Medical students learn early on that stress, long hours, inconsistent diet, inadequate sleep and exercise are the norm and often expected in medical school, residency and even practice. Of course, this lifestyle is bad for the health, which is ironic considering that med students are devoting their lives to healthcare. Many students and doctors suffer from burnout and exhaustion, which decreases effectiveness, empathy and productivity, in addition to making them very susceptible to illness and depression.
While in med school, students focus on many obligations: studying, research projects, socializing and extra-curricular activities such as volunteering, club memberships and even teaching. There simply is not enough time in a day to do all of this successfully, no matter how motivated and ambitious one might be. And every year in med school becomes increasingly more challenging.
Modern medicine has grown by leaps and bounds, with better diagnostic practices, more treatment options and increased technology, but the idea of prevention and health promotion has not yet become a priority across the board. There needs to be a better balance of treating disease and keeping people healthy.
With this in mind, med schools can implement this concept from Day 1. Students need to be healthy throughout their training, making them better healthcare givers. In order to be an empathetic healer and an effective clinician, med students need to learn to be an example of healthy living. If students learn to take care of themselves now, they will be able to teach their patients, from experience, how to make it a priority.
Students regularly should take a self-inventory of how they rate in diet, fitness, sleep, stress levels, risk-taking and emotional well-being. They should take the pulse of how med school and its culture are affecting their health and monitor all activities. Most likely it will be clear that improvements can be made.
Many schools are making it known that help is available, so if things are too overwhelming or it becomes difficult to change their lifestyle, students should reach out and speak with the professionals who understand.
Though none of this is new, one cannot be reminded enough of the following ways of self-care:
- Get plenty of exercise. This is not optional!
- Get plenty of sleep. It increases productivity and focus. It will improve confidence, ambition, strength, and mood. It may take discipline but it is well worth it.
- Good nutrition is imperative. There are ways to eat well even when in a hurry or when resources are limited. Whenever possible, choose healthier options, avoiding processed foods that are high in sugars and sodium. Make fresh foods a daily requirement.
Pay attention to emotional health:
- Keep stress under control. Stay organized and prioritize how time is spent. Med school is a culture of stress. Students do not need to be stressed just because everyone else may seem to be. This can be a more difficult challenge than expected. Meditation, yoga, or just breathing deeply will lower the blood pressure – and these methods do not take much time.
- Enjoy nature when possible. Often exercise and nature can be enjoyed simultaneously!
- Make friends outside of med school while staying close to current classmates. Try studying in groups.
- Making mistakes is human. No one is perfect and it is insane to think otherwise! If something is upsetting, talk about it with someone who is trustworthy and/or a professional.
- Stay positive and try to find joy wherever possible. Avoid negative people.
- Remember the reasons for being in medical school. Sometimes recalling the original inspiration will help re-energize.
- Take a few minutes each day to get centered to meet the demands of learning and performing. Feeling grounded promotes better choices and contentment with a rather intense career path. Also, it will be contagious!
Learn more tips for medical students. Subscribe to our blog!
