Now that you are at the next stage of the journey, you will be faced with a vast range of opportunities for learning, personal growth, advocacy, and service. Medical schools are, in general, highly supportive of their students with graduation rates above 97%. In the end, however, the value you take from this stage of your education will depend on you.
Continue to reflect and act on your own values and aspirations on a regular basis. Ask yourself, what do I value, aspire to be, and how do I judge myself, others, and events. Then for each answer, ask yourself, why? This is a wonderful way to inspect your past, affirm your intentions, and ensure that your experience reflects you and not only received wisdom or peer expectations.
Check in regularly with yourself and ask: What is my goal for 5 years, 1 year, 3 months, etc. Don't let others knock you off your goals to serve and make change. Obvious goals for medicine are:
Help your patients feel cared for in both the short and long term and
Care for and be kind to your patients, peers, and mentors, even when they are not kind to you.
Make medical school social. Once you start school, find some folks to start studying with and figure out how you best work with others (This is especially important in light of COVID-19).
Find an advisor that you can be completely open with and who will be direct and honest with you. Also, make sure this person helps you in the way you feel you need to be helped.
Develop 2-4 mentors, maintain those relationships and add or change mentors as your goals and aspirations change. Ongoing outreach to find mentorship may be one of the most important activities you engage in.
There are three aspects to the medicine to keep in mind: clinical management, human relations, and your responsibility to health given the authority granted you. Work on each in your own way.
For the first, especially as you get started and are getting slammed with information, always be asking:
What are the possible things that could cause this symptom?
How do I differentiate between them?
What could I do (or not do) about it?
What are the patient’s goals?
For the second, practice kindness and empathy toward your peers and yourself. Also, try to imagine having each illness you learn in combination with a different biopsychosocial context. Really think and feel how you would react, treat others, and live through the whole health care experience.
For the third, in a time of crises and upheaval, physicians are trained and positioned to provide care and solace. Our solemn responsibility is to the health and wellbeing of those in our care. Is it time for physicians and physician trainees to advocate for a more just and equitable health system? I think so.
As you observe healthcare workers, reflect on their approach to communication, expectations, and caring for patients and their team.
Shouldn’t American citizens pride themselves on their ability to care for everyone who is a citizen of this country and maybe even others?
Buy and start annotating First Aid on day 1. When in doubt, do practice questions then study based on those. Starting 3 months before boards do UWorld and review First Aid. The rest of the time, Kaplan is fine. (With the new pass or fail Step 1, this might be outdated but the boards are good exams to prepare for as they emphasize common knowledge)
The body and mind like the status quo (which is not always ideal) and homeostasis (with set points that can get perturbed). They break down but try their best to get back to the status quo and a homeostatic state. Think about medicine in terms of this balance.
At the most basic level you need to understand: "How does it work?", "How does it break down?", and "How can I help?"
As all the other information flows by you, keep asking those questions.
If you really want/need to start early. Buy and read this:
You are big. The world can not imagine your worth. Be big, be audacious, be your greatest self.
And last but not least: Remember to enjoy the ride. It's a lot of work and sometimes it can be made to seem harder or more painful than it is. If you are feeling down, make a change, you are in control and medical school can be a great adventure. Remember your goals and passions and stay true to them.