I hate medical school

I am having a hard time in university. I’m in a medical school so having a hard time means get left behind so far from my peers. I’m guessing that i’m having a burn out but i just dont know what to do. It’s so frustrating but i dont know or even have the energy to fix this. I cant focus in class or in practicals. I dissociate in the middle of the class, i refuse to study or do revision. I cant bring myself to do the hard jobs. It’s so so frustrating. I dont find joy in medschool anymore. I love medschool and i wanna really come to love it again and enjoy it again. Help me

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Hey @Sufiy sounds like you are really burnt out doing what you like and it can feel really frustrating :people_hugging:

It might be good to take a step back to consolidate yourself abit take a break from doing school stuff once in awhile to re-evaluate and recharge. :slight_smile:

Hmm just curious why did you choose medical school in the first place ?

Hello @Sufiy,

Thanks for sharing about your struggles here. I can’t imagine how difficult going through medical school, something that you love, and feeling burnout about it. I want you to know that what you think and feel in this situation is valid too. :people_hugging:

I wonder if you’ve experienced this feeling of burnout before too? And what have you done to help you cope? Some of the possible causes of burnout are connected with:

  • too much (or too little) work
  • lack of control
  • lack of clarity regarding expectations
  • lack of support
  • lack of work-life balance
  • conflicts with peers, family or friends

I’m curious to which of these you identify? If you’re aware, it can serve as a marker to signs of future episodes, and kinda know how to prevent it from getting too distressing the next time.

I’m also curious about your journey to med school. This could be an opportunity to kinda take stock on what you need or what’s missing - a bit of checking the fit at the moment and ensuring you’re back on track to rekindle that love of yours! This could refuel you and help you see what’s to gain as you go through med school - this video, if it helps, illustrates the concept of living a life in alignment of your values.

It will also be helpful to be kind to yourself. Imagine a friend sharing about this same situation to you - what would you say to this friend? I’m guessing you won’t be beating the person up and probabaly listening to hear their story before coming up with some helpful suggestions. :slightly_smiling_face:

If you feel like speaking to a professional, that offers you a safe space and can work with you in a non-judgmental manner, you can consider the below too:

  • Samaritans of Singapore (1-767)
  • Family Service Centres
  • James Cook University Clinic
  • NIE Wellness Centre
  • NUS Clinical & Health Psychology Centre

Remember that you deserve and can get the support you need! Hope to hear from you, take care! :slightly_smiling_face:

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hey @Sufiy !
med school definitely gets overwhelming at times, and it’s easy to feel disheartened. personally, i also identify with the burnout you’ve felt and i think it’s especially exasperating when you know you should rest but cannot afford to. however, im glad that you’ve voiced out your frustrations as that is healthy too instead of bottling it up! for me, what helps is to acknowledge how I’m feeling and rationalise it, as other comments on this thread have suggested, such as taking stock of the situation and trying small ways that might ease the workload. having a trusted community helps immensely too!
know that there’s always a way out, and you can talk to others about how you’re feeling. don’t be afraid to confide in the people around you, like a trusted peer, senior or professor in medical school — there are many supportive people that will provide resources and encouragement, or even giving you the time off if you do need it. i hope you know that there are people rooting for you!! otherwise, you can message me or other like-minded peers on this platform if you ever need someone to talk to :slight_smile:
all the best and take care!! <3

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