4 useful tips to make the most of your time at medical school
Visit this blog post for 4 tips and tricks to settling and acing your time at medical school.
Being a licensed medical doctor is a highly respected occupation all around the globe. The profession comes with social responsibilities and is considered a rewarding career choice as it allows you to provide health services to society.
If you’re considering becoming a physician, then you’ll need to look into enrolling at a reputable medical school. Being in the right medical school will be exciting and challenging and your tenure there will shape the future of your career.
While studying in medical school, you’ll learn the foundational concepts of the basic sciences and will work in a clinical setting, which will ultimately help guide you into a specialty to pursue. Moreover, the rigorous and challenging environment offered at medical schools will help acclimate you to the routine of a doctor.
Rotational shifts and training provide you with an early insight into real life clinical settings and working within a medical facility. This training is crucial for becoming a licensed healthcare expert which, according to the World Health Organization, is among the fastest-growing professional roles. However, the profession is experiencing a deficit of 14.5 million healthcare experts globally.
Since getting into a medical school is an important achievement, you’ll have to ensure that you make the best use of this time. This can be achieved by following these medical school studying tips.
Tips to ace your medical school program
Medical school is a long-term commitment that should not be taken lightly. You should ensure that you make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. These four essential tips can go a long way in assisting you.
1. Create a consistent study routine with a structured learning style
Acquiring a medical degree requires hard work and many academic challenges. To overcome these, you’ll have to create a daily study routine to stick to. You can choose to study over the course of a few hours or to study for small pockets of time with a high level of frequency. However you choose to study, you must ensure that it meets a specific goal such as learning a set of medical terminology or covering a particular topic.
Another of our medical school study strategies is to find a learning style that suits you the best. There are four types of learning styles: visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic (VARK). So, while an aural learner might record lessons and learn, visual learners would instead use flashcards and highlighters. You can experiment with various kinds of learning methods and then settle for one that works the best.
2. Constant reminders act as motivation
Medical school can be gruelling and if you are not motivated enough then you will reach a point where you’ll want to give up. To avoid this, you must constantly remind yourself why you chose to become a doctor. The reason can be anything – you saw a loved one go through illness, you want to give back to society or you grew up with the value of helping others.
You should constantly remind yourself of why you chose to study medicine in order to help you through the tough academic study schedule of medical school.
3. Frequent Breaks
The idea of taking breaks amid a heavy study session may not sound tempting to medical students, but it can be useful. Taking strategic breaks can be refreshing for the mind and even the publication Psychology Today talks of how they can prevent decision fatigue which is the root cause of procrastination.
Psychology Today also states that taking a brief time-out from tasks that require sustained attention renews our strength and focus, which in turn helps us perform better. Study habits for medical students must involve a fair share of recreational activities which can range from taking a walk to stretching.
Students studying at Saba in the Caribbean can add taking a hike to Mt. Scenery or even enjoying the hot springs to their list of break activities. From scuba diving to a serene walk in nature, there is a lot that can renew and refresh your mind here.
4. Take care of your mental health
The pressure of medical school can take its toll on you. In such a situation, it’s important to address any sort of negative emotions or thoughts that you have. Reaching out to the right people such as your tutors or a support group within the school is necessary if you feel mentally overburdened.
Along with these make sure that you prioritize your mental health and stay fit through these tips:
- Don’t talk negatively about yourself but rather be encouraging and look for motivation through the right channels. This can be talking to your teachers or even listening to inspirational videos.
- Eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water. Stay away from the temptation of junk food or binge eating.
- Exercise daily and also incorporate yoga and meditation into your daily schedule.
- You can also write a journal to have a positive outlet for your emotions.
Being in a medical school is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a learning experience that will enhance you personally and professionally. The foundation of your medical career is strengthened during this time and you need to take complete advantage of it by learning from all sources including classmates and mentors. You can even read up on current news in the medical industry.
The journey to becoming a doctor requires a lot of hard work and it’s necessary to be mindful while studying. Hence, during your medical studying, soak up the experience and make the most of the opportunity!
Picking the right medical school is the most important step in a medical student’s journey. Saba University School of Medicine is a well established and fully accredited medical school in the Caribbean that offers students a conducive learning environment as well as an excellent education in the Basic Sciences and Clinical Medicine.
Along with an impressive faculty and state-of-the-art learning facilities, the medical school also offers a great student experience and constant student support. You can also enjoy a plethora of activities like scuba diving and hiking on the serene island nation of Saba.
For prospective students
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