Is this possible?

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palminator2003

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Is it possible to survive medical school without regularly resorting to the use of caffeine or other stimulants? (An occasional piece of chocolate is OK, but a daily chocolate is not) Is anyone successfully doing this? Do you know anyone who has done this? Caffeine makes me too jumpy IMHO :scared: :scared: :scared:
 
it is possible, but not recommended. try drinking soda throughout the day, as it is low in caffeine compared with coffee. a continuous low level of caffeine might help avoid the side effects of coffee. just a thought.
 
Geez people. You are all wusses. I do have a caffeine addiction, but i've had it for the past 10 years and Im not quitting now. You do not NEED stimulants. But i would recommend it. BTW, coffee/tea works better than pop.
 
ummm ... i don't know what you guys are taking but i don't use any kind of caffeine ... haven't had soda or coffee during the weekdays at all, and I've been fine. Only the occasional cup of milk tea on the weekends because it's sooo good. 🙂
 
palminator2003 said:
Is it possible to survive medical school without regularly resorting to the use of caffeine or other stimulants? (An occasional piece of chocolate is OK, but a daily chocolate is not) Is anyone successfully doing this? Do you know anyone who has done this? Caffeine makes me too jumpy IMHO :scared: :scared: :scared:

Try sleeping 30-45 minutes during the lunch break. Ive been doing this all year and it works like a charm w/o any caffeine. They've been doing this in Spain for centuries, it'll really energize you for the rest of the day.
 
i rarely drink caffeine. once in a while i have the occasional diet pepsi or soy chai latte.

i used to be addicted to diet pepsi for a while back in college. now i never touch the stuff. and i really only like chocolate in baked goods which of course i don't eat every day.

however, i really don't do all that wonderfully in med school. so you might not be encouraged by my example. 🙂 i'm more of a laid back kind of girl. if that's your style, then you probably don't want to get hooked on caffiene either. imo it changes you.

ps. i take a short nap before dinner, usually daily.
 
dara678 said:
ummm ... i don't know what you guys are taking but i don't use any kind of caffeine ... haven't had soda or coffee during the weekdays at all, and I've been fine. Only the occasional cup of milk tea on the weekends because it's sooo good. 🙂

If you haven't yet, don't worry you will. YOu don't pull a 35 hr shift without resorting to your friend C of Fee. You will quickly become addicted. Even when you are tired it gives you an edge. Just my two cents.
 
tupac_don said:
If you haven't yet, don't worry you will. YOu don't pull a 35 hr shift without resorting to your friend C of Fee. You will quickly become addicted. Even when you are tired it gives you an edge. Just my two cents.

coffee is my 'best friend' in school. i love it. 😍
 
palminator2003 said:
Is it possible to survive medical school without regularly resorting to the use of caffeine or other stimulants? (An occasional piece of chocolate is OK, but a daily chocolate is not) Is anyone successfully doing this? Do you know anyone who has done this? Caffeine makes me too jumpy IMHO :scared: :scared: :scared:

I do not drink caffeine besides the occasional diet coke. But that's more just because i want a soda than because I want caffeine. All it seems to do is make me want to pee more. I have no problem going straight to sleep after caffeine.

Then again, I'm only 2nd year so maybe things will change.
 
I like coke. I'll drink coffee, but only occassionally as an after-dinner thing. I don't use caffeine for its stimulant effect. I also wake up very early and go training before my classes/rotations start. So, it's possible. Now, why is it not ok to have chocolate every day?
 
palminator2003 said:
Is it possible to survive medical school without regularly resorting to the use of caffeine or other stimulants? (An occasional piece of chocolate is OK, but a daily chocolate is not) Is anyone successfully doing this? Do you know anyone who has done this? Caffeine makes me too jumpy IMHO :scared: :scared: :scared:

i could do it if i could just manage to get myself to sleep a decent hour...
 
palminator2003 said:
Is it possible to survive medical school without regularly resorting to the use of caffeine or other stimulants? (An occasional piece of chocolate is OK, but a daily chocolate is not) Is anyone successfully doing this? Do you know anyone who has done this? Caffeine makes me too jumpy IMHO :scared: :scared: :scared:
Ofcourse u can do live without caffeine or cola.....just take breaks at appropriate times....sleep well and enough and dont miss your meals... 🙂
 
leorl said:
I like coke. I'll drink coffee, but only occassionally as an after-dinner thing. I don't use caffeine for its stimulant effect. I also wake up very early and go training before my classes/rotations start. So, it's possible. Now, why is it not ok to have chocolate every day?

For starters, Chocolate contains some caffeine. So a chocalate a day is "cheating." Secondly, I can't afford the extra calories to be incorporated into already horrible eating habits.
 
I know someone who has survived basic sciences w/o Caffeine.
 
Oh fer' God's sake. If you go to bed at a decent hour and wake up at a reasonable time (sleeping, let's say, from 11PM until 7AM) you will find yourself completely refreshed in the morning and able to stay awake and function without stimulants.

I don't see how any young, single, medical student with no familial responsibilities needs lose sleep on a regular basis because of studying. Budget your time. Have the self-discipline to study at a regular time every day for a finite number of hours. Do all of your partying on Friday or Saturday night and then go back to your study routine.

If you are studying ten hours a day and losing sleep you are doing something wrong. Additionally, at many schools lecture attendance is not even mandatory and this time can be used for highly productive studying on top of or in the place of your usual after-lecture study regimin.

With that being said, Diet Dr. Pepper was invaluable for me during third year when you really will work some long, non-mandatory hours.
 
palminator2003 said:
For starters, Chocolate contains some caffeine. So a chocalate a day is "cheating." Secondly, I can't afford the extra calories to be incorporated into already horrible eating habits.

Cheating on what? What do you have against caffeine?
 
In undergrad, I've given up all coffee and other things that contain caffiene (like all soda) and I'm still able to take tough courseloads. Instead, I got hooked on vitamin C drops. I used to take 10 or more a day, though I've toned it down a bit.

Maybe it was the sugar, but they make me feel less tired. Either way, vitamin C is water soluble so I don't think it's a big deal. If anyone has heard otherwise, it would definitely be useful information for me. 😀
 
johnnychimpo said:
Try sleeping 30-45 minutes during the lunch break. Ive been doing this all year and it works like a charm w/o any caffeine. They've been doing this in Spain for centuries, it'll really energize you for the rest of the day.

C'mon people! Time to adopt the "siesta"!
 
Panda Bear said:
Oh fer' God's sake. If you go to bed at a decent hour and wake up at a reasonable time (sleeping, let's say, from 11PM until 7AM) you will find yourself completely refreshed in the morning and able to stay awake and function without stimulants.

I don't see how any young, single, medical student with no familial responsibilities needs lose sleep on a regular basis because of studying. Budget your time. Have the self-discipline to study at a regular time every day for a finite number of hours. Do all of your partying on Friday or Saturday night and then go back to your study routine.

If you are studying ten hours a day and losing sleep you are doing something wrong. Additionally, at many schools lecture attendance is not even mandatory and this time can be used for highly productive studying on top of or in the place of your usual after-lecture study regimin.

With that being said, Diet Dr. Pepper was invaluable for me during third year when you really will work some long, non-mandatory hours.
I agree with that completely 👍 👍
 
I'm trying to ease myself off of caffeine, but with my raging addiction and my very bad timing of deciding to quit in the middle of med school, it's going to be difficult. :scared:
 
PeterGriffin said:
I'm trying to ease myself off of caffeine, but with my raging addiction and my very bad timing of deciding to quit in the middle of med school, it's going to be difficult. :scared:

I tried over Christmas.... but a migraine ensued. So I took two tylenol, and a cup of coffee and all was well with the world again 👍
 
It's easy to go without the caffeine, just substitute with the best study partner of all good ole' Copenhagen. 😉
 
Im kind of annoyed. Our bookstore has been out of tylenol sinus since before christmas. Sometimes a little psuedophed fix does the trick.
 
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