Afraid to pursue Med School? This might be the time to give it a shot!

(Photo grabbed from Codex Anatomicus)

Disclaimer: some information may vary depending on the med school that you will attend and depending on the person himself on how he handles situation and his own study habits.

Let’s first talk about the lifelong journey of becoming a doctor. Well, you’ll be spending 4 years in pre-med/college, 4 years in med school, a year of internship (PGI), 3-6 months of intensive review for the board exams, 3-5 years of residency and another 2-3 years in fellowship (if you still want to subspecialize). To sum that up, you’ll probably sacrifice more or less 15 years to be a doctor. But don’t get overwhelmed! In Medicine, days pass by so quickly and you won’t even notice that you’re almost reaching your goal!

If you want to pursue medicine and you’re jolted to go for it, it might be hap to give yourself a chance to venture. Of course, it takes time, money and effort in this field you desire but on top of all of these; it takes a lot of courage, passion and perseverance! Remember what Ellen Johnson said, “If your dreams do not scare you, they aren’t big enough”? Well that’s the main idea I want to point out in this blog. Most of the time, the paths that are riskier to take are the most worthy ones. Difficult is what makes it special because if it is easy, everybody would do it and that would no longer be some kind of fulfillment to you.

Let us sit you down to the experience partakes of medicine. Reality wise, you really have to sacrifice your time. Med school demands a gazillion of works to do, mostly exams (May it be theoretical or move-system) and other things such as lab manuals, clinical case reports, small group discussions (SGD), and some advance studying for the next day’s lecture. You will want to know all the 24-hour coffee shops because to be honest, 3-5 hours of intensive studying is not enough to cover all the topics included during shifting exams. If libraries are one of your pet peeves when you were in college (just like me because I often get sleepy when studying at the lib), in Medicine, you will thank the universe for having libraries. If you’re used to sleep for 2-3 hours AT MOST, it may be easier for you to adjust in med school since med students are not destined to get sleep for more than 4 hours. To make the long story short, YOU WILL ALWAYS STAY UP LATE STUDYING FOR EXAMS.

Aside from all the self-draining studying and doing papers, you also need to be emotionally tough. Why? Because you have to be really prepared (especially during SGDs or during rounds at the hospital) or otherwise, you will be embarrassed because your panel/consultant will always ask you even the most unexpected questions regarding your case. What I’m trying to say is you have to be determined to work hard and always try to do better after disappointing yourself. Other people who knew you only see the tip of the iceberg in Medicine – that is when you already graduated and finally have that MD at the end of your name. They do not know the hardships you have to take to fight harder each day for that MD.

So don’t be too hard on yourself. Every one of us struggles to make it to the top. If you think that you are not capable to handle everything physically, emotionally, financially, and intellectually, just continue to strive hard for it. There will always be chances and options to sort out. If you’re worrying about the financial aspect, seek for scholarships. If you’re thinking that you are not that smart to pursue Medicine, well to be honest, you don’t need to be the smartest kid in town to be a doctor. You just have to commit yourself to THE goal, focus on it and work harder each day. If you’re not sure that your physical body and emotional well-being cannot handle all the stress, pressure and failures, you just have to tell yourself that you can. Mind over matter. If you’re physically weak, supplement yourself with vitamins, try to eat healthy (aside from all the caffeine, chocolates, and junk foods you will want to munch on while reviewing) and give yourself some slack as a reward after a long week of exams. If you’re emotionally unstable that you think just one failed exam can knock the confidence in you down, train your mind to see the good in everything. Consider it as a challenge to yourself that from this time forward, you already know your weakness and you have to believe that you will do better next time.

It’s normal to be scared but be brave enough to reach for your goal because there will never be a time wasted while building your dreams. Everything is worth it in the end. From the time that you thought of entering med school, that might be a sign that you are destined to be a great doctor. Maybe that is the way of God telling you that it’s your calling, it’s your purpose. So dare to live the life you’ve been dreaming and set your goals higher. It’s one of the toughest roads to take but it’s the most fulfilling job to have – to see the look on your patients’ faces when they feel better because of you, to serve the community, to attend medical missions and to be willing to help less fortunate people. Go out and take your NMAT, apply to your dream medical school, study hard, grab opportunities, and live the rest of your life as a great doctor!