How to Build Grit Before You Even Enter Medical School

Because Intelligence Alone Won’t Get You Through

There’s no denying that getting into medical school is competitive. But getting through medical school—and thriving in the years beyond—requires more than good grades, sharp MCAT scores, or a long resume of extracurriculars. It requires grit.

Grit is that rare mix of passion and perseverance. It's what keeps you going when you’re sleep-deprived, emotionally drained, or staring down your tenth rejection email. It's not something you’re born with—it’s something you build.

And the best time to start building grit isn’t after your first anatomy exam—it’s right now, before you even set foot in a lecture hall.

What Is Grit, Really?

Psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as “passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement.” It’s not about being fearless. It’s about pushing through fear, fatigue, and failure to keep showing up.

In the context of medicine, grit means:

• Staying committed despite setbacks
  
  
• Finding meaning in small wins
  
  
• Enduring the long road without burning out
  
  
• Balancing emotional resilience with academic discipline
  
  
• Learning to be uncomfortable—and still keep going
  

While GPA and MCAT scores might get you noticed, grit gets you through the hard stuff that numbers can’t prepare you for.

Why You Need Grit Before Day One of Med School

Many students assume they’ll develop grit during medical school. But the truth is, med school doesn’t give you grit—it tests what you’ve already built. The pre-med years are your training ground.

Building grit before med school helps you:

• Navigate rejections, delays, or unexpected detours
  
  
• Handle the pressure of performance without breaking down
  
  
• Develop self-discipline and time management
  
  
• Build a mindset that tolerates failure without losing motivation
  
  
• Enter with emotional maturity—not just academic strength
  

In short, grit isn’t a last-minute skill. It’s a foundation you lay before the real stress begins.

Tangible Ways to Build Grit as a Pre-Med Student

1. Take on Something That Might Make You Fail

Whether it’s research, starting a podcast, running a marathon, or applying for a competitive internship—do something hard where success isn’t guaranteed.

You’ll learn:

• How to deal with self-doubt
  
  
• How to try again after falling short
  
  
• How to problem-solve under pressure
  
  
• That failure doesn’t define you—it refines you
  

The earlier you build failure tolerance, the stronger your emotional core becomes.

2. Push Through Boring but Necessary Work

Grit isn’t always about pushing through disaster. Sometimes, it’s about doing repetitive, thankless tasks without external rewards. Studying flashcards. Volunteering in a low-resource clinic. Reviewing MCAT content that doesn’t excite you.

These experiences teach:

• Discipline without drama
  
  
• Endurance through routine
  
  
• Purpose in persistence
  

When you master small grinds, you’ll be better prepared for the long grinds of clinical rotations, licensing exams, and endless charting.

3. Practice Rejection—Then Reframe It

Apply for programs, scholarships, or shadowing roles that stretch your qualifications. If you get rejected, reflect instead of retreating.

Ask yourself:

• What did I learn about my approach?
  
  
• How can I pivot or improve next time?
  
  
• What new opportunity did this rejection free me up for?
  

Gritty people aren’t immune to rejection—they’re just better at extracting value from it.

4. Develop a Strong “Why”

Purpose fuels perseverance. If you don’t know why you’re pursuing medicine beyond “it sounds impressive” or “my parents expect it,” your grit will collapse under pressure.

To build your why:

• Journal about moments that inspired you to help others
  
  
• Shadow across specialties to see different realities
  
  
• Volunteer in underserved communities to ground your purpose
  
  
• Ask yourself who you want to serve, and why they matter to you
  

When your goals align with something bigger than yourself, you develop the stamina to push through storms.

5. Build Emotional Endurance Through Service

Working with vulnerable populations—whether in hospitals, shelters, or refugee clinics—exposes you to real suffering. It also grows your empathy, patience, and ability to hold space for pain without shutting down.

This builds:

• Compassion without burnout
  
  
• Perspective beyond textbooks
  
  
• The quiet strength to show up even when it’s hard
  

These are the qualities that will serve you not just as a student—but as a future doctor.

6. Train Your Mind Like an Athlete

Mental grit is like physical fitness—it needs conditioning.

Practice:

• Delayed gratification: Study now, reward later
  
  
• Mindfulness and meditation: Build calm in chaos
  
  
• Goal visualization: Picture yourself succeeding despite setbacks
  
  
• Resilience rituals: What do you do when things go wrong?
  

By training your response to pressure now, you’ll be calmer and clearer when med school stress hits.

7. Find People Who Challenge You (and Cheer for You)

Grit isn’t built in isolation. Surround yourself with people who:

• Hold you accountable
  
  
• Push you beyond your comfort zone
  
  
• Remind you of your strengths when you forget
  
  
• Model resilience in their own journeys
  

A gritty support system is one that pushes you forward while helping you stay grounded.

8. Reflect Often, Adjust Quickly

Grit isn’t about stubbornly sticking to one path. It’s about knowing when to pivot, adjust, and grow.

Practice weekly or monthly reflection:

• What am I learning from this struggle?
  
  
• Is my current plan still aligned with my deeper goals?
  
  
• What needs to change—my effort, my method, or my mindset?
  

This turns setbacks into feedback—not roadblocks.

9. Build Grit in Non-Academic Areas

Physical challenges, creative pursuits, and travel adventures all build mental muscle.

Try:

• Training for a physical goal
  
  
• Learning a new language
  
  
• Teaching yourself a creative skill
  
  
• Working a difficult customer service job
  

These experiences make you adaptable, humble, and resilient under pressure—exactly what medicine requires.

10. Learn to Rest Without Quitting

True grit includes knowing when to pause—not just push. If you don’t learn how to rest without guilt, you’ll burn out before the real journey begins.

Practice:

• Saying no without apologizing
  
  
• Creating boundaries around rest and work
  
  
• Valuing recovery as much as achievement
  

Grit isn’t about suffering nonstop—it’s about sustainable perseverance.

Signs You’re Already Building Grit (Even If You Don’t Realize It)

• You’re applying to med school again after not getting in last year
  
  
• You’re studying while working a part-time job or caregiving
  
  
• You’re continuing after a bad grade, a rejected application, or self-doubt
  
  
• You’re showing up for shadowing, volunteering, and classes—even when you’re tired
  

If you’re doing any of this, you’re not falling behind. You’re already becoming the kind of student—and doctor—who lasts.

Conclusion: Grit Is Your Pre-Med Superpower

Before you buy your first anatomy textbook or step into your first lecture hall, ask yourself this: Do I have the grit to grow through the hard parts?

Grit isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t show up on your resume. But it shows up every time you fall and get back up, every time you study when no one’s watching, and every time you believe in your purpose more than your fear.

Start building grit now—and medical school won’t break you. It will forge you.