Questions answered: INFP in med school

Summary

Ingrid, an INFP medical student, reflects on her experiences in medical school, sharing personal insights on regrets, mental breakdowns, and the emotional challenges she faced. She discusses her struggle with anxiety and depression, particularly when delivering difficult news to a patient’s family. Ingrid offers a candid perspective on dissecting bodies, interacting with arrogant peers, and the challenges of fitting into a profession dominated by sensing, thinking, and judging types. Despite uncertainties about whether medicine was the right choice, she emphasizes the importance of intuition and feeling in the field and advises finding creative outlets to maintain balance.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker reflects on their medical school experience and admits to having many regrets, including not taking time off or exploring other career options during their studies.
• 😀 Mental breakdowns were a recurring part of the speaker's journey, with moments of doubt and emotional struggles due to anxiety, depression, and difficult situations, like delivering death notifications to families.
• 😀 Despite challenges, the speaker views their medical career as ultimately worth it, even though it involved many emotional and personal difficulties.
• 😀 Dissecting bodies during medical school was described as a challenging but manageable experience. The speaker didn't find it as traumatic as some might expect, highlighting the difference between dissections and autopsies.
• 😀 The speaker discusses their struggles with imposter syndrome and feelings of inferiority, particularly in comparison to more confident or arrogant peers.
• 😀 The role of intuition (N) and feeling (F) in medicine is emphasized as essential for understanding both the cerebral and human aspects of the field, despite the profession being more oriented towards sensing (S) and judging (J) types.
• 😀 The competitive and rigid environment in medical school and the medical profession can be difficult for INFPs, who often feel a disconnect with more practical or structured personality types like ESTJs or STJs.
• 😀 The speaker shares their struggle with the lack of creativity in the medical profession, emphasizing the need for an outlet for creativity outside of work, which is essential for an INFP.
• 😀 The speaker notes that while they enjoy interacting with patients, they were initially unaware of this aspect of themselves before entering medical school.
• 😀 They acknowledge the importance of finding a creative outlet to maintain mental well-being, as medicine can be emotionally draining and lacks the creative stimulation that INFPs often crave.

Q & A

What regrets did Ingrid have about her time in medical school?

Ingrid regretted not taking breaks during medical school and not exploring other paths. She wished she had taken a gap year or at least some time off during her studies to experience life outside of medicine.

How did Ingrid's personality type (INFP) influence her medical school experience?

As an INFP, Ingrid found it challenging to fit into the highly structured and competitive environment of medical school, which is often dominated by more pragmatic types like ESTJs and SJs. Her empathy and desire for creativity clashed with the system’s demands, making her feel somewhat alienated.

What mental health challenges did Ingrid face during medical school?

Ingrid struggled with anxiety and depression, which led to several emotional breakdowns. One significant breakdown occurred when she had to inform a patient's family of their loved one's death, which left her emotionally exhausted.

What was Ingrid's experience with dissecting bodies in medical school?

Ingrid surprisingly found body dissection in medical school enjoyable and educational. Although it was initially unsettling, she appreciated the opportunity to learn anatomy hands-on. However, she found autopsies more disturbing due to the freshness of the bodies.

How did Ingrid deal with the emotional challenges of delivering difficult news to patients' families?

Ingrid found delivering difficult news, like informing a family of a patient's death, to be emotionally taxing. She described stumbling over her words during the conversation, but after returning home, she broke down crying due to the emotional weight of the experience.

Why does Ingrid believe it might have been helpful to take time off during medical school?

Ingrid felt that taking time off, such as a gap year or semester off, would have helped her gain more perspective and maturity before committing fully to medical school. It could have allowed her to explore other aspects of life and make a more informed decision.

What was Ingrid’s opinion on how personality types influence success in medical school?

Ingrid believes that while certain personality types (like SJs and T types) may do better in the structured environment of medical school, intuition (N) and feeling (F) types are also important. She emphasized the importance of empathy and intellectual engagement, even though they may struggle in a system that favors more pragmatic approaches.

What advice does Ingrid offer to those unsure about whether medical school is the right fit for them?

Ingrid advises that medical school, like any other career, has pros and cons. It’s essential to understand both the intellectual and emotional demands of the profession. She suggests reflecting on whether the challenges are worth the rewards and whether you feel fulfilled by the work.

Did Ingrid feel that being an INFP hindered her ability to work in a medical environment?

While Ingrid found it difficult to connect with more pragmatic, structured individuals in the medical field, she didn’t feel that being an INFP entirely hindered her. Her empathy and intuition were valuable in patient care, but the competitive and rigid nature of medicine sometimes made her feel out of place.

How did Ingrid balance the need for creativity with the demands of medical school?

Ingrid struggled to find outlets for her creativity within the rigid structure of medical school. She acknowledged that medicine, though it can be intellectually stimulating, often lacks the creative freedom she craves. She emphasized the importance of finding creative outlets outside of her medical career.