There’s a certain characteristic that many successful people have in common.  Whether it’s LeBron James, Mark Zuckerberg, or John Maxwell, these leaders in their fields all have grit.  Grit is an unrelenting work ethic towards a goal that you are passionate about.  Grit is all about fighting for your dreams!

In her book, Grit, Dr. Angela Duckworth highlights doctors as being a group known for their grit. I’d have to agree with her, by the very nature of our training, we must have grit to make it this far.  When I look back on my journey to medicine and consider all the ups and downs, there were many times that I could have quit, but I didn’t.  This isn’t the case for just me, I’d be willing to be that almost every doctor you speak with would say the same.  So, it’s fair to say that if you want to become a doctor, you need to resolve now that you will become a person of grit.

As I see it, there are two things necessary to become this type of person.  The first is you must be passionate about a goal.  When we say people have grit, it doesn’t mean that they have grit in every area of their life.  For example, although I just told you that doctors have grit, you’ll meet many businessmen and women who disagree.  That’s because when a lot of doctors pursue business opportunities, many often quit because they know they can simply go back to practicing medicine and have a great lifestyle.  The key point to understand here is that if you are not passionate about something, you won’t have the grit to see it through.    You won’t tolerate the late nights, empty bank account, and broken relationships.  Step one in developing grit, is to learn what you’re passionate about.

The second essential criteria to become a person of grit is to be consistent.  This means you keep on chugging along regardless of the results.  Yes, you may need to pivot and change directions, but you keep on moving in a consistent fashion.  John Maxwell speaks of the compounding effect of consistency.  Just think about it.  If you’re learning a new sport and practice once a month, you’ll probably never be as good as the person practicing once a day.  The small things add up with a compounding positive effect.  You may not see the results on a microscopic level, but when you take a step back, you’ll be blown away by the progress.  Grit is what makes this possible.  Remember, it’s hard to see the forest through the trees.

As a premedical student, you need to be passionate about the field of medicine.  Take a moment to ask yourself, why do I LOVE (not like) medicine so much that I’m willing to sacrifice years of my life for it.  You need this answer ready at all times because in challenging situations, it will pull you through.  It’s this answer that will allow you to maintain your consistency as you struggle day in and out towards your goal.

I am fortunate to be in a position that I have heard so many student and doctors personal journeys to medicine.  The one thing that is consistent across the board is that they all had grit and stayed the course.

This is my advice to you, when it comes to your academic success, focus on yourself.  Be aware of where you stand against the crowd, but do NOT compare yourself to others on an individual level.  Put your blinders on and get to work.  If you’re passionate about the goal, and can maintain your consistency, your grit will pull you through to success!

I’d like to know, what tips do you have that help you stay focused and push through the challenging times?

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