Motivation for Success: Some Tips to Fuel You

Hesham Hassan, M.Sc.
Aug 7, 2017
5 min read

Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Is it Step 1? Step 2 CK & CS? Graduation? Step 3? Residency completion? Retirement? The road to and through medicine is a long one, and one prone to easy burn out. I can attest that the best parts of the first three years of medical school haven't been getting through tests or the various milestones; the best moments are the small ones in the drudgery of studying and laboring to master competencies. Everyone is entitled to feel the emotional peaks and troughs expected from life. However, I wanted to assemble this piece to address what I do whenever I start to feel like I am at a low point and could use some motivation to keep pushing myself to improvement. Medical school has a unique ability to bring out parts of you of which you may have been unaware previously, and healthy ways of motivating yourself are essential to success.

1. Pick a Mantra - Having been raised in the south by a mother from Alabama, I do know a thing or two about sayings. I do not recall when I first started replaying this particular one in my inner dialogue, but it has been one I have relied on since I initiated transitioning to adulthood: How can you appreciate the good times if you don't experience the bad?This is how I was able to spend two months living out of a car. This is how I kept pushing myself whenever I experienced financial hardships, or setbacks to my 'master plan'. If you spend some time googling quotes for a half hour, you may find yourself wiser than when you started due to your new repertoire of inspiring mantras. Here are a few quotes for examples that I like to draw inspiration from as these are some of my favorite quotable people for motivation:

If you're going through hell, keep going. -Winston Churchill
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value - Albert Einstein
The challenge of life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn't simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it's a story about who you want to be. - Oprah Winfrey
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. - Maya Angelou
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar

2. Watch graduation speeches - Since high school, I have thought how funny it was that the graduation speech at the end would have helped much more in the beginning. Upon reflection, I realize that the speech was given at the beginning....the beginning of what was to become a very awesome journey into adulthood. Whether it's a law school graduation (you know who you are) or a watching the white coat speech for RUSM every semester, I love watching graduation speeches because of the powerful messages and feelings that can be conveyed. Staring at a crowd of individuals and imagining the many different stories held in each person's life has been a favorite hobby of mine as it fuels my drive to continue toward my own goal of graduation. My favorite graduation speech was delivered to a high school graduation in 2007, and I have watched the video yearly since my friend Lauren showed it to me. I'm guilty of watching it twice a year nowadays...It's not because I do not know most of the lyrics now, or I think the song in the background makes it so catchy. I watch this video especially when I feel lost in beginning prioritizing my goals, and I find myself honing in on a different concept every time. I hope you enjoy the advice listed below as much as I still do:

3. Build Relationships - This is a very important piece especially for those pursuing medicine. Our very life's work is hinged on the ability to relate to humanity and many people types therein. However, we tend to use the excuse of the demand from medicine to sacrifice our own personal relationships (although look up the divorce rates for doctors as they were reported to be less than most other professional roles in a 2015 study). It is the random hug I might get from my spouse or my toddler's cute kiss on the cheek that can help remind me why I'm working so hard. By stepping back from education obligations, I am reminded of how great my family life is and how thankful I am for having such wonderful people sharing life with me. I want my children to be proud of what I accomplish, and to know that they can achieve their goals if they work hard.

Building relationships also hold true for friends as well. We all need friends going through the same things, and it's helpful to have a few who are just ahead of you to mentor you along the way. I have some students I consider mentors, whether they know I am looking up to them or not. I try to use other people's advice to help guide me in what aligns with my own ideals, and filter through the information others are willing to share to find the meaningful and applicable bits for my life. One upper-semester student particularly sticks out in my mind as someone who helped me the first day my family was in Dominica. My wife and I had a three year old, a six month old, a double stroller, and no knowledge of how to get home since we lived farther away from campus than most students. This student, who lived on the way to where we were staying and had a few children of his own, gave us tips and tricks for taking local transportation and how to "fit in" with the culture. He was also the same person who warned "not to get caught in the thick of thin things", which has quickly become a new mantra for me. Building relationships with people who are slightly ahead of you to those who are a few years ahead of you will help guide you to become the version of yourself that lies within your goal. I know I've thanked you before in-person, but you are one reason I try to pay it forward and help other Ross students learn from my 'own meandering experience'.

4. Humor - This section is likely more about my favorite coping mechanism than motivation, but staying motivated relies on having healthy mental functioning. Kat Williams taught me during undergrad that life is too short. He didn't say this to me directly (as this would be an Idea of Reference), but his stand-up comedy had a great deal of truth. Although there must be balance with all things in life, I believe that humor is essential to bring to our day-to-day to help remind us how life is meant to be enjoyed and relief is necessary from the constant stress and seriousness. For example, I love browsing through memes, or send them to friends that may need a pick-me-up.

Please enjoy those provided here:

Well, that's it for now and go conquer the day! Make this week the best week yet, and best wishes in all of your endeavors. If you have any questions or want to reach out to me, please do not hesitate!