Very few jobs reach the level of reward inherent in the medical field. As a doctor, you have a chance to make life-changing impacts daily. But to get to this point, you must go through all the requirements necessary to become a doctor, including medical school.
By nature, med school is challenging. Human biology, anatomy, and physiology are complex subjects, and you will use your understanding of these topics to make life-and-death decisions about your patients’ futures. Statistics show that about 80% of those who enter med school graduate, with those who drop out citing obstacles such as mental health burnout and difficult courses as their reasons.
While there isn’t much you can do about the subject matter you need to learn, there are other ways you can overcome challenges in medical school to increase your chances of graduation. Here, we’ll discuss successful doctors’ strategies to get through this common hurdle and move on to your chosen profession.
- Start Slow and Steady
The sooner you get out of med school, the better, right?
Well, yes, but you shouldn’t use your first semester to propel you forward. Instead, set a reasonable course load that challenges you without being overwhelming.
No matter how much research you do, nothing can truly prepare you for the realities of med school. The curriculum is intense. The assignments are heavy, and you can’t get away with skimping on them. You’ll need to allocate much of your day outside of class to continuing your classwork, and this takes time to adjust to for everyone.
Overplanning your courses makes this transition period difficult. You may find yourself skipping the essential parts of staying mentally and physically healthy, including sleep, exercise, nutritious meals, and connecting with your loved ones.
Once you get used to the demands of your current education level, you can gradually add more courses to meet your timeline for graduation.
2. Get Real With Your Abilities and Interests
Setting goals that are outside of your comfort zone is an admirable way to grow and stretch your abilities. But if you aren’t realistic with what you are capable of, you could find yourself stretched thin and approaching dropout or burnout unnecessarily.
There are many successful physicians who entered med school planning on practicing one type of medicine, only to realize along the way that something else was more interesting to them. When you are on the wrong degree path, you’ll know it because you won’t be passionate about what you’re learning, and you’ll be overly stressed about your work just to bring in mediocre grades.
This may not be a reflection of your abilities. Instead, it could mean that your passion for medicine lies elsewhere in a different field. Take some time to research other options. Talk to your mentors and those outside of your current career path, and visit a variety of medical practices to explore the potential avenues you might not have considered.
Switching your field of interest might delay your graduation, but it’s immensely better than working every day in a career that you aren’t excited to be in.
3. Add Beneficial Electives
A focus on digging deeply into your career path will make you a skilled and knowledgeable doctor. But truly successful physicians understand the business nuances that are interlinked with the job, as well.
Before you graduate, talk to those who have been practicing medicine for a few years. Ask them what they wish that they had known before starting out. Chances are, most of the information you obtain will be business-related.
For example, unless you plan on practicing on a cash-only basis, you’ll need to get credentialed through various insurance companies. You can hire someone to do this for you, but it’s wise to learn the essentials.
The more insurance companies you’re credentialed through before you start applying for work, the better you stand out among other applicants. To learn more about credentialing for hospital work and other practices, read this guide from Physicians Thrive.
Other electives to add to your schedule include:
- Financial planning
- Accounting
- Billing and coding
- Taxes and credit reports
- Life, disability, and malpractice insurance
If your school doesn’t offer these courses, consider taking them as uncredited online classes. You only need the knowledge. Getting credit for them would be a bonus, but it isn’t required.
Conclusion
Medical school is challenging, but the setup works. Tens of thousands of people graduate from these programs each year and move on to become successful healthcare practitioners. But with these simple strategies, you’ll be better prepared to tackle the obstacles you’ll face during this time and transition into your new career.
