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How to deal with anxiety?


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Hey guys, I just graduated from uni and I'll be applying to UofA this cycle. Going into medicine has been a lifelong dream and I did everything I could to check all the premed boxes. I have stats above entrance averages at UofA, I kept up with a variety of EC's, I try to convince myself everyday that I'll make it in, but these days I just can't shake the anxiety. All day I just overthink this whole process and I end up feeling so hopeless and depressed. I think about parts of my app that are lacking or how there's tons of applicants every year who have great stats and EC's no different from mine and get rejected. I think about scenarios where I apply for 10 years straight and never make it in. I think about how it's going to affect my social life (being behind all my friends in life, having a dead-end job and failing to get into med school for years). The anxiety just makes me want to quit before I even start.

Also another thing that scares me is that I'm a fresh graduate with a BSc in chemistry and the Alberta job market seems really tough to break into for me. I've spent all of undergrad tailoring my resume for med school - spending all my time in medical research, volunteering, EC's, without any solid work experience. I've been applying to any jobs that fit the bill. No dice so far. I don't know how long it's going to take since the job market isn't too great right now. 

I guess I'll just have to power through, but I just wanted to vent how I feel and ask for advice since I've never really opened up to friends or family about it. People who've been through it all, how did you cope with the anxiety? Also what kind of jobs did you have while applying and what are things you did to have a more optimistic mindset?

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Physicians deal with uncertainty and ambiguity in their professional lives continuously. Their patients lives are at stake. In our personal lives, uncertainty is always there. I am going into 4th year residency and don't know what the job market will be like when I complete residency. This is part of life. You have made all the right moves and must have confidence in yourself. And you need both patience and persistence! Jump into life and take advantage of the amazing opportunities you have in front of you. If there are no jobs, keep applying and do something else in the meantime that will keep your spirits up and where you can participate and contribute to society in some way, thereby getting you out of yourself! And have a Plan B, e.g., would an education degree be helpful so you might fall back on teaching in the sciences? Depending upon finances, this is a golden opportunity to backpack and travel, opening yourself up to new life experiences and perhaps, exploring out of your comfort zone. It is mind over matter. Do whatever interests you or about which you may be passionate. Make this time count in your life rather than dwell upon the uncertainty that is always there. And, if necessary, go to counselling to deal with the anxiety. 

 

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I had always felt that applying to medical school in Canada was a crapshoot - as much as we look at previous year stats and gauge how we will fare in the year of application, there is simply no way of predicting for a vast majority of the applicants. Coming out of undergrad, I was afraid to apply - I didn't handle anxiety very well. I opted for law instead. I enjoyed my time in law, but there was always a burning thought in my head at "what if I applied, what if I went for it?" Nonetheless, I was very glad I had chosen law because in the long-run, if things didnt work out, I would have had a meal ticket and been able to sustain myself. I have always been an advocate of opening doors and keeping options open. If the sciences interest you, why not pursue an allied health profession in parallel as you apply? Education may be difficult in the long-run due to the laborious process to secure a permanent teaching position as the market is saturated. 

In terms of dealing with anxiety, it is a matter of letting go of what you think ought to be and letting the pieces fall where they may while working hard. Keep going for med, but have a backup and look at post-grad professional diplomas or degrees in allied health if that interests you.

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First of all OP the feelings you have right now WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE. It is normal and it's ok to feel some uncertainty towards the future. That being said I get it, it's so hard. I felt very similar to how I imagine you feel now. I tailored my whole degree to medicine When I graduated from nursing and wasn't quite ready for medicine yet I applied to..... 123 nursing positions. And two hospitals called me back. And only one offered me a job. I spent 4 years with health related volunteering and work experiences and worked so hard in school to only get two interviews and one job offer out of 123. It was so stressful and it made me feel like if nursing didn't want me medicine never would either. Now looking back if I had taken any other job than the one I was handed by the universe I would have been unhappy, and I never would have been accepted into medicine! (I got in to U of A this year!) I went to work in a busy emergency department in a line that no one else wanted (for good reason it was so hard to work it) but I gained so much life experience and perspective. I was also rejected from med school twice. So..... those feelings of not being good enough and what happens if I don't get in... I've been there too. I was worried about what my nursing family would think and if they would see me as a bad nurse for trying for medicine and if i didnt get in would they laugh and judge me? They didn't. A lot of them actually started sharing with me their career goals and fears about moving forward so I got to make some really awesome connections.

I get through the anxiety I feel by making an effort to be honest with myself about what I'm not strong at (and working to fix it) but also being honest about how amazing I am at other things and balancing my self talk. Additionally, I focus on the end goal of my life, which isn't medicine. It's actually about how i want to move through life and what experiences and personal traits I want to develop and that reminds me that medicine isn't my whole life and wether I got in or not it doesn't define my worth as a person. And it won't define you either.

You're more than your application stats. And you'll get there one day. I did and my stats were sub par for sure. 

Good luck. You can pm me if you ever want to just talk about lif.

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Pursuing medicine is a grind. Learning medicine is a grind. Practicing medicine is a grind.

Do your best to stay connected with family/friends, try to get to bed earlier on a consistent basis, consider practicing relaxation skills on a daily basis--whether meditation, yoga, progressive muscular relaxation, etc., reconnect with an exercise routine and try to eat well.

Self-care is essential. Medicine is absolutely anxiety, depression, and burnout provoking. 

Either get used to feeling shitty everyday and showing up in spite of it, or spend some time reflecting on your values, establishing some personal goals and putting your self-care first.

It's not easy, however.

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6 hours ago, Bambi said:

 And, if necessary, go to counseling to deal with the anxiety. 

 

I agree with this!

 

I'm just the wife (not a doctor, med student or med school applicant) of a guy with a PhD who is starting med school in September. I agree that stress and anxiety seem to be part of the package when it comes to medicine. I think that you've been given a lot of great advice. Sometimes it isn't easy to change the way that you think especially if depression and/or anxiety are in the mix. Even if you don't feel that you have overwhelming depression/anxiety, counseling or therapy could be a great option for you. It could be helpful to develop coping skills and also work on other soft skills that relate to CANMED roles which will, in turn, help you ace that interview when it comes.

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6 hours ago, Bambi said:

Physicians deal with uncertainty and ambiguity in their professional lives continuously. Their patients lives are at stake. In our personal lives, uncertainty is always there. I am going into 4th year residency and don't know what the job market will be like when I complete residency. This is part of life. You have made all the right moves and must have confidence in yourself. And you need both patience and persistence! Jump into life and take advantage of the amazing opportunities you have in front of you. If there are no jobs, keep applying and do something else in the meantime that will keep your spirits up and where you can participate and contribute to society in some way, thereby getting you out of yourself! And have a Plan B, e.g., would an education degree be helpful so you might fall back on teaching in the sciences? Depending upon finances, this is a golden opportunity to backpack and travel, opening yourself up to new life experiences and perhaps, exploring out of your comfort zone. It is mind over matter. Do whatever interests you or about which you may be passionate. Make this time count in your life rather than dwell upon the uncertainty that is always there. And, if necessary, go to counselling to deal with the anxiety. 

 

I would even say to do all of those! You can see not getting into medical school yet as an opportunity to grow, experience unexpected things, and discover parts of yourself you didn't know existed! If there are no chemistry jobs where you live, why not got elsewhere? Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have great working holiday programs with Canada! Try finding a job on Indeed. Want to travel but no finances? Try volunteering with a NGO, and perhaps enter you application in the UN volunteers database. They hire over 1000 qualified volunteers a month!

I must confess that although I am extremely glad to have been accepted into a medical school for fall 2018 at 29 years of age, I have done so many things in the last years that I am a bit nervous about actually stopping most of those things and mostly becoming a "med student". My experiences will become narrower, and I will have to put some effort to make sure I keep activities completely outside the realm of medicine. Paradoxically, it may be precisely those experiences that made me excel in my interviews and get accepted.

All this to say that you will not stop experiencing disturbing emotions once you are accepted, but they will definitely change in character. Try to make the most of your life right now, and later will come, well... later!

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  • 3 years later...

I know what you mean. I was so stressed before I went to medical school that I wanted to quit and leave. I felt like I was at a dead end. I had the same thoughts in my head as you do. I still remember when I was 19 and couldn't get into college on my first try. I was so stressed and anxious. Maybe this will help you https://fherehab.com/learning/grounding-techniques-for-anxiety/. I had too many plans that didn't come to fruition. But I think everything that happens to us happens for a reason. And you shouldn't feel bad about not getting everything right on the first try.

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  • 8 months later...

It would help if you thought about how much you already did to be in this situation. When you feel depressed about the future, I recommend you think about what you can do now to be more confident in your future. Also, you can try CBD-related products that help people with depression and anxiety. Also, I recommend you approach any grief counseling service that will help you choose the proper way to win against your anxiety and depression. In any case, you should remember that you are not alone, buddy. Have good luck!

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...

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