How often do you have "fun"

[braluk]

By "fun" I do not mean reading or studying if that is what it has become. As in, how often do you manage to go out and do what the normals call fun. Looks like Im stuck here at home on a friday night and probably tommorrow night to start preparing for round II of exams

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[braluk]

Also, going to the gym to work out is also not considered fun (you know who you are)

 

[Taus]

a week and a half or so before an exam.....not much......other then that you should be able to find at least 2 nights a week to do something fun as long as you take care of business during the daytime....

 

[braluk]

i still cant recall a time in which i had fun the way i had fun in college, i suppose now its just catching a movie, or goin to a museum, or football. now that i think about it, football seems to be my major detractor on sunday

 

[Labslave]

i still cant recall a time in which i had fun the way i had fun in college, i suppose now its just catching a movie, or goin to a museum, or football. now that i think about it, football seems to be my major detractor on sunday

If this is the way you feel, you need to get better at separating work from play and developing time managment skills. Unless you're gunning to be at the top of your class (luckily I don't have to worry about that at my school; we have strictly P/F grading for the first two years 👍 ) and studying 8 - 10 hours/day, you should have plenty of time during first year to get out and have some fun. During the day on weekends for example, you can set time aside (some 6 or 8 or even 10 hours) for studying and have the night for your favorite form of debauchery. Alternatively you could watch football pretty much all day long and study at night. It's a balance.

Obviously if your definition of fun is having a week-long period of time where you're getting trashed every night and not going to class during the day (that was totally possible in undergrad; I didn't know how good I had it back in the day), you're not going to be having fun in med school. But I seem to have time to go out to dinner with folks, have a beer here and there, watch a football game or two (or go to them; Go BLUE!), play poker with friends, read a good book, go to the movies, go to big med school social events (balls, beer pong tournaments, etc.) and still juggle med school during the course of an average week. I don't want you to be thinking "good for you", but rather that it truly is possible to have a good time. Good luck (and have some fun)!

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

i don't know what fun is anymore. med school makes you numb.

 

[Law2Doc]

Alternatively you could watch football pretty much all day long and study at night.

Well, in college, football games always involved tailgate parties and drinking quite a few beers over the course of the game. Productive studying after that wasn't really an option. So no, it's not like college anymore.

You ought to be able to squeeze in several nice meals out, perhaps a movie, a handful of TV shows, and a weekend night out involving light drinking each week (unless there is an imminent exam). But the college days of going out and drinking and staying out until all hours, to the point that it impacts your studying the next day pretty much need to be reserved for the handful of vacation weeks.

Enjoy this remaining level of fun though -- it all goes out the window during residency, and/or when you have kids, or both.😀

 

[8744]

...Obviously if your definition of fun is having a week-long period of time where you're getting trashed every night and not going to class during the day...

OK. Now I'm getting all nostalgic.

 

[braluk]

Lol anyone else here feel guilty when they are having fun?

*raises hand*

man i guess thats a bad thing huh

 

[Law2Doc]

Lol anyone else here feel guilty when they are having fun?

*raises hand*

man i guess thats a bad thing huh

The sad thing is there is always something else you should be doing -- you are never completely "done" or "prepared" or "ready" in med school. Guilt is a good motivator, but you definitely need to figure out a balance and an ability to turn this off every now and then.

 

[braluk]

Precisely. I usually play sports, when I can throw inhibition to the wind. Sex is another fun great thing too 😉

Only thing is, I just had complete knee reconstruction done, so I wont be able to do either of the two =(

I've had a buttload of sympathy from profs and higher level MDs which is nice, how many can say that they had a chief resident get food for you because you couldn't reach

 

[DoctorFunk]

Lol anyone else here feel guilty when they are having fun?

*raises hand*

man i guess thats a bad thing huh

I suffered from this soooo bad during the summer of my M1 year, which is ridiculous because it was probably the last time in my life that I will have such little responsibility. I got through it by taking up a new hobby (cooking) that allowed me to get something accomplished that my wife appreciated while I was still able to watch the sports and stupid shows on TV that I used to be able to appreciate before school.

 

[indo]

After studying your ass off for a week or two before exams, the dead period after exams is filled with feelings of uselessness. I never know what to do with myself. I suppose not being a little behind makes me lazy.

I usually sacrifice one weekend night and 2 weekend days to just studying. Other than that I don't feel guilty about doing absolutely nothing.

 

[ubcredfox]

No, it isn't the same kind of fun as we had back in college.

I know what the OP means though, as I feel the same way. It seems that all I'm doing now is studying, and that med school has taken over my life (which it has). But, in retrospect, I do go out a fair bit, and usually relax for a couple of hours each day. Exercise fits in here too.

You can still drink, but drink responsibly. I got trashed this last Tuesday (home, drunk, at 130am - up at 630 am the next morning), and it took me a good two days after the fact to recover. Really stupid thing to do. Those kind of binges explain why, now, I have to bust my ass all weekend to catch up.

Time managment is really key, to reitterate previous posts.

 

[akpete]

I have fun pretty much whenever I want, perhaps with the 2 days before an exam as an exception. But, if I plan ahead, I could still have fun those days too. It's just that I've usually had too much fun up until then so I've gotta study a solid 2 days to get it all in.

 

[indo]

I have fun pretty much whenever I want, perhaps with the 2 days before an exam as an exception. But, if I plan ahead, I could still have fun those days too. It's just that I've usually had too much fun up until then so I've gotta study a solid 2 days to get it all in.

But you're in that top 1%.

 

[SelflessAct]

This is the most depressing thread ever.

I feel you guys on the guilt thing however, and also on the "post-exam don't-know-what-to-do-with-myself numbness" feeling as well, which seriously sucks...

Your definition of fun will change in medical school when you suddenly find that a couple of hours set aside just to watch a movie, go to a concert, talk to an old friend on the phone, have a beer and stare at the wall (etc., etc.) is truly valuable, precious time. Spend it well, it will keep you sane. You grow out of the whole getting trashed every weekend/skipping classes/not studying thing because you will realize how badly you don't want to avoid screwing up your future, and all that really crazy stuff won't be worth it. That's not to say it can't happen on rare occasion, but it's just not common anymore. But the point is that you won't miss it much, so it's okay.

 

[Law2Doc]

But the point is that you won't miss it much, so it's okay.

Oh, you'll still miss it a lot, but you just won't succomb.

 

[braluk]

On the whole, spontaneous fun seemed to have been thrown out the window. That is, on a whim I'd go and run a few miles with a friend into the city to eat wendys, or drive from boston to new york over the weekened, to the beach, things that didnt require any planning. Now I need to plan in advance and then adjust my study schedule accordingly. Now I feel like that type of fun is gone, and it's progressed to the stage where I can begin to start telling a story as "I did that in college all the time" or "Man, two years ago at this time I remember I randomly did this and that"

I guess this just addresses the nature of the career itself, in that work literally can choke the life out of you. I wanted to create a thread to talk about things that students do that move us away from career unhappiness, be it small or on a grander scale.

After exams in college, I remember Id just sit in front of my computer and watch movies, play PS II, go out to boston, etc. Now After my exams, its alot different in that though we finished our units, and havnt been assigned anything new to read, i still feel the need to pick up a book and "catch up" to something I havnt needed to start yet. I think though, once winter strolls around, I'll be better off after exams since I can go skiing/snowboard (after my knee completely heals from my surgery- so i guess I am referring to next winter).


Medgirl10 also makes a good point, I think i progressed out of the getting trashed is fun stage. Id rather get a nice buzz from beer or wine. Kinda wish I had absinthe I just feel absolutely $h1tty after a night like that. Id rather cheeseburger binge 😉

 

[SelflessAct]

Oh, you'll still miss it a lot, but you just won't succomb.

Haha, yes, who am I kidding. Of course you'll miss it. But the less you succumb, the less you miss it. It will begin to dawn on you that no amount of reckless partying will make up for a screwed up chance at becoming a doctor. You'll miss THAT more.

 

[SelflessAct]

On the whole, spontaneous fun seemed to have been thrown out the window.

Yep, so true. This is what I miss the MOST of all. However, I think spontaneity is still possible, just on a smaller scale, like you said. Like, "this weekend I'm going to try out this new rock-climbing gym" instead of "let's call up the same old people and do the same old thing."

I guess this just addresses the nature of the career itself, in that work literally can choke the life out of you. I wanted to create a thread to talk about things that students do that move us away from career unhappiness, be it small or on a grander scale.

Hang out with people not in any way related to your career

Or, find something new to talk about with your med school friends rather than classes. Good lord, this is surprisingly so rare. Not only will it keep you interesting, but it will lighten you up, and that is an invaluable trait in any med student.

 

[ghotihead2009]

I used to rock and roll all night and party everyday, then it was every other day. Now im lucky if i can find half an hour a week in which to get funky.

I don't think the problem is not having fun so much as the amount of people who resort to binge drinking when they get a chance to let their hair down...myself included

 

[akpete]

But you're in that top 1%.

top as in grades? uh, no.

 

[dilated]

What do you people do all day?

You have to be ******ed to fail and you have to study 21 hours a day to honor. (At my school, honors is the top X%. I would estimate that if you break it down by studying, the top X% by study time studies >12h/day.) If I skip lectures and read for ~3h/day, plus maybe an average of 2 hours of mandatory attendence crap, that still leaves me with ... lots of time.

I don't see any reason to shoot for 80th percentile instead of around the mean when it takes 10 times more work. The nitpicky details you pick up in M1 classes between 80 and 90% are stuff you'll forget and our performance in them is practically irrelevant for residency.

I guess when M2 rolls around I'll have less free time, though. 🙁

 

[BaylorGuy]

I tend to go out every weekend and have fun....which basically means doing anything not medical school related (unless going out with other med students is considered school related...which isn't).

But yeah, every weekend, helps keep the stress down so i can actually study during the week. Plus, i have something to look forward to every weekend.

 

[psipsina]

I go on a date with my hubby each week, we do sushi dinners, movies and stuff like trips to the zoo. When he's not working I take a more extended dinner break and we watch a favorite tv show or a netflix movie together. I also take frequent breaks within my study time, which keeps me fresh, but means my study time extends further thrughout my deay. I watch tv/movies or read (for fun) or play online for about 20 min inbetween hour study blocks. At the end of every night I take a bubble bath and curl up with a good book before bed. I don't have time to go out as much but I definitely still do stuff I think is fun for myself, or I'd go crazy and be a crapy medstudent.

 

[beefballs]

I am always trying to laugh, it is what I do and how I cope-otherwise I am angry all the time. Oh and if you need a movie to go see on date night check out the departed-freakin brilliant

 

[bjackrian]

I'm an MS II, and I definitely still feel like I'm able to have fun. I'm very busy the weekend/few days right before an exam, but aside from that, I've found that I can take an evening to go do something fun, and the world really won't end. I cook dinner (usually from scratch or close to it) almost every night. I teach CCD at my church. I referee football, soccer, and basketball (depending on the season) at my schools intramural sports office. And of course, I hang out with my wife. 😉

My grades are not at the top of my class, but I've passed everything, and have even thrown in an honors grade or two for good measure. I feel like I'm doing a decent job of prepping for USMLE I too.

Med school's what you make of it. I can't tell you how many MDs have told me that they wished they'd been more laid back in med school because in the long run, being super uptight didn't help them much. Hopefully, that'll be true for me as well.

 

[Me an MD??]

No Offence guys but theres always time for fun. I feel sorry for those that cant manage to get out once in a while and get drunk or do whatever it is you do to enjoy yourselves. After all being a doctor or med student really is just a job and a way to support yourself. Theres sooooo much more to life than that .........

 

[Law2Doc]

What do you people do all day?

You have to be ******ed to fail

This is likely very school dependant. Plenty of students at some schools end up repeating courses over the summer due to failure or even get "decelerated" back a year, and quite a few of them were putting in the hours, albeit apparently ineffectively.

 

[Law2Doc]

No Offence guys but theres always time for fun. I feel sorry for those that cant manage to get out once in a while and get drunk or do whatever it is you do to enjoy yourselves. After all being a doctor or med student really is just a job and a way to support yourself. Theres sooooo much more to life than that .........

True, but a lot of that life is still going to be there when you get out -- the med school grades won't. To some extent the nontrads have a huge benefit in this respect, as it's much easier to spend weekends in the library when you've already had many years of partying (and done more than enough killing of brain and liver cells🙂 ), than those in their early 20s and not out of that phase yet.

 

[deleted77919]

You have to be ******ed to fail and you have to study 21 hours a day to honor.

I went in to medical school thinking this was true, and sadly the truth seems to be just passing means working your ass off.

At least I'm 1/16 of the way through medical school now. Hooray!

 

[Swimming]

I went in to medical school thinking this was true, and sadly the truth seems to be just passing means working your ass off.

At least I'm 1/16 of the way through medical school now. Hooray!

right on!!

 

[78222]

True, but a lot of that life is still going to be there when you get out -- the med school grades won't. To some extent the nontrads have a huge benefit in this respect, as it's much easier to spend weekends in the library when you've already had many years of partying (and done more than enough killing of brain and liver cells🙂 ), than those in their early 20s and not out of that phase yet.

I'm not quite a nontrad (although I did take time off) and I can say SCREW THAT! I want to party more the older I get!

 

[psipsina]

I'm not quite a nontrad (although I did take time off) and I can say SCREW THAT! I want to party more the older I get!

Seriously, whats with the assumption that the older medschool folks don't know how to party, huh? My hubby and I did all the orientation parties and people thought it was sooo coool that I could still party because I'm married . . . weird. I married him because I love having a good time with him, whether that means going out and gettin sloppy or snugglin at home reading novels together, . . . just the other day the married med student group at my school was thinking about having a meeting on the night of the first year's post test party, on the assumption that none of us would be going to the party . . . too weird. You can be a nontrad with priorities who parties every now and again . .. you just know when you don't have the time to get sloppy, which makes the times you do all the sweeter.

 

[OneBadSkwerl]

Med school must be way harder in the US vs Canada

 

[shetland]

I dont think med school is harder in the US compared to Canada. I feel it depends on the teaching styles and the learning of the student.

To the person who started this thread...

You have to make time, to do the things you love. I feel it balance out the stresses of my life, espiecially exams. I would go mad if I didnt have my other interests...

Hope this helps!

 

[8744]

Seriously, whats with the assumption that the older medschool folks don't know how to party, huh? My hubby and I did all the orientation parties and people thought it was sooo coool that I could still party because I'm married . . . weird. I married him because I love having a good time with him, whether that means going out and gettin sloppy or snugglin at home reading novels together, . . . just the other day the married med student group at my school was thinking about having a meeting on the night of the first year's post test party, on the assumption that none of us would be going to the party . . . too weird. You can be a nontrad with priorities who parties every now and again . .. you just know when you don't have the time to get sloppy, which makes the times you do all the sweeter.

You goddam kids turn that music down! I'm calling the cops!

P. Bear, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Old Enough to Be Your Father

 

[DropkickMurphy]

What? I can't hear you over the music! Hold on! Let me turn it down!


D. Murphy, CRT
Resident Smartass (one day I'll be a Smartass Resident)
Old enough to have bought most members beer when they were in high school

 

[braluk]

I spent the weekend down in New Orleans, man thats some fun. Looks like I might have to drop a small groups quiz in biochem now well worth it though.

I was talking to one of my friends who goes to a school that gets rid of the honors and high pass and instead has a pass/fail system (although of course the school knows your relative rank- and for the naysayers- yes AOA is existent there albeit they use a different way to rank them since honoring is not really an option). I think perhaps the high pass/honors sytem kind of pulls a bit a fun out of us. Granted, P=md has been a philosophy that many med students soon learn to adopt, but nevertheless, i think those types of ranking systems may have something to do with making students more competitive then they have to be at the expense of comraderie and fun, irregardless of one's intention to Hp/honors or not. Something to chew on as I get my act together for biochem.

 

[braluk]

True, but a lot of that life is still going to be there when you get out -- the med school grades won't. To some extent the nontrads have a huge benefit in this respect, as it's much easier to spend weekends in the library when you've already had many years of partying (and done more than enough killing of brain and liver cells🙂 ), than those in their early 20s and not out of that phase yet.

Law2doc trashed? Now that would be fun to watch. You have to promise us you'll post here one day while under the influence 😀

 

[Law2Doc]

You have to promise us you'll post here one day while under the influence 😀

What makes you think I haven't been.😀

 

[psipsina]

I spent the weekend down in New Orleans, man thats some fun. Looks like I might have to drop a small groups quiz in biochem now well worth it though.

I was talking to one of my friends who goes to a school that gets rid of the honors and high pass and instead has a pass/fail system (although of course the school knows your relative rank- and for the naysayers- yes AOA is existent there albeit they use a different way to rank them since honoring is not really an option). I think perhaps the high pass/honors sytem kind of pulls a bit a fun out of us. Granted, P=md has been a philosophy that many med students soon learn to adopt, but nevertheless, i think those types of ranking systems may have something to do with making students more competitive then they have to be at the expense of comraderie and fun, irregardless of one's intention to Hp/honors or not. Something to chew on as I get my act together for biochem.

yep, nawlins knows how to party, glad you had fun in our city, we need more people like you to help bring new orleans back online as party central

 

[akpete]

I love New Orleans. But since I'm from WI, I don't really get there too often. 🙂

Been there 3 times - once post-hurricane.

 

[braluk]

What makes you think I haven't been.😀

woah woah woah there. Please refer us to said posts.

 

[AK_MD2BE]

As long as you manage your time well, there is no reason that you cannot have fun on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. By skipping class, and studying during the day (and getting through the material as a result), you should have plenty of time to workout, go to the movies, enjoy long, relaxing dinners, go to the park, watch football, and enjoy life. I realize I am only an MSI, but I am having a wonderful time in medical school. Its all about time management and getting your work done so that you can enjoy yourself in the evening completely guilt-free.🙂

 

[psipsina]

Blech, .. . I'm bummed out, I'm a week out from my second test this semester, head and neck for embryology, gross and histo, . . . and voodoo fest is playing blocks from my house so I can hear it while I'm studying. I went and sat on my front porch and listened to Red Hot Chilli Peppers trying to cheer myself up but just bummed out more. . . and my hubby has backstage passes tomorrow, which I told him to do since I'm studying anyway, but now I'm bummed. . . I just keep on telling myself this is my choice and when it isn't the week before a test I get to go out and do cool stuff, it just always seems like the things I would be really into are happening around my exams. . . first exam it was the first saints home game since katrina . .., now its voodoo fest, and I already know jazz fest which is my favorite thing that happens in new orleans all year is right before my spring shelfs . . . blech . . well back to the intrinsic laryngeal muscles, . . .

 

[braluk]

I guess this will be the new place to blog about the progress of fun as the year goes on. Personally, i have an exam on monday for med physio- cardiac physiology, diagnostics (sounds, ECGs, wigger's), and circ physio. Blah, only halfway through it. I got a brand new phone today too so I was playing around with it, i guess that was "fun". Biochem exam to follow suit (Who are the a-holes who discovered fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, TCA, oxidative phosphorylation, etc and decided to map it?) 😡

 

[humuhumu]

Yesterday I ran a Halloween 5K Fun Run - participants ran in costume - and I carved jack-o-lanterns with my kids. That was fun!

 

[PH7.4]

You are my hero. If you ever run for office let me know, I'm voting for you.

What do you people do all day?

You have to be ******ed to fail and you have to study 21 hours a day to honor. (At my school, honors is the top X%. I would estimate that if you break it down by studying, the top X% by study time studies >12h/day.) If I skip lectures and read for ~3h/day, plus maybe an average of 2 hours of mandatory attendence crap, that still leaves me with ... lots of time.

I don't see any reason to shoot for 80th percentile instead of around the mean when it takes 10 times more work. The nitpicky details you pick up in M1 classes between 80 and 90% are stuff you'll forget and our performance in them is practically irrelevant for residency.

I guess when M2 rolls around I'll have less free time, though. 🙁