I Am In Medical School But I Don’t Feel Like Studying. What Should I Do?

This question was originally posted on Quora.com, and was answered by, Paul Bolin, M.D. (physician)


Surely you had to “feel like” studying to get to this point. Getting into medical school is no small feat. Three things go through my mind.

1. You may be depressed. Apathy is a sign of depression and depression is, sadly, common among medical students. If you find that this lack of willpower is carrying over to other areas of your life (such as not wanting to get out of bed in the morning), you have a change in sleeping habits, a lack of appetite, etc., you may want to consider seeing a doctor.
2. You may be burned out. This may particularly be the case if you went straight through college and into medical school. While it’s unusual, it’s also understandable. If you feel this may be the case, it would probably be a good idea to talk to your advisor and see if you can take a leave of absence. I’m of the belief that medical school is like drinking from a fire hydrant. I’m surprised more people don’t get burned out. Medical schools are often pretty understanding of this, and most would rather grant you a leave of absence and come back when your prepared than have you fail out (after all, they have a vested, financial interest in you completing your program). So consider this.
3. Medicine may not be your passion. If you went to medical school for reasons outside of a passion for the science or art of the practice (reasons like family pressure or desire for wealth), then it may be catching up with you. This is kind of a sticky situation, since the student loan debt racks up pretty quickly once you start medical school. But it’s better to recognize it now and get out than to graduate and get to residency and realize you hate your job. By then it’s really too late. Do remember, though, the intense hours of studying largely end after your second year. When you start the clinical years, you will begin the much more rewarding (in my opinion) job of caring for patients.

Think long and hard about this.

Hope this helps,

Paul

And was also answered by Athul Sreevatsan Nair, works at Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh

Diagnose why you dont feel like studying.

The reasons may be broadly split into two categories -

1. If it is because of your lack of confidence, depression, or not finding anything in the college to bond with, then resolve thise issues and you will feel your interest coming back. These confidence issues or depression occur mainly because you are leaving your comfort zone and favourite people to crash into a new place with unknown people and the pressure of studies. Ragging may also be a reason.

2. Genuine lack of interest/aptitude in the field.

The possible solutions are -

1. Gel with the place as soon as possible. Make friends. Explore. Dont worry about studying as soon as you step into college. Four and a half years is a very long time and you get ample time to study. Just realise that you wont fall behind if you dont study for a day or a week or two.
2. Differentiate between ragging and fun filled interactions. Seniors will pull your leg. They may assign small chores. Dont take that as torture. Just take it as an ice-breaking tradition. Believe me, you will form strong bonds with everyone in your hostel. That doesn't mean that you suffer at the hands of anybody. Nobody should harm you physically, mentally or financially. Do not hesitate to take appropriate action if anybody tries to harm you.
3. You wont understand what you are studying for a couple of months. It is natural. Dong worry or lose confidence thinking about that. Take help from your teachers and seniors. You will eventually fall into the groove for medical education.
4. If you are depressed, take help. Nothing to be ashamed of. You will only benefit from taking help.
5. If you are not interested in the field, try your best to find things which may make you interested in the field. Do not give away your seat without thinking a thousand times. You have worked a lot for it. And if you hadn't taken the seat, then somebody else could have lived the dream. But, ultimately, you will have to leave for your good if you cant connect at any cost.

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