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Becoming a pediatrician
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello, I am new to this board. I have always known I was shy but I guess I also thought maybe I am just an introvert. In reality I think I am probably a mix. But the reason why I decided to join this site is because I have just completed medical school and I am taking my next step into starting pediatric residency next year (if I am accepted). I have gotten comments about how I didn't talk enough and i was too shy the entire way through medical school but because I am actually pretty smart I could get through anyways. Well I had to take a board exam that involves a communication and interpersonal skills grade component. This is the first time ever that this would really affect me. You have to go spend a day basically doing a clinic and are rated based on your medical knowledge, which I did outstanding on, and on how patients rated you, which I failed. So I failed this exam. I still get my MD but now I don;t know if I should retake it or go a more research route because I do get exhausted by people interaction. I could retake it but I don't know how to change my personality in such a short amount of time (have to retake by March if I am going to).
My questions is: does it seem like I am using this as an excuse to let my shyness keep me from my goals? Or does it seem like maybe this is not a good fit and I am not letting shyness get in my way?
My questions is: does it seem like I am using this as an excuse to let my shyness keep me from my goals? Or does it seem like maybe this is not a good fit and I am not letting shyness get in my way?
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This feels like it comes down to how you relate to other people so I'm just going to move your thread into the Relationship forum. Congratulations on completing medical school, that's a fantastic achievement :thumb:
It's interesting what you say about finding interaction with people exhausting, maybe you could tell us a bit more about that?
It might help to see it not as changing your personality but by trying some new things to develop those interpersonal skills - talking to people more generally whether that's in the supermarket asking the checkout person how their day is going or saying hello to the bus driver - small changes can have quite a big impact on the way that people experience you.
Perhaps there are a few things you could try with patients too - for example a warm introduction and then a friendly question to build a bit of rapport and then a nice ending to your interaction..
These are just ideas, I'm not a doctor so I'm not clear on the expectation there. Did they give you any direction in terms of what to work on specifically?
Teu did have a guidance on the test and it was about about being empathetic which I felt I was but maybe others felt differently. And then there is reassuring the patient and explaining their condition to them, all of which I suppose I could work on. The trouble is when I actually around people I tend to overthink it and even if I practice it might not translate into the test. I am also a very bad actor which this test does involve some degree of acting. I also have 2 kids who I am currenlyy staying at home with and I have another on the way so I am afraid of what the stress
of all this will do. I am on a timeline of the next few months if I want to take it . It would involve me putting them back in daycare to study for it which I am also resentful of. My husband was going to stay at home with them during residency and I thought our daycare days were over