The Next Hurdle Is Always the Scariest

Kendra Campbell -- A friend of mine just took the MCAT and he thinks that he might have bombed it. He’s worried that he’ll never make it past this huge hurdle, and on to the next one: the medical school application process.

It made me think back to my “younger years” when I first decided that I wanted to become a doctor (that was about ten years ago … my goodness I’m old). The first hurdle was making it through all the required pre-med classes. I remember thinking before one of my organic chemistry exams that it was going to be the end of me. Oh, how I loathed organic chemistry. And it made me wonder if I was truly cut out to be doctor.

Well, I made it past organic chem, and all the other pre-med classes. The next hurdle was the MCAT. Well, that monster was enough to give me a premature myocardial infarction. I remember the dread and fear I felt as I walked in to take that exam. But guess what: I made it.

Then it was on to the medical school application process. Ah, the joy of filling out one billion forms, writing the “perfect” med school essay, and figuring out how to pay for all the application fees. I never thought I’d even get in to med school with all the work involved! But guess what: I made it.

Once I got accepted to med school, I was sure that I was going to fail my first exam. I mean, how would I ever remember all the miniscule details that they threw at me? Surely, I was never going to pass. But guess what: I made it.

Thus far in med school, I’ve actually managed to do pretty well in all my basic science classes. But when the day came to face my first real patient, I was sure that I was going to kill them. But guess what: my patient did not die by my hands.

Next up on the menu is the USMLE Step 1 -- the bane of every young (U.S.) medical student’s existence. Luckily, I don’t have to actually take it for another eight months. But as it looms on my horizon like a juggernaut with a death wish for me, the only thing I have to hold onto is that I have made it this far. I mean, what’s another standardized test when I have taken literally hundreds of exams in my life? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

But to all you high school, college, pre-med, med, law, dentistry or what have you students out there: there is hope. Whatever obstacle might be staring at you right now, baring its razor sharp teeth, know this: the next hurdle is always the scariest, but tomorrow you’ll laugh in its wake (and then on to the next one).