Hello loves.
I know, I know, I’m not very good at posting since starting medical school. I’m gunna try to write more when I have a free weekend and have them self post, but ya know, life happens. Okay there, that’s my disclaimer.
I’m 6 weeks into being an OMS-1 (or osteopathic medical student, year 1), and my god can I just get my degree already?? [Insert your favorite laughing but crying emoji here.] I learned a lot last year in COB about myself personally and my perseverance to get through shit, but this year I am learning all about boundaries and being okay with less than perfection. Below I have compiled a list from what I have learned and from what some of my classmates and friends have passed along.
1. Be prepared for long days.
There are many days (you can look at my biochem schedule to see a few) where you will start at 8am and end at 5 or 6 pm. During our MSK (musculoskeletal) block we would have anatomy lab 2-3 times a week on top of our scheduled lectures, OS labs, SP encounters (where we learn to be doctors), etc. We do have anatomy group tutoring (which is usually at 5-6pm at night) and on top of that, we each have small group anatomy lab tutoring now (which is usually from 7 or 8pm to 10 or 11pm). Long days guys. There are going to be days where your schedule is so packed you simply cannot do a lot of studying for the day. Find your pockets to study elsewhere.
Personally, if its super late like that I’m likely to just go to bed early and try again the next day.
2. Get ready for a new kind of tired.
Now, I’m not saying these things to freak you out. Honesty is what I do. Some people love it, most people hate it. If you are about to embark on a journey like this, you shouldn’t be getting a sugar-coated version. You deserve all of the information (from all angles, not just mine) so you can make an educated decision. And even though you are listening to my struggles and triumphs through this, don’t let anybody tell you not to be a physician if that is what you truly want.
You may personally know physical exhaustion, but you will now know what mental exhaustion feels like. If you’ve done any sort of higher education outside undergrad (let’s be real, undergrad wasn’t challenging every day all 4 years, if at all for some people), then you know what I mean. Your brain is going into overdrive to learn so many things and make those connections and recall. You learn to live with it and find ways to slightly recharge yourself. It’s different for everyone with the level of exhaustion, and recharging is different for everyone is well. I’m still working out on how to recharge personally.
3. Be okay with failing or not getting an A.
Getting an A is not your new bar. It’s fine to have this bar at first, but I can guarantee that this will likely fade fast. Passing is your new bar. I’m all for reaching for the stars, but something does have to give. There are times when you won’t have the desired amount of time to study or you are too exhausted from your test a few days before to go hard for this one. Burnout is real, and there has to be time where you choose to sleep, eat, shower, and give yourself a mental break. You will not know everything, and that’s okay. Hopefully you learn to pick the less important stuff to punt. Sometimes I am able to, sometimes I punt things that really they asked too many damn questions about.
Medical school tests are also designed to be hella difficult. Say goodbye to 1st order questions; there are way more 2nd and 3rd order questions. I think the only first order questions I really got were on my anatomy lab practical where it was basically “identify this”. Even then, you had to know where it was coming from to figure out what it was, so really it didn’t feel like an easy 1st order question. These questions are mentally draining, and there are going to be times where you won’t know it. That’s okay. Seriously, passing in medical school is basically where everyone starts celebrating. Getting in the 80’s for most people is hella fantastic. If you do better than that, I applaud you sir/ ma’am.
4. You will not necessarily be the smartest person in the room.
You is smart. You is kind. You is important. – From The Help.
You are intelligent. No one is doubting that. You couldn’t have gotten here if you weren’t smart enough to pass all those hurdles and still be a decent human being. But, you are on a level with a class full of people just like you: incredibly smart, driven, dedicated, and resourceful. This is new compared to your undergrad classmates. You are all on a more even playing field, and some people will excel much better in certain subjects than others.
For example, I did well in biochem, but MSK, even though I love anatomy, is not going well for me. Even though I have always done very well in anatomy in the past, this clearly is not the point in my life where I will excel at it. It’s quite okay. The next test or the next unit I’ll make my bitch.
5. Your grades don’t define what kind of physician you will be.
Yes, you need to learn all about normal and abnormal to be able to help your patients. But honestly, once you pick a specialty you won’t remember half (if you remember that much) of what you learned in medical school. But you will know what you need to know for your specialty so incredibly well. Your grades also don’t dictate your communication skills, your empathy, and your ability to listen to your patients.
Patients, from my experience as a scribe, want to know that you are listening to them. That they are heard, that you have given them a platform to be heard, and that you can empathize with them.
Then they want you to fix them.
Your grades won’t be able to teach you that. Don’t get me wrong, grades are important. But more importantly are going to be your board scores which give you a residency (or job!), and your ability to take care of your patients. Fixing your patients isn’t just about finding the problem, it is also as a whole making sure they are taken care of–> which usually means you’ve listened to them and given them options in some cases so they can have autonomy (or make their own choices about their health- if this is applicable). Again, this is from my scribe experience, not my minimal experience as an OMS-1.
6. Keep up with your mental health.
You need to get into the habit of doing things to keep your mental health at a good place. If that means taking a break that night from studying, do it. Need a glass of wine? Drink it. Need that bath and face mask? Partake in it. Need to play some video games to tune the world out? Make those fingers fly.
Are you getting my point here? It’s okay to not be studying every second. In fact, being in a good mental state, getting enough sleep, and eating well will get you farther than pulling all nighters and constantly studying. Your brain does better in testing situations when you are overall happier and healthier, so don’t let that slip. It’s going to be hard, I know. There are times when I forget to eat or forget that I need to go home to take care of other things, but allowing yourself the decency to be in a good place will get you pretty damn far.
7. You are a resilient human being.
Give yourself credit for this. Again, it’s hard to pass all the hurdles needed to get to medical school, and there are many more you need to pass once here and beyond. There will be times that you will trip, maybe even face-plant a bit. But really, you’ve got this. Failing or doing something that isn’t your best or didn’t exactly go your way won’t stop you from being a great doctor. Use it to help better yourself.
8. Start practicing being humble.
I mean, I can’t believe I have to tell some people this but yes, practice a little humility here peeps. It’s okay to stroke your own ego, just make sure it isn’t so large it’s suffocating everyone around you. You need somewhat of an ego to get you here, but your future teammates and patients aren’t going to return if it’s so large no one else can stand being in the same room as you. Humility also comes into play with knowing that you will be wrong, and you will screw up. Own it. It’s a learning process. You will have greater growth through messing up than doing everything perfectly.
Let me know what you’ve enjoyed about this post or what you would like to see more of on this blog in the comments below! #shoutout to those friends and classmates that responded to help me write this post.