As Flip said, during the third year of med school, the amount of free time you will have varies from rotation to rotation. You will, of course, have days off during each of your rotations. The number of days will vary from rotation to rotation. Internal Medicine, Surgery, Ob/Gyn, and Pediatrics clerkships are often physically demanding with long hours whereas Psychiatry and Family Medicine rotations tend to be lighter. Of course, there are other factors involved that will determine how demanding these rotations are such as the how the busy hospital is, the time of year you are doing the rotation, how large the team is, etc.
When I was starting my third year of med school, I remember feeling unprepared for how physically demanding some of the rotations were. Of course, the basic sciences are physically demanding but you have more flexibility over your schedule. For example, if you find yourself getting behind or are just too tired, you can skip lectures. But during your clinical clerkships, you are expected to be there. Not only that, when you go home, you are expected to read about your patients even though you may be tired or sleepy.
Don't be surprised if the first few days or week of a new rotation are long ones. After all, it's a new rotation with new responsibilities, ones that you are unfamiliar with. As with everything else that is new, it takes some time to become comfortable and efficient. With time and experience, tasks and responsibilities that took forever to complete are finished in a reasonable period of time.
Finally, I encourage you not to neglect your life outside of med school during the third year of med school, because it's easy to do. Strive for the right balance during the third year - it is one of the keys to having a successful year.
Good luck!
Samir Desai, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
