The most challenging part about becoming a doctor is surviving med school. It is the bridge from an aspiring physician to a physician in training, and is anything but easy. As a recent graduate, I have been reflecting a lot on my journey. It was not always easy, and there were times when I questioned why I would make such an insane decision. To be in your twenties and watch your friends surge ahead in their careers and personal lives while you are still working for free, studying all night, and feeling stagnant is a mind trip.
However, when you finish, you will have realized how impressive what you’ve accomplished actually is. Doctors make up 0.33% of the entire labor force! Of that percentage, only 37% are female, and <6% are African American or Latino. Becoming a physician is a privilege that only a select few get to cherish, and if you are part of that group, then congratulations!
But just getting through the door is not enough. Medical school is four years of your life, and the last thing you want to do is get to the end and say “I wish I would have…”
By the end of this post, I not only want to share with you my 10 pieces of advice about surviving med school, but encourage you that you can actually thrive in medical school.
Work Ethic and Positive Attitude > Intelligence
Although I would consider myself smart, I would hang my hat on work ethic over being naturally gifted. At the beginning of medical school as I felt like my classmates were soaring past me; mastering concepts I’d yet to even lay eyes on. Between photographic memories and being medical school legacies, I felt like they had a natural knack for some of the hardest material I’d ever been required to learn.
After my first exam (where it was so bad I didn’t even get a score), I decided I just had to work harder. So, I arrived to school earlier, stayed later, and worked at least six days a week. I also learned to be more efficient. Six hours of intense concentration is much more beneficial than twelve hours of half-ass page turning. I adopted study habits of my more successful classmates and spent copious amounts of time with my faculty.
Almost anything I needed to do or try to become a better student, I did. And it paid off. Studying and taking exams became easier. My class participation soared. And I began to enjoy medical school more.
Aside from working hard, I maintained a positive attitude. Staying positive is a bit easier for me as I have a naturally positive disposition, which helps me see the donut and not the hole.
But regardless of your personality, being positive is imperative for surviving med school. A building full of Type-A, neurotic, competitive individuals who are working harder than ever and seeing poorer results is a nidus for relentless complaining and negativity. It’s easy to adopt other’s problems as your own.
Med school is already hard. Don’t make it harder by hating everything about everyday. Choose to find positivity wherever you can. Let go of situations you cannot control. Remove yourself from individuals committed to misery. And always reflect on whether something bothers you, or it bothers those around you. If something is truly a problem, work towards a solution, rather than just helplessly complaining.
Intelligence is handy. But without a hard work ethic and a positive attitude, intelligence will only get you so far. Give 100% everyday and understand that looks different each day, and that is okay.
Find Joy in Your Work
Another key to surviving med school is to find joy in your work. Joy differs from happiness, a transient emotion dependent on external factors. Joy is deeper and more sustainable. It makes you feel fulfilled and deeply appreciative of your work. When the days are hard and long, happiness may not be there, but joy will help you overcome. Joy will help remind you why you are doing this and what the end goal is.
If you are in medicine for the right reason, when you decided to become a doctor, there was something driving you. Hold on to whatever that is, and if that’s not enough, find something else. Your “why” has to be so strong, that the tears, frustration, late nights, and missed occasions are all worth it.
If you struggle with what your “why” is, then it’s time to do some soul searching until you figure out what that is or why you have dedicated your life to this profession.
Follow Your Calling, Not Your Obligation
When you enter medical school, you may have a clear cut idea of what you want to do, or what someone else wants you to do. Surviving med school requires you to follow your calling, not your obligation.
My career goals changed drastically since I first decided to be a doctor. I always say cardiology chose me, I did not choose it. Even when I’ve tried to find easier, shorter professions, reading EKGs literally lights my heart up. Cardiology is my calling, it’s what I’m good at. By leaning into that, I am able to follow a path that is already made for me, not one that I had to forge.
So, if you think you know what you want to do, keep your heart open for other possibilities. If you don’t know what you want to do, go with what comes easy to you. Don’t worry about the money, time, lifestyle, or any superficial qualities. If you enjoy the work, then the money will come and the lifestyle will work for you. You are the one that has to do the work, so make sure it’s a life that YOU want to live.
Do Things Right from the Beginning
Medical school is stressful and time is tight so taking shortcuts is easy to do. However, any time you “save” in that moment will return later. In research, integrity is important. Do all the steps right and include all members of the team in every decision. You don’t want the project held up by major mistakes or poor team dynamics. In med school, I made a lot of mistakes moving too quickly in my work, and at the end, I always paid for it.
The same rule applies everywhere else. Instead of cramming, create a sustainable, consistent schedule so you can take your time studying the material because it WILL come up again. If there are policies and procedures, just follow them, no matter how annoying they may seem. The day that someone addresses you about not following them, it will already be a bad day and that will just tank it. Make things easier on yourself by being patient, detail-oriented, and amenable to how things are done in a professional setting.
Gravitate Towards Things that Scare You
In a time when everything seems like a challenge, it can be easy to avoid anything intimidating. This may seem counterintuitive to surviving medical school, but become comfortable with being uncomfortable because that’s how you grow. If there is a faculty member that scares you, befriend them. Have a subject that you absolutely suck at? Do nothing but study that topic and get the help that you need. Want to launch a research project or community service initiative? Put pencil to paper and start planning. Rotate in that specialty that seems hard and busy.
Regret is one of life’s worst feelings. It comes from not pursuing the things that we really want or not giving more effort at certain points in our life. But if you go headfirst into the things that scare you, you could succeed or fail, but you will not regret trying.
Community Over Individualism
There is this general misconception that everyone is everyone’s competition. However, the key to surviving med school is understanding how much you and your classmates can accomplish when you band together.
One of the unique properties of being a part of an inaugural class was the collectivism we had in the beginning as such a small group. We helped each other, celebrated one another, and even came together to demand changes or action from those in leadership.
Watching subsequent classes, often fractured by competition and individualism, struggle to come together for the benefit of all made our initial bond even more special. Over time, even our collectivism fell victim to the natural consequence of eroding personal relationships, but the early benefit of community stuck with me. Find a group, even if it’s just two other people, and stick together. Spread out the work, pick each other up, and cheer each other on.
Healthy Competition > Comparison
Having a deep understanding about the balance between competition and comparison is important for surviving med school. Competition is beneficial, drives innovation, and is a good motivator. However, when competition turns into relentless comparison between you and another person, then it no longer serves its purpose. Medical school is a marathon, and you are the only person running your race! While competing with others, stay centered in where you are and what you want to accomplish.
You cannot be great at everything, but you also cannot be great at nothing. Identify and pursue who you want to be when you graduate. Are you going to be at the top academically? Are you going to be the leader of a large organization at the school and national level? Is research going to be your bread and butter? Whatever your natural skill set is – studying, leadership, research, service – focus on it and avoid comparing yourself to others with different skills and abilities.
Invite Change and Challenge
Having a growth mindset means that you invite challenge and look at it as opportunity. Medical school is going to be nothing but changes and challenges. As soon as you get comfortable with something, it’s time to move on to something else. As soon as you master a concept, you start over with another one. This can be mentally taxing, feel like you’ll never be “done” or know it all.
But as physicians, we are lifelong learners. That means we are going to be learning things for the rest of our careers. And although learning hurts our brains in the beginning, just like any other muscle, consistently exercising your brain helps it grow. Surviving med school requires you to get excited about changes and challenges feel defeated by them. Every challenge you overcome will prepare you for something else in your life and adds another tool to your arsenal.
Life Doesn’t Stop, So Keep Living It
Life does not stop just because you are in med school and med school does not have to consume you. It is tempting to detach from, or not deal with, life in an attempt to “study everything”. However, the true key to surviving med school is to keep living your life. Do things, talk with friends and family, and take care of yourself. It’s vital to sleep, eat nutritious foods, and move your body. Avoid energy-providing substances that may have negative long-term consequences. Make doctor, dentist, and therapy appointments.
If you are going through a major stressor, like death of a love one or a fractured relationship, take time to deal with that before trying to press on for the sake of “not getting behind”. I lost two grandparents, ended a relationship and lost many friends along the way. Those things suck and interfere with your ability to do anything. Acknowledge the hardship and take your time getting back to ground zero. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and a well physician provides better care for their patients than a strung out, anxiety-ridden, sleep-deprived, socially isolated physician.
Med students can be in relationships, get engaged and married, start families, see the world, and socialize. Personally, non-school obligations created just enough external pressure and excitement to motivate me to study. Plan something fun after every exam, and after large milestones, like board exams, splurge with a fun trip or event. Always give yourself something to look forward to and work towards.
Don’t neglect your personal relationships. Your significant other, parents, friends, and extended family may not understand the ins and outs of your life, no matter how many times you explain it to them. Be patient with them, and put aside time in your schedule for chats. You may not even realize how nice it is to disconnect from the world of medicine, even if it’s just for thirty minutes. Date, fall in love, plan hangouts, etc. Medical school will end, and when it does, you don’t want to be at the finish line alone.
And most importantly of all, take photos and videos to document the journey and those that were there with you.
Remember Your Blessing
This cannot be overstated enough – this opportunity is a privilege. The overall admissions rate for medical school is 41% and decreasing. You get to live a life that others dream about and pray for. Before complaining or being negative, remember that you once fought tooth and nail for even a chance to have those problems. I don’t say this to minimize your experiences or invalidate your struggles. If you are going through something, your feelings matter and you should take the steps you need to get help. But also recognize that it’s easy to get caught in the weeds of everyday inconveniences. Take time to pan out and see the whole forest.
You get to become a physician. Someone will call you doctor. This is a dream come true.
The next time you feel overwhelmed, defeated, disgruntled, etc., remember that someone else would go to the ends of Earth for your place. Practice gratitude, reflect on and appreciate your hard work, and always remember just how lucky you are.
Key Takeaway
Medical school is an experience unlike any other. It can either be the worst four years of your life, or the most remarkable. Surviving med school is like winning a race – talent is nice, but it’s primarily mental. You have to train consistently, stay positive, overcome setbacks, and keep your eye on the end goal. If things aren’t working, then change them. If you’re doing well, find ways to continue improving.
There are a million things I could say that I’ve learned about my time from medical school, but I will leave with one from Maya Angelou:
“At the end of the day, people won’t always remember what you said or did, but how you made them feel. “
We play a very special role in people’s lives, either as colleagues or providers. Take that role seriously and do whatever you need to do in order to perform that role to the best of your ability.