"As someone thinking about going to medical school, any insight into the daily routines is welcome."

Stranded writes:

As someone thinking about going to medical school, any insight into the daily routines is welcome. I don't know how you find time to blog, with all the other stuff you have to do. And is that a Bible on top of that stack of books?

"As someone thinking about going to medical school, any insight into the daily routines is welcome."

I've posted my daily schedule here a couple of times in the past, but I haven't done it this semester, so I guess it won't be too redundant to do it again:

• 6:00am - Wake up.  (w/ alarm clock)
• 7:00am - Get to campus.
• 8:00am - Lecture Begins
• 12:00noon - Lunch
• 1:00pm - Either Lecture (Again) or Anatomy Lab
• 3:00 or 4:00 or 5:00 - Lecture / Lab Ends
• 6:00pm - Home. Relax. Cook. Eat. Shower.
• 8:00pm - Attempt to Preview the next day's lectures / Make Flash Cards / Watch Anatomy Dissection Videos
• 11:00pm - Sleep.

-When I get to class at 7:00 I'm usually printing out slides.
-Sometimes I get lazy.  I'm not a robot.
-If I stick to the above schedule I feel great at the end of the day and I feel like I'm on top of things.  If I don't, it's time for Heinekens and Red Bulls the next day.
-In other words, when I wake up in the morning, this schedule is the goal.  I actively think about accomplishing this when I wake up.
-Sometimes there are random other things to do, like simulation labs, PBL, etc.


"I don't know how you find time to blog, with all the other stuff you have to do."

I blog (and I've stuck with it for over 3 years now) for 2 reasons:

1. This is one of the things I do when I don't feel like thinking.  This is kind of break time for me.
2. I enjoy writing.  It's one of those things that I've always done.

"And is that a Bible on top of that stack of books?"

It's funny that you say that because it might as well be.  It's the same medical dictionary that I've been keeping with me since last semester.  And yes, I've been keeping us with that same Dictionary Trick this semester.  (Except this semester I'm using a different highlighter color and it's interesting to see all of the words that I don't know that I should know.  And also, I think it works.  I can usually look at any of the words and put them into context of where it was introduced in my medical education first.)


Hope that helps.