Sarah was a second-year medical student who had always dreamed of becoming a doctor. She had worked hard throughout her undergraduate studies and the first two years of medical school, doing well on most exams and impressing professors with her dedication. However, when the time came for her pre-clinical examination in preparation for clinical rotations, Sarah was overwhelmed with panic as she received her test scores. They weren’t as high as she had hoped, and the pressure of medical school officially became unbearable.

At that moment, Sarah’s fear and anxiety consumed her, much like a performer gripped by stage fright. Barbra Streisand, the legendary performer, has spoken openly about her anxiety before every performance —  even though she’s won 9 Grammys, 4 Emmys, and 3 Academy Awards. No matter how successful she got, she says the pressure to perform always lingered. 

Sarah was also experiencing a form of performance anxiety, one specific to her and her medical school colleagues — test-taking anxiety — which can cause medical students to become so consumed by fear of judgment, criticism, or rejection that their academic performance feels like a reflection of their entire future.

Key resource for the frantic

Fortunately for Sarah, she was a medical student at Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) and knew that her first line of defense when her anxiety level became high was to speak with her Student Success Advisor (SSA).

“We understand that the medical school journey is more than mastering the curriculum; it’s about thriving in a challenging environment,” says Chinwe Okeke, MD, MHA, OUM Pre-clinical Faculty Member and Student Success Advisor Manager (pictured right). “Whether they’re navigating study challenges, testing anxiety, or balancing life’s responsibilities with med school, SSA’s walk alongside their students. We’re all here to help. Their success is our priority,” she adds.

What does test anxiety look like?

• Headache, nausea, diarrhea, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, and feeling faint can all occur.
• Feelings of anger, fear, helplessness, and disappointment are common emotional responses to test anxiety.
• Difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively, and comparing yourself to others are common symptoms of test anxiety.

According to the US National Institutes of Mental Health, anxiety is a normal emotion that serves as our brain’s mechanical response to stressors, says Dr. Okeke, and it warns our brain of potential danger ahead.

“While everyone feels anxious on occasion, test anxiety involves more than temporary worry or fear,” she says. “It can be a significant mental health challenge, and if left unchecked, it can affect academic performance, emotional well-being, and even future career decisions.” So when should medical students seek help?

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), medical students describe test anxiety as the following:

• They describe feelings of isolation.
• Their feelings, thoughts, or behavior compromise their work — or at least when they think it’s compromising their work.
• They hide details about their feelings or actions that they normally would have shared.

Managing anxiety makes better doctors

Fortunately for OUM students, the University provides a variety of resources for managing anxiety. In addition to the one-on-one counseling provided through SSAs, the Peer Support Program matches struggling students with more experienced, trained student mentors who share coping strategies. Additional recommendations for self-care and managing anxiety include: 

• Limit potential triggers by managing stress levels. Keep an eye on pressures and deadlines, organize daunting tasks in to-do lists, and take enough time off from professional or educational obligations.
• Certain measures can help reduce signs of anxiety, including deep-breathing exercises, long baths, meditation, yoga, resting in the dark, and wellness check-ins.
• Physical exertion and an active lifestyle can improve self-image and trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that stimulate positive emotions.

“Feelings of frustration, fear, and self-doubt are common among medical students,” says Dr. Okeke. According to a global meta-analysis she shared, about one in three medical students worldwide experiences anxiety — far higher than the general population. The stress of exams, the fear of failure, and the pressure to succeed can become overwhelming. 

“However, with support, medical students typically begin to understand that setbacks are part of the journey,” she says, “and learning to manage it makes them not just better students, but more resilient doctors in the future.”