Entering medicine/surgery with the 'gym is my hour of peace in the day' mentality

[basupran]

Today, I met this guy. He was huge...shrugs over 600 lbs. He looked like a gangster, someone I would not want to mess with, and I am a big guy. I asked him if I could work in...to make small talk, I asked him if he was a powerlifter. "No, I am a physician, a surgeon". I went into how I was going to go to med school (ortho surgery is an interest), so on and so forth, and he went into the pros and cons of surgery. One thing he said that hit me hard was the following:

You can forget about working out while in med school (after residency is another story)...the students who pay too much attention to their bodies fail out of med school or don't get the spots they want.

I am a gym rat. Will I have to give up this life I love to pursue a career in surgery? Any stories would be greatly appreciated. I don't think I will make it through med school without a weight in one hand, a protein bar in my mouth, and a textbook in the other hand.

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[DadiyaMD]

Absolutely not! I love to run. Actually, running keeps me sane during med school. I trained for a marathon during 2nd year and also trained for a couple of shorter runs including a half-marathon. You do not have to give up things to succeed. You just need time management. Of course I was running from 11pm to 1am on somedays but hey...dont let this guy deter you from what you want to do.

 

[basupran]

Originally posted by DadiyaMD
Absolutely not! I love to run. Actually, running keeps me sane during med school. I trained for a marathon during 2nd year and also trained for a couple of shorter runs including a half-marathon. You do not have to give up things to succeed. You just need time management. Of course I was running from 11pm to 1am on somedays but hey...dont let this guy deter you from what you want to do.

Hey, thanks for the story. I don't think he was trying to deter me so much as warn me...I just wanted to know if people have done what I am looking to one day do.

 

[maxheadroom]

There will be very few times during medschool when you won't have time to work out. It's all about managing your time and keeping priorities straight. You'll do better if you have outlets besides studying.

Plenty of people in my class worked out, played club sports, ran marathons or triathlons, managed a homeless shelter, and still had time to do well preclinicals and rotations.

In residency it can be more difficult, but if the gym is important to you, you'll find time to be there. My workout schedule has waned a bit, but that's just because I'm trying to keep up on other parts of my life. You can't have it all, but you can have the stuff that's important.

 

[Vincristine]

I'm not sure what this guy is talking about, but had I not been able to continue working out in med school, I'd not have been able to finish medical school. Sure, you've got less time. I had to go from working out 5-6 days a week while I was working full time to about 3 days a week during med school -- probably could have done 4-5 days if I really pushed. I've stopped making progress lifting, but I've just about maintained the strength I had before medical school. I've gained some weight during med school, but I can still kick about anyone's butt in my 65 min spin class.

If it's important to you, you'll continue to make the time. You'll find time flucuates, but even during M3 I've continued to work out.

And as others have said, I know a good number of people who've continued to run marathons during med school.

 

[Idiopathic]

I work out every morning from 5:30~7:00 or so, and shower and everything to make my 8:00 AM class (w/a 20 minute commute), but the ONLY real reason I choose every morning is so that I dont take away family time (wife and kid). My grades are fine and I have plenty of time for other things (board prep, movies, chores, TV, posting on SDN...)

 

[unregistered]

It's easy to work out during medical school. Residency is a different story, especially surgical residency. Often the free time is just not there even if you have the desire.

 

[Fei]

I have the same dilema. I can say that you'll always have time to work out in med school. I'm currently an M3 and keeps both my grades and workout schedule. I do worry about residency though. Looking forward to do a residency in neurosurgery but I'm afraid that that's the end of my workout as I know it. Anybody has any advice besides forget neurosurgery and go into family practice?

 

[DrDre']

The one thing I have learned in med school is to listen to everyone's advice but to not make any decisions from it until I have had some experience with the given issue.

Each time I limit my prospects or goals because someone said you can't do it or won't have time, they were wrong. Priorities will always allow for time to do what matters. I have never missed a workout in med school including final weeks and such. Every day I run. Oops, except now that I am recovering from periostitis that developed while training for a 100 mile trail run...

You can lift every day. My ability to study enough in a day is limited by my mental energy not by time. Working out is the only thing that totally refreshs me for more studying.

Good luck!

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Lot's of folks in my program workout and run regularly. Last year we had four folks in the Marine Corps Marathon including two of our attendings (one is the program director). My program director is one of the most prolific surgeons at UVa and runs regularly.

Our department chairman is a terror on the baskeball court along with most of the Cardiothoracic and Orthopedic surgeons. These guys play some very physical basketball and are huge. They also operate long hours but let off steam with a good game.

We don't have a real in-house gym but the campus athletic facilites are first class and have good hours. With the 80-hour work week, you can get some serious gym time in.

Good luck
njbmd😎

 

[supercut]

I was never one to work out much...until AFTER I started med school. That's right, I started working out in med school. I'm keeping it up during residency. Sometimes it's harder than other times to keep a workout schedule.

I've found that amoung physicians, most marathoners, triatheletes and extreme sport participants are surgeons.

Some places even have gyms either in the hospital or the associate medical school campus. So when you are interviewing for your residency, this is something to look at and consider.

You could add some weights at home in a basement or something to supplement those times when you don't have time to go to the gym.

People find time to do all kinds of things during med school/residency. Don't listen to those who try to discourage you. It's all about priorities and balance.

 

[passlineandodds]

nj's post definitely increases my interest in uva surgery, i'll definitely be applying there this summer. working in an environment where people have a healthy outlet for their stress is great because everyone stays fresh and burnout is not as much of an issue. i know from personal experience that i am a much better medical student when i am working out regularly. it keeps my focus sharp and forces me to use my time more effectively.

Originally posted by njbmd
Hi there,
Lot's of folks in my program workout and run regularly. Last year we had four folks in the Marine Corps Marathon including two of our attendings (one is the program director). My program director is one of the most prolific surgeons at UVa and runs regularly.

Our department chairman is a terror on the baskeball court along with most of the Cardiothoracic and Orthopedic surgeons. These guys play some very physical basketball and are huge. They also operate long hours but let off steam with a good game.

We don't have a real in-house gym but the campus athletic facilites are first class and have good hours. With the 80-hour work week, you can get some serious gym time in.

Good luck
njbmd😎