Student doctor Pumzile Molimi shares a reminder for others in medical school that even difficult times have their moments of joy.

______

There are seasons in medical school when the weight of it all quietly settles on your shoulders. You still show up every day, still put on your scrubs and smile, but something feels heavier than usual. The hospital corridors seem longer, your steps slower, and the spark that once carried you through long study nights starts to dim.

No one really prepares you for that part of medicine, the emotional exhaustion that comes when compassion starts to feel like a burden, when you begin to wonder if you’re enough. You tell yourself that it’s just another rotation, that everyone feels tired, that you should be grateful to be here. But some days, even the smallest tasks feel like climbing a mountain.

I remember one rotation that nearly broke me. The hours were long, the environment demanding, and I constantly felt like I was falling short. I’d come home and collapse on my bed, too tired to eat or think. Somewhere in the chaos, I started losing sight of why I chose this path in the first place.

But slowly, I began to notice the little things that made the days softer. The elderly patient who thanked me for holding her hand while she struggled to breathe. The registrar who paused, even for a minute, to explain something I didn’t understand. The laughter with classmates as we tried to make sense of another endless ward round. The sunrise after a long call, quiet, and comforting, like a reminder that I’d made it through another night.

Those small moments didn’t fix the heaviness, but they reminded me it wasn’t all that existed. Medicine is demanding, yes, but it’s also deeply human. It’s found in the simple gestures in the kindness of a colleague who shares their coffee, in a patient’s smile, in the silent victories that no one else sees.

I learned that you don’t have to wait for big achievements to feel joy. Sometimes, it’s enough to simply show up, to keep trying, to care even when it’s hard. Finding joy in medicine doesn’t mean ignoring the pain or pretending to be fine; it means acknowledging the struggle and still choosing to see light in the cracks.

If you’re in a tough rotation right now, please know it’s okay to feel tired. It’s okay to rest. You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed, you’re human. The heaviness will come and go, but it doesn’t define you. What defines you is your ability to stay kind, to stay curious, and to keep noticing the small joys that make this journey worth it.

Maybe joy in medicine isn’t about perfection or endless energy. Maybe it’s about presence, being there fully, even when it’s hard, and remembering that every small act of care matters.

Because even on the heaviest days, there’s always something or someone to remind you why you started.

______

To read more student articles like this visit our student hub.