God Looks Out For Babies & Fools.... And Pre-med Students

Believe it or not, not all stress is bad. There is an optimal level of stress, or pressure, that pushes us to get things done. Then there’s that stress that causes us to breakdown, not eat, cry… you know how it goes. I’m assuming that as a pre-med, you’ve experienced this a few (hundred) times.

Let it go.

If I’m driving and my car runs out of gas, there’s no way I'm going to get to my destination. Unless, I get out and push my car the rest of the way. But what’s the point in doing all that when you can take just a few moments to go fuel up? And what’s the point of staying up all night studying material when you can take just a few hours to rest, get up, and go at it again in the morning?

There’s this unwritten rule that when you sign up to study medicine you have to neglect yourself, not sleep, not have fun, etc. I am here to tell you that I played by those rules, and it was miserable.

There is more to me than “Kennedy, the future doctor”. I am a daughter, a friend, an adventurous, a linesister, a reader, etc. Ignoring these parts of me to solely focus on the one who is interested in medicine is a form of self neglect, and it honestly makes focusing on my career in medicine less fulfilling.

When I take the time to fuel up, there isn’t anything that I can’t handle (even Organic Chemistry). That’s not to say that things will not become difficult, but I do not allow that difficulty to have control over me.

Now if at this point you’re thinking I am advising you to forego studying, let me clarify.

You can not cheat the process. The road to medicine is as follows:

-Undergrad (4 years)

-Medical School (4 years)

-Residency (3-7 years years)

-Fellowship (2-4 Years)

There is no way to cut corners and there is no slacking off, but I look at it like this: I have to go through these 10+ years regardless. I might as well go through them with laughter, God, and a full cup.

As you start your journey to medicine, make sure you’re listening to your needs. Study hard, have fun, and know when you need to pull over every now and then to fuel up.