Would you ever want someone to talk to about this? Because, if you would, I'd really like to. Background: I've just applied to medical school and got a place to start in September, so I'm a few years behind you. Maybe I could learn from you. Also, you sound so down about this at the moment. I feel like your assessment of your situation is more negative than mine is, so I'd love to have a shot at cheering you up. Of course you might just tell me I know nothing about your life, which is fair, but I'd still like to listen. The world needs more doctors, so it would be awful if you gave up at this point. Have we exchanged messages or comments before, by the way? Like, at least a year ago? You seem really familiar and I think I remember being impressed last time, but I have no way to really search so I'm not sure. Edit: I don't know where you're located, I assume you're in America so this may not feel the same as it does here, but if there's one thing I've learned from working as a healthcare assistant in the NHS in England it is this: **your best effort is good enough**. We have way too few doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists, etc. Every single person who is putting in a solid effort is a person we can't afford to lose. Over here, if we lost you as a junior doctor, that's one more unfilled post, one more empty hole on the rota, one more reduction in the quality of patient care. More lives at risk. In a way this is an awful feeling, but in a way it's incredibly liberating. Over here at least, my feeling is that the fluency of your speech wouldn't matter, because **it doesn't influence the quality of your work**. Everyone would just be grateful that you are here, that you are competent, and that you are working hard. (Or if anyone did give you crap about it, then you'd know that they're an asshole and that they don't have patients' best interests at heart.)