How do you create a sense of stability in med school?

[SphereGlobe]

Third year seems to involve constant upheaval. Every few weeks (or month) you get thrown into new professional roles on each service, along with the changes in all the quotidian things - a new sleep schedule and eating schedule. The end of third year, involves the biggest change of all: matching and moving on to residency. As much as I appreciate that all this is for a greater good of my education, I also find that consistency and stability are important for wellbeing. What do you guys do to keep a sense of stability third year?

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[hmockingbird]

-Eat 3 meals a day
-Get enough sleep when you can. Prepare for big changes in sleep schedules like nights as much as possible, like trying to flip a day early. (Honestly, on surgery and OB I switched to a diurnal schedule meaning I would go to bed pretty much immediately when I got home, then wake up and eat dinner/read/Netflix for 2-3 hours and then go back to bed. I was just too tired to function at the end of the day and this worked out fine for me.)
-Be flexible/embrace the change and challenge of new rotations
-Have a schedule at home though, even just a routine around bedtime or breakfast
-Study at the hospital if/when you can so you can have more of your free time to yourself
-Keep up with hobbies to some extent/do something relaxing even if it's just taking an hour at the end of the day to watch Netflix

 

[mcloaf]

Exercise

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[EBTrailRunner]

Be like water.


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[Moko]

What do you guys do to keep a sense of stability third year?

Kept my eyes on the prize, the one constant during medical school

 

[IslandStyle808]

Be like water.


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It's amazing to know how many of Bruce Lee's quotes actually apply to life in general.

 

[obgyny]

The above advice is good. Always bring snacks/protein bars with you, in case there's no time for a meal. Definitely learning how to study on-the-go is an important adaptation. I was just too exhausted on my surgery and IM rotations to study at home, so I fit in all my studying when I could at the hospital. Carry a book or iPad with you at all times in your bag. Or at least have uworld on your phone. There is a lot of downtime on most rotations, take advantage.

The constant rotating is frustrating as an MS3, but look at this as an introductory to residency... You will also rotate every one or few months (depending on your program). The learning curve is much more steep than med school, and you will have to learn to adapt. Much more expectations and responsibilities, as well as ever-changing schedules, even day-to-day. You will also be switching from day and night shifts...

But for now, focus on one day at a time.


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