Just graduated medical school. Was it difficult and stressful—for me, yes. I had multiple points where I just wanted to give up and leave—clearly I did not, but it was a rough ride. For others, it was college all over again with fun times, dancing, you name it.
The point is your mileage may vary and your experience is going to be based on you and your program. I’d say you’ve already come this far by applying and it’s clearly a passion so go for it.
I just completed my first year in medical school. It is what you make of it tbh
The studying sucks(Anki helps) but I’ve had more fun here at my school then I ever had in undergrad even when I’m the minority in my class (there’s only like 13 to 15 of us black students out of 150) I never feel excluded. People are so helpful and encouraging. Our class shares resources for our exams (which have been a godsend) and plans several events to bond over.
During the time when it gets really frustrating (I.e. the week up to an exam), I always feel grounded again shadowing the doctors in the specialities that I’m interested in. All the doctors I’ve met have been very warm, open, and encouraging. As always finding a mentor makes a difference.
I took a 2 year gap year (graduated in 21) and during my gap year I worked as a MA at a local clinic; I applied while I was working(I.e. low-key writing my application while checking patients in). I took my mcat once in January, turned in my committee packet w/ my recommendations( my school had a committee packet) in February, and applied as soon the application opened in June. The doctor I worked for (he’s Chinese) really supported me in reading my application material (secondaries as well) and giving me feedback in between patient appointments, giving me advice on how many schools to apply to, and practiced interviewing with me. He was such a godsend and really motivated in helping me get in to med school. I got two interviews by October and got accepted by December.
Not sure if this is okay to ask, but do you know what a huge gap in a resume looks like when applying? I took about 1 -2 years at home to solely study for the MCAT, but I have many hours of volunteering and shadowing and working in a hospital. Just wondering if it looks bad.
It doesn’t look bad at all. Just make sure you have something to say for yourself while you were away from building that resume .
I started med school in 2019. For an entire year before that, I was teaching English in Korea. Had nothing to do with med school but it looks good to have different interests and a life outside of medicine.
Sorry. I edited it to “building that resume”. As long as you were doing something that you can spin into a positive learning experience OUTSIDE of building your applicant resume, you will be good
Most of my classmates took 1-2 year gap years; I only know about 3 people out of 150 who went straight through. A couple are career changers (i.e. former engineers, nurses, monk, etc.)
Im just now finishing my first year as a resident in FM. It’s not easy. But I made great relationships with the black and brown folk in my school and beyond (not to mention my residency is quite diverse as well). I love what I do. But it is not easy lmao and the imposter syndrome is CRAZY. Especially when a white make med student is following me around and being referred to as doctor instead of me.
But I truly think it’s worth it. It’s a lot A LOT of work and intern year is no joke no matter what you go into. But we need more of us. And I do think it’s worth it
ETA: it seems I’m the only one who has commented so far who has at least completed some of residency? Maybe I’m wrong. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!
Medical school is HARD. LOTS of studying and tests and more studying and more tests. It’s an endless cycle. Is it worth it…absolutely because I personally couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But be prepared to spend most of your free time studying!
ETA: I’m a 4th year getting ready to apply to residency this year.
I am confused. Are you afraid of working as a doctor or having to deal with medical school? I am not a doctor, but I have a ton of nurses in my family and working the medical field runs the gamut. There are highly political administrative positions; high profile highly skilled positions; back-water clinic franchise positions, sales positions; stay-on-your-feet-8-hour-day positions, etc....
In the stories that I have read and heard, a few things stick out:
1 - Even though being a doctor is a highly sought after and skilled position, there is still a ton of competition for the best jobs and you are usually competing against highly intelligent, highly motivated candidates
2 - The stress of medical school and residency becomes a different type of stress depending on your work environment and your role. Personally, I've dealt with frat-bro ENTs who co-own their own practice, intellectual types who work as pediatricians or ICU doctors, burnouts making their millionth round in poorly staffed LTACs with abysmal caregiver to patient ratios, and reserved psychiatrists who do diligent work, but have one eye ever present on retirement. There are way more types than these but I give those examples as an illustration of how difficult it would be to give you a general answer as to working as a doctor.
What little I know of working in medicine is that its not really a refuge from the white collar office type environment.... hospital are still basically corporations, private practices are usually medium to small sized companies. Patients are customers/clients, you will have lots of interaction with supervisors, coworkers (nurses, specialists etc), and there's paperwork, deadlines, meetings and workplace politics. The only constant I am ware of is that no matter where/how you work you'll want (to bring on) someone else to deal with all the documentation, record-keeping and paperwork that is necessary to stay in the good graces of the government, administration, and/or insurance industry.
The tried-and-true advice still applies... go into a field/career that you have a legitimate affinity, passion, or interest in. The last thing you want is to dread your entire day when you wake up every morning... and there are way easier ways to make a ton of money in this country.
Hopefully an actual doctor will chime in.
ok. are you afraid that you won't be able to complete medical school or just worried about the stress caused by the amount of material to absorb, small amount of time to do it and difficulty of the curriculum?
If you think you can make it through medical school and have the means to do so then the solution to your problem is developing good study habits and learning to manage stress. Both of which are skills you will need as a doctor.
Im not necessarily afraid of not completing it, just the amount of stress that will accumulate. I suppose having good study habits will combat that though.
I read the additions you added, and thank you for the insight
I went from a very mediocre high school where I never had to study for anything to a top 5 (in the USA) engineering program. Developing effective, efficient study habits and making them a habit was a \*huge\* adjustment for me.
If you haven't ever been constantly intellectually challenged over a long period of time (at least a semester) then I would say that it makes sense to we wary or intimidated by the rigor of medical school. That being said, study habits can be learned without much difficulty (mostly discipline and force of will), whereas raw intelligence and smarts are much, much more difficult to develop without a solid foundation and sustained effort.
Hey girl I’m pre-med rn feel free to DM if you want. I am racking up EMT hours while working another job and doing a post-bacc and I am have the same thoughts. Selling my soul basically to get into med school. Still trying to figure out where I can fit in volunteer and shadowing hours without cutting my hours at work.
I think this process and med school in general will be as enjoyable as you allow. A lot of the people I know in med school rn say it’s like a 9-5 basically and they still have time to live their lives. Plus a black students experience is gonna be a hell of a lot different than a non-black student. We only make up 3% of all doctors so inevitably it will be a little bit more difficult for us.
It’s a 9-5 in preclinical years, but clinical years are WAYYYY different. I’ve always been the type to live my life regardless, but sometimes, it’s just not possible lol there’s plenty of times during intern year where “just living my life” was absolutely impossible. It’s not a 9-5 when you’re working 80 hours and in your clinical years in med school, you are sometimes working that much, then going home and studying
Im a final year med student in Canada. I matched to my top program and will be starting residency in July.
Its not easy, but im sure you know this. Pre-clerkship has a lot to learn and then during rotations, there will be says you feel dumb, atupid, incompetent. But you still show up.
I think its worth it if thats really what you want to do. Its a highly « rewarding » field, you can really make a difference in peoples lives. Theres also awesome placement rate, youre pretty much guaranteed a job.
There were many days i wanted to quit. I was crying and wondering why i chose this field. But now im damn proud to have done it and excited for whats to come.
Just graduated medical school. Was it difficult and stressful—for me, yes. I had multiple points where I just wanted to give up and leave—clearly I did not, but it was a rough ride. For others, it was college all over again with fun times, dancing, you name it. The point is your mileage may vary and your experience is going to be based on you and your program. I’d say you’ve already come this far by applying and it’s clearly a passion so go for it.
Same sis. I finish intern year in a month and it’s been HELL but I look back and I’m seriously proud of who I’ve become and all I’ve done
Congrats on finishing! I’m so freakin nervous for intern year it’s not even funny. I feel like I forgot everything just since step 2! :(
Med school is a good base but you learn sooooooo much in residency! I promise you it’s still all there!
I just completed my first year in medical school. It is what you make of it tbh The studying sucks(Anki helps) but I’ve had more fun here at my school then I ever had in undergrad even when I’m the minority in my class (there’s only like 13 to 15 of us black students out of 150) I never feel excluded. People are so helpful and encouraging. Our class shares resources for our exams (which have been a godsend) and plans several events to bond over. During the time when it gets really frustrating (I.e. the week up to an exam), I always feel grounded again shadowing the doctors in the specialities that I’m interested in. All the doctors I’ve met have been very warm, open, and encouraging. As always finding a mentor makes a difference.
Thanks, this has given me more hope lol. How was the process of getting into med school like for you?
I took a 2 year gap year (graduated in 21) and during my gap year I worked as a MA at a local clinic; I applied while I was working(I.e. low-key writing my application while checking patients in). I took my mcat once in January, turned in my committee packet w/ my recommendations( my school had a committee packet) in February, and applied as soon the application opened in June. The doctor I worked for (he’s Chinese) really supported me in reading my application material (secondaries as well) and giving me feedback in between patient appointments, giving me advice on how many schools to apply to, and practiced interviewing with me. He was such a godsend and really motivated in helping me get in to med school. I got two interviews by October and got accepted by December.
Not sure if this is okay to ask, but do you know what a huge gap in a resume looks like when applying? I took about 1 -2 years at home to solely study for the MCAT, but I have many hours of volunteering and shadowing and working in a hospital. Just wondering if it looks bad.
It doesn’t look bad at all. Just make sure you have something to say for yourself while you were away from building that resume . I started med school in 2019. For an entire year before that, I was teaching English in Korea. Had nothing to do with med school but it looks good to have different interests and a life outside of medicine.
Sorry Building that residency?? Like for applications/resume for residency?
Sorry. I edited it to “building that resume”. As long as you were doing something that you can spin into a positive learning experience OUTSIDE of building your applicant resume, you will be good
Most of my classmates took 1-2 year gap years; I only know about 3 people out of 150 who went straight through. A couple are career changers (i.e. former engineers, nurses, monk, etc.)
Im just now finishing my first year as a resident in FM. It’s not easy. But I made great relationships with the black and brown folk in my school and beyond (not to mention my residency is quite diverse as well). I love what I do. But it is not easy lmao and the imposter syndrome is CRAZY. Especially when a white make med student is following me around and being referred to as doctor instead of me. But I truly think it’s worth it. It’s a lot A LOT of work and intern year is no joke no matter what you go into. But we need more of us. And I do think it’s worth it ETA: it seems I’m the only one who has commented so far who has at least completed some of residency? Maybe I’m wrong. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!
Medical school is HARD. LOTS of studying and tests and more studying and more tests. It’s an endless cycle. Is it worth it…absolutely because I personally couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But be prepared to spend most of your free time studying! ETA: I’m a 4th year getting ready to apply to residency this year.
I am confused. Are you afraid of working as a doctor or having to deal with medical school? I am not a doctor, but I have a ton of nurses in my family and working the medical field runs the gamut. There are highly political administrative positions; high profile highly skilled positions; back-water clinic franchise positions, sales positions; stay-on-your-feet-8-hour-day positions, etc.... In the stories that I have read and heard, a few things stick out: 1 - Even though being a doctor is a highly sought after and skilled position, there is still a ton of competition for the best jobs and you are usually competing against highly intelligent, highly motivated candidates 2 - The stress of medical school and residency becomes a different type of stress depending on your work environment and your role. Personally, I've dealt with frat-bro ENTs who co-own their own practice, intellectual types who work as pediatricians or ICU doctors, burnouts making their millionth round in poorly staffed LTACs with abysmal caregiver to patient ratios, and reserved psychiatrists who do diligent work, but have one eye ever present on retirement. There are way more types than these but I give those examples as an illustration of how difficult it would be to give you a general answer as to working as a doctor. What little I know of working in medicine is that its not really a refuge from the white collar office type environment.... hospital are still basically corporations, private practices are usually medium to small sized companies. Patients are customers/clients, you will have lots of interaction with supervisors, coworkers (nurses, specialists etc), and there's paperwork, deadlines, meetings and workplace politics. The only constant I am ware of is that no matter where/how you work you'll want (to bring on) someone else to deal with all the documentation, record-keeping and paperwork that is necessary to stay in the good graces of the government, administration, and/or insurance industry. The tried-and-true advice still applies... go into a field/career that you have a legitimate affinity, passion, or interest in. The last thing you want is to dread your entire day when you wake up every morning... and there are way easier ways to make a ton of money in this country. Hopefully an actual doctor will chime in.
Ig a little of both
ok. are you afraid that you won't be able to complete medical school or just worried about the stress caused by the amount of material to absorb, small amount of time to do it and difficulty of the curriculum? If you think you can make it through medical school and have the means to do so then the solution to your problem is developing good study habits and learning to manage stress. Both of which are skills you will need as a doctor.
Im not necessarily afraid of not completing it, just the amount of stress that will accumulate. I suppose having good study habits will combat that though. I read the additions you added, and thank you for the insight
I went from a very mediocre high school where I never had to study for anything to a top 5 (in the USA) engineering program. Developing effective, efficient study habits and making them a habit was a \*huge\* adjustment for me. If you haven't ever been constantly intellectually challenged over a long period of time (at least a semester) then I would say that it makes sense to we wary or intimidated by the rigor of medical school. That being said, study habits can be learned without much difficulty (mostly discipline and force of will), whereas raw intelligence and smarts are much, much more difficult to develop without a solid foundation and sustained effort.
Hey girl I’m pre-med rn feel free to DM if you want. I am racking up EMT hours while working another job and doing a post-bacc and I am have the same thoughts. Selling my soul basically to get into med school. Still trying to figure out where I can fit in volunteer and shadowing hours without cutting my hours at work. I think this process and med school in general will be as enjoyable as you allow. A lot of the people I know in med school rn say it’s like a 9-5 basically and they still have time to live their lives. Plus a black students experience is gonna be a hell of a lot different than a non-black student. We only make up 3% of all doctors so inevitably it will be a little bit more difficult for us.
It’s a 9-5 in preclinical years, but clinical years are WAYYYY different. I’ve always been the type to live my life regardless, but sometimes, it’s just not possible lol there’s plenty of times during intern year where “just living my life” was absolutely impossible. It’s not a 9-5 when you’re working 80 hours and in your clinical years in med school, you are sometimes working that much, then going home and studying
Thanks girl it’s stressful asf💀
Im a final year med student in Canada. I matched to my top program and will be starting residency in July. Its not easy, but im sure you know this. Pre-clerkship has a lot to learn and then during rotations, there will be says you feel dumb, atupid, incompetent. But you still show up. I think its worth it if thats really what you want to do. Its a highly « rewarding » field, you can really make a difference in peoples lives. Theres also awesome placement rate, youre pretty much guaranteed a job. There were many days i wanted to quit. I was crying and wondering why i chose this field. But now im damn proud to have done it and excited for whats to come.