Title: MBBS 2nd year burnout? Overthinking studies but still falling behind—need real advice
I’m a 2nd year MBBS student (23M) and I feel like I’m stuck in a loop that I can’t break.
I genuinely like medicine and I’m a very curious person. Whenever I study something (especially Pathology or Pharmacology), I keep asking “why” and try to understand everything deeply and even connect topics across subjects. I feel like this is important if I want to become a good clinician in the future.
But this habit is now backfiring.
Because of going too deep:
I take too much time per topic
My syllabus remains incomplete
I’m currently behind in multiple subjects (Path, Pharma, Micro)
I forget things later despite studying deeply
My scores are average, which is frustrating
Now I feel:
Constant pressure that I’m not studying “enough” or “deep enough”
Fear that if I don’t understand everything now, I’ll struggle in final year or as a doctor
Loss of interest in things I used to enjoy (movies, general science, etc.)
Low confidence even after studying
I also struggle with managing all 3 subjects together. If I focus on one, the others lag behind.
I know my approach is probably wrong, but I don’t know how to fix it without feeling like I’m compromising my future competence.
My main questions:
How deep should a 2nd year MBBS student actually study?
How do you balance curiosity vs finishing syllabus?
How do you manage Path, Pharma, and Micro together daily?
How do you stop overthinking and still feel confident in what you’ve studied?
Is this kind of burnout/common phase normal in MBBS?
I don’t want motivation or generic advice—just honest, practical guidance from people who’ve been through this.
Thanks.