Bad and Good Habits

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

This seems to be a topic that has not been touched on in the nontrad forum yet, and not on SDN for more than a few years.

What bad habits do you have that you want/need to break before entering med school?

What are some good habits you want to keep/improve upon?

I read through many of the threads on here, seeing some people blatantly admitting to some things I consider shocking for people wanting to pursue medicine, and from those already IN medicine (smoking, heavy drinking/partying, illicit drug use, promiscuous sex, obesity, etc.).

Everyone has their own challenges, and I'm not one to judge someone's whole life based on these things; however, for professionals entering, or already working in a field such as medicine, it is just surprising to me that the same drive, dedication, and discipline students had to have to get where they are, they do not exhibit in much more important aspects of life (e.g. health and well-being).

On the flip-side of the bad habits, I read about those who demonstrate many healthy habits such as exercise, reading broadly, dedication to cooking healthy meals at home, prayer/spiritual exercise, brain calisthenics, and so on.

For me personally, I love to read. I read everything I can get my hands on and listen to audiobooks when I am not reading. I watch television with my wife occasionally and have 2 shows that I really enjoy (game of thrones ftw) but I watch very little television. I feel like I am a fantastic parent, staying involved with my children, nurturing them and their education and spending quality time. I also watch what I eat moderately well. i plan out my life and never have any issues working jobs. i am a great worker and have received multiple company awards based on my work. i have a great relationship with my wife, I am fairly outgoing, sometimes shy but not socially awkward. I can work well with almost every personality. those are my goods.

that being said, i am pretty bad about exercising. I do it occasionally, but not regularly. i am still losing weight, but it isn't fun to me. i am also a pretty big guy, have been all of my life. i don't really drink but have an occasional one and i would be lying if I said i have never smoked or chewed. i also LOVE tattoos, which some think is stupid. i am pretty bad about dressing metro and generally wear camo shorts and a t-shirt. i keep my hair short so i don't have to comb it. and i am super bad at home improvement. those are my bads, i guess. Who else?

you didn't give yours.

The 6'4" 190lb handsome male Dr. And the 36/24/36 knockout female Dr. who juggle curing cancer while winning parent of the year awards and acting as PTA president are pretty much for TV.

Everyone has bad habits. Some people hide them better than others.

Tiger Woods seemingly had the perfect life....

Bernie Madoff was well respected...

I'll settle for a real person who eats too much steak and can kick back and enjoy an adult beverage any day.

Originally Posted by FrkyBgStok

For me personally, I love to read. I read everything I can get my hands on and listen to audiobooks when I am not reading. I watch television with my wife occasionally and have 2 shows that I really enjoy (game of thrones ftw) but I watch very little television. I feel like I am a fantastic parent, staying involved with my children, nurturing them and their education and spending quality time. I also watch what I eat moderately well. i plan out my life and never have any issues working jobs. i am a great worker and have received multiple company awards based on my work. i have a great relationship with my wife, I am fairly outgoing, sometimes shy but not socially awkward. I can work well with almost every personality. those are my goods.

that being said, i am pretty bad about exercising. I do it occasionally, but not regularly. i am still losing weight, but it isn't fun to me. i am also a pretty big guy, have been all of my life. i don't really drink but have an occasional one and i would be lying if I said i have never smoked or chewed. i also LOVE tattoos, which some think is stupid. i am pretty bad about dressing metro and generally wear camo shorts and a t-shirt. i keep my hair short so i don't have to comb it. and i am super bad at home improvement. those are my bads, i guess. Who else?

you didn't give yours.

This is good stuff! Great reply, for real.

I am a chronic nail/cuticle biter. I mean, bad: painful, bleeding, embarrassingly unsightly; the works.

This is at the top of my list of things to improve in my life. I have bitten my fingers for as long as I can remember.

Im in decent shape, but don't have to work at it. I'm confident this will change before long, so I have started (slowly) going to the gym. This is an activity I want to form into habit over the next couple postbac years.

My wife is a doc who works long days. We spend a solid amount of time together now, but mostly because, as a student, I have a really open schedule these days. I know this will change if I'm fortunate enough to get into med school. I want to keep our relationship strong, and intend on prioritizing this.

Another bad one is my proclivity for sweets. Ice cream is a major food group in my life. My blessed metabolism has posed a hindrance to me feeling motivated to eat better.

.

Originally Posted by Tatiana3325

This is an interesting and cool topic. Perhaps we should distinguish between habits like nail biting or, in my case, leaving keys in the door lock and shutting the door behind me. (with no memory of doing so whatsoever--thankfully I don't want to be surgeon!...leaving tools in patients....ha ha bad joke); and serious addictions like drug use, smoking, alcoholism, etc.

The post is meant to be interpreted uniquely by you

Respond how you wish!

I dont know that losing keys is a "habit," per se; I would say habits are more patterns of behavior than anything. Maybe you view forgetfulness as a pattern of behavior, though, and, as such, it is a habit.

However you want to respond. Go for it!

.

Good habits:
I have plenty of distractions: Gardening, cooking, building Legos with my kid, hanging out with my husband.
I don't take work home with me.
I have a budget process in place, and I have a detailed budget already mapped out through M1. (And a high-level budget through PY-4. I like budgets. )

Bad habits:
Stress eating, stress shopping.
Lack of exercise. (I've been working on this one, but it's far from a habit.)
Internet.
Procrastinating. I have a feeling I'll be the one eating 30 pancakes the morning before an exam.

Originally Posted by slp2doc

it is just surprising to me that the same drive, dedication, and discipline students had to have to get where they are, they do not exhibit in much more important aspects of life (e.g. health and well-being).

It's a different kind of drive and dedication. Honestly, getting into med school was much easier than losing weight has been. Maybe I'm just good at school like you're good at metabolizing.

bad habit:

2 of these bad boys were my lunch today, washed down with a mtn dew:


apparently i'm truly a 14 y/o adolescent boy but i gotta say, it was pretty dern good, you just have to bask in the grossness and let is wash over you, then you can enjoy the nasty nasty deliciousness part

good habits: train hard enough throwing around brother iron and sister steel to compensate for my dirty bad habits

Agree with the above. I can work 70-80 hours a week with no problems, I can set myself up to work hard, I have held very physical jobs, I can count my calories and eat the exact same thing everyday, but I just cannot get my ass on a treadmill. I can work 70 hours while taking 20 credits and maintain being a good father to three kids, but losing weight is something that is hard for me to conquer.

Though I will say I am down 35 pounds and still dropping. Hopefully I keep it up.

Originally Posted by slp2doc

I read through many of the threads on here, seeing some people blatantly admitting to some things I consider shocking for people wanting to pursue medicine, and from those already IN medicine (smoking, heavy drinking/partying, illicit drug use, promiscuous sex, obesity, etc.).

I've talked to a few older doctors who freely admit to doing things in their "youth" (mid-forties) that weren't exactly kosher. Surprised me a little at first, but they all say they just needed to escape the stress (job, failing marriage, teenage kids, big loans and later, alimony, kids hate new wife, malpractice suits, personal health issues). The midlife crisis is alive and well.

Anyway, good habits:
- I'm generally able to prioritize and use my time wisely. When something's gotta give, I let it go and move on. Keeps the stress level down.
- I exercise often and eat extremely well. I have my mother to thank for this one - she's always been a health freak and has an uncanny knack for identifying vitamin deficiencies in everyone she meets.
- I make time for family and friends. My professional goals are important, but so are they.

Not-so-good habits:
- I blew off a lab report last semester to go on a date. Just didn't turn it in. I still do not know what I was thinking. Lesson that should be learned: don't procrastinate and don't answer phone calls from anyone charming while trying to finish something that is due in six hours.
- I will drink whiskey up just as fast as a glass of wine. Now, I only drink socially and I don't go out all that often, but still think I should slow down or switch to grapes lest I accidentally become a lush.
- Shopping. When I do go over my budget, it's almost always because of Tory Burch.

Originally Posted by sweet d

I've talked to a few older doctors who freely admit to doing things in their "youth" (mid-forties) that weren't exactly kosher. Surprised me a little at first, but they all say they just needed to escape the stress (job, failing marriage, teenage kids, big loans and later, alimony, kids hate new wife, malpractice suits, personal health issues). The midlife crisis is alive and well.

Anyway, good habits:
- I'm generally able to prioritize and use my time wisely. When something's gotta give, I let it go and move on. Keeps the stress level down.
- I exercise often and eat extremely well. I have my mother to thank for this one - she's always been a health freak and has an uncanny knack for identifying vitamin deficiencies in everyone she meets.
- I make time for family and friends. My professional goals are important, but so are they.

Not-so-good habits:
- I blew off a lab report last semester to go on a date. Just didn't turn it in. I still do not know what I was thinking. Lesson that should be learned: don't procrastinate and don't answer phone calls from anyone charming while trying to finish something that is due in six hours.
- I will drink whiskey up just as fast as a glass of wine. Now, I only drink socially and I don't go out all that often, but still think I should slow down or switch to grapes lest I accidentally become a lush.
- Shopping. When I do go over my budget, it's almost always because of Tory Burch.

I'm afraid to know what those doctors "did" in the past. I feel like I'd rather not know! Scary!

Shopping. Ah, guilt here, as well. I like to look fly, what can I say?

Whiskey? That's surprising...and gross. I can't stand the taste of that stuff!

I give you props for staying healthy. I hear this is a serious challenge for docs, unfortunately.

Thanks for your input!

Originally Posted by slp2doc

I am a chronic nail/cuticle biter. I mean, bad: painful, bleeding, embarrassingly unsightly; the works.

This is at the top of my list of things to improve in my life. I have bitten my fingers for as long as I can remember.

So agree with you on this one! This has been a bad habit I've tried to kick my entire life. It really gets bad when I am intensly thinking or very anxious. For some reason it seems to calm me down. My family always tell me how gross and embarrassing it is, but I just can't stop! Sometimes my fingers end up hurting and throbbing from me biting my nails so much. I'm probably unconsciously doing it as I type

.

.

Originally Posted by Tatiana3325

I'm sure I'll be grilled for this but..........in response to stress eating......I have the opposite problem. When i'm under stress I lose my appetite and forget to eat. Or, not much is appealing resulting in my not eating. It's a legitimate problem. There are times when this goes on for two weeks or more and I'll drop weight so fast that people ask me if something is wrong. Of course when the stress eases up my appetite comes back and I eat like a normal person again. This cannot be good for me. Plus, if I have a piece of toast in the morning but nothing else all day, by 4pm Im cranky and can't focus but am not hungry. Typically I then force myself to eat. So my performance in the afternoon probably suffers because of that.

Im not sure if my appetite is killed directly because of the stress or because when I have a lot to do I tend to drink a TON of coffee. I don't use artificial sweetener so at least there's sugar in the coffee

Anyway does anyone else have this problem?

Meeee! Any stress at all and I'm incapable of eating. I lost 20 lbs during a month long argument with my husband once. I also was on a diet high in caffeine ( I was working at Starbucks at the time). That's one thing that frightens me about med school.

Originally Posted by Tatiana3325

I'm sure I'll be grilled for this but..........in response to stress eating......I have the opposite problem. When i'm under stress I lose my appetite and forget to eat. Or, not much is appealing resulting in my not eating. It's a legitimate problem. There are times when this goes on for two weeks or more and I'll drop weight so fast that people ask me if something is wrong. Of course when the stress eases up my appetite comes back and I eat like a normal person again. This cannot be good for me. Plus, if I have a piece of toast in the morning but nothing else all day, by 4pm Im cranky and can't focus but am not hungry. Typically I then force myself to eat. So my performance in the afternoon probably suffers because of that.

Im not sure if my appetite is killed directly because of the stress or because when I have a lot to do I tend to drink a TON of coffee. I don't use artificial sweetener so at least there's sugar in the coffee

Anyway does anyone else have this problem?

I don't think I've ever gone more than 12 hours without an appetite, no matter how stressed or sick. Even feeling queasy makes me want to eat. It's weird.

Originally Posted by PostHaste

I don't think I've ever gone more than 12 hours without an appetite, no matter how stressed or sick. Even feeling queasy makes me want to eat. It's weird.

This

Originally Posted by BuSyDaZe

So agree with you on this one! This has been a bad habit I've tried to kick my entire life. It really gets bad when I am intensly thinking or very anxious. For some reason it seems to calm me down. My family always tell me how gross and embarrassing it is, but I just can't stop! Sometimes my fingers end up hurting and throbbing from me biting my nails so much. I'm probably unconsciously doing it as I type

I am presently ~18 hours in without biting my nails. This habit WILL get owned.

My experience with nail biting is the exact same as yours: it's the worst when intensely thinking, and when anxious. I do it when processing, like while watching a movie I'm really into or something.

Like I said, this habit will be kicked. We can keep one another accountable if that will help you. Let me know.

Originally Posted by slp2doc

I am presently ~18 hours in without biting my nails. This habit WILL get owned.

My experience with nail biting is the exact same as yours: it's the worst when intensely thinking, and when anxious. I do it when processing, like while watching a movie I'm really into or something.

Like I said, this habit will be kicked. We can keep one another accountable if that will help you. Let me know.

Yes, that will work! I will keep in contact. This habit will be owned. Or is it kicked??

Originally Posted by Tatiana3325

A friend of mine bit her nails to the extreme that you do. She finally kicked the habit by getting fake nails put on. It's certainly an expensive and somewhat time consuming fix but I thought I'd share......

Thanks for the tip! Although, I'd have to admit that I tried that remedy before. It didn't work because either my dislike for the nails or the process being too much up keep. And, the false nails carry enough germs in itself, so it would be doubly gross for me.

Originally Posted by Only Zool

Meeee! Any stress at all and I'm incapable of eating. I lost 20 lbs during a month long argument with my husband once. I also was on a diet high in caffeine ( I was working at Starbucks at the time). That's one thing that frightens me about med school.

Yeah, I don't eat really well either due to my busy schedule. It's not as a result of not cooking, because I cook everyday for my family. At times in the morning when I get breakfast prepared, my kids are like, "mommy you're not going to eat?" I always tell them I'll get a bite on the way. It's not that I don't want to eat, sometimes I must exchange an opportunity to sit and eat for a chance to get myself prepared. So when I'm stressed it makes it all the worst. I need to find a way to change this as well.

Good habits.....I'm pretty stubborn, if I don't understand something I must understand it.

Bad habits.......I lack confidence.

Originally Posted by Ranniks

Good habits.....I'm pretty stubborn, if I don't understand something I must understand it.

Bad habits.......I lack confidence.

So, could one surmise your good habits to be: compulsive researcher? Obsessive reader of non-fiction books? And your bad habits are: "I lack confidence," so you over-eat? Avoid personal relationships? Bite your nails?

It seems like what you listed are more in the mentality category than being habits, in of themselves. But, as I said, interpret how you wish!

*Sigh*

This is my bad habit.

My bad habit is that I LOVE coffee and am drinking it constantly, to the point that a few of my coworkers have remarked, "How come your hands don't shake?" I can't drink it past 3pm though or I won't be able to fall asleep that night. One of the most beloved attendings in my program (a pediatric neurosurgeon who kind of looks like Jim Henson) whose habit is as bad as mine said once, "The only reason that I don't drink coffee in bed is that I don't want to burn myself when I fall asleep holding it!"

Originally Posted by kitsunepixie

My bad habit is that I LOVE coffee and am drinking it constantly, to the point that a few of my coworkers have remarked, "How come your hands don't shake?" I can't drink it past 3pm though or I won't be able to fall asleep that night. One of the most beloved attendings in my program (a pediatric neurosurgeon who kind of looks like Jim Henson) whose habit is as bad as mine said once, "The only reason that I don't drink coffee in bed is that I don't want to burn myself when I fall asleep holding it!"

I guess he doesn't like iced coffee?

Originally Posted by johnnydrama

I guess he doesn't like iced coffee?

Hah hah.. bad habit -stupidity, laziness.

Good habits: I'm pretty thorough, work pretty hard, reasonably organized, I'm a good dad to my daughters, always make time for others (sometimes this is a bad habit too)
Bad habits: Procrastination, I have a hard time getting started on stuff, spend too much time doing things that don't matter.

Originally Posted by CPA2doc

Good habits: I'm pretty thorough, work pretty hard, reasonably organized, I'm a good dad to my daughters, always make time for others (sometimes this is a bad habit too)
Bad habits: Procrastination, I have a hard time getting started on stuff, spend too much time doing things that don't matter.

Procrastination. Ugh. I hear you, brother.

Hey! I'll join in.
Bad habits:
procrastination. As in I have like 75 injury evaluations I need to write...
Love coffee and tea
Nail biter here too
I hyper focus. I can spend hours doing one thing and block everything else out. But that one thing has little meaning so others never see it as accomplishing anything.
I don't eat... I'm a stress not eater. Going through the drama with my divorce I've lost 50lbs in a year
HORRID memory, wait what was the question?

Good:
I hyper focus. If I have a weird injury I'll research it to death until I figure it out.
A pretty healthy eater. I have my share of fast fix, but id eat a head of broccoli any day

How fun!
Bad habits: when I get really stressed I don't sleep, don't want to lie down, and will fidget in bed until 4am only to wake up an hour later wide awake. I will go days, sometimes even a week without wanting to sleep and continue performing at my normal level, but I feel sick and nauseated at times because my body needs rest. Later on I then hit the wall and crash. This is the worst habit i have and its so hard to fix. I also fidget a lot.

Good habits: i wake up before the crack of dawn 7 days a week. Also, it doesn't matter the hour of the night or how much or little sleep I've had I can be standing up fully alert and awake at 3am immediately at the sound of my phone/alarm, I never have that "hit the snooze and wake up groggy" stage and every morning when my alarm starts it wont get through its first beep and I will slam it off and hop up. I'm also a little neurotic when it comes to detail which can be either good or bad depending on the situation.

I re read this and I sound prettttttty weird haha.

Bad Habits: I like cookies in a very irresponsible fashion. I read to much other fun stuff when I should be studying. I will occasionally ditch class for rock climbing. I don't care for shoes or clothes for that matter, but I'll limit it to my room.

Good Habits: I do study what I need to to pass the exams at a decent level. I don't buy sweets. I try to be nice to everyone I meet. I'll get the job done, but with a little procrastination. I try to have a balanced diet and get regular exercise.

Originally Posted by slp2doc

I am presently ~18 hours in without biting my nails. This habit WILL get owned.

My experience with nail biting is the exact same as yours: it's the worst when intensely thinking, and when anxious. I do it when processing, like while watching a movie I'm really into or something.

Like I said, this habit will be kicked. We can keep one another accountable if that will help you. Let me know.

Hi slp2doc,

I'm going on an entire WEEK without biting the nails. So I guess that makes me ~168 hours clear and in control. I tried to resist last week, but IT...WAS...JUST...TOO...MUCH... I'm even seeing a little white of the nail now. I hope all is going well for you also. Keeping each other accountable has definitely kept me motivated.

Bad habit : smoking. Quit 14 months ago and I'm kind of glad I didn't get into med school last fall because the stress would probably have driven me to start right back up... and I don't know how anyone manages to quit in the 8 or 10 or 12 years after they start med school.

Good habit: TBD.

Coffee, beer and cigars. Been cutting back on the cigars, but despite some intermittent GERD I can't give up on my beer and coffee. Oh and I really like pork.

Good habit is I run a bit, but whenever I get injured I gain weight like crazy because of the bad habits lagging the good.

Bad: I perseverate. Not so much on the "wrongs" other people do me; I'm not one to hold grudges once I've had my say. But I've got a streak of OCPD in me where I have to guard against making perfect the enemy of the good. I've gotten more flexible as I've gotten older, but there are still limits to my willingness to adapt such that I come across as being a bit eccentric or even standoffish sometimes. It also cuts into my efficiency, which is my biggest shortcoming as a resident. I'm still working on finding that balance so that I can provide the level of care that I want to provide for my patients while not wasting time on the less important details.

Good: The bright side of being a bit OCPD is that I'm extremely self-disciplined. I'm not only a non-procrastinator; I often get things done way ahead of schedule. While I'm not the most efficient resident, my charts are thoroughly documented. I'm extremely organized in general. For example, I've seen threads by other residents asking how to find time to read. That's not a question it would have ever occurred to me to ask. As I've often told posters in this forum who ask how they can find time to shadow/volunteer, you make time for the things that are important to you. In my case, I read for at least 30 minutes every day while I eat (usually breakfast). I get in 30-45 minutes of podcast listening minimum per day as well, often while I'm walking to and from the hospital or at the gym, cooking, cleaning my apartment, etc. On days when I'm off, I typically study for 3-4 hours. All in all, I get in a total of 10-15 hours per week of studying, even when I'm on an 80 hour per week rotation. The fact that some people are struggling to fit in even one hour per week of studying just flabbergasts me. On the other hand, the fact that I re-read every H&P for typos before submitting them probably flabbergasts other people as well.

Originally Posted by BuSyDaZe

Hi slp2doc,

I'm going on an entire WEEK without biting the nails. So I guess that makes me ~168 hours clear and in control. I tried to resist last week, but IT...WAS...JUST...TOO...MUCH... I'm even seeing a little white of the nail now. I hope all is going well for you also. Keeping each other accountable has definitely kept me motivated.

You are motivating the heck out of me!

This week was not a good one for me, as far as nail biting.

I am starting fresh today, though! I'm a half day in already, and I feel good about it.

I'm going to look back at your success story as motivation for me when I am tempted to gnaw.

Are you still going strong?

Originally Posted by dmf2682

Coffee, beer and cigars. Been cutting back on the cigars, but despite some intermittent GERD I can't give up on my beer and coffee. Oh and I really like pork.

Good habit is I run a bit, but whenever I get injured I gain weight like crazy because of the bad habits lagging the good.

I tend to classify coffee and pork as GOOD habits.

To each his/her own!

Originally Posted by scarshapedstar

Bad habit : smoking. Quit 14 months ago and I'm kind of glad I didn't get into med school last fall because the stress would probably have driven me to start right back up... and I don't know how anyone manages to quit in the 8 or 10 or 12 years after they start med school.

Good habit: TBD.

Way to go overcoming smoking!

My brother who is going is working towards medical school is also a smoker. He sees this as one of his most challenging hurdles to overcome before getting there.

That is such an amazing bad habit to have conquered. Seriously, good work!

Originally Posted by slp2doc

You are motivating the heck out of me!

This week was not a good one for me, as far as nail biting.

I am starting fresh today, though! I'm a half day in already, and I feel good about it.

I'm going to look back at your success story as motivation for me when I am tempted to gnaw.

Are you still going strong?

Yep, still going strong! Though, I have to admit that I had a hang nail today and I was very tempted to take the plunge.

Bad habits:
-Internet
-When I feel incredibly intimidated by a test, I do everything but study. Or if it's near the end of the semester and I'm completely burnt out, I slack in certain classes.
-I don't get enough sleep. In my defense though, I have an 11 month old daughter who is the worst sleeper. Hopefully she'll develop better sleeping habits as she gets older.
-I drink too much coffee
-I wish I was more assertive and less reserved, I've been working on it though. I've been volunteering at a near by hospital, and talking more to my classmates has helped me branch out socially and help me develop confidence.

Good habits:
-I'm thinner than before I got pregnant with my daughter, but I still have some toning to do.
-I'm good about exercising
-I don't drink often, and when I do it's only a glass of wine or good beer
-I quit smoking a few years ago.
-I'm an excellent driver
-Though I never thought of myself as a motherly figure, I think I'm doing pretty good so far with my daughter.