Sagar V.

Photo provided by Sagar V.

If you’re reading this, take a moment to reflect upon the communities that you are in that support you and will help you navigate your journey through medicine.

Just over a year ago, on the precipice of my journey in medicine beginning, I remember a dueling feeling that I had— simultaneously excited about the soon-to-be life-changing experiences I would have, but also a glaring pit in my stomach thinking of the difficulties that lay ahead and the daunting reality of life in a brand new environment. At that time, all I could think about was the many times I had heard prior “medical school was the most difficult four years of my life,” or others describing the journey as “incredibly strenuous and lonely.” It was difficult to have the confidence in myself that I would be someone who was able to go through the experience of school without those same pitfalls. That week prior to the start of school, my sister and my parents had helped with my move-in and after they left I sat by myself in my apartment not knowing what to expect or what lay ahead.

Medical school is a difficult and strenuous journey for everyone. From the hundreds of lecture slides you are expected to digest, plethora of assignments you are expected to complete, and career exploration opportunities you are expected to balance, each student has their hands-full every single day. Thus, in such a high-stakes and laborious environment, the importance of the people that you are surrounded by and the attitude that develops in you are amplified to an even greater extent.

There are two common analogies that people use to describe medical school—”It is like eating three pancakes for every meal every day, you cannot let the pancakes stack up”, or “it is like learning to drink from a water hydrant". What is subtly suggested in these analogies is this idea that we are meant to face these challenges by ourselves, however I think it is important that we divorce ourselves from this notion and continuously reflect upon the communities that we are surrounded by–friends, family, classmates, professors—each who are continuously there for us when we need them and pushing for us to be successful along this journey. Think of the communities that you are surrounded by as people taking a few bites out of your pancake stack, or a bucket retrieving water from the water hydrant so it is not all coming right at you.

Now, when I look back I wish I could reassure myself that while medical school continues to be incredibly difficult and challenging, that I would be surrounded by people that make the entire journey easier. Two weeks of orientation at the time seemed both daunting and draining, but it truly laid the foundation for relationships that were going to get me through my first year and beyond. In getting to know my classmates through our entire first year, I recognized the common values we shared for service, and compassion for others that drove us into this field.

I see how everyone from faculty and staff to fellow classmates are willing to help one another whether that be providing notes, or anki, taking time out of their day to talk with you further about a topic you are struggling with on a certain lecture, or even giving you time to vent about the frustrations you have with school or in your personal life.

It is these very communities that allow me to show up on a day-to-day basis with an excitement and an enthusiasm for learning that is fundamentally driven by my desire to be around such a positive and nurturing community and environment.

Sagar Vellalath, Second Year Medical Student

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.