parties and events. Its all about coordinating/anticipating and planning ! But also I am not a straight A student, but I am passing and that's all that really matters to me. I told myself in the beginning of this journey that I dont need to be a star, I just need to pass. And its gotten me this far. I think its cool what I do, and the opportunity to learn, you will be amazed how much you will learn within four months and how efficient you will be at doing so. Dont stress too much , leave that for later.
Ill also be frank and the hardest part for me personally has been leaving home, and being alone. THAT has been hard for me, I am a home body and having to uproot from home and go away to another state has affected my mental health. But I have gone to therapy through my school which has helped me a lot ! Dont be afraid to ask for help, with anything once you start school ! medical schools want you to succeed once you are there.
Good luck enjoy this moment

This was so nice to hear 🥹🥹 tysm and good luck!!

 

[Stranger00120]

Med school is definitely doable. I came in terrified as well. I ended up having a life crisis and repeating my first year. I'm now in a place where I'm doing really well, which wasn't what I was expecting. I echo the sentiment to see a therapist. I'd also recommend finding a group to study with, people who fit your style but aren't necessarily going to be your best friends. I met with my academic advisor yesterday, and I told her that if I could summarize the entire experience into three sentences it would be, "Welcome to med school. You need a group. You need a therapist." Your group is to bounce the questions from the lectures around. Your therapist is there when school is driving you crazy and life is pulling you in a thousand directions. I'm sincerely glad that I started seeing a therapist right near the beginning of school. At the beginning it was finding a path for diagnosis for a rather unusual learning disability but it's been so much more than that. I found my group and started to thrive. Some I study with, so I play board games and bake cookies with. You can't go it alone, no matter how well that's worked for you in the past (at least that's been the experience of everyone I've met so far).

 

[eturch]

Med school is definitely doable. I came in terrified as well. I ended up having a life crisis and repeating my first year. I'm now in a place where I'm doing really well, which wasn't what I was expecting. I echo the sentiment to see a therapist. I'd also recommend finding a group to study with, people who fit your style but aren't necessarily going to be your best friends. I met with my academic advisor yesterday, and I told her that if I could summarize the entire experience into three sentences it would be, "Welcome to med school. You need a group. You need a therapist." Your group is to bounce the questions from the lectures around. Your therapist is there when school is driving you crazy and life is pulling you in a thousand directions. I'm sincerely glad that I started seeing a therapist right near the beginning of school. At the beginning it was finding a path for diagnosis for a rather unusual learning disability but it's been so much more than that. I found my group and started to thrive. Some I study with, so I play board games and bake cookies with. You can't go it alone, no matter how well that's worked for you in the past (at least that's been the experience of everyone I've met so far).

Thank you for the advice!!!

 

[Deecee2DO]

Totally doable