Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The word that best describes this medical student’s experience

Anonymous
Education
December 28, 2016
Share
Tweet
Share

It’s 4:17 a.m. as I begin this entry. I’m scheduled to be at the hospital in 43 minutes for one of my last days on surgical rotation, and I’ve been working on the following text message since 3 a.m.:

“Hi, team. Im afraid that im burned out and anxious. I will be taking today off. Sorry to be blunt but i felt it better than to make up an excuse. Thanks for all your kindness and education this rotation.”

Last week, our class got a surprise email from a physician-leader who’s taken it upon himself to visit our school and discuss medical student wellness and burnout. Though I have been contemplating the topic for some time, I finally accepted the fact that “burnout” is the word I would use to best describe my medical school experience.

I have a strong family history of anxiety disorders and was first diagnosed with depression and anxiety at the outset of my career change towards medicine. Despite the fact that the profession self-selects for those predisposed towards anxiety and perfectionism, I heeded my mentor’s warning to, during the application process, avoid discussing my perseverance through health issues.

The pinnacle of my life thus far has been achieving matriculation to my top choice medical school; I have worked exceedingly hard for years in order to attain this, but without medical management of my health issues I never would have been so empowered as to actualize this dream. I was firing on all cylinders through the day medical school began … things have changed over the past two-and-a-half years.

I worked as a program supervisor from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. five-and-a-half days a week; I went to Krav Maga classes from 7 to 8:30 p.m. four times a week and once on Saturday mornings. I cooked all my own meals.  I was 163 pounds, and I could, for an hour without tiring, throw punches, kicks, knees and elbows while defending against chokes, knife and gun attacks. I spoke to universities, colleges and community groups about humanitarian emergencies and the aid I’ve committed myself to since 2007. Then medical school started.

I moved out of state, and within the first couple months of school, I gained 25 pounds. In order to maximize my study time, I stopped taking a weekly day off. I stopped exercising and engaging my passion for self-defense training. I stopped preparing my own food and eating healthfully. I stopped cleaning my apartment. I stopped dating. I stopped my volunteer work, I stopped my leadership work, I stopped my speaking engagements. I continued my medications but have had no time for doctors’ appointments. I started binge drinking biweekly. I continue binge drinking.

Based on hours-per-week, I have not been any busier than I was in the past but the type of work, the levels of stress and demand are far higher in medical school than ever before. My inclination is to blame myself for my current state, but I’ve taken all the ownership that I can, and the problems remain. I am not happy, and I’m tired of being blamed by my peers, my school and my mentors for my current state. Folks, I’m burned out; I’m depressed.

When I feel burned out, I revisit the personal statement I submitted that helped me succeed as one of the 1-in-60 applicants accepted to my medical school; I do my best to live out the core commitments central to this statement; as such, I was recently nominated by my peers for our university’s “Student of the Year Award.”  I remind myself that, despite what I feel, I am not sh*t. I have friends and strangers alike read my essay to show them, “Hey, what you see now and who you know now … well … it’s not really me. I’d like to get back to me sometime soon.”

On that note, it’s 5:08 a.m.; I think I’ll send that text to my surgical team now. Here goes nothin’.

The author is an anonymous medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Burnout left its mark on this physician

December 28, 2016 Kevin 2
…
Next

A letter to her physician husband

December 28, 2016 Kevin 7
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Medical school

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Burnout left its mark on this physician
Next Post >
A letter to her physician husband

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Anonymous

  • When the white coats become gatekeepers: How a quiet cartel strangles America’s health

    Anonymous
  • Graduating from medical school without family: a story of strength and survival

    Anonymous
  • Why young doctors in South Korea feel broken before they even begin

    Anonymous

Related Posts

  • What inspires this medical student

    Jamie Katuna
  • A near-death experience taught this medical student a lesson

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • Why this medical student tutors

    Michelle Ikoma
  • Educating for the oath: a medical student’s lived experience with the hidden curriculum

    Priya Arunachalam, MBA
  • Change the experience: a Muslim medical student’s story

    Manar Mohammad, MD
  • Patients are an integral part of medical student education

    Orly Farber

More in Education

  • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

    Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
  • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

    Vaishali Jha
  • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

    Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD
  • How I learned to stop worrying and love AI

    Rajeev Dutta
  • Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

    Alexander Camp
  • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

    Jordan Williamson, MEd
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why public health must be included in AI development

      Laura E. Scudiere, RN, MPH | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

      Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why public health must be included in AI development

      Laura E. Scudiere, RN, MPH | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • Why medical schools must ditch lectures and embrace active learning

      Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA | Education
    • Why helping people means more than getting an MD

      Vaishali Jha | Education
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • Why evidence-based management may be an effective strategy for stronger health care leadership and equity

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • Residency match tips: Building mentorship, research, and community

      Simran Kaur, MD and Eva Shelton, MD | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

The word that best describes this medical student’s experience
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...