To my Peers | A med student's SOS

 I am writing to you all three days after the inception of this post and if that doesn't sum up Year 3 for you I'm not sure what will.

This post is for my peers that have just finished their third End of Clerkship Exam since beginning the semester in August of 2021. This post is for everyone that's tired and is going through the motions of the mundane cycle of quizzes followed by exams followed by PBL followed by lectures upon lectures followed by more exams. This post is for those who have been consistently disappointed by course assessment after course assessment; who just want to pass at this point. Who are fearful of even thinking of their GPA and are relying on finals to keep them above water. This post is for you.

You are not alone. We all feel this way right now. Yes some persons around you seem to be on-top of things but we're all struggling to cope. We all cope in different ways; some rest, some avoid, some sleep, some over compensate and burnout, some cry, some write, some pray, some read, some just keep themselves busy. Nevertheless, we are all exhausted, frustrated and despondent. 

Zeal is lacking, passion seems indifferent and the work seems herculean. I know, I'm right here with you. We're at that point where relying on our strength is no longer feasible, where no amount of pep talks seem to lift our spirits and where the weight of responsibilities has tipped the odds out of our favour. It seems as if there's no way to get back 'on-track'. 

I'm not going to brush past these emotions, I'm not going to invalidate your worries. But we can't stay in this place, if we do it'll be detrimental. It's time to take it one step at a time and stop getting overwhelmed by where to start or how much needs to be done. This may sound like the obvious but I actually have to remind myself that I can't do everything in one day, it's impossible. Don't try to do it all in one day or even one weekend, it won't work. Just start somewhere and slowly knock off those slides or videos; let your aim be to knock off a series of small goals daily and then with consistency you'll accomplish more-- sustainably. 

This may require taking that window between our next clerkship exam to use for PDQ and phase prep; you can always work  back on those notes during the Christmas break. Again, you can't do it all, and triaging your tasks based on weight needs to govern this fragile phase. The days are going by quickly but don't let that fool you, God can still work. He's still working. He's still moving. He's still proving. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPsxM0gPJMI -- you're welcome 😁 ). 

We're united in the struggle but we're also unified in the solution! Let's get this work done, let's support each other. Make those study calls, log out of whatever is eating away at your time. Message that friend or PBL peer, check in and encourage them. Encourage yourself in the process! Encourage yourself in the Lord; pray and submerge yourself in the Word. Awaken your faith and hold on to the promises of God. His grace is sufficient; our strength fails us but God never fails. He won't leave you or forsake you, and if you feel alone it's because He has gone before you to clear the path. Keep going, don't stop here!

Disclaimer: This isn't a magic trick, all your problems won't magically go away but you WILL find the strength you need to persevere here. The Lord God is our strength, He is our shield. Let your heart trust in Him and He will help you. Let your heart rejoice in that promise and praise Him-- in advance.  (Psalm 28 verse 7, KJV). 

I'm praying for you. You got this. 

God's got you. You WILL be successful in Jesus' precious name-- THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES. 

-Your colleague and friend 🙏