Navigating the Fear of Failure in Medicine
From First Hand Experience + What Research Has To Say
I entered my undergraduate years as a bright-eyed, ambitious, yet slightly nervous 18-year-old. Having excelled in high school, I expected to thrive just as effortlessly in college. However, as a pre-med student tackling rigorous courses, I quickly encountered a steep learning curve. Then, halfway through my freshman year, COVID-19 struck, and everything shifted online.
Suddenly isolated from my peers, I found it even more difficult to seek academic support, let alone emotional or mental health resources. My grades began to slip, and my mental well-being followed. The once-clear path to medical school started to feel increasingly out of reach. This struggle persisted for years, compounded by my high-functioning anxiety.
It took me a long time to recognize that the constant anxiety I felt stemmed from a deep-seated fear of failure. At times, I even self-sabotaged—avoiding studying as much as I could, convinced that even my best efforts wouldn’t be enough. This realization was a turning point, allowing me to confront the fears that had been holding me back.
Why is Failure So Scary?
Failure feels especially daunting in school and medicine because, as students or early-career professionals, we often feel like we have so much to prove.
We seek the approval and respect of experienced professionals, teachers, and even our peers. Many of us grew up being labeled as “smart” or “perfectionists,” and over time, we internalized these traits as core parts of our identity. The problem is that when we make mistakes—something inevitable in any learning process—it directly challenges that self-perception.
Rather than viewing failure as a natural part of growth, we experience it as a personal failing, triggering feelings of disappointment, discomfort, and anxiety. It’s not that mistakes are inherently bad, but for someone who prides themselves on competence and perfection, they can feel like a direct hit to their sense of self. It’s like having the rug pulled out from under you, leaving you scrambling to regain control. In response, many of us unconsciously develop avoidance strategies—choosing not to put ourselves in situations where failure is even a possibility.
Ironically, this can contradict our natural drive for challenges and rigorous coursework. Upon reflection, we might notice that we’ve been sidestepping certain areas of difficulty, particularly those that expose our weaknesses. For me, this was in biology-heavy courses. After struggling with genetics during my freshman year—especially during the transition to online learning—I found myself reluctant to fully invest in those subjects. While I didn’t necessarily perform poorly, I held myself back from reaching my full potential.
Shift The Narrative
I eventually reframed my fear of failure as an opportunity for growth—an idea that’s often repeated but rarely internalized. Let me explain how I came to truly embrace this perspective.
I began reflecting on my past academic and extracurricular experiences and realized something important: I had never achieved anything meaningful without making mistakes along the way. Some of those mistakes were small and easy to brush off, but when I looked at the bigger picture, I saw a clear pattern. Every goal I had reached involved moments of uncertainty, anxiety, and setbacks. Yet, despite those challenges—or perhaps because of them—I always found a way forward.
One of my biggest struggles has been learning to trust the process. I tend to feel anxious on the journey toward a goal, fearing the disappointment of falling short. But over time, I came to accept that mistakes aren’t just inevitable; they’re essential to growth. For me, my religious faith played a major role in this shift in perspective. However, even if you don’t have a religious figure to look up to, think of someone you admire—a role model, a mentor, or even a historical figure. When I considered how even the people I respect most have made mistakes, it became clear that expecting perfection from myself was both unrealistic and unfair. If they can embrace failure as part of their journey, why shouldn’t I?
At the end of the day, regardless of what my peers, teachers, or colleagues think, I have to extend grace to myself. No one else is responsible for tolerating my mistakes, but I am. Accepting this has helped me stay calm, be kinder to myself, and truly enjoy the learning process. It’s allowed me to see growth as what I truly seek since ultimately growth is what makes life meaningful.
Research Says
The study “Assessment of Fear of Failure Among Medical Students at King Saud University” investigated the prevalence and factors associated with fear of failure (FoF) among 455 medical students.
Variations emerged across different demographics and academic metrics:
Gender Differences: Female students exhibited higher levels of fear related to devaluing self-estimate, whereas male students showed elevated fear concerning the loss of interest from important others.
Academic Level: Third-year students reported increased fears of shame, embarrassment, and upsetting significant individuals, indicating heightened FoF during this transitional phase.
GPA Correlation: Students with GPAs below 3.5 and those above 4.9 experienced higher FoF levels, suggesting that both lower and exceptionally high academic performers may face FoF, possibly due to concerns about meeting expectations or maintaining performance.
Interest in Medicine: Participants expressing a lack of interest in studying medicine demonstrated elevated FoF, highlighting the influence of personal motivation on fear of failure.
The study concludes that while the general FoF level is low, specific groups—particularly women, third-year students, those with very low or high GPAs, and individuals uninterested in medicine—are more susceptible to FoF. The authors recommend targeted support for these cohorts to mitigate FoF and promote better educational outcomes.
Practical Strategies
Here are a few strategies that helped me navigate my fear of failure in medicine:
Develop a Growth Mindset: Instead of viewing failure as a reflection of my abilities, I started seeing it as a temporary setback—a chance to learn and improve. It’s exciting to know you have more to learn, thus future satisfaction in the waiting.
Reflect and Improve: After a shift or a tough day, I’d take time to reflect on what went well and what I could do differently next time. This helped me feel more in control and less fearful of making mistakes in the future.
Seek Feedback: I found that asking for feedback from my mentors and colleagues was one of the most valuable things I could do. It shifted my mindset from fearing judgment to seeking opportunities for growth.
Also, remember to look back on past accomplishments and challenges to remind yourself how far you’ve come to reach the obstacle you now face.
