Stress for success

There are few things less reassuring during revision than someone who hardly knows you saying, “you'll be fine,” “they want you to pass,” and “it's just like a driving test.” The last comment was particularly alarming to me as I failed my driving test four times. And yet, horribly, in a year's time you yourself will change into someone who blithely chants “it's really hard to fail.” What gives a house officer this new found assurance is not only the knowledge that general expectation of their talents has returned to zero. It's also the certainty of survival. A large amount of time at medical school does seem to be specifically and cruelly designed to cause maximum stress, and this is often justified by the fact that you are being prepared for a …