Lost: the medical student’s perspective

Excerpt

To an outsider, medical students are a dedicated group on a clear-cut, common track towards becoming a “doctor”. That was certainly my perspective before enrolling in medical school. While I (correctly) anticipated the material to be challenging and tiring, I also anticipated my classmates and I to be on a well-worn path towards graduation from day one. Just like college, I expected a simple, linear process—study hard, earn good grades, get my diploma, and graduate, this time as a doctor. Needless to say, I had a vague understanding of medical education. I failed to recognize the complex, confusing course each medical student takes before ultimately determining a career in medicine. My expectations were focused on the end product, and not the process itself. …