Is it only state of mind, or can we really deal with? Do you use risk management approach?
The only way I can "deal" with this is thinking of it in terms of a risk/reward analysis. I'll start with some variables.
Variables:
- The graduation rate / residency placement rate is around 90%+. What happens with 10%?
- Salary in a mid competitive field is $300K+ USD in areas that aren't expensive (Nevada?). What if I did computer science instead? 130K in Seattle? What if I didn't land a job?
- Loans are around 350K at 6.5%. What if I fail and can't pay them off?
- Employment rates of doctors vs CS? Job security?
- Ability to leave medicine and go into computer science?
- Etc.
My risk is I fail and it takes me 25 years to get out of debt... by then I'm an old man. That is a pretty big risk. My reward is job security for the rest of my life. Gamble? ~10% odds I end up failing. Pretty low risk, but everything in the med field is filled with uncertainty. A few years from now I might be the guy making 40K with an MD next to my name, I might not.
The question to ask yourself, is the uncertainty worth the reward? Be reasonable and analyze the risk involved.