Medical school has killed my soul. What can I do?

Hi Pamela, I’m a medical student in the UK. Though I’ve only been in med school since September, it has already taken its toll on me. Before I started, I was so in touch with my emotions, spirituality, and nature. Now I feel so empty and desensitized. I hate that when faced with the horrible circumstances of another person, I just don’t feel anything anymore. How can I overcome this? I so badly want to tap into the vibrant me from 6 months ago! Before starting medical school, I was a curious and loving young man. My life hadn’t been plain sailing: I had been through my parents’ divorce as a young teenager; I had suffered bullying in a hostile school environment, and I had come out of the closet as gay. All of these things sound quite monumental for a young person to go through, but nothing prepared me for the agony of medical school. You see, when my parents divorced, I was sad; I cried, I grieved for the family life I would no longer have, and I recovered. When I was bullied at school, I was hurt and upset, but knew they were wrong which gave me strength. And when I came out of the closet, I was bursting with emotion: of anticipation, excitement, terror. All of these experiences were by no means pleasurable, but I felt them, and that’s what made me feel alive. They were painful, but they illuminated the happy times in my life and made me a stronger and more empathetic person as a result. I looked into people’s eyes and could sense their pain a little more beca...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Education Medical school Psychiatry Source Type: blogs