I am not going to deny it. Being premed is not easy. The life of an aspiring doctor in the undergraduate years can be stressful and grueling, sprinkled with bouts of self-doubt, the fear of missing out, and a constant feeling of “delayed gratification.” (For those of you in countries other than the US or Canada, medical education in the US is preceded by four years of university- which is essentially a broader education full of different majors together in one school) The bar to enter medical school is set pretty high compared to other graduate school programs– and along with good GPAs, MCAT scores, relationships with professors, we’re expected to have community service, volunteer, and the list goes on… Therefore, it is easy to live life barely making it — hanging onto that sliver of sanity that is keeping you going, and neglecting certain parts of your life for the sake of your ultimate goal.
But it does not have to be that way. You don’t have to just survive being premed, as if the premed life is only about rising from the ashes, and walking into the sunrise (aka medical school) with battle scars, bruises, and ragged clothes. Yes, you’ll get some bruises and scars– that’s part of growing up. But no, you do not have to just survive. You can be more than that, no matter what stage of your life or career you are in. Here are my tips on blossoming as a busy pre-medical student.
Value Friendships ~
It may be easy to neglect a social life when academics and extracurriculars are overwhelming. Going through life, not dependent on the support of others, can at first glance seem like an independent way of living. But in the long run, we all need others. There’s no point in denying that as human beings, we will at times depend on each other for support, advice, and comfort. That’s not to say that you should not be self-sufficient- and your happiness should not be contingent on other people. BUT, there will be times in your life when you do need another hand to pull you up. In a busy, sometimes emotionally draining and stressful (but seriously fulfilling) profession, you will, more than ever, benefit from a social support system. Finding those right people in your life can mean laughing as you study for that physics exam, conversations about your fears and hopes, and plain ole fun times.
I would seriously suggest having a diversity of friendships, not only in their backgrounds, but particularly including both premeds and non-premeds. That aspect of friendships for pre-health students is often overlooked in giving advice. And I think it’s easy for people to go all or nothing, on both extremes. Premeds will motivate you, provide resources you didn’t know before, add a bit of healthy competition, and allow you to have people to “mutually struggle and grind with.” On the other hand, non-premeds often provide a broader perspective of the world, perhaps a different way of appreciating life, other kinds of knowledge, hobbies, and so on.
Self-Care and Rest ~
There will be times when you need to push your body to the max- and that in itself can be super satisfying. But always, always, always pushing yourself to the brink of a melt-down is not sustainable. Remember to do those little things that make you happy and content — whether it’s joking with friends, watching TV, reading, writing, playing music, dancing, running. I’ll be making a more in-depth post about this in the future- including self care things that I have personally done and enjoy.
Maintaining goals other than medicine
This next one can be controversial. I’m sure there will be people out there who believe in focusing on the most important end-goal of medicine, instead of getting side-tracked with side activities. Some people are incredibly metronomic in the way they work and live– and prefer to streamline life rather than complicating it. But if you’re reading this blog, I have a feeling you’re not one of those people, or at least is open to exploring a more unique way of living a career in medicine. So try having other more short-term goals that fuel you in life. The ones that give you passion and excitement. Examples would be running a half-marathon or marathon, learning a new skill, starting a blog, etc. Having these fun but challenging short-term goals can make you feel more human. And when the medicine side of things is not going as smoothly, you have another goal/hobby to distract yourself and feel satisfied about. They also often instill traits that are important as a doctor anyway- like patience to learn a skill, diligence, determination, handling nerves.
Do those “crazy fun” things when you can
We WILL have time to do fun things. Trust me. Being premed, in medical school, and so on, will not prevent you from still enjoying life. The trick is to utilize your breaks and less intensive periods to the max. Do the crazy wild things. Attend those shows. Swim in that lake. Go on some fun dates. I just recently had a completely random, amazing run in the rain with friends, and may write about it more to show you that you CAN LIVE to the max RIGHT NOW, and be a successful premed.
Hope these tips are helpful, and let me know what you do to “more than survive”- whether you’re premed, a medical student, law student, or in a time-intensive job- I’m sure we can all benefit from everyone’s insight and experiences.
Art of Medicine 