Remembering your ‘why’ in medicine during the preclinical years of medical school

Prior to medical school, students put great effort into exploring their passions for medicine. Much of this effort is realized through volunteering and employment in jobs that offer direct patient contact. Students are then faced with the next difficult task—how do these activities translate into “why” they want to pursue a career in medicine?

Many students share these passions, desires and goals in their medical school application in hopes of gaining acceptance. However, patient contact doesn’t always happen on the first day of medical school, and perhaps not even before the 100^th day. There can be a rather significant gap between when medical students matriculate and when their school’s curriculum gets them in front of patients. This time period is also filled with high expectations of learning dense material and practicing clinical skills, thus creating an opportunity for students to drift away from their “why” in medicine while becoming overwhelmed in content.

Throughout my time spent studying by myself or in small groups and trying to decipher lecture material or test question clinical vignettes, I began to notice there was a disconnect between just doing the work and passionately learning for my future patients. I quickly learned that I needed to put effort into finding activities that help me remember why I’m pursuing medicine.

Personally, I found a lot of value in volunteering with organizations like the Special Olympics, local faith-based groups or community outreach events hosted by my medical school. Examples include community events like a health fair for older adults ages 50-plus and an event to provide back-to-school physicals for children. These opportunities and the human-to-human interactions have been powerful reminders of why I’m becoming a doctor.

I asked 15 of my classmates at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine how they remember their “why” in medical school; below, I share the common ideas, themes and advice that I heard from them. While selected quotes and advice are included below, many of the sentiments were repeated among multiple members of the group.

What strategies or opportunities help to remind yourself of your ‘why’ in medicine?

Many students identified volunteer opportunities within the community or clubs on campus as ways to keep their passion for medicine strong. These opportunities include volunteering at a local hospital in different capacities, helping at local Special Olympics or other similar organizational events, helping package meal kits for a local food bank, and acting as advocates for patients at free clinics in the community.

“I have discovered just how powerful volunteering is in allowing me to stay connected to my purpose,” said Oluwaseyi (“Seyi”) Adeoshun, OMS III. “Volunteering not only offers me a much-needed break, it also reaffirms the reason I entered this field—to be a beacon of hope in people’s lives and to make a meaningful impact.”

Other students felt similar, sharing how they manage to find these reminders within the medical school curriculum itself—especially in simulation labs.

“As silly as it sounds, the required OSCEs (Objective Standardized Clinical Encounters) at my school always ‘recenter’ me,” said Ryan Strickland, OMS III. “Getting to spend that quick 20 minutes with a patient, even if it’s simulated, always refreshes me and helps me stay focused on the end goal.”

When possible, students recommended getting involved with a variety of activities. Seek opportunities to be involved both in the community and on campus.

Has your ‘why’ evolved for the better or grown during the preclinical phase of medical school? Or do you feel slightly disconnected from that purpose at times?

Numerous students shared that it was hard to keep their purpose in mind at the beginning of medical school. This seemed to stem from the steep learning curve in handling the large amount of content students are given to learn so quickly.

“I was most disconnected with my purpose during the first year when I was just learning hard sciences with little to no clinical application,” said Strickland. “However, upon starting second year, I found myself feeling more excited. Learning all about different disease processes, each system of the body and seeing how those diseases affect patients’ livelihood has been the push I needed to stay motivated.”

Many found that even though the content load never really lightened up, once they adjusted, they were able to take time to focus on their larger goals of becoming a doctor and helping patients. Progressing through medical school has helped Sravani Gopaluni, OMS III, see the bigger picture of her “why” and where she is headed.

“My definition of ‘being there for my community’ has changed since I started school,” said Gopaluni. “I now view it as not only engaging in acts of service but also dedicating the time and effort to learn how to properly care for my fellow community members in the future.”

It was also common for students to feel disconnected from their purpose when they were most stressed.

As Kelsey Ruff, OMS III, reflected, “I have felt disconnected from my purpose while in medical school at times. I have found that when I’ve felt this way it is usually related to not putting enough time into taking care of myself.”

The beginning of medical school is really, really hard. Give yourself grace and take care of yourself first. Then everything else can follow.

What advice would you offer others to avoid becoming disconnected from their ‘why’?

A few students were cautiously optimistic that once they reached the clinical phase of medical school, they would be able to reconnect with their purpose if they had lost sight of it. Most students, however, were taking proactive steps to keep themselves engaged with their purpose—both within and outside of medical school.

“Journaling helps me revisit my intentions and provides a sense of grounding during challenging times,” said Gopaluni.

Other students handled this differently. Jacob Arnt, OMS III, encourages students to be kind to themselves, even when times get difficult. His advice to build your self-confidence and remember that you deserve to be where you are still aligns with others’ messages.

“Do not be scared to live in the moment but always stay true to who you are, no matter the circumstance,” said Arnt. “Medical school can feel like a never-ending rollercoaster ride, and in those challenging moments, it is easy to lose sight of your purpose … hold onto your authentic self, especially during tough times, and believe that you do deserve to be here.”

You are where you are for a multitude of reasons. Stay true to yourself and be proactive in trying to remind yourself of that.

While the time for clinical learning and patient-centered care will come, it can be difficult for preclinical medical students to remember their purpose. Though inundated with lecture slides, quizzes, labs, and exams, students can find opportunities to remain connected with their purpose of helping patients through community volunteering and leadership opportunities. No matter how busy the preclinical phase of training might be, do your best to take care of yourself and remember that all this studying serves a critically important purpose. Good luck!

Related reading:

Preparing for the transition from third to fourth year of med school

Making the move from the second to third year of medical school