This may be the first time that I have mentioned this here, but I love the #almostdoctor community. In short: it’s support, informed, and witty. I wanted to share with you readers (who are likely to be pre-medical students, less likely to be medical students, and extremely likely to be members of my family) the perspectives of other proud members the #almostdoctor community. Today, I am privileged to have Z (incoming medical student at University of Michigan) share with you the ten things that have her anxious about the transition to medical school. If you want to keep up with her journey, follow her blog (5 Year Journey: Medical School Edition) or her witty tweets.

As my frequent readers know, I love blogging via lists and bullet points. It’s easy, gets my points across, and generally manageable for readers. So, following that tradition, here is a list of things that I’m currently anxious and nervous about for my transition to medical school.

1. Housing
   As some of you may recall, I had some roommate drama last month when my AMAZING future roommate got off the wait list at her dream medical school. I was back at square 1. I quickly found an MS-3 who was in search of a roommate and agreed to room with her. While I know that we signed the lease, the lack of communication between the MS-3 and me makes me nervous that I’m going to get to school and, suddenly, I’m not going to have a place to live.
2. Moving into my new apartment.
   I honestly own too much stuff. The thought of transporting that stuff again and setting it up is another source of anxiety. The truth is, I should get rid of at least 50% of my stuff, but this has proven to be difficult. Last time when I moved back home from NYC, I got rid of a TON of stuff, but I also ended up regretting that because I did it in a hasty fashion.
3. Making new friends.
   Yea, this never changes. I worried about this when I was 5. I still worry about it in my late 20’s. Making new friends only gets harder and I’m still anxious that no one is going to like me, which is completely irrational. There has to be at least one person who likes me, right? PLEASE LIKE ME! (Am I being too desperate now?) And I hope my “old age” won’t deter anyone from being my friend…*bats eyes*
4. Moving to a new city
   I have never lived in Ann Arbor before. In fact, I have never lived in the Midwest before. So, I guess my Midwest virginity will officially be broken. Woot. However, this brings some anxiety. Will I like this new place? Or will I hate every minute of every day I’m there (highly unlikely)? Will I be able to take advantage of all the things it has to offer?
5. Classes
   Yes, in the midst of transitioning, sometimes I forget about the reasons I’m transitioning in the first place: to go to medical school. Medial school is supposed to be really hard. Yes, it’s pass/fail, but I know I don’t want to be on the brink of passing and failing. I have no idea what to expect; and I guess that is ok…but it doesn’t mean I’m not worried about school.
6. Do I buy season football tickets? What about basketball tickets?
   I know that University of Michigan has a great football team (GO BLUE!). But do I buy season tickets? The home game line-up doesn’t look too great, but then making this is a good way for me to make new friends (see point 3)? Will I really attend all the games, if I don’t, what do I do with the tickets? $300 is a lot of money…I could use that to go on a trip. Or to buy a gaming system. I could buy a new tablet!
7. Work-Life Balance.
   I don’t want to leave medical school as a lonely cat lady. I really don’t. After ending my most recent serious romantic relationship in December, I’ve been wondering if that is how it will always be. Romances, endings, loneliness. The truth is, I’m nervous that when I get to medical school, I’m going to struggle with meeting any prospects for marriage. That said, I also don’t want to enter into anything in a hasty manner.
   In addition to romantic relationships, I want to ensure that I still maintain my relationships outside of medical school. I was always annoyed by the friends who were too busy to stay in touch (only to get back in touch when they needed something). I do not want to be one of those people. Relationships are important to me. I still want to prioritize them without failing medical school. I worry that I might not be able to manage that.
8. STEP 1.
   Am I a gunner or what, guys? I’m already worried about STEP 1 and I don’t need to think about it until my MS-2 year. I suppose in some ways, this is related to my worries about classes (see point 5).
9. Staying healthy.
   Guys, I gained over 15 pounds during MCAT studying. Not only that, my eating went to crap. My skin looked awful. I felt gross. I am worried that I could easily fall back into this trap. Lately, I’ve been working out almost everyday…will I be able to keep that up in medical school? Many people I’ve talked to seem skeptical. I just really don’t want to gain weight again…my clothes are finally starting to fit me the way they should (and not look like they’ll bust open).
10. What if they were right?
    When I started my pre-med journey (I was a “career changer.”) Some friends expressed their doubts and those same friends told me that psychiatry was a joke specialty (honestly, why am I still calling them my friends?). Many more friends were incredibly supportive of my switch and decision. However, there is always that small nagging feeling in the back of my head: what if they were right? What if they were right all along?

However, in the end, while I write and think about these things, I have to remind myself that things will work out and things will be okay. It may not be the way I planned, but it’ll be okay. BREATHE. I need to keep moving forward…put on those sunglasses and just drive into the sunset.