So, I left medical school.

[wiggitywack12]

I've looked back at your initial post, and the post you were responding to...you keep referencing that as if you weren't saying something that was off in the first place.

I said before, you started off with a good point and premed or not, it's true: med school is often what you make of it, as is being a physician.

Then you gave tips for memorization, and went off into compensation during residency and talked about how easy it is to moonlight and make six figures during residency. You further go on to say that it is a minority of applicants who feel the way the OP feels, but given the way physicians answer polls I would have to say it is not that small of a minority. The OP was just in the tiny minority that realized it while they were still in school and got out. While I have no doubt about my career choice, I understand how many people could feel this way (and will) despite being smart, hard working individuals that will thrive in other professions. Also, realize that as a resident, it's not just the fact that you might be accruing 20k a year of interest while making what equates to $10-12/hr with a professional degree, there is much more the the lifestyle of physicians that you clearly don't understand.

I hate to be the type of person who insinuates you shouldn't give input on this board because you're not a med student yet. Given your cockiness and stubbornness toward you're opinion derived off of anecdotes, I'm afraid you might be someone who doesn't share the same sentiment toward premeds in a year or two.

1. I did not give tips for memorization lol

2. I was offering an alternative to the fact that residents "only" make 50K (since this is an issue here) that if you really want more money there are programs that let you moonlight for more

3. I don't have cockiness I just shared what was told to me. I don't even have "viewpoints" like you said I have anecdotes, no facts. I'm starting school with an open mind mostly and just using what others have told me to prep myself and plan ahead the best I can. I'm sorry if that wasn't expressed better in my initial post but every time I reread I clearly stated that other people (not me) who have completed medical school feel X or Y is true about med school .....phwew!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[pd1112]

After almost completing year two, I voluntarily withdrew from medical school. Truthfully, I couldn't handle the stress without being an unhealthy person. For anyone who is interested, or who may be struggling with a similar decision, I've recorded a video discussing my experience:

50/10, G.O.A.T.

 

[ASD2019]

1. I did not give tips for memorization lol

2. I was offering an alternative to the fact that residents "only" make 50K (since this is an issue here) that if you really want more money there are programs that let you moonlight for more

3. I don't have cockiness I just shared what was told to me. I don't even have "viewpoints" like you said I have anecdotes, no facts. I'm starting school with an open mind mostly and just using what others have told me to prep myself and plan ahead the best I can. I'm sorry if that wasn't expressed better in my initial post but every time I reread I clearly stated that other people (not me) who have completed medical school feel X or Y is true about med school .....phwew!

Please just stop and admit you were wrong (nothing wrong with that). And just acknowledge the courage Rachael had in making the video in the first place (whether you agree with her reasons or not). Her story (whether applicable to you or not) does serve a purpose.

 

[charmiedermie]

Here you go, this will make it easier for you to keep digging yourself a deeper hole:

Nope, same position as before, but keep up the snark. You're quite good at it.

 

[wiggitywack12]

I've looked back at your initial post, and the post you were responding to...you keep referencing that as if you weren't saying something that was off in the first place.

I said before, you started off with a good point and premed or not, it's true: med school is often what you make of it, as is being a physician.

Then you gave tips for memorization, and went off into compensation during residency and talked about how easy it is to moonlight and make six figures during residency. You further go on to say that it is a minority of applicants who feel the way the OP feels, but given the way physicians answer polls I would have to say it is not that small of a minority. The OP was just in the tiny minority that realized it while they were still in school and got out. While I have no doubt about my career choice, I understand how many people could feel this way (and will) despite being smart, hard working individuals that will thrive in other professions. Also, realize that as a resident, it's not just the fact that you might be accruing 20k a year of interest while making what equates to $10-12/hr with a professional degree, there is much more the the lifestyle of physicians that you clearly don't understand.

I hate to be the type of person who insinuates you shouldn't give input on this board because you're not a med student yet. Given your cockiness and stubbornness toward you're opinion derived off of anecdotes, I'm afraid you might be someone who doesn't share the same sentiment toward premeds in a year or two.

1. I never gave anyone tips on memorization. You misread there.

2. I never said it was "easy" to moonlight, I said moonlighting is possible since it was apparently a negative that residents make 50K

3. I don't have cocky views derived from anecdotes. I'm curious and I ask questions and use the resources I'm given. I've talked to people who've already gone through it. All I have is an open slate and their opinions of their experience, I never said these opinions were mine. All I stated was that the physicians I know are happy with their lives...what else did I say that I know about the lifestyle of physicians?

It isn't about semantics. How you can be so naive about med school (as evidenced by your posts) and still try to discredit OP's story by saying "she is part of a small minority" is just incomprehensible. I think all of your posts are actually very beneficial for this thread. They are a direct evidence of the "tunnel vision" referenced by the OP.

1. In what way did I discredit the OP's story? Not only are you pulling in new arguments each time you respond to me, they're getting less and less based off my actual posts and more off of things your adding to them in your head. I said that its a good thing OP discovered medicine isn't for her and that's fine. How is saying that med school (just like anything in life) is what you make of it discrediting OP if I also said that it probably just wasn't for her. I never said she was lying or was a bad person.

 

[0ncogene]

Very true. I always try to understand rather than memorize.

I remember trying to explain the rational behind an equation to a fellow student. She didn't understand and just opted to memorize it. I'm pretty sure I remember the equations better than she does.

Yes even when it comes to using equations on tests. If you take the time to understand why the equation is set up the way it is, it will serve you well in the long run. I always discourage my study buddies from just memorizing the equation and plugging in numbers. Understanding makes learning a lot more fun. Memorizing is a lot more painful in my opinion.

 

[wiggitywack12]

Please just stop and admit you were wrong (nothing wrong with that). And just acknowledge the courage Rachael had in making the video in the first place (whether you agree with her reasons or not). Her story (whether applicable to you or not) does serve a purpose.

1. Again, I never gave anyone memorization tips so I'm not going to admit wrongs that I didn't commit. I said clearly that it was told to me by actual medical students and physicians that understanding should be key and that I won't be able to rely on memorization because of the amount of information that I'll have to cover.

2. I've already acknowledge that its good she found out it isn't for her and that's the only thing I directed at the OP

3. My original comment was directed to another poster who was giving their general view of medical school, I shared the views offered to me by other physicians and what I deduced from, that's it.

 

[GUH]

Regarding the OP:
How do you think a DO school would have been different?
-Sorry to hear about the personal challenges you faced during medical school. You're not alone - depression and family deaths have caused many more of my classmates to drop out or repeat a year than purely academic reasons/poor study habits.
-Neuro is hard. Don't feel bad about it.
-Not every class has so many gunners. I know you've already made your decision to leave the profession but not all medical students/doctors are like that. You probably already know this.
-You're cute.
-Make sure to continue counseling. This is going to be a stressful time and stress can bring previously well-managed disorders back to the surface.
-Congratulations on making the decision now rather than later. Good luck.

 

[Donald Juan]

1. I did not give tips for memorization lol

2. I was offering an alternative to the fact that residents "only" make 50K (since this is an issue here) that if you really want more money there are programs that let you moonlight for more

3. I don't have cockiness I just shared what was told to me. I don't even have "viewpoints" like you said I have anecdotes, no facts. I'm starting school with an open mind mostly and just using what others have told me to prep myself and plan ahead the best I can. I'm sorry if that wasn't expressed better in my initial post but every time I reread I clearly stated that other people (not me) who have completed medical school feel X or Y is true about med school .....phwew!

Listen, I wasn't trying to be a dick, and I still don't want to be. You did say, "There's way too much info to be just memorizing, you need to be understanding primarily is what I've heard most often." Just FYI, stating advice and saying, "I've heard" doesn't excuse it for being bad advice...especially not when you defend it incessantly.

I'm way too tired to comment on your cockiness or the over simplicity of your "we should be happy with what we get" argument on residency salaries or student loans.

 

[Donald Juan]

1. Again, I never gave anyone memorization tips so I'm not going to admit wrongs that I didn't commit

2. I've already acknowledge that its good she found out it isn't for her and that's the only thing I directed at the OP

3. My original comment was directed to another poster who was giving their general view of medical school, I shared the views offered to me by other physicians and what I deduced from, that's it.

Again, you did say, "There's way too much info to be just memorizing, you need to be understanding primarily is what I've heard most often."

 

[jeffk805dent]

That was brave of you. Thanks for posting that OP.

That said, there is no way on this planet I could have done dental school five years ago, or even now. I don't know how non trad people do it, my energy levels are so different now than they were when I started out of college, and I would 100% be unsuccessful if I tried starting now. So. You guys are way smarter and stronger than I am.

I am going to partly disagree with this, because managing a dental office has many issues itself. Maybe I'm the excessive worry type, but in dental school, it was "as long as I get a B, I'm good"

You would have done fine in dental school 5 years ago, its the future of dentistry (and in healthcare in general) thats got me worried.

 

[wiggitywack12]

Listen, I wasn't trying to be a dick, and I still don't want to be. You did say, "There's way too much info to be just memorizing, you need to be understanding primarily is what I've heard most often." Just FYI, stating advice and saying, "I've heard" doesn't excuse it for being bad advice...especially not when you defend it incessantly.

I'm way too tired to comment on your cockiness or the over simplicity of your "we should be happy with what we get" argument on residency salaries or student loans.

1. You're using half the sentence. I said that I was told by medical students not to rely on memorization. This is my actual sentence as it was originally posted:
"Also most medical students I know heavily encourage AGAINST memorization. There's way too much info to be just memorizing, you need to be understanding primarily is what I've heard most often."

How would this count as me giving memorization tips? I don't think it does...


I didn't say you should be happy, I said at this point I'm not going to complain about it. My views might very well change, I just said I already know how much they pay residents and I'm (me, myself, not you, not others) not going to complain about it.

I never explicitly or intentionally negated anyone's decisions or feelings, I'm really sorry that it seemed that way.

 

[fancymylotus]

I am going to partly disagree with this, because managing a dental office has many issues itself. Maybe I'm the excessive worry type, but in dental school, it was "as long as I get a B, I'm good"

You would have done fine in dental school 5 years ago, its the future of dentistry (and in healthcare in general) thats got me worried.

I meant the studying nonstop sleeping very little going to class taking exams repeat repeat repeat thing. I did it at 21, don't think I could have done it at 26, for sure can't do it now at 29.



I'm not worried about the future of teef.

 

[W19]

lol a resident is indeed a physician. I never said anything about an attending. You personally can be ok with it, but there is no way you can justify physician pay (resident or attending for that matter). How is it justifiable for a resident who has 2x the # of yrs of schooling to get paid less than a nurse coming straight out of school?

As a college senior, earning $10/hr, 60k might seem like a lot of money. But when you are in your mid 30s, with a family, 150k of debt (and watching that 150 quickly turn into 200k), and you work 16/hrs a day to earn that, then you can decide whether you are ok with it or not.

Last time I checked, people don't get paid on how much schooling they wentg thru...otherwise ID physicians would make as much as ortho surgeons.

 

[UBC2014]

And yet another thread on SDN derailed.

 

[W19]

90% memorization is not true. If you are memorizing 90% and understanding only 10% in med school, then you are most likely doing it wrong. Like every class you will have to memorize the basics, but understanding is an important and larger part when learning complex concepts that are built from the fundamentals.

Anatomy seemed to me almost 100% memorization... Gosh...good riddance! I know you are still coming back for the boards.

 

[ASD2019]

Last time I checked, people don't get paid on how much schooling they wentg thru...otherwise ID physicians would make as much as ortho surgeons.

Do you seriously need an explanation for why ortho makes more than ID? Do you disagree with the opinion that residents should a least make the starting salary for a 2yr RN?

 

[FutureD0C17]

Great post whizatphys. It takes courage to share that in hopes of helping others. What are your plans now? You seem cool and down to earth...I wish the best of luck.

The stress is a major consideration, but additionally, tuition continues to rise, residency spots are dwindling, and most of the healthcare changes seem unfavorable for the docs. When does the madness stop? I think a drop off in med apps is looming.

 

[username456789]

The stress is a major consideration, but additionally, tuition continues to rise, residency spots are dwindling

Residency spots are increasing.

 

[W19]

Do you seriously need an explanation for why ortho makes more than ID? Do you disagree with the opinion that residents should a least make the starting salary for a 2yr RN?

I really don't need an explanation from you TBH since I have been in healthcare for 8 years before going to med school... You have not set up your feet in med school yet , but you seem to be more vocal about what goes on in all aspect med school education and even healthcare in general... You said resident should make more than nurses because they have more 'schooling', which I said is absurd. People make more money in a particular field mostly because it is what the 'free' market have decided... Tomorrow CMS can decide to cut orthoe reimbursement and most HMO will follow suit... What will happen ortho surgeons salary then?

 

[FutureD0C17]

Residency spots are increasing.

You would know better than me. I was under the impression that student enrollment is outpacing the residency additions, thus the available ratio is lower. Also, some of the AOA programs may get shut down if they can't meet the new requirements.

 

[GUH]

People make more money in a particular field mostly because it is what the 'free' market have decided... Tomorrow CMS can decide to cut orthoe reimbursement and most HMO will follow suit...

These two sentences cannot both be true.

 

[SLC]

I think a few folks in this thread should have become RN's, coveting their salaries.

I figure that's the salary one can make after finishing the required training to become a registered nurse. It doesn't go up much from there, I'm not jealous.

When we finish our required training we make a few times more than that. The return on investment is worth it over a career, and we went in knowing what the resident pay would be.

 

[Mass Effect]

Most people make around 55-60K in residency and some programs subsidize living costs and allow for moonlighting which can increase a residents take home to nearly or at 100K if they want to moonlight

Yes, and some people even win the lottery and live off the millions they win. Your comments sound like what someone in HS would say. First of all, 99% of programs do NOT subsidize housing costs. Secondly, you don't moonlight until AT LEAST 2nd year. Usually, you don't moonlight until 3rd year. Third, the only people coming close to making 40-50K moonlighting (to reach that magical 100K number you quoted) are those in psych or PMR or derm or other such specialties. There's no IM resident making that much moonlighting because they don't have time to moonlight to rack up that much money. I hope that you revisit this post when you're a resident so you can see how different things truly are.

And unfortunately 55K is actually still above the average stem starting salary with only a bachelors degree

Except that residents have a DOCTORATE, not a Bachelor's. Oh, and by the way, instead of working 40-50 hours a week like most people do, they work 80 (or more, but lying about it). So, on average, residents are paid less than most people working in the hospital who may not even have a Bachelor's.

To be honest, most people that withdraw/fail out of medical school have underlying problems with depression and anxiety.

Please cite your source for such a claim.

the truth is that medical school is not as difficult as people make it out to be. Medical school (especially the preclinical years) are very doable if you are an average, hardworking student. The most stressful part of being a doctor comes after you graduate from medical school; during residency and clinical practice.

Orrrr, the book learning is simply what you were good at. There are many people in residency who like it a hell of a lot better than med school and don't find it nearly as stressful. Don't assume your experience is everyone else's. And that, by the way, is why I'm asking for a source on your above claim.

 

[ASD2019]

I really don't need an explanation from you TBH since I have been in healthcare for 8 years before going to med school... You have not set up your feet in med school yet , but you seem to be more vocal about what goes on in all aspect med school education and even healthcare in general... You said resident should make more than nurses because they have more 'schooling', which I said is absurd. People make more money in a particular field mostly because it is what the 'free' market have decided... Tomorrow CMS can decide to cut orthoe reimbursement and most HMO will follow suit... What will happen ortho surgeons salary then?

Yes I admit my statement isn't an absolute truth (some of the world's richest people are HS dropouts). But generally speaking more education leads to more money (especially in healthcare). This is even more true when the in difference in education is sooo vast (a 2yr associate vs a doctorate).

 

[W19]

These two sentences cannot both be true.

That is why I put free in quotation... It's most likely what some big wig sitting somewhere drinking cognac decides what you worth...

 

[wiggitywack12]

Yes, and some people even win the lottery and live off the millions they win. Your comments sound like what someone in HS would say. First of all, 99% of programs do NOT subsidize housing costs. Secondly, you don't moonlight until AT LEAST 2nd year. Usually, you don't moonlight until 3rd year. Third, the only people coming close to making 40-50K moonlighting (to reach that magical 100K number you quoted) are those in psych or PMR or derm or other such specialties. There's no IM resident making that much moonlighting because they don't have time to moonlight to rack up that much money. I hope that you revisit this post when you're a resident so you can see how different things truly are..

I already explained that moonlighting was mentioned as an alternative. Also those aren't "magical" numbers...if you use the search button you'll find residents on SDN who've made that much because they decided to moonlight. People in this thread seem to like skipping and misquoting posts yet try to insult people at the same time...if this is how you read and comprehend, I wouldn't be surprised if preclinical years were difficult for you.

 

[W19]

Lets get this thread back on topic guys/gals...

 

[zeppelinpage4]

tl;dr is "Gunners, gunners everywhere but not a friend to see," "med school didn't match my personality," "I've missed a lot of my life because I've been too busy studying," and "I went into this for the wrong reasons."

Sad thing is, I honestly think she'd have done great at my school. From all of her complaints and her description of her personality, she seems like a typical student here- not gunnerish, but wanting to achieve, wants to be a physician but also values her work-life balance, etc.

That is definitely unfortunate. My school is like yours too, perhaps she might have done well in a more supportive environment. Most of my classmates work hard, but they seem to value that work-life balance thing a lot too. Few, if any, are true gunners...as far as I can tell at least. The majority of my peers have only been supportive these first two years. Honestly, I hate a lot of things about med school right now, but my classmates are one of the few reasons that make this feel somewhat worthwhile, a few have helped me through some real tough times. If anything, some of my classmates, and my close friends especially, are the reason I've been able to keep going and not quit.

Either way, hope everything works out for the OP. It's a tough decision, but you gotta do what's best for you.

Also, I'll note, my program is a state MD. So I don't think the culture is a specifically MD or DO thing. It probably varies a lot school by school. I've gotten great vibes from a few MD programs, and not so good ones from others. It's also hard to gauge from one interview day. And the vibe of the school can vary class by class too I think. Some years are more chill and laid back than others, just depends on the batch accepted I suppose. So, it's definitely a hard thing to predict. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out in OPs favor.

 

[Stagg737]

I'm sure if you were to ask any of them, they would classify themselves as "run of the mill" out of modesty. Very few gunners or competitive people will come out and say they are those things.

I'm extremely competitive when it comes to med school and life in general and I have no problem telling my classmates that. It's not a bad thing and it doesn't mean I hope they don't work to be the best they can be. I'd love to see everyone in my class score 99.99% on every test as long as I score 100%.

Anatomy seemed to me almost 100% memorization... Gosh...good riddance! I know you are still coming back for the boards.

If you do it right it doesn't have to be. Yes, there's a ton of memorization, but you can definitely find shortcuts to significantly decrease the amount of memorization needed. A lot of times if you understand the relationships of various body parts then there's no need to memorize them. Knowing basic latin helps a lot as well.

 

[Mass Effect]

I already explained that moonlighting was mentioned as an alternative. Also those aren't "magical" numbers...if you use the search button you'll find residents on SDN who've made that much because they decided to moonlight. People in this thread seem to like skipping and misquoting posts yet try to insult people at the same time...if this is how you read and comprehend, I wouldn't be surprised if preclinical years were difficult for you.

Actually, I did quite well in the pre-clinical years, but thanks for asking. Also, it's a small minority in the specialties mentioned above and similar who are able to make that much money.

 

[wiggitywack12]

Actually, I did quite well in the pre-clinical years, but thanks for asking. Also, it's a small minority in the specialties mentioned above and similar who are able to make that much money.

You weren't asked. How embarrassing for you.

 

[Pisiform]

For Christ sake, you guys are in medical school now and still not over MD vs DO thing? This thing could happen in any school -- it all depends on how much supportive the school admin and professors are and how tolerable the student body is.

 

[NickNaylor]

I didn't watch the video, but I will say that the end of M2/boards study time was probably the low point of medical school for me at least (and I think many of my classmates were the same). Sure, some of the material is interesting, but sitting somewhere and studying the same stuff hours on end is grating after a while. Though you get some training in things that have some semblance of "being a doctor" (e.g., clinical skills courses), the experience of the first two years feels very distant from what many people originally signed up for when they wanted to come to medical school. The choice of personal life vs. academic success is a difficult one, and I think everyone needs to make sacrifices in one to prioritize the other - even if they won't admit it. There are some people that are able to do both, but they are the exception rather than the rule in my experience. It's a difficult thing to accept the fact that if you want to have a healthy work-life balance, you aren't going to be a [competitive specialist] unless you're one of The Chosen.

I doubted going to medical school at least once a month - if not once a week - towards the latter half of M2. It sucked. As others have mentioned, while M3 was difficult in terms of having very little free time, the work itself was much more satisfying. In contrast to the first two years, there was a time during M3 when I turned the corner and realized I made the right choice to go into medicine. I didn't love all of my rotations, and there was certainly a hefty amount of bull**** that made up the clinical experience, but nonetheless the fundamental work itself was satisfying, interesting, and a challenge.

On the one hand I sympathize with the OP's perspective, but on the other hand I wonder if had she just pushed a little bit further to "see the light," as they say, if she would've made the same decision. Unfortunately that's the difficulty of this field, as you may very well realize after another year that your initial inclination was correct, but now you've wasted another year of time and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. For those reading this, though, I think it's important to remember that the pre-clinical years are not what medicine is, nor will it represent what the majority of your career is like. It's important, yes, but it's also only a relatively short phase of a longer and significantly different trajectory.

Good luck OP.

 

[NobleGas14]

This is why SDN gets a bad rep. OP shares her story yet we have people arguing about such nonsense; as trivial as semantics on a message board.


OP, I hope you find the strength and peace to get through these hard times. Thank you for sharing.


Hopefully Mods can clean up some of these comments/users

 

[zeppelinpage4]

No joke, my MD school sounds exactly like your DO school. Knew I liked you for a reason.

In fact, my school is so unfamiliar with gunners that we think a gunner is just someone who works harder than you and thus indirectly makes you feel bad for not also working that hard.

My class is exactly the same, down to the funny use of the term "gunner" for our more hard working folks. For real though, everything in yours and Madjacks posts sounds like my program too. I always had a high respect for you guys on these forums...this might be one of the reasons why haha.

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

lol a resident is indeed a physician. I never said anything about an attending. You personally can be ok with it, but there is no way you can justify physician pay (resident or attending for that matter). How is it justifiable for a resident who has 2x the # of yrs of schooling to get paid less than a nurse coming straight out of school?

As a college senior, earning $10/hr, 60k might seem like a lot of money. But when you are in your mid 30s, with a family, 150k of debt (and watching that 150 quickly turn into 200k), and you work 16/hrs a day to earn that, then you can decide whether you are ok with it or not.

The problem is that many people think residents actually have a salary paid by the hospital. This is indeed not the case. The salary you speak of is from Medicare funding. Hospitals have tricked Congress for far too long for free money to run their residencies, when for the most part residents actually make the hospital quite a bit of money. This is why residents get paid less then nurses, hospitals are too greedy and they know residents have no bargaining power. Can you blame them?

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

I really don't need an explanation from you TBH since I have been in healthcare for 8 years before going to med school... You have not set up your feet in med school yet , but you seem to be more vocal about what goes on in all aspect med school education and even healthcare in general... You said resident should make more than nurses because they have more 'schooling', which I said is absurd. People make more money in a particular field mostly because it is what the 'free' market have decided... Tomorrow CMS can decide to cut orthoe reimbursement and most HMO will follow suit... What will happen ortho surgeons salary then?

Hey why can't they pay residents with a 'fee for service' model like they do with other providers including PAs and NPs. If Congress stopped funding of all residencies through Medicare and they allowed residents to be paid by service/procedure they provide then everyone would win, resident salaries would be as high as PAs and NPs, comparble to each respective specialy, hospitals would make money and the taxpayer doesn't have to pay through medicare funding. Couldn't something like this be done? I think this would also pump residency positions, but would negatively hinder PAs, and NPs.

 

[Debt Free Doctor]

After almost completing year two, I voluntarily withdrew from medical school. Truthfully, I couldn't handle the stress without being an unhealthy person. For anyone who is interested, or who may be struggling with a similar decision, I've recorded a video discussing my experience:

Thank you for sharing this.

I think you are an incredibly bright and articulate person.
I also think that your preferred mode of learning (auditory and visual) can get you very far in many careers, including medicine.

I, too, was not the typical medical student because I was very slow and distracted when it comes to reading. I was an immigrant, and shunned reading throughout college and med school.
I preferred doing all my learning through discussions, lectures, and group studies. (side benefit of this preference was money saved as I didn't buy any textbook after 1st semester of medical school.)

While I am certain that you will succeed at anything you put your mind to next, I do think that you CAN (if you want) become a great doc one day.
I'm not trying to impose on you to re-think your decision to leave medical school, just stating that it is an option still.

There's definitely lots of studying in medical school, but I think one important key to successfully jumping through the hoops is to HONOR ourselves and our own blend of learning styles.
Like you said, many study the same way or TRY conforming to one way of studying.
I believe however, freeing oneself from the notion of conforming will help one study most efficiently and successfully.

Although I did NOT get a 270's on USMLE I, and was NOT #1 graduating from my medical school.
I did well enough to match into my dream specialty... while having a decent work-life balance (or so I was content with) while raising a child partly as a single parent in med school.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss anything associated with learning/testing/matching into residency.
I feel that we had similar traits albeit different circumstances, and I'd like to be of assistance if at all possible.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Zebra Hunter]

.

 

[whizatphys]

Whoa. I was NOT expecting my video to have almost 1,000 views, my jaw almost dislocated this morning when I saw that because it dropped to the ground. But... I had a feeling that I wasn't alone. I want everyone to know that I am carefully reading each and every response, because I do want to respond to several of the questions/comments that I am receiving (both on this forum here, and also through private messages). I am elated that I have inspired a serious conversation about this topic, because silence and ignorance go hand in hand. Thank you everyone for some truly excellent feedback, I greatly appreciate both the positive and the negative.

 

[pd1112]

I feel for some of the circumstances she went through, i.e. family deaths & separation from her support/SO, but for the majority of the video she just came off as bitter and burnt because her "perfectionism and personality that got her well above a 4.0, 34 MCAT, magna cum laude, rewrite my notes 100x so they're perfect" did not equate to success in medical school. I would never downplay psychiatric illness, but it almost seemed like an aside, with more of the focus on bitterness towards classmates and inability to adjust to medical school.

 

[fancymylotus]

I feel like we should stop arguing about ridiculous **** amongst ourselves.

 

[ehwhatsupdoc]

Whoa. I was NOT expecting my video to have almost 1,000 views, my jaw almost dislocated this morning when I saw that because it dropped to the ground. But... I had a feeling that I wasn't alone. I want everyone to know that I am carefully reading each and every response, because I do want to respond to several of the questions/comments that I am receiving (both on this forum here, and also through private messages). I am elated that I have inspired a serious conversation about this topic, because silence and ignorance go hand in hand. Thank you everyone for some truly excellent feedback, I greatly appreciate both the positive and the negative.

So I'm curious what's the plan for now? Any interests you are going to pursue? Thanks for sharing your experiences. I hope you realize leaving med school is really no big deal in the grand scheme of things. Life moves on and I'm sure other dreams will come along that you'll want to follow. Good luck!

 

[whizatphys]

Maybe I missed something, but I had to turn it off a little less than halfway through because it sounded like every other complaint about med school that I've heard from struggling students. I'm positive OP's tune would be different if she was doing better in school. And as others have pointed out, just because someone puts more effort into med school than yourself does not make them a gunner. If you find yourself getting annoyed with how much everyone around you is studying/taking notes/asking questions it's probably because you aren't putting enough effort into your studies.

Thank you so much for your response, I appreciate the time you took to even watch a small bit of the video. I know it's long, I go on tangents.

I do see what you are saying, and for a long time, I considered that if I just studied harder, and took more Adderall (prescribed to me by my psychiatrist who was appointed to me by my medical school for ADHD -- which I have never been diagnosed with before), that I could do better. But, like I said in my video, my brain eventually hit a physiological wall. I realized that I wasn't smart enough, I couldn't memorize enough. That was one of the hardest things for me, to accept the reality that I just couldn't do it without being unhealthy and on pharmaceutical speed. That wasn't the life I want to live, not now, not tomorrow, not ever. How could I make a good doctor like that? Or a good future parent, friend, relative, sister etc? I wouldn't.

 

[BudMEd05]

Hi Whizatphys, You have made a mistake, you should go back to medical school, the stress and the insanity actually gets better after your second year. You have no real experience actually treating patients day in and day out and haven't really experienced the satisfaction that is inherent in that aspect of this job. The reality of medicine is very different from the first two years of medical school. A lot of people would love to be in the situation you were in prior to making the decision to leave school, but unlike you- they don't have the opportunity or the means to do what you can do if you remain in school. From watching this video- I felt like the reason you left was because you wanted to get more of a control of your OCD symptoms, and I agree it is a terrible disease, but I think you are strong enough to deal with that disease while doing what you were meant to do. The disease is only a part of you, you shouldn't let it limit what you can or cannot do in life. The way I see it, you have two options, stay in medicine - and really work for the benefit of other human beings and play a role in helping relieve the suffering of your fellow human beings (and in the process - you get to experience how it actually helps you grow as a person and deal with your own insecurities in life), OR leave medicine and lose that special opportunity that this life has presented to you.

 

[Pacna]

What this thread started as:

What this thread has become:

 

[whizatphys]

Hi Whizatphys, You have made a mistake, you should go back to medical school, the stress and the insanity actually gets better after your second year. You have no real experience actually treating patients day in and day out and haven't really experienced the satisfaction that is inherent in that aspect of this job. The reality of medicine is very different from the first two years of medical school. A lot of people would love to be in the situation you were in prior to making the decision to leave school, but unlike you- they don't have the opportunity or the means to do what you can do if you remain in school. From watching this video- I felt like the reason you left was because you wanted to get more of a control of your OCD symptoms, and I agree it is a terrible disease, but I think you are strong enough to deal with that disease while doing what you were meant to do. The disease is only a part of you, you shouldn't let it limit what you can or cannot do in life. The way I see it, you have two options, stay in medicine - and really work for the benefit of other human beings and play a role in helping relieve the suffering of your fellow human beings (and in the process - you get to experience how it actually helps you grow as a person and deal with your own insecurities in life), OR leave medicine and lose that special opportunity that this life has presented to you.

I have left medicine.

 

[pageantry]

@whizatphys, thanks for posting this, that was really brave. I'm kinda mad on your behalf at how hard this thread has been derailed over petty bullsh*t, and especially because I think the honest and thoughtful comments in here are solid gold and they're getting lost.

Others have asked it, but I'm going to chime in, just in case it gets missed: What do you think might have been better about DO school?

 

[ASD2019]

I have left medicine.

Rachael - Can you address as to what you are currently doing and/or plan on doing? I think that is the biggest question that has come up in this thread. And if you don't mind sharing, how much debt did you have?