Sometimes, when the exams pile up or you find yourself in the middle of a global pandemic, you can lose sight of what it is you’re doing. Studying medicine is no different. There are times when you’ll struggle and question what you’re doing.
But remember that you’re not the only one experiencing this!
Just as I myself have found, four years into my six year med degree, motivation can wax and wane. So that’s why I’ve put these 15 motivational quotes together.
Maybe they can help!
Motivational Medical School Quotes
The following could look great as Instagram captions, on med school bios or even as something cool to add to your presentation slides.
#1 “Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity”
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, came up with this. A good notion to ponder.
#2 “You don’t have to be brilliant to be a doctor. You have to be hard working and have good character. That’s what makes good doctors”
I think a lot of people lose sight of this as it’s much harder to measure in comparison to grades on a test. Nobody can take your work ethic and character from you.
#3 “When you feel like quitting think about why you started”
Hopefully you had a good reason. If not concentrate on the future. What it’ll mean when you’re done.
#4 “Somebody’s life will be in your hands one day. Study like this”
That one knowledge gap you skipped over in a moment of laziness? Could make all the difference in an emergency.
#5 “Don’t worry about the next 1000 steps…worry about the next step and everything will slowly fall into place”
A great phrase from Dr Kansagra of the Instagram account @medschooladvice.
This mirrors my exact advice to first years starting out on this sometimes long (and torturous) journey.
Related: How To Succeed In Med School: 10 Top Tips For Anxious First Years
#6 “A doctor is a student until he dies, once he considers himself not a student anymore, the doctor inside him dies”
Ultimate growth mentality. Something you’ve got to have if you want to make it in this world.
#7 “The moment you think of giving up remind yourself then and there that you’ll be a doctor not just by name, not for a prefix, not for the money but for the sake of humanity, for the sake of a better world”
There has to be a reason why other than any superficial desire. Without that the struggle becomes so much harder.
#8 “Don’t let one bad grade define your abilities. It’s a minor setback. How you choose to overcome it, is what sets you apart from the rest”
You are not your grades. You are the person who’s able to bounce back and just keep going.
![MEME] As graduation draws near.... : medicalschool](https://i.redd.it/jzvgs1ivysz21.jpg)
#9 “Medicine is more than a career. It’s a lifestyle”
It had to be considering the sacrifice.
#10 “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”
I wanted to keep this strictly medical school related. But I couldn’t resist this quote from Gandhi. Well worth considering as you get closer to the end.
#11 “Be like the stem cell. Differentiate yourself from others”
I like the quirkiness of this one. I also like it because it helps to show you shouldn’t compare yourself to your med school colleagues.
You’re more than just your grades and the scores on an exam. You’re you. And you bring a LOT to the table.
#12 “Student, you do not study to pass the test. You study to prepare for the day when you are the only thing between a patient and the grave”
This quote is attributable to Mark Reid, the doctor behind the popular Medicalaxioms account on Twitter. By day, Mark is a General Medicine Internist in Denver, Colorado. It’s safe to say he knows what hard work amounts to.
#13 “You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win – no matter the outcome”
An important reminder from legendary physician Patch Adams. Something to keep you going when all you see is books and exams.
There are humans at the end of it.
#14 “Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a great doctor”
Yes, there will be times where studying med will seem like suffering. But it’s not for nothing. Let this quote motivate you and show you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
#15 “If you can’t wake up in the midde of the night for studying then how will you wake up to save a life?”
There’s a lot of truth to this. Hopefully enough truth to keep you going.
Studying is the first test. The second is life. Nothing worth fighting for is easy.
Final Thoughts: Motivational Medical School Quotes
Sometimes, just knowing someone else is going through the same as you, can be really helpful.
Hopefully these quotes have done exactly that!
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Image Credit: @xangriffin at Unsplash
Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more.