Medicine often manifests as a destination-white coat ceremony, first on the ward shift, the moment a student becomes a physician. Yet for many of us, this journey starts well in advance of any earned title, in classrooms, in volunteer shifts, in research labs, and in those quiet, unglamorous moments of doubt that never quite fit into the official story of medical training.
Premed students realize early on that being resilient is just part of the job. They’re encouraged to juggle rigorous courses, clinical experiences, service activities, leadership roles, and evaluations with ease and composure. The underlying message is clear: if you’re not succeeding, you’re not working hard enough. Being resilient is important in medicine, but the manner in which it is emphasized allows for little room for vulnerability, growth, or self-awareness.
What is not taken into account in the premed mindset is the fact that premed students are trying to become human as well as healers. They must navigate the stresses of being premed while also dealing with the stresses of being financially strapped, having family obligations, cultural pressures, and emotional trauma. For students who are members of underrepresented groups in medicine, the pre-med journey is further complicated by a lack of access to and resources. However, the dominant culture in premed education rarely stops to consider the ways in which these students will impact the profession as a whole.
For many premed students, community service and advocacy work are not simply resume builders; they’re deeply personal experiences. Service is a response to illness, inequality, or a lack of access to care that one has experienced firsthand. Advocacy is a reaction to the lack of access or quality care that one has experienced for themselves. However, as the premed culture becomes more and more focused on productivity, the personal power of these experiences is lost.
Medical education prides itself on the value of empathy, but pre-med education seems to reward perseverance above all else. We tell our students that being tired and in pain is normal and that working through those things is a sign of determination. If we continue on this road, we risk creating a group of doctors who are capable but drained before they even start their education. We want to create a healthier, kinder healthcare system, and to rethink what that looks like at the very beginning of our education. This isn’t about lowering standards and quality. This is about understanding that quality and kindness can go hand in hand. Good mentorship and advising that understands diversity and the importance of self-care are not luxuries; they’re necessities.
Wellness initiatives in the medical field tend to emerge when the student has already made it through medical school, but the problem is ingrained even before that. The real work starts much earlier. Premed space should foster reflection, normalizing uncertainty, and allowing for development without constant comparison. Treating students as if they’re human, not just future doctors, will improve the profession as a whole.
Medicine isn’t represented by a white coat; it represents the values that we’ve nurtured, the support that we’ve given, and how we’ve chosen to look at each other throughout this journey. If we want physicians who embody values of empathy and character, then our route to medicine should follow this example.
