Hello Future Doctor,
Medical students often forget the importance of their own wellness and care. At Mizzou we try to remind each other that being good students and, eventually, good doctors requires you to take care of yourself. Every single person in your class will go through moments of self-doubt, frustration, sadness, and worry. These are totally normal reactions to the amount of change you go through and the volume of information you are digesting on a daily basis. Sometimes though, you will feel completely alone in this. In those moments, take advantage of the health and wellness resources at Mizzou.
Last year, I was struggling with a mixture of frustration, doubt, and imposter syndrome. Everyday I woke up feeling weighed down. I was crying at least 2-3 times a week and was so stressed that I developed regular nose bleeds. Without getting too personal, it wasn’t just medical school but the stress of being a medical student plus everything else made waking up difficult. There are days when I still feel that stress, but through my own work and by reaching out to others was able to put myself right again and finish out the school year strong. See my recommendations below. There is also a link to the Health and Wellness webpage from the School of Medicine.
Firstly, get physical. You will spend so much time sitting and studying, it is super important to carve time out to take care of your physical body. There are quite a few gyms in the area, but included in your fees is access to the rec center. If you like to hit the trails, Columbia is surrounded by great trails for running, hiking, or biking. I recommend the Katy Trail, trails at Rock Bridge State Park, and the Shooting Star trail. Also, don’t forget that the Stankowski field is right behind the medical school building.
Secondly, do things that you love and be around people you care about. You will create very tight bonds with people in your class. Make sure that you are spending time with those people doing things that are not just studying. Spend time creating memories with the folks. These people will help you up when you feel at your lowest, and you will help them. The friendships you develop here and invaluable to your success.
Finally, there are resources offered through the medical school to support your health and wellness. You will elect two members of your class to be your health and wellness representatives. They will coordinate meetings and wellness activities that are school sponsored as well as work to provide items and event that will benefit you. For example, last year, they coordinated the purchase of stationary bikes found on the fifth and sixth floors and hosted boxed lunches around test week. These people will be resources for you and people you can bounce health and wellness ideas off of. Lastly, your biggest resource is Dr. Bagby-Stone. She is here to discuss things from emotions to career goals and planning. Her technical title is Faculty Liaison–Student Coaching, which means that she is an advocate for you and works to support you in whatever you may need. Dr. Bagby-Stone helped me through my worst feelings my first year and was always there when I needed to talk to someone about my mental health. She sees many students every week, so there is no shame in reaching out and setting up an appointment. Never hesitate to contact her.
I hope that knowing you are not alone and that there are resources out there are helpful.
Good Luck!
Bruce Green, Class of 2024.