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Hello.
This post has a little something for everyone, especially for those who are struggling
For the past two years, my mind started going downhill. I lacked motivation, my concentration plummeted and the fervor I thought I had just…burned out. Despite this, I resolved to give my Steps and started prepping for it, in the midst of my medical rotations. I am still in med school so balancing both can be hard. I managed to get done with Kaplan videos and lectures. I read FA about 4 to 5 times. Yet there was always the nagging feeling within me that something is missing. Despite a lot of reading, I just couldn’t retain anything. I continued to work but hit a major roadblock last month. I took an NBME and my score was so low that I just sat and stared at it in shock. This was not me. This could not be me
I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown so the next day, I went to a doctor. It was only then that I realized what was happening, what I had done to my own self and how my low score reflected that. For the past 2 years I kept mentally torturing myself. It started along with my clinical rotations. I had thought, that for someone who had always wanted to be a doctor, that I would love dealing with patients and while things wouldn’t be easy, they wouldn’t be hopeless either. Instead, clinicals just overwhelmed me. I was tired all the time. I had no motivation for anything, it seemed.
When we keep throwing our mind into a kind of negative overdrive, berating ourselves constantly, our minds get stuck there. And when we keep at it for months and even (in my case) years, it is very hard to get out of that loop.
But now that I know what’s going on, now that I hit rock bottom, I have only place to go: up. I got myself into this mess and I WILL InshAllah (God-willling) get out of it. Already I have started by shutting off any negative thought I get as soon as it threatens to rise and overwhelm me. And I do feel a difference. The concepts seem clearer. It’s slow but I will get there
I am posting this because I know that giving your Steps can lead you to depression. But I want you to stop before you get there. You can do this. Your mind is a beautiful powerful thing, once you take control of all the seemingly overpowering thoughts telling you that you are not good enough
Be good to yourself. You will need to keep your mind healthy as you push yourself harder than ever before.





Apparently someone posted this in an fb group.....I hope this motivates everyone the way t has motivated me...gudluck guys

thanks for sharing. goodluck to you as well

what u r email...

Thanks Senorita I'm always in negative thought becoz of my huge gap between my medical school and now .Cant express how I feel when going through books again and again but don't have confidence as I forget everything.I feel I don't know anything .

Thanks for sharing .

u have firm determinaton, u will do well @prarthana.

Thanks precious for support !

whenever u feel demotivated simply look at this msg....i was AGAIN feeling down yesterday....but this girl is right about us embracing our negative thoughts....the more u think about it, the more u r allowing it to mess up with ur mind....and we eventually we can simply never let t go.....it wont affect oly ur boards but also ur life in general.....so just block those thoughts

@prarthana....this is a long journey....a very long journey...and i guess u have just started ur prep.....dont decide ur fate from now that its gng to to be difficult for u.....try!! u have just started....and u cannot accept defeat at this point!!!u shudnt be even thnkng about scores....just be sincere with ur schedule and i dont see any reason why u cant do this....dont let huge gaps affect ur study period (i did that mistake.....2whole mnths i cudnt study)....well u cant change ur date of graduation but then u can decide what kind of scores u can secure.....so lets do this

Hi
I read an article today on how essential oils can help with reducing stress, increasing confidence and concentration, decreasing mistakes, etc. I personally do like the way inhaling some essential oils make me feel.

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/...chool-year

It is an interesting read, do check it out.
All the best

all of you will be fine, just believe in yourself, stay consistent, never give up hope. if any of you have seen Cast Away, it is the story of a man who was stranded on a deserted island. he was on an island with nobody, no proper food, no shelter, nothing. the only thing he did have with him was hope, he never lost hope. the message i want you all to take away is, you can take away everything from a person, but as long as theres hope, there is survival and success. hope and truly believe you will make it, and you will make it.

destressing is very important, we are in a high pressure field, we must find ways to destress and be happy. whether it is exercising, watching a tv show, hanging with your family, set aside time everyday to destress and enjoy, if you are studying 10+ hours daily, then i highly recommend taking half a day of every week to literally do anything fun and not think about step 1. i personally recommend exercising, a 30 minute jog does wonders for the mind and body. stay focused everybody, maintain hope, we all go through the ups and downs, the usmles are truly a journey and it can be a miserable journey but one day it will be long behind you and you will look back and remember how you had to overcome all kinds of hardship and it made you stronger, better version of you. goodluck all.

Hi! I m a new member . On preparing to take step 1 exam ,i also have lots of stress and sometimes depressed and can't sleep . I used to watch this forum only 2 weeks ago . Felt better after reading this post and thanks a lot to have the chance to read . The worst thing is mood is always unsteady ,moving up and down .But still struggling to survive