Be Positive!

This is another picture that I came across on Instagram today, and I just had to post it. A few days back I wrote on the subject of how you should not give up or allow your focus to be on failure (see HERE), and I feel like this picture conveys what I was trying to say perfectly! Recently, I have noticed that a lot of people tend to be focused on failing before they even begin to accomplish the task. I base this off of visiting pre-medical forums and seeing the number of posts asking questions about what it takes to be kicked out of school, what will happen if you fail the board exams, etc. As an entering medical student, I think it is crazy to be focused on all the negatives going in. I understand that it is important to hope for the best and plan for the worst, but thinking that you will fail going into anything will only add to your anxiety and increase your chances of doing so. Please do not set yourself up for failure by believing that it will happen.

I will admit that I am just as nervous as everyone else about starting school in the fall, but my focus is on how I can be the best student possible. In undergrad, I remember how at the beginning of the semester I would calculate the lowest possible grades I could get in order to pass a class with at least a C. If I would do poorly on an exam, I would not be too upset as long as I could still get enough points on subsequent exams to pass. This mindset allowed me to pass, but that is pretty much all it did. In graduate school, I changed my tune and calculated the amount of points I could miss and still make an A in a class. This not only pushed me to work harder, but it also showed me how much more I was capable of doing. I believed that I was capable of doing great in every class, and the end results proved this to be true. I believe that I can do great in medical school, and I am not afraid to fight for it.

I guess the point of all this was just to say stay positive and believe in yourself. Avoid negativity, whether it be from outside individuals or yourself, and keep your eyes on the prize. Maintain a positive mentality and you’ll be surprised at how far it can take you.