Is it possible to have a job (10-12hrs/week) during med school?

[mac_kin]

🙂

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[auburnO5]

I would say no, but that might just be me. I would literally go insane if I had to worry about a job on top of the million other responsibilities that go along with med school.

 

[deleted116380]

First year: absolutely.
Second year...yes, but a little more difficult.
Doubtful about third year (I'm a 2nd year so can't say)
Fourth year probably...only weekends, though.

 

[DrYoda]

There's for sure time the first two years.

 

[secants]

I work but the I do maybe once or twice a week night shift on weekends so I get paid and I can study (not much work at night). But during test weekends, I usually don't because I end up sleeping the next day.

 

[Rollo]

Yes, it is.

Just don't attend class and study on your own. You will have lot of free time in which you can easily squeeze in 10-12 hours per week of work.

 

[medstudent87]

i would kill myself. At my school, they tell us to treat med school like a 9-5 job where you gotta work overtime every night. and weekends.

we have lecture every day from 9-4 and then you gotta go home, eat, work out, study, sleep. I don't think I'd be able to fit a job in there somewhere and still keep my sanity intact. But I suppose its possible. The only people i Know that "work" are kids that do work-study, which consists of sittting on ur butt at the front desk of the library and studying while getting paid peanuts.

 

[Basookashlon]

I would say yes, if it is a priority. I devote, easily, 10-12 hours a week to either working out or playing soccer. Not to mention the weekends, where you could really use your time to your liking.

However, it would not be easy. The way I use my free time is to unwind, relax, break a sweat.. you know, things to make me feel better and relieve stress. With a job, unless you absolutely love it (and maybe even still then) you won't get that type of 'break.'

But overall, I'd say its possible.

Ya what this guys said... Technically you would probably have the time to work that much, but you need free time to unwind. Having a job though could help get your mind off school and help you unwind though possibly.

You might not be able to go out and get hammered after exams cuz you may either have to work or study ahead so you can work that coming week, but it sounds like you are a bit older so maybe thats okay...

Maybe you could do it first year so that you could do it full time the summer between first and second year and then just be a student 2nd year.

 

[hot sauce]

I would say it is possible but it depends on how much you time you want/need to study.

The details of your job are important. How flexible would hours be? I don't know about your medical school but sometimes the schedule may not be consistent and I have to work probably isn't going to cut it as an excuse as they consider your primary responsibility to be medical school. Also, as was mentioned earlier test week may be a time you want to work less so you can study more. How easily could you quit if you find having a job and medical school too difficult?

Making money and taking out less loan money is great however if having a job significantly impacts your performance in medical school I would say it isn't worth it. Extreme example would be if you have to repeat a year of medical school or find you cannot match to the residency you want. Some people need to study a lot to get the scores they want others don't and we can't tell you which you are.

 

[njbmd]

If you have something that you can do that allows you to work shifts(nursing, RRT or MT) then you can work during holidays and during vacation time if you don't want to relax. You could also work as a peer tutor which requires/allows that you learn the material much better and spend a few hours on a Saturday morning.

If you have a certification/license in any of the health care fields as above, you can do contract shifts on a holiday weekend or during vacations. I certainly would not put my performance in medical school (you get one chance not to "screw up") in jeopardy for a few dollars. If you can't live on a budget, then you need to borrow more money but personal performance become everything when you start filling out those residency applications.

A few dollars earned while working wasn't worth not being competitive for the residency that I wanted.

 

[45408]

If it's lucrative or fun/relaxing, then yes. Unless you're easily at the top of your class, you're endangering your future career with potentially lower grades than you could attain if you are working at a stressful job that only pays you $10/hr.

As an M2, I occasionally worked a weekend shift (usually after a block of exams) on an ambulance, because it was fun.

 

[apoptosis123]

Don't a fair amount of med students do research? Wouldn't this be pretty much the same idea?

 

[Perrotfish]

I would recommend coming into first year without any obligations and then picking up a job after your first exam if things go well. Different people need to put different amount of time into preclinicals. You might find out that you can work 40 hours a week without stressing yourself, and you might find out you need to study 80 hours a week just to pass.

Second year, when you start path, again clear your schedule and take a practice to test to see how things go before committing to another year of work. Some people who did very well first year find that second year requires a much larger time commitment.

Starting with Step 1 studying you will not have time to work until after your match, and even then your location/schedule will probably to variable to make it work.

I personally think it's not worth it in any event. As some other posters have said, if you want to spend that kind of time on something I would at least try to get a publication out of it. But ultimately it's a personal choice.

Don't a fair amount of med students do research? Wouldn't this be pretty much the same idea?

Not nearly as many as you might think

 

[LizzyM]

In large part, it may depend on where you go to school. Those with 40 hr/wk lecture/lab schedules won't allow for something like that whereas schools with a few hours of lecture per week would leave time for that.

According to gov't sources, the lowest 10% of physical therapists are being paid >$25/hr so this is a little different than some work that med students might qualify for. When I was using a PT, I was so grateful to find an appointment slot after 5 pm so I know that there would be a demand for "after hours" PT.

 

[Compass]

It depends. I was initially thinking of managing 12 hour EMS on Sundays. Now, I'm being kicked in the fetal position by a textbook.

 

[45408]

Don't a fair amount of med students do research? Wouldn't this be pretty much the same idea?

No, because the research is adding to your med school CV, and will help you get into a more competitive residency. A job as a waitress, not so much.