This video has been being picked up a lot more recently, which I appreciate a lot! But if that means more people are finding it because they're going through a similar situation- I hope you know that you'll get past these hurdles! It's easy to feel powerless in these situations, but they don't define who you are as a person. How you respond to these challenges does. Take the time you need to process the circumstance, give yourself some grace and some time off, and then work on the factors that you can control. The light at the end of the tunnel will mean that much more after going through this.
hey! i'm here because I'm on my last day writing my dissertation for my master's after having to take a leave of absence. I felt really disappointed, and ashamed, I'd never 'given up' on something academically, and I felt so ashamed. Here I am two years later, and I'm about to finish. I really really hope I pass. love x
Hey man, I also failed out of M1 in medical school during Covid (in 2020-21). It’s two years out and I’ve been teaching as a bridge job and am applying to law school to become a public defender. It feels like your life is over at the time, but it goes on. You seem to have a great head on your shoulders and you will make it through this second time!
Thank you so much for this video! It's practical and reassuring. I'm going through something not exactly the same but I also took a leave of absence to really figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
There is a reason that this "toxic" culture is present and that is because people's lives depend on you being smart enough to save them. My experience and the experience of my colleagues is the current crop of doctors being pumped out in the US are sub par yes men who cannot think on their own.
It takes a special kind of person to share their failures with others in order to help them. The pressure to be perfect is so real in any career but it’s not reality. You will be a great doctor.
I agree thank you I appreciate. I am in nursing professionally looking to go into a doctoral program and I just have so much disappointment and shame and anxiety looking back at some of the science classes i took as an undergrad and i could only smh.
I wouldn't call it "failures". Only people who are so inclined to be trapped in the Rat race see it as a let down. The restrictions in the medical field take lives every day, avoiding the opaque parental pressure and doing your own thing is essential. You only live once, persuading endlessly for a grade will kill you.
Most people are like this, what are you talking about? Lots of old people who feel they've failed at life like sharing their failure to young people to teach them to work harder and motivate them.
Hey Kenny, I repeated my 1st year of medschool as well. I ended up going through and am now in Residency. It was a ROUGH time. I failed towards the end of my 1st year so I wasn't allowed to do remediation test. We were only allowed 1 remediation test. Medschool takes SOOOO much from you. I am glad you are taking care of yourself now.
Congratulations on getting into residency! I appreciate the kind words and it gives me peace knowing others have experienced this as well. I’m glad you were able to move past it and I’m wishing you the best!
Congratulations! It takes a special type of person to have that kind of determination. I know because I myself struggle with failure a lot and I'm not sure I would've been able to be that resilient. Proud of you, stranger!
For a Foreigner it sound’s really strange that you can’t choose your specialty. I don’t think any Student wouldn’t start a Medicine studies without being able to choose a specialty later on…
Sometimes it’s not people putting on an airs. Some people really excel, not that it’s not difficult, that’s an absurd statement. Agreed on deciding what you want out of medicine. After going from pre-med to med student and enveloping myself into an identity I wanted, it’s never been more clear that in order to be happy I need a life away from medicine. Thanks for sharing ur story, shit happens
Hi! I study Architecture and by no means am i comparing med with archi but we all know that archi can be extremely difficult too. I was two years in, almost finishing my sixth quarter of the career, and i realized how damn lost i was because the university i was in was simply not giving what was expected and i felt lost. I was not sure if i was learning everything correctly simply because my teachers were not good. The classes sometime felt like they didn't have a structure to follow, the topics sometimes had nothing to with Architecture, or they didn't really explain a lot of the topic to like deep levels were you get to understand the mechanics of how it got to that point or how everything started, teachers were cancelling classes and never re doing them, i was at state were i felt like i was not liking my choice at all. I was not failing classes, my exam's grades were always above 90 but i was not feeling like i was learning much even with the amount of stuff we were seeing, it just felt not enough. And by the end of the second year, i simply realized that my best option was to transfer to another university with the hopes of getting a better education. I got the paperwork for transferring, searched and searched and hit the jackpot with a University that opened the career. So in this university, architecture was a new career implemented, i was excited knowing this university is one the top private universities in the country, hella expensive tho haha. I ended up transferring to it and had to repeat the whole career. Was i scared? Yes. Two years for nothing in another uni that was simply shit. But it is true that i already knew a lot of the topics and felt at easy. Everything is going extremely well, even when the career is completely new in this uni, it is SO much more structured and deeper than the other uni. Sometimes, repeating can give you more opportunities to grow than staying were you are not feeling like you are getting enough.
I failed and repeated my first year of medical school. Now in my second year of Residency. Nobody cares that you failed, nobody even knows unless you tell them. Never cared about it during residency and forgot about it. You move on.
😊i didn’t know you could go back but you did keep going! It seems to me a lot of medical school is about fortitude! I work with a bunch of doctors and some of them make me wonder.
I am a person that easily breaks when I fail. I found that it came from the high expectations put on me in my childhood. I never feel good enough so when failure strikes it hits me like a truck. I’m successful today, on paper, but it still doesn’t feel like enough. Definitely a work in progress still.
I appreciate you for sharing that part of your journey. It can be hard devoting so much time into something, yet trying to separate it from your self-worth. I’m wishing you nothing but the best :)
l lost a year in Medschool and I had to repeat a year. My twin proceeded to the next class. As I write to you now,I am writing my final exams and I finish in the next 36 hours! I will be a full fledged Doctor this week and I must say I m glad I didn't give up. I failed in my 2nd year because I was still new to the rigours of Medschool. I must say these past 9 years(+covid year) has been a ride. I've been depressed, joyful, happy and sometimes wanted to give up but I am glad I held on. This is for someone who is TIRED of Medschool,take a break and re-assess , remind yourself of the why and then RUN the race set before you by you. It's worth it at the end! Nice meeting the international community. Love from Nigeria❤
It took me 10 yrs to finish medical school. I dropped out to study psychology and dropped in back, unmotivated back in med school till I reached final my year and fell in love with medicine. I’m still not very academic but I like being a doctor. I never regretted any of it. Keep going if you want to be a doctor.
@min_x27 i tried everything, learning with different people, I went to cafes so I didn’t get bored studying in one place, I watched videos on youtube for a fast recall. What helped the most was I had hyper marked my book and underlined important info, so I just read that in the end. Try to understand instead of cram when you learn the first time. Recall gets easier later.
The medical systems burns us out and then turns around to place the sole blame on its students, residents etc to not burn out. Your honesty is so refreshing and I’m praying for you🫶🏿
Failing by one point is brutal :( I passed by a couple points on a couple blocks, and I know that there is no objective difference between you and I. Keep on my brother, thanks for this video. Grades are NOT a reflection of your future quality as a physician :)
I failed a class before. Granted it wasn't medical school or any graduate degree school, it was ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. that's when I contemplated my life choices. Orgchem through me for a loop! 😮 It's been 10ish years since then and that didn't affect me at all!, I rather one fail 5x before becoming the beat doctor. We are human and we are learning, we can't pass everything all at once! Keep up the good work 👏🏾 🎉
this is exactly what's happening with me omg i'm doing so well with my health and bio classes but organic chemistry is ruining my chances of pursuing medicine 😭 congrats on getting through it though !
I didn't fail medical school, but I was suspended when I was studying for my bachelor's degree. I took a year off, worked a part time job, worked on my mental health and physical health. That year i really figured out what I wanted to do and who I am as a person. I went back to college and got straight A's and graduated! Sometimes, you just need a break to gain perspective and that's ok.
@@day-viavia2033 I started out with walking/hiking while listening to music. it is good for physical and mental health. it really calmed me down when I experienced a lot of negative emotions at once.
Fantastic video, bro. I'm not pursuing medicine anymore. I switched paths, but I'm so proud of you for being transparent & vulnerable. I'm glad you took care of yourself by assuming that leave of absence. You're gonna be a dope doctor. Keep on keeping on.
I'm a psychiatrist. I've been out of training (residency and fellowship) for one year. I enjoyed this video, because I can totally relate to your struggles. Trust me, once you start making that attending salary, and you're living in that nice house, driving that nice car, taking your family on nice vacations, the hurdles you faced to get to that point will fade away in your mind. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. All of it is ABSOLUTELY worth it in the end.
I matched psychiatry and did away w medicine as a career altogether. It was destroying my mental health after working as a tech/ER APCT for 10 years prior. I haven’t looked back. I spent 27 years in school, got 2 MS degrees and sacrificed my fertility. I’ve had 2 miscarriages and would not have been able to do IVF w the residency salary. My director and I cojld not come to a resolution to allow me the time off, and I had to leave. It was one or the other of my biggest dreams in life. But I don’t regret it. It’s been 3 years now. I have 1 good embryo finally. Am doing it alone at 37 w menopause expected at 38 bc of unexpected damage to my eggs during cancer treatment. They had promised (I was 29) that it would not harm them. I should’ve looked at more meta analyses. But $500k I’m debt from school, still searching for my life’s purpose, and trying to raise enough money to pay off my first round of egg retrieval ($21k) so I can do a second and hopefully transfer my miracle. Medicine cost me my entire life’s happiness. It is all I wanted for so long, but I ended up attempting sui*ide 4 times since the beginning of my last semester. My mom almost passed away. My dog did pass away. I didn’t initially match. And I had my first miscarriage at 34. I struggle every single day w what medical school has left me with. And I worked through 15 years of therapy already bc of an abusive alcoholic POS father. And now mandatory therapy for Ivf. I do still love psych, but med school robbed me of a life. At 24, I wanted to start trying for a baby. Everyone told me “You’re so young; you have 20 years left to have one!” “You’re going to be a doctor!” As if that’s all there is to life. “You don’t want/ need kids.” “Now isn’t the time.” “Focus on school.” I’ve never had a bugger regret then listening to these people. All I do want in life is my own little family w my 1 year old dog. He is all that has saved me after my last boy passed. My only dream was for him to see me graduate and he missed it by a month. I finished and graduated for my mom, whom I drove to my school and had handicapped seating for/ my only family member in attendance/ and worried about her the entire ceremony. She had to carry her defibrillator/pacemaker before she had one implanted. She had recently had a quadruple bypass. I still feel like I totally failed her. But I could not continue on that path just for everyone else. Nobody in my extended family talks to me anymore since I quit medicine. I got 118 likes (not saying “likes” are everything) on my med school graduation post, and 25ish on my pregnancy announcement at 12 weeks, which I would lose days later. Just goes to show you what makes other people happy. You have to follow your own heart, if I’ve learned anything in this life
@@MPLetsTalkI’m $500k in. Actually about $600k now. How does that work? You pass it on to your kids bc nobody cares that you sacrificed your life for others. Patients and family alike treat you like sh*t. It’s a thankless job.
I'm a fresh graduate from a premed course and was actually planning to proceed to medicine. But for the past 3 months of rest and reflections I realized that I'm not actually doing it for myself but was pressured by my family and relatives. Breaking the news to my family about my plan to not proceed to medicine was pretty difficult for me, but I was really surprised how they support my decision saying that they really noticed my struggles during the past year. And now I am really glad that I'm proceeding to something that I have an interest with, realizing that there are more opportunities the world can offer.
That's a scary realization to come to and tell your family. I'm glad that you figured that out for yourself though! Whatever you decided to pursue instead, im wishing you the best 🤝
Im in a similar situation but I haven’t fully committed on changing careers. I dont know how i would build up the courage to tell my parents. I feel ashamed, and I feel like I would be letting them down if I dont get into the graduate program i have been pursuing for the past 2 years. I feel like a failure seeing my cousins getting into their programs and progressing in life. I honestly feel lost and stuck at the same time
Let’s discuss how awful medical education is in the U.S. It seems like the majority of the professors suck at most schools and you’re basically teaching yourself with outside resources. I graduated in 2022. It can be extremely frustrating and disheartening. Nevertheless keep pushing forward.
when i was going to a university, my first year half of my college algebra class failed, and the professor blamed it on us :/ but every time we went to his office after hours to ask for help, he would tell us he can't help because it's something we should already know.
Felt that!!! School should be a place to learn not listen to professors hours on end talking about stuff they’ve practiced for years and then expect us to do well on the exams. Like half of the professors in college that ive had understand what they teach but they cant teach.
We have some of the best education material wise and most knowledgeable people but the annoying part is that most people with the most education and knowledge and degrees and all that rarely know how to teach. And if they do their classes are all taken lol
Thanks so much for talking about this Kenny . I’m a 2nd year medical student - I haven’t repeated anything but I constantly feel on the edge especially since I scraped my exam. Med school is such a big commitment- I’m really trying my best to push my way through it and be resilient but coming back I didn’t expect it to take from me the way it has. Thanks for being vulnerable- it has made me realise that others also find this difficult
Rooting for you all the way! Doing well in med school is hard. Doing mediocre in med school is hard. Med school’s just hard 😅 but we’re gonna get through it!
I graduated high school in 2020 during the pandemic, so I was really out of practice when I went to college. I went from having no classes during high school, to having 6 classes + 2 labs a day. I was a biology major with a focus in pre-med, because I really wanted to be a PA. Right from the get-go I was struggling. I didn't know how to properly study & I was really bad at setting boundaries, so I was also working like 50 hours a week at a fast food joint. I failed my college algebra class, but I retook it & passed so they wiped the F off of my transcripts (something they only do for freshmen). My sophomore year, I was really confident, but I had a bunch of hard classes like physics, chemistry, and trig, so after a few months of struggling, I made the decision to drop out. I literally didn't tell any of my friends. I remember studying for an exam one day and I knew I was going to fail, so I dropped out. The same day I dropped out, I applied to a local technical college for medical assisting, and I got in, and started the following week (didn't really give myself a break). It was the best decision I ever made. I graduated and passed my NHA medical assisting exam. A year and a half later (now), I've recently been accepted into nursing school, and I will start in April! I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and had I not dropped out of college, I'd probably not found something I'm passionate in :)
You’re going to be great :) thank you for sharing your story! It’s so important to see that not everyone will be on a perfectly “linear” or “traditional” path- and that’s more than fine. Your experience will only make you better and you’re gonna crush it :)
Medical school prepares you for a helping profession that requires an ongoing search for knowledge. Many other professions offer the same...psychology....detective work......engineering.....social work....medical technology.....research........it's not over. Carry on. Sorry, you stumbled but you didn't quit.
I failed my 3rd year of dental school due to my depression right after covid and had to repeat everything you said is so valid, especially not caring what anyone thinks and just focusing on yourself it actually ended up benefiting me because I got more exposure in clinic and I really took the time off to prepare myself to do well when i got back, ur right it can be a good experience if u make i just graduated this year too
I failed my 3rd yr dental school also due to insomnia, depression and I lost my grandpa. It was tough and dark.. no one gets how hard that period of my life. The people and friends I met at that time helped me to move on with my life.
Dental school is tough and dental residency is even crazier, but I'm happy you guys have the right attitude for what's ahead. Work hard but please live life too. 😊
Wow this is a big courage for talking about failure as a Asian . It can be very difficult when you family and your community have so much expectation for you.
It’s hard to tell your parents about academic shortcomings when many immigrant families raised you with the mindset of “just worry about school and we’ll try our best to handle everything else”. I’m lucky to have supportive parents but it was a hard conversation
Incredible reflections Kenny. I’m always proud of you for sharing your story and insight with everyone. When you’re near the top of the educational hierarchy as with grad school, failures become that much more magnified. I’m grateful that you were able to handle it with as much grace and maturity as anyone could possibly do and for laying out a rare blueprint for many that may be going through what you experienced.
Very much needed video in the premed/medical school space! As your fellow classmate and friend who has gone through the same experience of repeating our first year of medical school together, it's been quite a roller coaster of emotions; and coming to terms with myself was only the tip of the iceberg. Not gonna lie, I was definitely very depressed and unmotivated initially at this time of last year (crazy how time has flown by). I felt that I had not only let myself down, but I had let the very people who have been supporting me all this time (whether that was family/friends/teachers/professors/mentors) down as well. But, what I've come to learn and realize is that my life was definitely far from "over". The people that truly cared about you stuck around. The shame and guilt of being afraid/embarrassed of not even telling my closest friends was difficult to overcome, let alone the biggest hurdle was that phone call that I had made to my parents back home in CA, in which I literally broke down crying over Facetime, thinking how I was such a "failure". While I have kept my status as a repeat student somewhat "confidential" especially at the beginning of the year, I've come to realize that people genuinely could care less about my status LOL, but actually, would in turn, ask me for advice/help because I've been through it already. To that point, it is easier said than done to admit something so personal like this (and such a costly failure too lol): To all the viewers who are reading this, just know that: "You are not alone!". Whether you are pursuing medical school, or quite frankly, any big goals in life, turning failures into opportunities of growth and self-reflection is really what's key to success. I'm not gonna even sugar coat the still LONG journey ahead of me as I finish up my repeat year, but it's inspiring to have friends/classmates like you to keep pushing forward and work towards that "light at the end of the tunnel" together! :) **P.S: also feel like this topic could be a whole podcast episode haha where we could share our own experiences and actually having the deep conversations that no one on the internet is talking about
Truee my sister failed A levels and she repeated 2 years, now she’s in med school and she’s got a distinction in 1st year, I agree with your point that turning failures into opportunities of growth is the key to success truly
Don't sweat it. My buddy got his medical license, practiced for couple years and fell out of love being a doctor. He's now running a small family business. Find your own happiness in life, don't let other dictate what is happiness.
What you don't hear is that a tiny fraction of the people who go through medical school do so without any failures along the way. People just don't go around tell you about it.
Current 1st year med student here- yeah med school takes it OUT of you, man! It's so hard to have the level of discipline to push to keep studying after finishing exams or a course. I don't think I have ever studied this hard consistently in my life, even for the mcat lmao. People always say the hardest part about medical school is getting in, and if you are reading this and one of those people, it's a LIE! Med school is a constant GRIND
The “hardest part is getting in” attitude gave me an absolutely rude awakening 😂 medical school is tough, but we find a way to keep going and trudging along. You got this future doc!
I needed to hear this. I'm in grad school and I started to feel stupid, but it's not really because of that. It's only me adjusting to the new demands of working, studying and making a home at same time.
@@HaoTheHeck as someone who is trying to finish up my fifth year in electrical engineering and who failed multiple classes, switched universities, I know the feeling all too well.
I had to redo my second year of medical school. The administration was not very helpful and students were judgmental but I am now 7 years into and thriving in private practice and proving them all wrong. Medical school to me was just a whole set of hurdles designed to test your test taking skills and do not really predict how well you will perform as a real life physician.
The same thing happened to me in my first year. I then picked myself up and actually have been getting amazing grades since then. But eventually i decided to stop with medical school because i realized that being a doctor for the rest of my life wasn't the most appealing to me. So i deicded to suit which was the hardest decision i've ever made since i've come so far and pushed through hardship. But i had to listen to myself and really realize what i wated from life.
There is no shame. 35 years ago, I failed physiology by 0.4 points. During residency, no one asked me why. What did I learn from my experience? I learned to be more compassionate. You are more than your school performance.
I understand that you've made the difficult decision to endure continuous setbacks in medical school, and I want to express my sympathy for the emotions you may be experiencing. It takes a lot of courage to make a big decision like this, and I want to acknowledge your strength and resilience.
lol I love how my brain keeps switching between "nah it's okay you don't need to be perfect, no one is, in the end it won't matter" to "bruh what fkn dumbass u got a B on a test who do you think you are, you need to study 25 hours a day for the next 7 years to come back from this, you can't drop a single mark for the rest of your life" And then in the end I just do the same amount of work I've always done and nothing changes.
As a medical student, I felt every part of this video. I don’t have consistent habit to study everyday and it’s even harder during exam days with ENDLESS EXAMS
damn being in medical school is comparable to being a tier 1 or 2 military special operations unit...Or an Olympic training team. Those are high level communities and you have to excel in order to survive!
Dropped my community college classes in 3 weeks because my health nosedived and I didn’t want to risk my transcripts. Now I’m in the deepest depression I’ve ever been in. Fuck.
Thank you for sharing. I graduated high school with an associates degree, but still ended up taking all 4 years to graduate college. I ended up taking gap years before medical school, started out younger than some of my cohort, and then ended up failing a year anyways. The idea of being ahead or behind is all an illusion- we’re all on different journeys. Focus on taking care of your physical and mental health first, then you’ll be able to start classes up and kill it :) I’m rooting for you, you’re going to grow from this 🤝🏼🤝🏼
Hey dude, I came across your video as I was searching of what to do when you are in the status of “failing” 1st year medschool. I am totally burned out from the non-stop exams in med and I don’t know how to cope up with it. We are now on our final semester and I don’t know if I’ll pass or fail 1st year. I am now in the thoughts or filing a LOA, but I’m not sure if it is the right time to submit one. Should I just wait and finish the year, then decide? I hope I can get through this. Thanks for giving me hope!
Either way it would be an academic LOA and might be asked about- so I’d say might as well try unless you’re so burned out that you think it would do more harm than good. It’s hard to say, but if you are 100% sure you have to repeat anyways then you might as well get a longer break to recoup. Either way, I’m rooting for you!
I think in the US, there are only 15,000-25,000 spots for new medschool students total each year. Something like that. It’s funny because there is currently a doctor shortage and yet, only so many spots. It’s brutal.
I’m not in medical school nor will I ever be (I currently have a BA in English and an MA in Higher Education) but I found this video to be helpful even for me. I’m currently living in my hometown again after 2 years of graduate school and teaching abroad and all the people in my masters class have seemingly found really good jobs at universities already. Some people had jobs lined up even before graduation. I haven’t been so lucky. I’ve applied to some jobs at universities in my state and I’ve been rejected for everything. So I decided to get my substitute teaching permit to become a substitute teacher in the meantime just so I don’t stay unemployed and leave a gap in my resume. Now I’m currently dealing with my shame and depression of not being as successful already as my peers from graduate school, but this video made me feel like everything is going to be ok. It reminded me that everything happens at its own pace, and if I don’t have my dream job yet at almost 24 years old, then it’s ok. It’s just going to take longer for me compared to others. In the meantime I’ll try to be more positive. Thank you Kenny!!
My good friend failed her step 2 exam twice. She is now 15 years into her successful career as an Obgyn and known for her heart and empathy and quality of care. I remember those dark years for her, but she came out of it battered but stronger and is now thriving.
I failed my first year of med school and joined junior batch. This has affected me so much mentally,emotionally and physically.that had affected my progressive year. Though I pass 2 and 3 year but I am scared whenever exams are near.those memories flashbacks comes. Now my self esteem is sooo low . I am scared to talk with people now. I still have one more year to finish . How did you over come because I think I am not able to move on still.
Thanks for sharing your story. Honestly, I think it comes down to detaching yourself a bit from school and seeing yourself as more than just a medical student. Exams become a lot scarier when you feel like they define you or your worth- when being in medical school is only a part of you life. A big one and a very time consuming one- absolutely, but still just one aspect of your life.
Honestly, those "medical/dental" influencers do perpetuate that stereotype that they are all perfect. I've watched so much of their content and can't help but feel like I'm lesser than them. At the same time, these influencers give really great insight into health professional schools. I just wish that they highlighted their shortcomings more for the sake of transparency and relatability.
A lot of medical students need to hear this. It’s okay to have set backs, we end up learning from them. Seeing my friends choosing to overwork themselves for school by neglecting their mental health has been the worst thing. One friend had seizures as a complication to one of the manifestations of depression and the other had to be monitored so he doesn’t take his life. Medical school is a lot of work, it can be fun but it can also be traumatic when your not prioritising your well-being. To all the students, med school or not, stay safe❤️
Kenny you have really done every medical student a favor by creating this video!! At my school, failure is almost a taboo topic, and it feels so awkward to talk about. I wish more people could share insightful thoughts like these-it’s so important, and potentially even lifesaving, to be reminded that school isn’t everything. Thank you so much for your vulnerability!
My husband was in med school and then got selected to a CRNA program which was VERY competitive. So many people failed at the very end. The program was very cut throat. Hats off to people that go through all this. I would never attempt anything like that. Good luck to you.
Thanks for sharing. Med school just wasn't for me - I struggled and ended up withdrawing. It was incredibly hard because of how much work I put into getting into med school and doing absolutely everything I could. I had mental health issues that were not taken care of and it just got worse - the support staff couldn't figure out what was "wrong" with me & mandated that I get psychiatric treatment. I was put on several meds that actually made my issue worse. I was correctly diagnosed but it was during the week I decided to withdraw. I applied to pharm school the next year, sat for the PCAT and had no issues because I was getting the correct treatment. It made such a huge difference in my life....the years of struggling and thinking I was "dumb." I got into some top pharm schools but decided it would be too similar to med school and that's not how my brain worked. I finished a PhD and it was so much more enjoyable.
Medical school is a tough journey. It is hard to survive on your own, it is very important to join a group that will lift each other up. You have to have a clear vision and hunger for what you want, otherwise it is pretty hard to deal with the grind to make it through. It never really ends until you become an attending, which for me took about 9 years. You have to really know what you want.
This came up in my recommended but everything you said is very true - I'm a law student, to become qualified I did the legal practice course which was supposed to last one year, but because I failed quite a few exams it lasted two years (my friends had already passed at this point). I was full of anxiety because we get 3 chances to pass each exam otherwise we have to resit the entire year, which consists of about 15 exams in total. I had 2 exams I had to re do and managed to pass them both on my final chance but it came at a cost of my mental and physical health (I was not in a good headspace for the months leading up to the exams). I will graduate in July, but I wish that this video was out whilst I was doing those exams because I think it would have helped. I'm sure you would definitely be helping students who are in the same boat no matter what their degree is I hope you're doing okay~
Congratulations on getting through that experience and for making it to graduation! The tough road it took to get there isn’t always the most glamorous, but I’m sure you’re better for it. I appreciate you sharing your story and I’m wishing you the best!
i have a friend who failed out of medical school. He then went back to law school and graduated. after 25 years he went back to medical school and graduated. He is now the oldest resident at his hospital. He is happy as medicine was what he really wanted to do.
There seems to be a lot of happy people in real life and a lot of unhappy people online. I'm sure the answer is a mixed bag, but it's definitely rough for everyone 💀
“ there is more to life than your career “ exactly life is very short so you should def look at everything else bc you will certainly look up and you ll be older etc. so definitely step outside of the “goal” .
I failed my first year of nursing school by 0.5%. That was 43 years ago. I took a year off, started nursing again, and had a 39 year career. To this day, my self confidence can still be low. I loved being a registered nurse. I just wish my self confidence would be higher.
Thank you for your transparency! Failed step2 CK a few months ago and have been down in the dumps about it😢 Trying to pick my life up and move forward!
i’m not a med student, im a nursing student (aspiring anesthesiologist) graduating in two months. but i will say, i love this video. and i think this applies across the board, whether you’re a med student or in healthcare in general. thank you for the awareness and courage to speak your truth. too many people like to paint things as picture perfect, but it’s not.
I'm so grateful you made this video and that the algorithm blessed me with it! As someone who just finished a repeat year at Med School, this is something I really wish someone had made before I restarted. I definitely agree with what you're saying and just wanna echo the importance of being kind to yourself and accepting your new reality. Med school can be a really toxic environment, so it's so important to guard your peace and be kind to yourself even if you don't always meet the expectations you set for yourself initially. Only God can judge and the people who care about you will accept whatever your best is, so don't worry too much about disappointing others or their expectations. It's a blessing to be alive and in a safe environment each day, so do your best and the rest will come! Also, remember you got in to Med School because YOU ARE good enough and YOU ARE capable of succeeding. Best of luck to anyone that is resitting, about to resit or just trying to figure out their next steps after a failure, I'm rooting for you!
I just want to say that I am really proud of you. It is d@mn hard to swallow back that ‘failure’ feeling and go back and repeat. I know it is depressing to see the classmates you started med school with move on ahead of you. But you decided what was important to you, and you put your head down and went after it. This will make you a better human and a better doctor. No one can be functioning at 100 percent all the time and we will all fail at something. Being humble, keeping your focus, and knowing you are in the right place at the right time is what will get you through. I am a veterinarian and I know exactly what you went through. I hope other students that have been in a similar situation see your video and really listen to it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you are and are not capable of. Never let anyone talk you out of your dream. Make sure you are being honest with your itself though, because if whatever you failed at isn’t what you really want to do then that might have had something to do with your failure. Be honest with yourself and then when you decide what are going after- do whatever it takes to get there. Wishing you all the best in your future. Always remember to ask for help when you need it. I would be proud to call you a colleague (if you went to vet school,of course) and your repeating a year of med school would not change that one bit. Ever. Cheers.
Just came across this video. I assume you're talking about US med school? I'm a UK med student and I failed my 2nd year including the resits and that meant automatic expulsion and banned from applying to any other med school in the country. I was able to appeal to get back in as a few months later a massive meningioma was found and surgeons asked me how i was even functioning the amount it had shifted my brain😅. the uni initially rejected my appeal and over hear, there's an independent body that can look at your case and although they can't force the uni to take their recommendation, no uni has ever gone against them. They told them to let me back in and professional polite way, basically said they were idiots for rejecting my appeal. But i get you, for 4 months, even though i got a decent job, the failure of med school was tough to deal with. I'm in my final year now but at the time when i failed, there was a 2 year gap before I was allowed back because of how long the appeal process took. A few things that I struggled with was thinking how my friends would always be further ahead than me and being anxious about telling ppl I had to retake a year, feeling i let my family down etc. It's really important to find coping mechanisms which was fitness stuff for me. I think it's really good you talk about this as there are so many med school channels on here of top performing med students, which is great but realistically, the majority of med students aren't getting top marks and the way it's set up here, people will fail and get kicked out every year. Like you said, it is all about balance. There is so much extra stuff people do because and there's so much pressure to feel like you need to do the same but as someone who currently has no concrete idea of what speciality they want to be in and having spoken to plenty of drs while on placement, it's ok to not know during med school. Just find a balance that works for you
Appreciate you for your response and sharing your story! I’m glad everything began to work out for you, I’m sure the experience only made your resolve that much stronger. The top students in medical school are insanely impressive, but thats not the reality of most people going through this process. It’s a tough adjustment when you put a bunch of neurotic students who are used to excelling together and then stratify them 😅 wishing you the best in your journey ☝🏼
"It may not be the ideal experience, but its your experience, and you have to own that." That hit hard af man. Currently studying for the MCAT after having to take a few year hiatus to afford to reattend classes. I question all the time whether im too old and im not even in my later 20s yet.
I'm a med student who got pushed into this field caz I can score good grades so like, why not be a doctor. I'm in constant survival mode in a cycle of procrastination and overworking. If I really wanted this I'd actually work because I can. I'm not privileged enough to change my course in life right now, but I'm trying my best to find interest and heart in this, because I truly believe you can train yourself to like something. And when life is more stable, I can figure out life... Just gotta numb myself out for the next 3 years including internship... The worst part is the guilt I have for feeling ungrateful for this opportunity. Getting an opportunity for free education, getting the opportunity to be someone who can change peoples lives for the better and I'm here being selfish... At the end of the day, It doesn't matter right? What I do in life... So why does it bother me so much... It's caz I think about it too much.. Being a med student has turned into a trend. Medical colleges are pumping out Doctors with low empathy that are dead inside, because medical school slowly drains out the souls of the people there. The irony is, the consultants and professors who do this exact thing then continue to advice us about having empathy and not to grow up heartless doctors.
Thanks so much for posting this. I failed the first neuro exam in PT school, which put me in a failing grade for anatomy that semester. Additionally I was struggling with my mental and physical health. PT school has a similar perfectionist culture and I felt so embarrassed to tell my new cohort that I’d be graduating a year later with them. You ask important questions in this video and I think it’s so true that prioritizing your health and maintaining an internal locus of control should come first.
Im currently almost at this point... I already have withdrew from medical school once, and once matriculated again, Im struggling.. Im trusting God. youre not alone..
I went through very similar at UPenn's med school, it's really tough, glad you're talking about it. Ultimately I dropped out and am pursuing a career in the millitary and IT, wish I had done this sooner instead of after completing nearly all my clerkships!
Same. My whole future was destroyed due to that. I failed out in the last year just because I failed one test twice. I'm now 34. Still living with my parents, to much debt, no qualified certificate.
this is my first vidceo I've watched from you and i instantly subscribed after this video. I appreciate your transparency and love that you talked about your experience(s). I look forward to watching more of your content. This gave me a lot of insight as I am an aspiring Doctor in the future! Thank you Kenny!
Thank you so much for talking about this. I am currently in my final semester of didactic year of PA school. I am feeling so burnt out and emotionally drained. It was refreshing to hear about your personal journey and just coming to the realization that burnout happens. It's okay and our grades don't define the compassionate providers we will be. I am rooting for your success :)
Thanks so much for this transparency. It takes guts to reveal it and it also takes grit to keep going. I was never in your shoes, but boy, what I gave up to meet those standards... I have a lot to learn from your reflections and your take off. Keep sharing and thank you for your videos!
ER doc here; honestly i could not have created content for social media as it would have been distracting and consume study time to say the least. i give you people lots of credit for being able to fit it all in.
Appreciate that doc! For me, it gives me something non-medical to focus on which has been very refreshing. Definitely working to build boundaries so it doesn't get in the way of the main priority!
Thanks for sharing! Doing my doctorates for OT and it’s miserable I know it’s a temporary process but they love to drag you through the damn coals. By the end of it wtf is left of us all?
I'm in a system of medicine where one failure of a single exam at like 18 years old virtually defines the rest of your entire career until you're 65. Also GPA at like 14-18 years old is basically end all be all of your entire career as well for medicine. That boxing in and continual punishment for smith you did or didn't do as a literal child for the rest of your life freaking sucks.
That’s my first time hearing about such an intense system. If I were judged on who I was when I was a teenager, who knows where I’d be. Good luck on your journey! Rooting for you 🙏🏻
I love how genuine he is about accepting his failures and turning them into comebacks. I’ve been stuck in this situation but realized what I did wrong, which helped drastically improve my scores the next time around. Thank you for sharing your story Kenneth.
Thanks so much for sharing. I think this will help a lot of people. I wish a video like this had been around when I took leave of my first year due to post partum depression. I was too ashamed to restart the year and ended up walking away from medicine. Now I get to wonder on a daily basis what my life as physician could have been. 😔
I hope that whatever journey you decided to take instead brings you fulfillment :) What if's can be haunting, but you did what you had to do to take care of yourself. Wishing you nothing but the best now 🫶🏻
Currently struggling my first semester of med school. Barely passed the latest course and am currently at-risk of failing. Just failed the first exam of the newest exam. It's rough because I'm seeing academic counseling every week and almost nothing online applies when your school makes you do weekly exams. I don't get a break except 1 weekend... and failed anyway despite spending twice as long. I'm terrified of having to repeat first year, even though the courses I'm at-risk of failing aren't over for another month. I still am able to pass but I would have to literally ace every single exam to ensure I have 'wiggle room'. I can't stop thinking about how most of my class already figured out how to study and score at least a 75% while I put in that same level of effort but score a whole letter grade below average. I feel so alone, but I also don't know how to fix what's wrong with my studies. I try something new each week and the latest strategy made me pull the lowest failing grade in a while. 3rd failed exam in a row. Not asking for advice or sympathy. I just want whoever else is in my spot to not feel alone. We're struggling together
You're definitely not alone. I was very surprised to see a full auditorium when I had to remediate my failed course and the amount of people reaching out after this video picked up some traction. Medical school is difficult, i'm hoping you find some time to rest and reflect 🙏🏼 You're capable and you got this.
Go to office hours. Professors have seen thousands of students over their career, your situation isn't unique and they can help you adjust your methods and sometimes they even directly provide you questions that will be on the exam. Don't beat your head against a wall when you're not fully understanding the material. Little pearl from a current M3 :)
