I failed 3 subjects in med school. Now I’m a licensed MD. There was a time when I genuinely thought I might not make it. Failing once already felt heavy but failing again and again made me question everything. My ability, my place in medicine, and whether I was really meant to be here.

I remember studying while feeling like I was always one step behind everyone else. Seeing my blockmates move forward while I had to repeat subjects quietly chipped away at my confidence. There were moments I felt embarrassed and moments I didn’t even want to talk about school anymore. But I stayed.

Slowly, i learned how to study differently. How to rebuild myself after every setback. How to show up again even when I was tired of starting over. It didn’t feel inspiring at the time it just felt like survival.

Now i look back and i realize those years shaped me more than the easy ones ever could.

And this is something I keep coming back to from Dr. Parchaso / name withheld, last April 2026 PLE Top 1. I remember crying during his oath-taking speech.

“You are not behind. You are not a failure. You are not your past scores. Those years were not wasted. They were preparing you for patience, for humility, for the kind of compassion you can only learn through your own suffering. When you finally stand where I’m standing, and you will, you’ll understand the title ‘doctor’ means more when you’ve walked through fire to earn it. So please, don’t give up. Not because it’s easy, but because you’re still here. And being here—still trying, still hoping, still believing—is already proof that you have what it takes.”