Musicians in Med School

[chad5871]

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Hello there. I am just curious to hear from musicians who are in med school. Do you get much of a chance to practice/play your instrument even if it's just recreational? I am asking because I have been playing the piano for 14 years and I can't imagine giving it up when I go to medical school. Are there pianos or places where students can play? It really helps me to relax and just calm down, especially when I'm under a lot of stress, which is probably going to be a lot of the time in medical school. Just curious as to what you guys do to fulfill the need for music in your hectic schedules...

 

[lilmo]

We have a ton of musicians in my class. One guy plays violin in a band that just released a CD, and they frequently have shows up here in KC. Of course, every time we have a school function, they book his band😉

We also have Doctor's Notes, a singing group, on campus. They perform at a variety of school functions as well.

I know of a half dozen guitar players who complain they don't get to play near as much as they used to in undergrad. But before you despair, this particular guitar player used to live the hippie life and play about 8 hours a day. So no worries. Plenty of time for music. 👍

 

[bjsunny]

I've been playing the flute and piccolo for almost half my life (currently 23 yrs old), and it is what I used to consider one of my defining personal attributes, because I was good. Real good. I'm not arrogant (I suck at pretty much everything else), but I know I had a lot of talent, and could have taken it further. I spent so much of my own money on private weekly lessons, honor clinics, etc etc. As a senior in high school, I dreamed of going to Notre Dame and, though still majoring in Biology, I really wanted a minor in music or music education, and to play with their marching band. Well, that didn't happen, and I instead attended a much smaller state school with a pretty lame excuse for a music department. I still played, but not in the avenue I had hoped for.

Now, as an M1, I've mostly given it up. I looked around the new community I currently live in, and couldn't come up with any ensembles that were either A) nearby or B) didn't have practice times on school nights for 3 hours. So, every once in awhile I play on a whim, but I've lost a lot of what used to make me a good musician, and it's kind of sad. I can only play so much on my own before I get bored...I really love being in ensembles and working with other instruments....But that's just my personal story.

 

[Pianoboe01]

Pianist and oboist here. I play the piano whenever I can -- it's a great stress reliever as you said. There are pianos on campus, but I just play at my parent's house, but I don't live with them. I've also had time for several paid oboe gigs throughout the year (arranged around exams of course). Definitely keep up your playing!

 

[frostynorthwind]

Pianist and oboist here. I play the piano whenever I can -- it's a great stress reliever as you said. There are pianos on campus, but I just play at my parent's house, but I don't live with them. I've also had time for several paid oboe gigs throughout the year (arranged around exams of course). Definitely keep up your playing!

Pianooboe1, where did you find the gigs to play? I'll be moving up to Chicago this next year to start med school and really want to find some type of ensemble to perform with (bassoonist, here 😀 ). I have searched online a fair amount but almost everything seems to require a pretty substantial time committment and a hefty commute, which I fear would not bode well for my preclinical grades. Nonetheless, I love playing the bassoon and don't want to give up playing in an ensemble entirely.

 

[Pianoboe01]

Pianooboe1, where did you find the gigs to play? I'll be moving up to Chicago this next year to start med school and really want to find some type of ensemble to perform with (bassoonist, here 😀 ). I have searched online a fair amount but almost everything seems to require a pretty substantial time committment and a hefty commute, which I fear would not bode well for my preclinical grades. Nonetheless, I love playing the bassoon and don't want to give up playing in an ensemble entirely.

I'm going to medical school in the city I'm from and went to undergrad in, so all my gigs are things I've been playing in for years. That includes a concert band, an orchestra, and random gigs (churches, weddings, dinners, etc.).

Don't know how what to tell you for finding your own gigs. Maybe if you emailed the undergrad bassoon prof at whatever school you're going to (if there is one), he could line you up with some paid gigs.

 

[gatheringhoney]

Pianooboe1, where did you find the gigs to play? I'll be moving up to Chicago this next year to start med school and really want to find some type of ensemble to perform with (bassoonist, here 😀 ). I have searched online a fair amount but almost everything seems to require a pretty substantial time committment and a hefty commute, which I fear would not bode well for my preclinical grades. Nonetheless, I love playing the bassoon and don't want to give up playing in an ensemble entirely.

I was just scrolling down to the Pharm postings, saw this thread and thought I could suggest Amateur Chamber Music Players, Inc. It's a terrific organization/database for musicians of all abilities and ages, and I think it's a terrific resource if you are looking to make contacts in new communities. Check out the website....

http://www.acmp.net/

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hello there. I am just curious to hear from musicians who are in med school. Do you get much of a chance to practice/play your instrument even if it's just recreational? I am asking because I have been playing the piano for 14 years and I can't imagine giving it up when I go to medical school. Are there pianos or places where students can play? It really helps me to relax and just calm down, especially when I'm under a lot of stress, which is probably going to be a lot of the time in medical school. Just curious as to what you guys do to fulfill the need for music in your hectic schedules...

There's plenty of time.

It's finals week, and I haven't missed a single NBA playoff game. I suppose I could have been playing my clarinet during this time if I really wanted to.

There's a piano in the lobby of our school anyway, if that's your thing.

P.S. GO MAVS!

 

[flipgirl12]

I'm a serious musician (majored in music at college and almost ended up going to school for doctrate in musicology, but was accepted to med school!). I play piano and violin equally.

Here's how I deal with my situation: 1) I bought an electronic piano. It is not competely full-length, but almost, and it has a graded touch. I play it almost every day, though sometimes not during exam studying. Sometimes I only practice 20 minutes a day, but I do it systematically - like, I have to play these two pieces through and then go over a piece in my repertoire. I do not feel like I've lost any technique and I have managed to learn about 3 new pieces this year, though not memorized yet! There is a piano in the back of my lecture hall at school and during exam time I sometimes come early and play on it.

2) I joined a community orchestra. It was really hard because the level was much lower than I am used to and I cried very hard for about two months after every rehearsal. Now I like my fellow musicians and have just gotten used to the situation. We meet 2.5 hours a week, and there have been several weeks where I've had to miss (including a month block). I think maybe in a way it is good that the orchestra is not the level I am used to, because in those cases I probably would never have been able to skip. Sometimes I hated going because I had to study, but now I look forward to it. It is not a burden in general on my studies. I don't know what will happen in third year.

Also, I practice violin for 30 minutes every day, well, realistically, 5 or 4 days a week. I started out practicing an hour a day but when I started not practicing because I felt it would be too much with my studying, I realized that if I limit myself to 30 minutes I am more likely to play more often. I do feel like my technique has degraded somewhat, and I have learned very little new music.

This is how to deal with everything though: realize first that this is only temporary. In four years life will be different and, Lord willing, you will be back to artistic life, playing in high-level ensembles and being free to think about Stravinsky and Shostakovich instead of capillaries and blood pressure every moment that you are awake. It is a temporary set back to your interests, but they will come back and you just have to wait it out. Also, it's not like you are sacrificing your music for nothing - medicine is a noble thing.

Also, honestly, before medical school I went through a crisis in which I thought I wouldn't have any art in my life in medical school, and while that is true to a great extent, the thing is - you are SO BUSY in medical school that you don't notice it and even when you do notice it you are too preoccupied or too tired to let it upset you.

 

[chad5871]

All of these responses have been SO helpful and encouraging -- thanks! I think it would be great to be a part of a jazz choir (either a capella or with accompaniment). I don't know if any schools have this or not, but I'd be interested in starting one if we didn't have something like that at my SOM. How difficult is it to start a student organization in medical school? I was in a jazz choir in high school, and we had so much fun together - besides the high school musical, that's where I made most of my friends. =)

 

[cromagnon]

i spend at least a couple hours with my gear every day. there is PLENTY of time to do whatever you want, IF you plan ahead. as time intensive as medical school is, i say that if you cannot find an hour during the day to do the stuff you like you are doing something wrong...at least for ms1/2

"music is the best"

 

[fantasty]

Some of our students still perform occasionally at school events (including a regular group of drummers, a dance group, and an acapella group). But there's also a med student marching band (they don't perform very often but they seem to have fun).

 

[Cinnameg]

Some of our students still perform occasionally at school events (including a regular group of drummers, a dance group, and an acapella group). But there's also a med student marching band (they don't perform very often but they seem to have fun).

Any semi-serious classical singers out there? Has anybody found time for voice lessons? I've had eight years of them, and I am very worried about losing technique in med school, but my school seems to not have a singing group of any kind! Shocking. I think that the local opera chorus would be fun, but they probably practice too much. Any singers have any advice?

 

[Brickhouse]

French horn - played in the undergrad symphonic group for a little bit and in the med school follies show band - I couldn't imagine giving it up. 🙂

 

[Brickhouse]

Some of our students still perform occasionally at school events (including a regular group of drummers, a dance group, and an acapella group). But there's also a med student marching band (they don't perform very often but they seem to have fun).

wtf a marching band? that's incredible.

 

[jameslynton]

Hi chad5871,
To stay quite I have one of my electric guitars with me. All my acoustics are in storage. I miss the big acoustic sound, I stum out on my southern fried chops and licks and miss my blues deville amp. It is a bit much to haul around. Also would get in trouble with it unless I have 5 arces around me.
Find it relaxing, keep on playing.
J

 

[orientedtoself]

I'm an M4 at Michigan, and I've been in the Life Sciences Orchestra for all four years. It's an ensemble drawn entirely from the life sciences community- students, faculty, and staff in the medical school, dental school, nursing, social work, and public health. We have two free concerts per year (one of which is coming up tomorrow night- for those of you in Ann Arbor, it's at 8pm in Hill Auditorium). http://www.umich.edu/~lsorch/

 

[Bubb Rubb]

bumping an old thread, as i'm on a searching spree and this topic is dear to me:

i've been serious about my music for many years, and have traditionally been a first- or second-call ringer around town.

i'm currently an M3, and it's been a steady decrease in the amount of time i've been able to devote to the craft: 1st year i played in a quintet, a community orchestra, was a regular ringer for a few others, and did freelance gigs without much discrimination about quality or pay. i basically spent 3-4 nights a week on average at rehearsal or on gigs, with the odd dry spell or crazy week.

2nd year i cut down to just the quintet, the one community orchestra, and only accepted freelance gigs with good compensation. by april i felt stressed enough about boards that i quit my quintet (sorry guys! another member was an md/phd candidate in her research years, for the record), and basically dropped down to 2 and change nights a week, ultimately approaching 0 in the month or two before boards.

so far this 3rd year i've had the time and energy to practice maybe 3 nights a week, and that's after taking almost 3 months off completely! (unprecedented, but doing well on boards and launching into the first rotation seemed like they were more important.) it's hard when you're on call twice a week... on the other hand, i also chose to do as many away rotations as possible just so that i wouldn't be tempted to try to maintain my previous schedule.

it's really hard to commit to being somewhere for rehearsal at 7 pm as a third year student, and indeed i think it would be irresponsible to try to do so (rotations such as ophthalmology and anesthesiology excepted, but you can't do those all year long). if your music doesn't involve groups and gigs as much as my somewhat commercial viewpoint does then you'll have an easier time keeping up with your routine. just don't expect to be able to do it every day like clockwork -- as much as music means to me, it means less than being able to sleep and eat adequately.

 

[LJDHC05]

I was a pretty serious choral singer in college, now I get my fix at karaoke night on wednesdays at the local bar in town...hopefully no one goes on facebook and pulls those pics out

 

[symphony]

I used to play the violin in an orchestra in high school. Now, I don't play anymore (very rarely). However, I still can't live without music. I think that 15 mins a day is always possible... We all need to take breaks some time 😀

If your school doesn't have a piano, a keyboard works just as well 🙂

 

[Jiminy Cricket]

i've played the banjo for 15 years and counting

i played for one of our parties...a barn dance.

i love music!

 

[Nebmuse]

I am an M3 and have played violin forever. I too was a music major in college, as well as biology. When I came to med school I thought my days of taking lessons was over. One day, I was talking with a classmate of mine whose wife is in the local symphony and he gave me the name of a violin shop in town. I went and checked it out. The owner offered to give me lessons as soon as he found out that I was a med student and a violinist. He knew that I was an adult student who wasn't going to have lessons every week, or even every other week. It has been great. Lessons are just fun and he is about the smartest musician I've ever met. For $50 an hour, it's a deal.

As an M3, however, I haven't had a lesson yet this year, and I am lucky to play once a week. The long days will do that to you. However, last year I found a violin that I absoultely fell in love with. It was way out of my price range so I bought it. I'll be paying for it for a while, but I don't regret it a bit. It's prefect and every time I play, I get so much joy. Plus, it's a great way to let my brain unwind. All you in med school know how important that is. I don't regret buying it at all.

I still spend time in his shop, and have learned so much about violin making and repair. They are happy to let me hang out and play their violins or hang out in the basement while they are working. I guess I am really lucky to find someplace like this, but if you can as well, it's awesome.