4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Medical School

Sometimes, I think about how unfair it is that we ask children to decide on a major before they even turn 18. At an age where you don’t even know who you want to take to prom, how are you supposed to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Some people seem to know exactly what they want from a young age, and those who do are definitely lucky. But who’s to say that what you want will still be the same at 30? Or 45?

I used to scoff at the idea of taking a gap year after high school to “figure yourself out”, it seemed like such a waste of time. Now, I’m thinking maybe one year isn’t enough at all.

So, at the tender age of 18, I made a decision that would shape the many years of my life to come- to apply to medical school. And these are all the things that I wish someone would’ve told me before starting medical school.

4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Medical School

FOMO is definitely real

This isn’t new to anyone, literally anyone who’s ever talked about what they wish they knew before entering medical school has mentioned this- fomo is very much real. While your friends are staying out late and partying, there will be times where you’ll have to stay in and study for that upcoming exam or prepare for a presentation.

Depending on where you live, medical school may take up to 6-8 years. When you’re counting down the days to your graduation, your friends will already have gotten their first jobs, maybe switched jobs, traveled the world, found love, or whatever it is that they all do while you’ve been studying your life away for the past 5 years.

But there will also be times where you should choose to close your books and just enjoy a night out with friends and go on that family vacation y’all have been looking forward to for so long.

At the end of the day, it’s all about balance and what you choose to make out of your life in medical school. So yes, fomo is very real. But also yes, you will still be able to enjoy your life amidst all the busy-ness of med school.

…and so is imposter syndrome

Honestly I think what’s even worse than fomo is the constant imposter syndrome. Having dealt with it all throughout medical school, and even now that I’ve graduated, it’s really something you’ll have to learn to live with… and kind of just be okay with.

Having been a straight A student most of my life, my heart literally sunk when I saw my ranking for my very first semester at med school. And the first time I failed an exam, that was it. I was sure medicine just wasn’t for me. I felt like such a failure and felt so behind when everybody around me seemed to be doing so well. It bothered me a lot longer than it probably should have.

But all you have to know is that everybody in medicine will feel like an imposter at one point or another. There will always be someone who is better than you at a certain subject, and likewise, you’ll understand some concepts easier than other people.

Instead of turning it into a competition with your peers, try to share information and help each other out. At the end, your only competition is to be better than who you were the day before, and to become the best version of a doctor that you can be.

having a life outside of medicine

I feel like I cannot stress this enough, but having a life outside of medicine is so, so, so important.

The longer you stay in the medical world, the more you’ll realize that all your conversations somehow all find its way back to medical topics. Without realizing it, your world will begin to shrink and you’ll start to feel a little out of touch with the rest.

And honestly, it’s pretty terrifying.

Make an effort to keep in touch with your high school friends, to make new friends in other fields, and stay connected to what’s happening outside of the hospital and exam halls.

Just as importantly, be sure you have skills and interests that have nothing to do with medicine. I once read somewhere that your job should be the least interesting thing about you. In the same way, being a medical student shouldn’t become your entire personality.

medicine is a very limited, narrow path

The good thing about medicine, I suppose, is that every step of your path is laid out for you. You always know what comes next. The bad thing is that once you’re on that path, it’s incredibly hard to change direction.

Now please listen carefully, because this is the one thing I desperately wish someone would’ve told me before starting medical school. Maybe it would have changed some of the choices I made.

With a medical degree, you could hypothetically apply to many different jobs. But In reality, most people stay within the lane that’s already been paved for them, and that’s to be a doctor. And if you’re an oddball like me and wish for something other than the traditional doctor’s life, then it’s almost entirely up to you to find the resources, the connections, and the courage to make that happen.

And if your dream is to practice medicine in a country different from the one you studied in, it becomes even harder. There are language barriers, licensing exams, degree recognition, to name a few of the endless hoops to jump through. This is coming from someone who didn’t study medicine in the US, the UK, or Australia.

As someone who really wants to experience working in another country, and maybe even build a life there, I’ve had to accept this uncomfortable truth- medicine quietly limits the places where you’re able to go.

It’s not impossible, but it is very very hard.

I’m writing this because I wish someone had told me the truth, not just about the prestige, or the stability, or the title. But about the quiet sacrifices, the midnight breakdowns, and the ways this one decision will shape your life.

My fellow medical students, what are some things you wish someone had told you before starting medical school?

Until next time,

Emily