Evaluating Priorities: Personal Life and Medical School

Identifying activities can help medical students balance medical school and personal life. Upon graduation, you may think “I did it! No more stress!”, however, this is not the case in medical school. If you choose to get involved in the field of medicine, you have to be disciplined, focused and make time for studying. Learning how others do it is always a good idea. The best place to start is to comprehend what aspects of life are the most significant to you. Such aspects will in turn motivate you to uphold your commitment to medical school.

You may choose to get involved in volunteer programs and spend some additional time getting real-life experience, thereby contributing to the community. This is a great approach, though you should bear in mind that it can be demanding. Putting in a few hours a week is often recommended because it will leave you time for more flexible scheduling. Personal and family relationships are very vital factors in life. Long distance relationships accompanied by medical school can be challenging, especially if finances and studies determine the frequency of visits. While there is no easy way to solve their challenges, advancement of the Internet and video chats have made closeness easier.If you are juggling your personal life and medical school and you feel you are having a hard time, it is advisable to consult with an academic advisor. Even students who are extremely focused on learning and patient care may not want to sacrifice that much freedom. 

What matters most to you? What life do you want to live?

There are many activities that can eat up valuable free time – watching your favorite shows, dinner with friends, partying, communicating on social media, family time and many others. It is always recommended to consider what matters most to the life you want to live.
Being a medical student does require time, effort and patience, but it is a highly rewarding experience. Knowing that you have the ability to help other individuals is something that holds the utmost value. It is possible to juggle activities and still have time to do the things you love.

If you want to define a balance between medical school and having a personal life, you must first define what type of life you wish to have.
Being a medical student involves learning something new every day, taking opportunities to make a difference and having fun with the people you go to school with. Medical school offers a wide range of opportunities to learn and broaden your skills but it is entirely up to you how you set your priorities. You should choose the path that will allow you to get the true meaning and joy out of being a student, friend, co-worker and medical professional.