All-nighters are unavoidable in medical school. With overwhelming medical school work given in very limited time, you have no other choice but to pull an all-nighter. Many medical students even consider it as a “rite of passage” to the medical world. Losing hours of sleep to get work done is not the healthiest thing to do, but sometimes it is the only option you have. Here are some tips to help you cope with medical school all-nighters.
Limit sugar and caffeine intake
Coffee, chocolate, soda, candy, and energy drinks are very popular during all-nighters because they will keep you up all night long. Intake of sugary food and caffeinated beverages, however, affects your concentration – a definite no-no during test day. Instead of having sweets and caffeine for midnight snacks, stack up on protein-rich food like cheese and sandwiches. Eating protein-rich food helps in improving metabolism, developing immunities, and boosting brain power.
Find time to get more sleep
All-nighters are supposed to last the whole night through, but try to find some time to sneak even an hour-long nap. Because most all-nighters are spent in the company of classmates, ask one of your classmates to cover for you while you doze off into la-la land. Sleep deprivation is hazardous not only to your grades but also to your health. Not getting enough sleep alters your concentration, affects your decision-making skills, and even strains your mood. What benefits will you get from an all-nighter if you’re too sleepy to function the next day?
Do not pull an all-nighter every chance you get because doing so is very dangerous to your health. It will affect your Circadian rhythms, your sleeping habits, and even your short-term memory. To avoid all-nighters, always focus during classes and never succumb to procrastination. Recent studies also show that medical students who frequently pull all-nighters are more vulnerable to getting low GPAs. Sleep deprivation, after all, prevents you from reaching your full academic potential. Still want to pull an all-nighter?
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“What are the qualities of successful doctors?” is the question that both practicing medical doctors and medical students want to be answered. Of course, you are curious. After all, you want to be a successful doctor too. So, what makes them successful? Is it their excellent choice of medical schools? Their outstanding grades? To give you some tips on how to be a great physician someday, here are some of the qualities of successful doctors:
Successful doctors are excellent communicators
Social interaction is both inevitable and important in medical practice. Case in point: Dr. Cristina Yang of Grey’s Anatomy. Dr. Yang graduated received top honors from Stanford Medical School and got her PhD from Berkeley. She is a walking medical textbook with excellent surgical skills. So, what’s missing? People skills. Dr. Yang is not comfortable with communicating with her patients or good at delivering terrible news. You need to find a balance between medical aptitude and social skills to be a successful doctor. Patients are people too, and they need to be taken care of with enough sensitivity.
Successful doctors are keen observers
Great things, they say, come in small packages, and this still holds true when it comes to diseases and disorders. Malaria starts with a tiny mosquito bite. Cancer begins with a small malignant tumor. An eye for detail is very important in medical practice because it will help you in easily identifying the cause of an illness or the problem of a patient. A keen observation will help you save a person’s life. In medical practice, you have to stay curious and alert 100% of the time before things get worse. If you wish to have a successful career in medicine, then you should start practicing that Sherlock Holmes vigilance.
Successful doctor are time management experts
Yes, time management is very important in medical practice. Time management, however, doesn’t start with medical residency. It should start during medical school. Practicing excellent time management skills during medical school not only helps you study all your lessons well but it also helps you get more sleep. Organizing your daily activities into a tight schedule is very effective in fighting procrastination and laziness. If your schedule for studying biochemistry is from 8:00 to 10:30 pm only, then you must understand pyruvate oxidation by 10:30 pm. And if your schedule indicates that you need to be asleep from 12:00 midnight to 5:00 am, then you better be in bed once midnight strikes.
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Marriage and medical school work are two of the toughest things to manage. Both need your full attention and 100% dedication. So, what happens when you find yourself in a situation where you have to fulfill duties as a student and as a wife and mother? Can you survive medical school and save your marriage at the same time?
Juggling spousal responsibilities and medical school work
If you are a woman, juggling marriage and medical school will be extra hard for you. As a wife, you are expected not only to take care of your husband but also to take care of your household. You have to cook dinner, wash dishes, sweep floors, and buy groceries while studying for pharmacology or neuroanatomy. If you can afford it, then get some household help. It may cost you money, but it will also lessen your chores and increase your sleep hours. By taking your mind off household chores, you are also able to focus more on your studies.
Balancing marriage, medical school work, and parenting
What is more difficult than juggling marriage and medical school? Parenting duties. It takes a lot of willpower to succeed in maintaining your marriage, passing your subjects, and raising your child at the same time. It is difficult, yes, but it is still very possible to excel in both roles. All you need is excellent time management skill. Organize a daily schedule of your activities. During your time off medical school, spend some quality time with your spouse and your child. It doesn’t matter if you visit a park or stay at home, what’s important is that you enjoy your time together.
If you are yet to be parents, then wait until graduation or residency before having children. This is not to say that a baby will ruin your chances of finishing medical school. A baby is always a blessing, but it will also make things more challenging for you. Parenting is a serious obligation that needs 100% attention and commitment. It will be thrice as hard to survive the stress of medical school and overcome the pressure of parenting. Don’t try to be a superhero. Do things one step at a time.
Marriage is not always a disadvantage to medical students. Knowing that somebody at home is waiting for you is enough inspiration to help you do well in your tests and examinations. Besides, a warm and sweet “welcomed home” from your wonderful and supportive partner after a stressful day in medical school is all you need to stay happy.
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Got a study group invitation lately? Well, if you did, then you should say yes right away. Joining study group sessions is not only a great opportunity to meet potential partners, but it is also a good chance to improve your study habits and academic perforamce. And in the stress-filled world of medical school, study group sessions might just be your key to survival.
No room for procrastination
The worst enemy of studying is procrastination. Recurring thoughts of “I still have time” and “maybe tomorrow” will most likely direct you toward a movie theater instead of a library. There is no room for procrastination in a study group. In study group sessions, you study not only for yourself but also for the entire study group. If you put off your reading assignments or teaching duties, then the other members of your study group will also lag behind their medical school work. Be responsible and considerate. Many people are counting on you.
Enough collection of ideas
Study group sessions involve lots of discussions. You will be assigned one topic per session and you will be in-charge of explaining it to the rest of the study group. After your teaching duty, however, there will be a group discussion where each member will give his or her comments or ideas about the previously discussed topic. When you study alone, your ideas are only limited to what your brain can generate. In study group sessions, however, you also learn about the thoughts and ideas of your colleagues. Two heads are better than one, they say, and a gathering of bright minds in one room will generate enough ideas to complete a textbook. Besides, you will have more ideas on what to expect on your next test!
More chances for self-improvement
The benefits of joining study group sessions go beyond good grades and new friends. Frequently speaking before a small study group helps build your confidence and develop your interpersonal skills – qualities that every doctor must need. Getting used to listening to other people’s explanations or ideas is also an effective way to improve your attention span and recall ability. Exchanging ideas and comparing notes with your fellow study group members is actually a good preparation for your medical career. They allow you to enhance your critical thinking and problem solving skills by assessing not only your ideas but also your colleagues’.
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Like in a battlefield, survival is a struggle in medical school. You have to be emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially prepared to face all the challenges that might come your way. If you are not equipped with appropriate weapons or provided with proper training, you will have an even more difficult struggle than the rest. To survive life in medical school, you always have to be one step higher than what is expected from you. Here are some of the things you should do to prepare for medical school.
* Take up required courses
Like most graduate studies, medical education also comes with its share of academic requirements. The required courses for medical school are biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English. Laboratory units in biology, chemistry, and physics are also needed. Although there are no specific requirements for a pre-medical college course, you are still advised to take up a science-related college course like biology or chemistry. Science-related courses, aside from including the basic academic requirements for medical school in their curriculum, are also good stepping stones for medical school. In medical school, be prepared to take up courses on biochemistry, pharmacology, anatomy, and other pure biological sciences. So, it’s important that you have a solid background on them.
* Develop study habits
Medical school should be taken seriously. If you successfully finished college by simply depending on your “stocked knowledge,” then you should probably start developing a new study habit for medical school. School work in medical school is overwhelming and if you are not prepared for it, you might easily give in and just drop out. Before the academic year starts, try reading medical textbooks to refresh your mind with scientific concepts. If you want, you can also prepare yourself for exams by answering medical quizzes on the Internet. Practice studying now because you need to get used to it anyway.
In medical schools, professors expect their students to come to class prepared. This means that students should have done some advanced reading on the topics to be discussed so that they can participate actively in the discussion. The long hours spent reading and studying for subjects in medical school are the primary reason medical students stay up all night studying.
* Prepare your physical health
In medical school, your best weapon against stress and pressure is your health. You have to maintain a fit physique and a healthy mind to endure the limited sleep hours, overwhelming school work, and endless academic pressure. How can you pass clinical pathology if you are too weak to get up from bed? Health is wealth, and in this case, wealth is your education. You cannot enrich your education if you cannot attend classes or perform experiments because you are too sickly to function. Besides, how can you be a good doctor if you don’t even know how to take care of your own health?
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You have the power to turn your dreams into reality, even if it means juggling your responsibilities as a mother and a medical student. Having a baby is never enough reason to give up your dreams of being a great medical practitioner. If you have been dreaming of having an M.D. after your surname ever since you were a child, then you should do whatever it takes to make that dream come true. It is difficult, yes, but it is also attainable. All it takes to be Dr. Mom is perseverance and determination.
Balancing motherhood with medical school
They say that you will only find success if you persevere enough to attain it. Balancing motherhood and medical school work is never easy because both responsibilities require your full attention and absolute commitment. The key to managing both motherhood and medical school is to take everything one step at a time. Multi-tasking might work for some people, but it is best to concentrate on what task before moving on to the next. Not only will this help you avoid confusion but it will also allow you to give undivided attention to everything that you do.
Worrying about your child
One of the biggest distractions in your medical school work is the constant thoughts of “Do we still have enough diapers for my baby?” and “Did the nanny remember to sterilize the milk bottles?” Constant worrying will not do you much good – it will only prevent you from finishing your tasks or comprehending your lessons. Although it is inevitable for mothers to worry, always assure yourself that your child is being taken care of at the moment. Whenever you start worrying about your child, say this to yourself: “I have to focus on my studies. This is for my baby’s future.” Also, you must learn when to ask for help when it is truly needed.
Overcoming physical and mental stress
Medical school, in itself, is stressful enough. When coupled with mommy duties, medical school work becomes even more difficult to endure. Fight the stress and pressure by taking pleasure in small things such as an amazing A+ after long hours of studying for neuroanatomy, a sweet “Honey, I’m home!” greeting from your husband, and a successful attempt at measuring blood pressure. The only way to battle the challenges of juggling motherhood and medical school work is to remember the things that are worth sacrificing for. Besides, seeing your baby smile at you after a long day in medical school is enough to keep you moving forward.
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Beyond Sample Medical School Personal Statements: Life in Medical School and Residency Programs
So, what’s next after studying sample medical school personal statements, writing your admission essays, the MCAT and the application processes? Your life as a medical student and, eventually, as a resident. Sample medical school personal statements may tell you everything that schools are looking for in applicants, but, that’s just as far as they go. Sample medical school personal statements cannot tell you how your life may be in medical school, so, take time to read the points in this article to be prepared.
Beyond sample medical school personal statements: The bills
For some, the start of preparations for medical school applications is reviewing sample medical school personal statements. But after you’ve passed the applications, you’ll need to think about your future spending. Medical students and residents often need to shell out a large amount of money to pay for books, allowances, materials and living expenses. To provide for your needs, it is better–and easier–to avail of student loans.
Beyond sample medical school personal statements: The first two years
You may have read from sample medical school personal statements about the skills that applicants possess. The skills cited in sample medical school personal statements are also what you must possess to get past your first two years in medical school. There is a lot of information you have to learn in such a short time, so, brace yourself. Then, after your second year in medical school, you must take the first of the three-part United States Medical Licensing Examination.
Beyond sample medical school personal statements: The third and fourth years
When studying sample medical school personal statements, you may have noticed that many of the applicants have the special trait of being able to make people feel comfortable and assisted. This personal trait often mentioned in sample medical school personal statements is what you need to progress in your third and fourth years in medical school.
During these years, you’ll deal with patients. You’ll be exposed to the different specialties in medicine both in the hospital and in the classroom. You must also start deciding on which specialty you’ll focus on after graduation. Finally, you must pass the second of the three-part exam after your fourth year.
Beyond sample medical school personal statements: Residency
In sample medical school personal statements, applicants may already have an idea of what field in medicine they want to specialize in. This may be true for you as well, but do keep an open mind for other specialties while in medical school. During your residency, you’ll be training and learning about the specialty you have chosen. Training will take place in teaching hospitals where doctors are more than willing to educate. Finally, to get a license to work as a US doctor, you’ll need to take the third part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
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