What's with all the "Dropping out of Med"

[qw098]

Is this normal?

November.. two months after the start of med, peeps wanna drop out..

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[Mad Jack]

It's about the only time you can. If you wait until the next semester, you just tacked on another 25-50k of loans. If you think medicine isn't for you, this is the only time to get out and not be financially devastated.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

It's usually the few unhappy voices are louder than the content majority.

Also, this is probably around the time MS1s are really in the depths of med school. Classes have finally ramped up, there's mid terms, and approaching finals. BUT despite that, most MS1s are probably still not adjusted to all this or used to med school yet, making it more overwhelming.

Weather is getting colder, days are shorter too...probably doesn't help.

 

[Serous Demilune]

These threads are mostly neurotic premeds who happened to get into med school and now can't handle not getting in the 90s on every test. Either grow the **** up or GTFO.

 

[mcloaf]

These threads are mostly neurotic premeds who happened to get into med school and now can't handle not getting in the 90s on every test. Either grow the **** up or GTFO.

But I'm special...?

 

[Mad Jack]

These threads are mostly neurotic premeds who happened to get into med school and now can't handle not getting in the 90s on every test. Either grow the **** up or GTFO.

Given what I've observed from people leaving my program, I'd say this isn't the case. Some people just view the cumulative toll that medical education takes on their emotional health to be too much. They also had families. You can't just say "grow the **** up and get used to neglecting your kids and spouse, this is some adult **** now!" Med school is just med school, and when it starts to tear your life apart, there's a very good argument for leaving so you can take care of what really matters.

 

[Entadus]

Is this normal?

November.. two months after the start of med, peeps wanna drop out..

I've been in school for over 3 months.

Not thinking of dropping out... just saying

 

[mcloaf]

so you can take care of what really matters.

amirite

 

[Mad Jack]

amirite

I died

 

[Southplains]

Timing in the year is ripe for these kinds of threads, but I've also noticed an abundance of woe is me and med school sucks threads in allo lately. It's starting to feel as neurotic as the preallo forum

 

[Serous Demilune]

Given what I've observed from people leaving my program, I'd say this isn't the case. Some people just view the cumulative toll that medical education takes on their emotional health to be too much. They also had families. You can't just say "grow the **** up and get used to neglecting your kids and spouse, this is some adult **** now!" Med school is just med school, and when it starts to tear your life apart, there's a very good argument for leaving so you can take care of what really matters.

I was talking about the people posting threads on SDN, a very special breed of overgrown teenagers. Of course if medical school is interfering with more than your self esteem then you need to think about if it's right for you.

 

[qw098]

Weather is getting colder

YOLO for SoCal... or any southern part

 

[wjs010]

People need to try to just get their feet wet and pass, build confidence, and not freak out so much. I know .. Easier said than done. But if you know you can pass, then you can increase with that confidence.

 

[JJMrK]

Most people are doing fine. Some aren't, and they are more likely to post about being unhappy than happy. Same deal, different year. SDN cycle.

 

[W19]

Med school sucks... I am passing and all, but I feel like a nice human being like me shouldn't suffer like that. Why can't they go with the same pace like undergrad or extend that sh1t for 5 years so people at least can breathe...

 

[wjs010]

Med school sucks... I am passing and all, but I feel like a nice human being like me shouldn't suffer like that. Why can't they go with the same pace like undergrad or extend that sh1t for 5 years so people at least can breathe...

Supply and demand

 

[EMDO2018]

Med school is chill, if you don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Most of the people having problems in our class are sadistic, hypercompetitive, little 22 year old ultra gunners who are ready to off themselves because they aren't getting honors. I never met so many prestige driven, elitist, know it alls in my life, who at the same time are trying very hard to convinced themselves that they are not idiots. Kid the other day actually had a comment about how DOs inferior then goes on to ask "what is insulin?" But he had a 3.9 in a classics major and had 100 ECs, these are the types of traits adcoms are selecting for.

 

[circulus vitios]

I've been in med school for 3 months.

The novelty wears off, the intensity ramps up, and then you're faced with the prospects of grinding away through another 17 relentless months of pre-clinical material that will only get more difficult. It's demoralizing and disgusting.

 

[redpanda]

Med school sucks... I am passing and all, but I feel like a nice human being like me shouldn't suffer like that. Why can't they go with the same pace like undergrad or extend that sh1t for 5 years so people at least can breathe...

Unfortunately, being a nice or good person has nothing to do with how school is structured. Perhaps part of the reason why med school isn't drawn out is because medicine itself has never been a chill profession. You might as well start adjusting now. After all, your life in MS1-MS2 is so much more chill than MS3 than intern year, etc.

 

[W19]

It's kind of humiliating when it did not take one even a month to realize that you are not the smartest kid on the block anymore (not even close) when you've been getting As in undergrad... Now getting As is a luxury!

 

[Psai]

Med school is chill, if you don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Most of the people having problems in our class are sadistic, hypercompetitive, little 22 year old ultra gunners who are ready to off themselves because they aren't getting honors. I never met so many prestige driven, elitist, know it alls in my life, who at the same time are trying very hard to convinced themselves that they are not idiots. Kid the other day actually had a comment about how DOs inferior then goes on to ask "what is insulin?" But he had a 3.9 in a classics major and had 100 ECs, these are the types of traits adcoms are selecting for.

"Don't compare yourself to others"
proceeds to post intimate details about someone else's medical school application

 

[ChEMD]

Going into med school, a lot of people seem to expect something other than taking a bunch of science courses in their first year. And they also seemed to think that those science courses weren't going to go into very much detail. Those people are the ones saying "I don't know if medicine is right for me" or "medicine isn't what I thought it was going to be" as they're memorizing the steps in the Krebs cycle. News flash, first year isn't medicine. Not even close. People expect to learn about diseases and how to treat them from day 1 without having any sort of foundation for how things work. It's those people that complain about all of the "minutiae" and it's those same people that are freaking out thinking they've chosen the wrong path.

 

[fancymylotus]

Med school is chill, if you don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Most of the people having problems in our class are sadistic, hypercompetitive, little 22 year old ultra gunners who are ready to off themselves because they aren't getting honors. I never met so many prestige driven, elitist, know it alls in my life, who at the same time are trying very hard to convinced themselves that they are not idiots. Kid the other day actually had a comment about how DOs inferior then goes on to ask "what is insulin?" But he had a 3.9 in a classics major and had 100 ECs, these are the types of traits adcoms are selecting for.

 

[Ismet]

Med school sucks... I am passing and all, but I feel like a nice human being like me shouldn't suffer like that. Why can't they go with the same pace like undergrad or extend that sh1t for 5 years so people at least can breathe...

Uhhh 4 years is long enough, thanks.

Enjoy the free time you have now in MS1. It might not seem like you have any (and if you don't have any, re-evaluate your study habits because you're doing something wrong) but your free time decreases for MS2 and is pretty non-existant in MS3.

 

[IlDestriero]

This is when a new crowd of special snowflakes, who were former high flying superstars, realize they're in the bottom 1/4 of the class and are in for a rough few years. It is the end of the high paying subspecialist fantasy as well.
Welcome to reality. Sometimes it ain't so pretty.

Or to put it in s scientific terms, it's when a bunch of people who thought that they were 2 SD above the mean realize that they are actually 1 SD below the mean.

 

[fancymylotus]

This is when a new crowd of special snowflakes, who were former high flying superstars, realize they're in the bottom 1/4 of the class and are in for a rough few years. It is the end of the high paying subspecialist fantasy as well.
Welcome to reality. Sometimes it ain't so pretty.

Or to put it in s scientific terms, it's when a bunch of people who thought that they were 2 SD above the mean realize that they are actually 1 SD below the mean.

I'm a special snowflake, I dunno what you're talking about!

But this sounds a lot like what used to happen in dental school too

 

[circulus vitios]

This is when a new crowd of special snowflakes, who were former high flying superstars, realize they're in the bottom 1/4 of the class and are in for a rough few years. It is the end of the high paying subspecialist fantasy as well.
Welcome to reality. Sometimes it ain't so pretty.

Or to put it in s scientific terms, it's when a bunch of people who thought that they were 2 SD above the mean realize that they are actually 1 SD below the mean.

I always knew I was a *******. It's just that I have to work really hard to be a ******* in med school, as opposed to skating along as a ******* in college.

 

[Girly X]

I remember feeling pretty low too this time last year. For me, it was the constant studying. M1s, it gets better in second year, promise. You just get used to it, and the material is more clinical, albeit a lot more material. Either way, I think you'll be much happier after first year, probably even by March when you have summer to look forward to and somehow your brain has adjusted to the constant studying and new lifestyle. The brain is a wonderful organ. Be patient as it resets lol

 

[DermViser]

It's about the only time you can. If you wait until the next semester, you just tacked on another 25-50k of loans. If you think medicine isn't for you, this is the only time to get out and not be financially devastated.

Sad but true. I'd really say a year tops. I'm guessing your loan figure includes room and board. I was only including tuition & fees..

 

[Mad Jack]

Med school is chill, if you don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Most of the people having problems in our class are sadistic, hypercompetitive, little 22 year old ultra gunners who are ready to off themselves because they aren't getting honors. I never met so many prestige driven, elitist, know it alls in my life, who at the same time are trying very hard to convinced themselves that they are not idiots. Kid the other day actually had a comment about how DOs inferior then goes on to ask "what is insulin?" But he had a 3.9 in a classics major and had 100 ECs, these are the types of traits adcoms are selecting for.

If everyone you meet is an idiot, have you considered that maybe there is a lack of understanding on your part rather than theirs? Most people who think everyone and everything around them is the problem are usually the problem themselves, but they lack the reflective capacity to see it as such.

It always just feels like you're lashing out at everything but staying static, focusing on the problems around you rather than looking inward to see if maybe it is your world view and opinions that are the issue.

 

[DermViser]

But I'm special...?

Yes, you are and the AAMC knows it:
https://www.aamc.org/download/283608/data/minor-communcatingeffectively.pdf

 

[DermViser]

amirite

Is Prestige a prostitute?

 

[DermViser]

Med school sucks... I am passing and all, but I feel like a nice human being like me shouldn't suffer like that. Why can't they go with the same pace like undergrad or extend that sh1t for 5 years so people at least can breathe...

So you want medical school to be 7 years long? 5 years basic science? How much do you want to extend residency for?

 

[Mad Jack]

Sad but true. I'd really say a year tops. I'm guessing your loan figure includes room and board. I was only including tuition & fees..

I've got 82k in loans, fees, and room and board per year. Some students paying out-of-state prices at certain state schools or at private schools in high CoL areas have it even worse than me. If I were to up and leave, I'd have 41k in loans to pay off with a 60k/year base salary. I could hypothetically survive with a full year of loans under my belt, but my life would really really suck unless I put in a lot of overtime (which would make my life suck).

 

[DermViser]

Med school is chill, if you don't get caught up in comparing yourself to others. Most of the people having problems in our class are sadistic, hypercompetitive, little 22 year old ultra gunners who are ready to off themselves because they aren't getting honors. I never met so many prestige driven, elitist, know it alls in my life, who at the same time are trying very hard to convinced themselves that they are not idiots. Kid the other day actually had a comment about how DOs inferior then goes on to ask "what is insulin?" But he had a 3.9 in a classics major and had 100 ECs, these are the types of traits adcoms are selecting for.

Isn't that what you've done since the beginning and are doing in this post right now?

 

[DermViser]

I've been in med school for 3 months.

The novelty wears off, the intensity ramps up, and then you're faced with the prospects of grinding away through another 17 relentless months of pre-clinical material that will only get more difficult. It's demoralizing and disgusting.

And you're an M1 in the first semester and can still leave.

 

[circulus vitios]

And you're an M1 in the first semester and can still leave.

I've thought about it more than once, and I will continue to think about it.

 

[DermViser]

This is when a new crowd of special snowflakes, who were former high flying superstars, realize they're in the bottom 1/4 of the class and are in for a rough few years. It is the end of the high paying subspecialist fantasy as well.
Welcome to reality. Sometimes it ain't so pretty.

Or to put it in s scientific terms, it's when a bunch of people who thought that they were 2 SD above the mean realize that they are actually 1 SD below the mean.

You're a mean person. j.k. Surprised you haven't been cursed out by an M1 SDNer yet.

I guess the bigger question is what things can an undergrad (or even before that) do to make them 1-2 SDs above the mean. Go to a better college that challenges them? Do research to spur critical thinking skills?

 

[DermViser]

I've thought about it more than once, and I will continue to think about it.

But not do anything about it and just ***** on SDN for 4 years right? I haven't seen you like anything so far - it's a huge red flag. It's the perfect recipe for depression.

 

[circulus vitios]

But not do anything about it and just ***** on SDN for 4 years right? I haven't seen you like anything so far - it's a huge red flag. It's the perfect recipe for depression.

In hindsight, I enjoyed biochemistry and genetics. I enjoy parts of physiology. It's just that the negative aspects of medical school significantly overpower the positive aspects, and I'm going to make a decision before the next round student loans are disbursed.

 

[DermViser]

I always knew I was a *******. It's just that I have to work really hard to be a ******* in med school, as opposed to skating along as a ******* in college.

If you knew you were a dumb*** in college (being lazy there), then why even go for med school. By the way, you admitted you didn't care in med school either - so I don't see how that trend has changed. You're mad that med school doesn't allow you to be as lazy in college, just to get a "Pass" vs. an HP/H?

 

[Meh.meh]

It's interesting how many people here are complaining about "gunners" and then going on to rip on other people's personalities, intelligence, expectations, or "neurotic behavior."

I don't think it's particularly unreasonable for high-achieving people to be upset by doing "poorly." I actually think it's pretty f*cking normal.

Chances are you don't know **** about your classmates. Med. school can be rough at times. Don't be a d*ck.

 

[DermViser]

In hindsight, I enjoyed biochemistry and genetics. I enjoy parts of physiology. It's just that the negative aspects of medical school significantly overpower the positive aspects, and I'm going to make a decision before the next round student loans are disbursed.

You mean grades and classmates?

 

[DermViser]

I'm a special snowflake, I dunno what you're talking about!

But this sounds a lot like what used to happen in dental school too

Except specialization in dentistry is not as common as in med school. In a dental school class, majority of the class are aiming to be general dentists and to go out in practice. The only difference specialization brings is different procedures -- same outpatient practice, etc. but from a lifestyle standpoint, really nothing new.

 

[DermViser]

It's kind of humiliating when it did not take one even a month to realize that you are not the smartest kid on the block anymore (not even close) when you've been getting As in undergrad... Now getting As is a luxury!

It's not a "luxury". You do have to work harder for it. No more lolly gagging around.

 

[Meh.meh]

In hindsight, I enjoyed biochemistry and genetics. I enjoy parts of physiology. It's just that the negative aspects of medical school significantly overpower the positive aspects, and I'm going to make a decision before the next round student loans are disbursed.

I can hear the adjustment in expectations happening

 

[circulus vitios]

You mean grades and classmates?

The fact that medical education revolves around the lowest form of learning: rote memorization. Grades are a consequence of that, I suppose. Physiology, biochem, genetics, and molec bio are interesting because there is some problem solving. Everything else, especially anatomy, is disgustingly tedious. I've been struggling to find the motivation to study because I don't care whether or not I can remember what muscle x is, or which nerves innervate what. I mean it is clinically relevant, but I dread sitting down for a multi-hour stretch and pounding this inane bull**** into my brain. I can't see the rest of MS1 or MS2 getting any better, so...

 

[makingthejump]

it would be interesting to survey the people who are constantly complaining and find out if they have had any other life experiences such as testing the job market in today's economy and/or trying other areas of work, etc and then see if they would still be complaining. My feeling is a lack of perspective coupled with the entitlist attitudes of many med students leads them down a scary emotional road once they understand what med school really is

 

[Meh.meh]

it would be interesting to survey the people who are constantly complaining and find out if they have had any other life experiences such as testing the job market in today's economy and/or trying other areas of work, etc and then see if they would still be complaining. My feeling is a lack of perspective coupled with the entitlist attitudes of many med students leads them down a scary emotional road once they understand what med school really is

"Pre-health Field undecided"
Thank you sir, you can return to your seat

 

[makingthejump]

The fact that medical education revolves around the lowest form of learning: rote memorization. Grades are a consequence of that, I suppose. Physiology, biochem, genetics, and molec bio are interesting because there is some problem solving. Everything else, especially anatomy, is disgustingly tedious. I've been struggling to find the motivation to study because I don't care whether or not I can remember what muscle x is, or which nerves innervate what. I mean it is clinically relevant, but I dread sitting down for a multi-hour stretch and pounding this inane bull**** into my brain. I can't see the rest of MS1 or MS2 getting any better, so...

Have you considered an LOA, it might help you clear your mind and test some other ideas out without shutting the door on med school completely....perspective is key and is a huge intrinsic motivator that we sometimes aren't even aware of