Ever since I was twelve years old, I’ve had a blog. Naturally, I knew I wanted to start one to document my medical school journey but it was a struggle to feel motivated to write about my experiences. It wasn’t until I was approached by Merck Manuals during my third-year that I really felt compelled to write about my life–and I think it was the best thing I could have ever done.
Background: we are given the opportunity to write about whatever our heart desires if we have several posts written each month. Having this monthly deadline really forced me to think about the things that mattered in my life at that moment and looking back at all thirty-one posts makes me realize that I’ve grown a lot since I started writing at the end of third-year. From struggles through third-year rotations, studying for Level 2 boards, audition rotations, applying for residency, and the stress of the residency Match, readers had the opportunity to follow the hardships, struggles, and successes in real time.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to write for this blog because it has put everything into perspective. I try and aim to find the positivity and silver linings in situations when I write a post and I’ve been able to turn every hardship into a learning experience. If I didn’t have the opportunity to reflect every month, I think medical school would have been a darker and negative place for me.
I’ve also come to realize that when readers can relate to content, they feel like they aren’t alone. I remember being very isolated during my months of my audition rotations and thought I was alone in this feeling until several people reached out after my post, Dear Premed Me, Medical School Can Be Lonely.
I hope that my posts have been either been fun, inspiring, relatable, or all of the above for you guys. I’ve had a great time writing for Merck Manual Student Stories and honestly very sad to leave this creative space. Thank you guys for allowing me to write out my thoughts and if you want to continue to follow my journey, feel free to follow the following:
Instagram: CoffeeandScrubs
Blog: www.coffeeandscrubs.com
