Isaac K.
Photo provided by Isaac K.
If you’re reading this, know that you are exactly where you’re meant to be.
I’ve always taken a lot of comfort in these words. I am an avid over-thinker and find myself commonly wondering if the road I’m currently traveling on is leading me in the right direction, one that leads me to becoming the person I’ve always dreamed of becoming or one that winds up quite the opposite. The reality is that although the next steps I take towards achieving a goal is ultimately under my control, the exact route of getting there, along with its accompanying highs, lows, and everything in between, is not. I’d love to be certain that no major adverse event will arise within the next couple years, but that I cannot know. However, I also cannot begin to imagine the resilience I will gain with each subsequent challenge down the road.
One of my favorite analogies mirroring this message is a parent and their child traveling via train to some unknown place. The parent knows that the kid may misplace the ticket if given it preemptively and thus opts to hand it only when they’re both at the station. Only then is the kid capable enough to give the ticket to the conductor and take the next step on the journey forward. As difficult as this is to compare to reality without sounding cheesy, I realized that in each moment, I have the mental capacity to overcome exactly what is in front of me. Did I have the same strength one month, one week, even one day ago? Maybe, but maybe not. What matters, though, is that we always have enough to carry us through the next moment.
If you’re reading this, consider reflecting on your strength—you’ll likely surprise yourself with how capable you really are. You hold the ticket for taking the next step forward.
Isaac K., Second Year Medical Student
Q: Is there a habit or practice that changed the game for you regarding your own mental health/coping?
A: I’ve discovered that many of the coping mechanisms I utilize boil down to mindfulness. For me, this sometimes translates to performing a guided meditation, but I began to see the most impact when practicing it spontaneously throughout the day. Whether it be anxiety regarding an upcoming exam or over-thinking another stressful circumstance in our personal lives, there is much peace that can be achieved by simply acknowledging the struggle without giving it any more energy than that. There are of course situations that require careful reflection, but oftentimes, I believe many daily stresses are best dealt with by leaving them alone. As problem-solving individuals, it can be difficult to put a pause on thoughts regarding something substantial – there is a tendency to figure out a situation while going through it, which I have found for myself often leads to even more stress. Instead, the muddiness of life often clears up best by leaving it alone.
Q: What do you wish other people knew about the stressors of medical school/medical training?
A: It’s no surprise medicine is notorious for being a stressful field: you are surrounded by dozens of incredibly intelligent individuals while having to make critical decisions for patients often in their worst state of health. Beyond the field itself, it is in every medical student’s blood to be high-achieving and hold themselves to a high standard that can so easily spiral into unrelenting stress. However, this is not a road you have to travel on alone. The silver lining of most medical schools is that all the students in a cohort are taking the same classes and exams at the same time, and when you feel like burnout is lurking in the corner just waiting to pounce, I guarantee somebody else is going through the same. If you’re in medical school, you have the capacity to not only succeed but the self-awareness to know when you feel overwhelmed.
Trust yourself and the passion you had when entering medical school. Trust that your desire to become a physician is so strong that you simply won’t let yourself not become one.
Q: What has your journey with coping been like thus far? What do you hope others take away from your journey?
A: It’s messy, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Everything I have expressed that has given me comfort is still very much a work in progress in my life, and in no way am I immune to the difficulties school throws my way. As I take each step along this journey, though, it becomes easier to recognize when I need to take care of myself. And even though I’m almost halfway through my second year, I still struggle to find the line between pushing through normal stress and knowing when to take a step back. Medical school is a journey of waves and learning to ride the highs and lows of life amidst it.
What may work for me may not be the approach for everyone. It may take a series of trial-and-error experiments to figure out how you best approach the challenges lying ahead, but give yourself grace. You already have the skills and mindset to succeed in medical school. Sometimes this may feel far from the truth, but be assured you wouldn’t be where you are if somebody didn’t believe in you. Let that person be yourself – trust in yourself and know you are exactly where you need to be.
Several studies have revealed that medical students, physicians, and healthcare professionals experience mental health symptoms at rates significantly higher than the general population. Stethos[Cope] is a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis designed to help medical students and professionals cope with the unique stressors of medical training and change the narrative of mental health in medicine.
To read more letters and interviews from students, and to learn more about mental health in the medical community, visit the Stethos[Cope] home page.