What made you decide to start studying medicine? For many people, it stems from a genuine desire to help people; others may find the medical practice to be a fascinating or lucrative career path.
Regardless of your reasons, there are a few things you might not know about being a medical student.
While you may have a decent idea of what being a doctor is like, there are many aspects of studying medicine that people don’t often talk about; medical school features many hardships.
Read on to learn about some surprising things nobody tells you about studying medicine.
8 Things Nobody Tells You About Studying Medicine
#1: It’s A Lot of Work
This is the main thing you need to know about studying medicine: it’s a lot of work. You might think, “Of course it is! It’s a complex field; I knew that.” There’s more to it than just challenging schoolwork, though.
Learning how to study medicine involves regular coursework as well as a residency. It puts a lot on your plate; you won’t always have time to study or see your friends.
There’s also a lot to learn. The medical field is broad, and even after choosing a specialty (which we’ll touch on later), there’s a huge amount of information to take in.
#2: It’s Expensive
How much does it cost to study medicine? This is another thing you might think you already know; between tuition fees and medical textbooks, of course, it’s expensive, right?
You may not realize just how expensive, though. Medical school is among the most expensive kinds of education out there–and the usual result is that medical students end up with large amounts of student loan debt.
The average student loan debt of a medical student is six times the debt of other college graduates. Nearly half of those with debt start accruing it in premedical training, on top of the medical school debt they gain later.
#3: It’s Very Competitive
Some people treat every course as a competition, trying to be the best in class. In medical school, that behavior is dialed up even further because of how competitive residencies are.
There are a limited number of residencies available, and some fields are harder to get into than others. As a result, you’ll be directly competing against your classmates and friends for coveted positions.
There’s even a term in the medical community for someone who pulls out all the stops to land a hard-to-get residency: a gunner.
Medical school and residency also tend to involve a lot of public critique from your teachers and doctors, which only heightens the competitive atmosphere.
#4: Choosing a Specialty
Deciding on a specialty is one of the most difficult aspects of studying medicine. There’s a lot to consider; you have to think about where your interests are, but there’s more to it than that.
What kind of lifestyle do you have in mind? Some specialties–such as surgical ones–can take up a lot of your time. Are you comfortable with that?
You should also consider if you might be happier in a medical-adjacent field, such as healthcare management; this allows you to support a medical establishment without some of the stress of studying medicine.
#5: You’ll Lose Sleep
When you’re a medical student, you can say goodbye to a regular sleep schedule. As discussed above, there’s a lot to get done when studying medicine, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for sleeping.
Again, this becomes most notable during residency. Between classes and getting your residency hours in, you may struggle to find time to sleep or even use the bathroom. Fitting a meal in can be tough, too.
The stress may also result in a few sleepless nights.
#6: People Will Ask For Advice
People outside of the medical field tend not to understand the medical profession–this article is proof of that. As a result, if you’re studying medicine, curious people will start asking you questions.
Friends, family, even strangers who overhear you talking about medical school–all of them are liable to ask you about various health issues.
They aren’t likely to be mindful of your specialty, either. Even if you’re going into dermatology, expect questions about infectious diseases, respiratory issues, and more.
People think of “doctor” as a catch-all term that gives you unlimited medical knowledge, which could prove frustrating.
#7: Self-Esteem Can Be an Issue
Due to a combination of factors, studying medicine can do a lot of damage to your self-esteem. Part of that is due to the incredible influx of work; you might start to feel bad about your ability to handle the workload.
The competitive aspect contributes, too. If you aren’t at the top of your class, it can feel like you’re struggling to keep up, or worse –than you’re falling far behind.
As you get more experience in the medical field, you’ll also have to deal with losing patients. This is always difficult and can make people second-guess their decisions.
#8: Personal vs. Professional
Studying medicine is, to put it bluntly, a bit gross. You end up examining cadavers, examining unpleasant diseases, and more. If you have a tolerance for it, there’s no issue… until your friends ask how school is going.
You’ll likely need to partition off some parts of your medical training that people in your personal life may be uncomfortable with. It’s good practice since you’ll need to keep patient confidentiality, too.
On the other side of the coin, you also need to keep things professional with patients. You can’t get too attached–remember, you’re their physician, not their friend.
Be Prepared For Studying Medicine
Studying medicine is a difficult but rewarding career path. Now that you know some of the hidden pitfalls of being a medical student, you can decide if studying medicine is the right choice for you.
If you decide that it is, you’ll be better prepared for the challenges ahead!
What other fields are you interested in studying? Are you interested in continuing education after medical school? Visit our education blog for more ways to expand your knowledge!
