How To Thrive In Medical School

Are you planning to attend medical school at a top MD degree program? First of all, let me say. Congratulations! Becoming a doctor is hands down one of the most difficult yet rewarding career paths that you can choose.

I am 100% impressed by anyone who makes this decision. Before we go any further, I want to say that you should be proud of yourself.

Now that we got all of that out of the way let’s be real. Medical school is going to be difficult. Seriously. It’s not going to be a breeze, and it’s not party time, it is time to buckle down.

I say this because I want to be open and honest with you. Before you begin this journey, you should know that a good number of medical students experience burnout, or simply give up. I don’t want to scare you off, though, because, with some preparation, you can learn how to thrive in medical school.

I know you've already had your course by course evaluation form notarized by a professional, been accepted, and are just bursting to get going. 

However, before you head off to learn how to be the best doctor that you can be, check out these tips that will help you succeed in your journey.

Thriving In Medical School

The best advice that I can give you on how to thrive in medical school is first and foremost, forget about everything you know about “typical” education. Medical school is going to be completely different, and following the advice of others is extremely beneficial to your success.

Be Flexible

I already mentioned that you need to prepare for a completely different educational experience when you enter medical school. That means that you need to be flexible. Be flexible with your typical study habits and your typical learning strategies. You cannot expect your learning experience to be the same.

Maybe open yourself up to learning more about yourself and your divine nature. It could help you have more self-control over your mind and help you succeed.

Get rid of any stubbornness that you have, such as thinking, “I know how to do it; I don’t need to do it differently” Challenge the old! Embrace the new!  You might find that you love the new ways of learning.

Be Organized

There is a lot of work that goes into medical school. A lot of paperwork, a lot of books, a lot of notes and to succeed in your studies, all of these things need to be well organized. With disorganization comes chaos, which adds to the feelings of being overwhelmed.

Study Space

A quiet space to study is imperative to a successful learning environment. This space needs to be organized and clutter-free. In this space, you should include study tools that help you learn (quiet music, coffee on hand, etc.).

Lay Out Your Schedule

It may seem a bit extreme, but it is important to layout your daily schedule. Schedule out when you will have classes when you have mealtime, study time, and yes, you also need to schedule in your time off to allow yourself even just a small break in your schedule (important for mental health).

This can be done in a written planner or in a calendar app such as Google Calendar.

Maintain a Strong Social Circle

A strong social circle (friends or family) is critical to your success in medical school. Medical school is an incredibly stressful time in life, and knowing that you have the support of others can be a huge benefit to maintaining the motivation needed to continue.

In addition to your pre-med school family and friends, you also need to build relationships with other medical students. Trust me; you will inevitably need help in your studies. Knowing someone that can understand and is going through the same difficulties as you makes it much easier to thrive in school because you know that you are not alone.

Build Healthy Habits

It is extremely easy to lose track of taking care of your health when you are going through the rigors of medical school. Many medical students skip out on sleep and healthy eating, and many forget to exercise at all. It is an incredibly common occurrence with medical students.

Another healthy habit that many students forget to focus on is socialization. It seems like since you are so busy doing schoolwork, you won’t have time for socialization, but you still need to do it.

No, I’m not saying to go out and party. What I am saying is that to not burnout, you have to take breaks from work. You cannot expect to live medical studies 24/7 and maintain proper mental health. You must take time for yourself.

Learning to follow these tips will help you learn how to thrive in medical school from the start. Additionally, these tips should be utilized together so that they can build off of one another to help you further succeed. Think about it like this, once you create better study strategies, you will then have more time to focus on your health and more time to spend with your friends and loved ones, all of which will help keep you refreshed and help to prevent burnout.

Becoming a doctor is such a wonderful and rewarding goal. I wish you all the best on your journey to get there!