Failure in Medical School

Sometimes in medical school, there is a huge amount of pressure to be perfect and not to get anything wrong. It can feel like if you don't understand something, you're not cut out for medicine.

The truth is, while failing an exam can feel really disappointing, you're not the first to do it and you won't be the last.

Plenty of medics will fail an exam and have to do a resit. This doesn't make you a 'worse' student than those who pass first time, it just means your path is a little bit different, and that's perfectly okay!

It can feel like a taboo subject to talk about when we fail, or when we get something wrong, but that should never be the case.

It's only by speaking about our own experiences that we can support each other.

Failing is not something to be ashamed of. You should feel proud of yourself for attempting something difficult and having the courage to attempt it again. That resilience is what medicine is about, not passing an exam first time.

As medical professionals, we should be aware of our own bias and not jump to feeling ashamed if we don't quite get it right. Normal people are not perfect and they make mistakes. It's something to learn from and that is an invaluable experience. Don't allow your self-esteem to be negatively impacted if you don't do everything perfectly.

By Aisia Lea.