Though you may typically hear of the long nights of studying, the brutally challenging work and the (insert typical med school statements here), the things that stand out most to me are the “life lessons” that I have learned in my very short time in med school.
I’ll share my top three with you, and even provide you with a little background on each.
1.
Keep professional and personal relationships separate.
Now, before you scream that that IS not unique to medical school, let me explain. Unlike most undergrad classes, med school classes are small. Our class has 105 students and from 8am to 3/5pm on an average day, we are together in a tiny lecture hall. We take the same classes, many of us live in the same building or very close to campus, we study together, party together, work in organizations together, go to church together, and the list goes on …. Granted, we get on each other’s nerves. However, I have realized that it is important to quickly figure out whether you are having a professional or a personal clash of interests. If it is personal, stay out of each other’s personal space. If it is business, then there are enough leadership roles to go around without working together. But, do not let the two bleed into each other because we are stuck here together for another 3 years and 3 months!!!
Now, before you scream that that IS not unique to medical school, let me explain. Unlike most undergrad classes, med school classes are small. Our class has 105 students and from 8am to 3/5pm on an average day, we are together in a tiny lecture hall. We take the same classes, many of us live in the same building or very close to campus, we study together, party together, work in organizations together, go to church together, and the list goes on …. Granted, we get on each other’s nerves. However, I have realized that it is important to quickly figure out whether you are having a professional or a personal clash of interests. If it is personal, stay out of each other’s personal space. If it is business, then there are enough leadership roles to go around without working together. But, do not let the two bleed into each other because we are stuck here together for another 3 years and 3 months!!!
2. Take very few things personal. (Yes, personal)
Medical school is a very high stress environment. I believe that this statement speaks for itself. Unfortunately, stress tends to bring out not so positive traits, attitudes and characteristics and people may say or do (both consciously and unknowingly) things that hurt your feelings or offend you. Never assume that it was a personal attack. Dust it off. But, if it hurts that badly, kindly and succinctly ask the person about the statement, and whether or not you receive an answer that you like, dust it off. Another reason why I have learned to not take things personally is because medical school sometimes has a way of screwing with your brain and getting you to think that everyone is against you, smarter than you, talking about you, isolating you, and this list really goes on …. So try your very best to not take things personal.
Medical school is a very high stress environment. I believe that this statement speaks for itself. Unfortunately, stress tends to bring out not so positive traits, attitudes and characteristics and people may say or do (both consciously and unknowingly) things that hurt your feelings or offend you. Never assume that it was a personal attack. Dust it off. But, if it hurts that badly, kindly and succinctly ask the person about the statement, and whether or not you receive an answer that you like, dust it off. Another reason why I have learned to not take things personally is because medical school sometimes has a way of screwing with your brain and getting you to think that everyone is against you, smarter than you, talking about you, isolating you, and this list really goes on …. So try your very best to not take things personal.
3. You must find a healthy balance.
Medical school goes at a crazy pace. If you’re not careful you will spend all of your time studying, and I highly doubt that you will be any smarter for it. Mix it up once in a while, study somewhere new, study with someone new, go to a party or two, go to church, watch tv, call a friend, take a trip on a three day weekend, sleep (lol), enjoy a meal that costs more than $10, go to the gym, etc, etc,…… It is so important here to find a balance- your balance, or this thing called medical school will eat you alive. Not to mention, you will enjoy the destination a lot more, if the journey was fun and well worth it.
Medical school goes at a crazy pace. If you’re not careful you will spend all of your time studying, and I highly doubt that you will be any smarter for it. Mix it up once in a while, study somewhere new, study with someone new, go to a party or two, go to church, watch tv, call a friend, take a trip on a three day weekend, sleep (lol), enjoy a meal that costs more than $10, go to the gym, etc, etc,…… It is so important here to find a balance- your balance, or this thing called medical school will eat you alive. Not to mention, you will enjoy the destination a lot more, if the journey was fun and well worth it.
Best,
Student Dr. Allen
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