Casey D.
Photo provided by Casey D.
If you’re reading this, never let anyone tell you that “you can’t.”
In medicine, mindset powers over everything—it’s what carries you through exhaustion, setbacks, self-doubt, and the moments when success feels out of reach. Medical school will challenge your confidence and push you harder than you thought possible, but resilience, discipline, and the belief that you can improve are what separate those who stop from those who keep going. Every great physician was once a student who felt overwhelmed, uncertain, and behind at some point, but they refused to let those moments define them. When your mindset is stronger than your fear, obstacles become growth, failure becomes fuel, and goals that once seemed impossible become reality.
Growing up, sports were always a major part of my life, shaping so much of who I am today, while strongly influencing my path towards medicine. Sports taught me discipline, accountability, and how to stay mentally strong during high-pressure moments. Whether it was pushing through exhausting practices or recovering from setbacks, I realized how much mindset affects physical performance. Some of the toughest moments as an athlete were not always physical, but mental, learning how to manage pressure, frustration, self-doubt, and resilience. Those experiences showed me how connected mental and physical health truly are, and they helped to shape the way I approach challenges in medical training and in life. Sports, along with my other life experiences, have given me a much deeper understanding of the importance of compassionate healthcare and emotional support, motivating me to support my patients physically to conquer an illness, while simultaneously encouraging and supporting them through their mental struggles.
Through life, I have come to understand that there will be good days and there will be bad days; it is all about how you respond to them. Some days bring confidence, success, and progress, while others bring setbacks, frustration, and self-doubt. Through both athletics and personal challenges, I learned that resilience is not about avoiding difficult moments, but about continuing to push forward despite them. These experiences also taught me how important it is to prioritize mental health, because your mindset affects the way you handle stress, adversity, and personal growth. Taking care of your mental well-being allows you to approach challenges with clarity, resilience, and balance rather than becoming consumed by pressure or self-doubt. I have realized that when you learn how to support your mental health and navigate your emotions in a healthy way, you become stronger not only for yourself, but also for the people around you.
Recognizing the control you have over your mind is one of the most important lessons I have learned throughout my journey. Your mindset shapes how you respond to life, and learning to trust yourself can completely change the direction of your future. There will always be moments of doubt, but success comes from continuing to move forward despite them. I have learned that resilience, confidence, and self-belief are often what separate those who give up from those who achieve the goals they once thought were impossible. In the end, so much of success begins with believing in yourself — “She believed she could, so she did.”
Casey D., Second Year Medical Student
Q: What is your motivation when medical training/education gets hard?
A: My motivation is my parents and the support they’ve given me throughout this journey. During the hardest moments in medical training, I lean on the encouragement, belief, and reassurance they continue to provide. Knowing they are always in my corner reminds me that I’m never going through this alone. Their support gives me the strength to keep pushing forward, even when things feel overwhelming, and it motivates me to become the best physician and person I can be.
Q: What advice do you have for incoming medical students regarding mental wellness?
A: My advice for incoming medical students is to find something that is truly for you outside of medicine. Medical school can easily consume all of your time and energy, so it’s important to have healthy outlets that help you to reset and stay grounded. Whether it’s working out, listening to music, spending time with friends and family, going for walks, journaling, or anything else that brings you peace, make time for it consistently. Taking care of your mental wellness is not a distraction from becoming a good physician—it’s part of becoming one. The better you take care of yourself, the better you’ll be able to care for others.
Q: How do you envision incorporating self-care practices and prioritizing mental wellness into your future medical career?
A: I envision incorporating self-care and prioritizing mental wellness by recognizing that the mind influences every other aspect of the body. Stress, burnout, anxiety, and emotional struggles can affect physical health, recovery, motivation, and overall quality of life. As a future physician, I want to prioritize my own mental wellness so I can show up fully for my patients, while also encouraging patients to acknowledge and navigate their emotions in a healthy way. I believe that when patients feel mentally supported and understood, it can lead to stronger long-term outcomes, better healing, and a healthier relationship with their overall well-being. Mental health should never be viewed as separate from physical health—they work together, and caring for both is essential to truly caring for a person.
Several studies have revealed that medical students, physicians, and healthcare professionals experience mental health symptoms at rates significantly higher than the general population. Stethos[Cope] is a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis designed to help medical students and professionals cope with the unique stressors of medical training and change the narrative of mental health in medicine.
To read more letters and interviews from students, and to learn more about mental health in the medical community, visit the Stethos[Cope] home page.