The Joys of Medical School

I want to apologize for not posting anything recent, but I have received several requests for an update so I had to find time…I hope you enjoy.

Initially, my goal was to blog every two weeks or so to document my medical school experiences, along with the trials and tribulations, but I quickly was engrossed in the dark abyss of medical school. However, this should not be an excuse for not making time for my hobbies. Let’s see…where to begin? I guess the beginning would be a good start.

My routine (which took several weeks to perfect) is as follows. I try to wake up between 6am-6:15am, I like to hit snooze at least once so I set my alarm a few minutes early so I don’t oversleep. I read a blog by Vicky White who is a Feng Shui Consultant regarding routine, clutter, and of course the effect it has on our lives. The main thing I got from her great blog was everyone needs to make time for themselves, which for me meant waking up earlier to do the things I enjoy. I have started getting up early in the mornings to either read my book (non-school related novel that is getting really good), surf the internet, go for a run on hilly roads of Dominica, or go to the gym. I don’t spend a terrible amount of time in the morning on these activities because I want to get my day started at decent time, however, these activities allow me to focus on something else besides school. So I try to eat breakfast and make something for lunch…but most of the time I get lazy and buy food on campus. Another reason for doing all of this is because you don’t want to lose yourself to medical school. It is such an intense experience but we still have to retain our identity, by enjoying our hobbies and passions.

I get to campus around 8:30am to review my lecture notes of the previous day. You might be wondering “Shouldn’t I be in class??” Well, I could go to class or I could watch the lectures. All of the lectures are recorded and uploaded to a mediasite, which is a life saver. I can increase the speed of the lecture, which allows me to finish a 1 hour lecture in a short 40 minutes. Most often I have 5 lectures/day so I can save close to two hours…which is used for studying. Medical school is all about saving time and energy to be more efficient.

Once I finish the lecture I go over the notes of that day and try to master most of the major concepts. I also find time to eat lunch/dinner, etc in this time. Depending on the schedule I may have to go a histology lab, anatomy lab, or a small group problem based learning session, which can’t be viewed by the mediasite so I have be physical present. All of this various each week so I have to some flexibility for my day. Most often, I am done by 5PM. I give myself a 30 minute break to talk with friends, call home, do some yoga, Skype, etc. Then the rest of the night is dedicated to studying. I make it back to my apartment by 11pm, which gives me time to shower and mediate. I go to bed by 11:45 and start the day all over again, on the weekends I sleep in until 8am and just go with the flow.  All of which is part of the overall routine I have built. Another key point to success in medical school…ROUTINE…build one and stick to it.

Now that I’m medical school, I wonder why we all choose this path. If you think about it medical school (along with other graduate programs) are some of the most rigorous and stressful process people voluntarily put themselves through. Who would want to get on average 6.25 hours of sleep (this is a national statistic of how much sleep an average med student gets)?? Who would want to stress constantly over exams and standardized tests?? Are we really that “smart?”

People ask me “So, what’s medical school like?” For a while I couldn’t answer this question well because of all of the emotions I feel toward medical school. But now I think I have a way of explaining it. Imagine you have a big exam on Monday, probably one that is going to have a huge effect on your grade (and sanity). Now, imagine what it will be like if you started studying for this test the Sunday night before…EEEKKK! That is what medical school feels like everyday. It’s a great feeling to have…trust me.

As I am writing this blog in a classroom used for studying, I look around and see everyone with coffee, soda, or an energy drink, including yours truly. We drink this stuff like it’s an elixir…which in some cases it is. I never drank coffee as an undergrad, maybe I would if I was meeting some friends but not regularly, however, now I can’t get enough of it. I still drink my chai in the morning but once I’m on campus, I need coffee. For instance, today is Sunday, Valentines Day and I was in the anatomy lab at 7am…very romantic. I had a huge cup of coffee after 2 hours of anatomy and decided to get some studying done and write this blog entry. As exam time gets closer, all you see is stressed students who are overdosing on caffeine, and snap at anyone disturbing the peace of studying. This would be a great environment for any sociologist or someone who enjoys watch people…and trust me, tempers have flared for the silliest things and verbal wars have ensued. I enjoy these rare fights because it gives me a moment of genuine comedy and entertainment, but I shouldn’t laugh at this…it is a serious situation.

That is the gist of medical school up to this point. My life isn’t very glamorous or very dynamic at the moment, but that’s okay. I’m in medical school and less distractions I have the better.  I’m not making any guarantees on the next blog entry but I hope it is sooner rather than later. Back to the books now!

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