I'd say that the amount of free time you have during med school is dependent on a number of things. First of all, where you go to school makes a big differences. Different schools have different curricula. I know people who had crazy lives starting the first day of medical school. For us, the work load isn't bad at all now (I'm an MSI) and I have plenty of free time to do all the things you mentioned (except making money....jobs suck) plus more, with no problem at all. But that is just how our curriculum works....and as the year goes on it will get more and more intense. And then second year, it's supposed to be really tough. That all depends on the type of school you go to. And it tends to vary a little from week to week or month to month. I've had a few really easy weeks and a few tough ones so far. You just gotta roll with it. Ask the Yalies what they think about their workload. 😉
That being said, the amount of free time mostly depends on the type of person you are. If you normally plan your life so that you will have free time, then you can do the same thing in medical school. You may have to work a little extra hard at budgeting your time, but it can be done. Heck, people have FAMILIES while going to med school. But if you have always spent a ton of time studying and didn't open up much free time for yourself, then it will only get tougher to do so in med school.
I would suggest, if you are worried about free time, when you interview at schools you really have to look at the various curriculums and pick out the ones that best fit your style. And then you just gotta prioritize. Med school is all about priorities and budgeting your time...and if you really want to do something, chances are, you probably can. Good luck! 😎
