How Do I Stop Comparing Myself in Med School?

“I feel like everyone else is doing more than me! From research, to leadership, and awards… I’m just trying to survive. How do I stop comparing myself?”

I wish I could tell you to stop comparing yourself, and then you would just feel better overnight. But I’ve been there. Watching someone post their latest publication while I’m still in pajamas, trying to catch up on lectures and reheat my coffee for the third time. It’s hard not to spiral.

Comparison is one of the easiest traps to fall into in medicine. You’re constantly surrounded by people doing impressive things. And suddenly it feels like you're the only one not accomplishing enough. Like, if you’re not running a clinic, publishing papers, mentoring students, and volunteering every weekend, you’re falling behind.

Here’s what I’ve learned: sometimes, just surviving is the accomplishment.

There were seasons in my training where all I could do was show up. I wasn’t doing extra research. I wasn’t leading anything. I was just trying to stay afloat. And even though I couldn’t post about it or add it to my CV, that mattered. Those moments shaped me just as much (maybe more) than the so-called highlight reel.

What you don’t see on Instagram or ERAS applications is the full picture. You don’t see the nights people cried after long shifts. You don’t see the internal battles. You don’t see the people who are doing “a lot” but also silently burning out. Everyone is carrying something. Everyone is overwhelmed in different ways.

You are not behind. You are not failing. You are simply living your version of this path.

If all you’re doing right now is keeping up with the basics and taking care of yourself, that is more than enough. If you have the capacity to take on more and you want to, that’s great. But let it come from joy, not from fear or pressure.

Your value isn’t measured by bullet points. It’s not defined by titles or how many things you can juggle at once. You are already enough! Even in the quiet and even in the stillness.

So, take a breath. Stay in your lane. Focus on what you need, not what everyone else is doing. The real work is often the work no one else sees.

And honestly? Just being here, doing your best, is pretty extraordinary.

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