Difficulty Transitioning to Medical School

Profession: Medical Student

Submitted On: October 26th, 2020

Trigger Warnings: anxiety, depression

"When I was a pre-medical student, I thought that I was so smart and unstoppable. I was also lucky enough to never experience burnout in undergrad. I've since been humbled a bit coming into medical school, having faced chronic anxiety and depression. There were nights where my anxiety prevented me from sleeping and days when my depression prevented me from getting out of bed. It took a while for me to come around to the idea, but seeking treatment was one of the best decisions I had, not only for my medical career, but probably for the rest of my life. While it may or may not come around to bite me later on, it's important for me to know that I am a human first, and a physician second. I told myself that if I ever came to a point where I was miserable in my profession, or if my mental health issues were seen by others as a liability, I would quit and find some other way to help others. Stepping away and not letting your profession define who you are and what you can do to help the world is so important. I encourage everyone to seek the help they need without reservation, you won't regret it. And I also hope that one day people won't need to be afraid to get help."

We appreciate the opportunity to share stories like these with our community, with the goal of destigmatizing the struggles faced within the medical field.