When does the addage "no life" comes to fruition?

[scurred09]

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As an MS1 and MS2, are there times for movies and occasional partying? Does the hell (no social life) starts at MS3/MS4 thru out the end of residency? Will you spend more time in the hospital as an MS3/MS4 or residence? While doing your rotation, if you eat a protein bar among your peers, will they be pissed off? Not having eat for hours you manage to sneak one in, is that frowned upon?

 

[countthestars]

As an MS1 and MS2, are there times for movies and occasional partying? Does the hell (no social life) starts at MS3/MS4 thru out the end of residency? Will you spend more time in the hospital as an MS3/MS4 or residence? While doing your rotation, if you eat a protein bar among your peers, will they be pissed off? Not having eat for hours you manage to sneak one in, is that frowned upon?

You have make your own time. As an MS1 and MS2, you will have down time after exams to have a social life. I cannot comment on MS3/MS4 but I do know you will have more of a life during various rotations such as FM, or Psych and basically wont have any life during Internal Med, Surgery and OBGYN. But again, you will have to make your own time. I think that's the most important thing during school. To just take a day off for yourself and to recharge.

 

[MSmentor018]

as an MS1-2 I didn't do crap! I felt guilty every time I took time off to watch a movie/tv or even take a night off with friends. I was pounding away 12-16 hr days outside of class (i am in a PBL program). it was ridiculous. looking back here's my regrets ....definitely 1. take a night off sometime in the week 2. exercise daily if possible 3. give yourself a hr each day to prep/relax/walk your dog/call a friend...etc. I don't think the extra hour I used studying made much diff.

I had much more time to relax as a MS3, esp on lighter rotations. you study when you can and go out when you can. it's like having a full time+ job and going to college. as a MS4 once boards are over.....I'll have tons of time off!!

 

[MossPoh]

I think "no life" is kind of an exaggeration. I wasn't too much of a party person before, so I aptly don't do it now. That being said, there really is only so much studying you can do. I've been in the same room all day but I've probably only gotten a few hours of true studying done. My mind starts to wander. It is about organizing your time. It isn't like undergrad where you can go to class and then spend an hour doing some homework and crap out for the rest of the evening watching t.v., but if you study smart then you can still go workout, watch a little t.v. or whatever else you want to do. My first week has come and gone and my biggest issue is that I'm just flat out TIRED by the end of the day. I don't WANT to do the stuff. I force myself to stay up a little later so I can sleep normal hours.

I mean, I'm sitting in a conference room at 3:50 on a saturday, so I'm obviously not getting crazy but it is my own accord. I wouldn't be doing anything else right now anyway.

 

[sia_simba]

To the original poster and all curious personel,

MS1/MS2 is harder in my opinion than clinicals. You have flexible time during the first two years of medical school, however its just reading textbooks, feels like going to college.

As a 3rd and 4th year student, things does get more interesting as all the concept you read during first two years gets tossed out the window. Clinical practice and academics are two totally different aspects. They do relate and you do look smart for knowing odd questions, but in terms of management, its never the same as how you read it.

You do have time to go out and party as a 3rd and 4th year student. Life is easier as a 4th year since you will be doing electives and going away for interviews. Majority of the time, you know what you want to do and won't even care for the rotation. Enjoy your time in Medical school. =)

As a resident, it depends on the program. I have fun during the weekends, I still go out and party, I go hang out with friends, watch movies, dinners, snowboarding, going away on conference.

So the term "No life" is a misnomer. Just so you know, I am a 3rd year ob/gyn resident and I have plenty of fun. =) I do work close to 80 hours a week... read an hour a night, do presentations, work on research, and still enjoy my private life. It depends on how good you are with time management.

 

[scurred09]

It's hard to image what life is lick as a medical student when you not one yet. I'm afraid that i won't have to work out. I see so many students that let their body go and blame med school being out of shape. Perhaps med school is that time consuming that one must accept no time for eating healthy or excercising? I don't know. Not to sound mean but about 90% of med student, residence, attendings at the ED I volunteer are out of shape. I don't want to be one of them and would not comprise my health physical appearance to be a physician.

You have make your own time. As an MS1 and MS2, you will have down time after exams to have a social life. I cannot comment on MS3/MS4 but I do know you will have more of a life during various rotations such as FM, or Psych and basically wont have any life during Internal Med, Surgery and OBGYN. But again, you will have to make your own time. I think that's the most important thing during school. To just take a day off for yourself and to recharge.

 

[scurred09]

That is re-assuring. i think its a great idea to make time for workouts and occasional outings. I think most students are so fixated on studying that they forget about the importance of good health.

as an MS1-2 I didn't do crap! I felt guilty every time I took time off to watch a movie/tv or even take a night off with friends. I was pounding away 12-16 hr days outside of class (i am in a PBL program). it was ridiculous. looking back here's my regrets ....definitely 1. take a night off sometime in the week 2. exercise daily if possible 3. give yourself a hr each day to prep/relax/walk your dog/call a friend...etc. I don't think the extra hour I used studying made much diff.

I had much more time to relax as a MS3, esp on lighter rotations. you study when you can and go out when you can. it's like having a full time+ job and going to college. as a MS4 once boards are over.....I'll have tons of time off!!

 

[scurred09]

I'm not much of a partier either but I like time for going to the gym and cooking. Plus I don't mind hitting the club scene once in a while.

I think "no life" is kind of an exaggeration. I wasn't too much of a party person before, so I aptly don't do it now. That being said, there really is only so much studying you can do. I've been in the same room all day but I've probably only gotten a few hours of true studying done. My mind starts to wander. It is about organizing your time. It isn't like undergrad where you can go to class and then spend an hour doing some homework and crap out for the rest of the evening watching t.v., but if you study smart then you can still go workout, watch a little t.v. or whatever else you want to do. My first week has come and gone and my biggest issue is that I'm just flat out TIRED by the end of the day. I don't WANT to do the stuff. I force myself to stay up a little later so I can sleep normal hours.

I mean, I'm sitting in a conference room at 3:50 on a saturday, so I'm obviously not getting crazy but it is my own accord. I wouldn't be doing anything else right now anyway.

 

[scurred09]

This is very thorough. Thank you for sharing your experience. From reading your post, medical school and the road the becoming a Physician dosen't sound that bad. Residency scare me the most as I'm afraid that I may not have time to eat. I'm not diabetic but if I don't have food in my tummy every 4 hours, I get irritated and angry. Plus not eating for a long period of time can trigger my migraine too. I'm scurred. Please tell me that others won't scold me for eating a protein bar in between caring for patients.

To the original poster and all curious personel,

MS1/MS2 is harder in my opinion than clinicals. You have flexible time during the first two years of medical school, however its just reading textbooks, feels like going to college.

As a 3rd and 4th year student, things does get more interesting as all the concept you read during first two years gets tossed out the window. Clinical practice and academics are two totally different aspects. They do relate and you do look smart for knowing odd questions, but in terms of management, its never the same as how you read it.

You do have time to go out and party as a 3rd and 4th year student. Life is easier as a 4th year since you will be doing electives and going away for interviews. Majority of the time, you know what you want to do and won't even care for the rotation. Enjoy your time in Medical school. =)

As a resident, it depends on the program. I have fun during the weekends, I still go out and party, I go hang out with friends, watch movies, dinners, snowboarding, going away on conference.

So the term "No life" is a misnomer. Just so you know, I am a 3rd year ob/gyn resident and I have plenty of fun. =) I do work close to 80 hours a week... read an hour a night, do presentations, work on research, and still enjoy my private life. It depends on how good you are with time management.

 

[sia_simba]

LOL. You can eat your protein bar. Matter of fact, the director of gynecology who is now chairman of my department specifically request that you EAT & exercise. his exact quotes were "I don't care how busy you are, you have to eat".

But sometimes you do get so pre-occupied with multiple tasks that you do forget to eat. Now when I say "Forget to eat" I mean, sitting down for 30mins, eating, drinking, and enjoying the TV. Most of the time residents will carry their snacks and eat in between.

If you have lecture in the afternoon as most medicine program do, most of the residents will eat during lecture.

Depends on how you are as a person, you will find time to work out. My schedule is pretty tight as it is, I wake up at 5am and I don't get back home until 8 to 8:30pm. When I do get home, I read for a bit, go to the gym at 9pm, get back home at 10pm, eat dinner quickly... read a bit, browse the internet and go to sleep by 11pm. That way, I get at least 6hrs of sleep per day. I do that twice a week during the weekday.

Hope that helps you out.

BTW... Do not eat in front of patients. =) Some of them are npo so if they see you eating a yummy chicken, it would not be fair.

 

[scurred09]

We can eat protein bar ey? there is god. Eating, exercising and sleep is very important to me. 6 hrs of sleep is decent. I just hope that I get accepted to a program where they emphasize the importance of maintaining good health. You obviously have good time management. good for you. The process of being a PHysician is probably not that bad after all. Most MS, residence and docs at the ED I volunteered at are so out of shape that I get discouraged sometime about the whole med school thing. I don't want to compromise a yummy chicken in order to be a Doc. I ate in front of a diabetic patient once and as a result, loss a few teeths.

LOL. You can eat your protein bar. Matter of fact, the director of gynecology who is now chairman of my department specifically request that you EAT & exercise. his exact quotes were "I don't care how busy you are, you have to eat".

But sometimes you do get so pre-occupied with multiple tasks that you do forget to eat. Now when I say "Forget to eat" I mean, sitting down for 30mins, eating, drinking, and enjoying the TV. Most of the time residents will carry their snacks and eat in between.

If you have lecture in the afternoon as most medicine program do, most of the residents will eat during lecture.

Depends on how you are as a person, you will find time to work out. My schedule is pretty tight as it is, I wake up at 5am and I don't get back home until 8 to 8:30pm. When I do get home, I read for a bit, go to the gym at 9pm, get back home at 10pm, eat dinner quickly... read a bit, browse the internet and go to sleep by 11pm. That way, I get at least 6hrs of sleep per day. I do that twice a week during the weekday.

Hope that helps you out.

BTW... Do not eat in front of patients. =) Some of them are npo so if they see you eating a yummy chicken, it would not be fair.

 

[DH78]

Thanks to all those who have gone before us. I will be an MS1 in about a month, and I too have worried about keeping it all together; studying, taking care of myself, staying sane, etc. I sensed that it could be done, providing you are good at managing your time, and you don't fall behind. This seems to be the case. I can't wait to start!

 

[DH78]

BTW, it's "adage"!!!😀

 

[Jamers]

As an MS1 and MS2, are there times for movies and occasional partying? Does the hell (no social life) starts at MS3/MS4 thru out the end of residency? Will you spend more time in the hospital as an MS3/MS4 or residence? While doing your rotation, if you eat a protein bar among your peers, will they be pissed off? Not having eat for hours you manage to sneak one in, is that frowned upon?

MS3 Surgery Clerkship = no life. We put in the same hours as the residents.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

First day of internship tomorrow. Report to hospital at 0430a.