Hi it’s Medical Motivate, today I am going to share the top 5 ways I stay motivated in Medical School.

1. Make a schedule and stick to it

I would say this is one of the best things to do when beginning Medical School. Medical School is a marathon, not a sprint. I cannot stress this enough, MAKE AND STICK to a schedule. This will help you become diligent in your studies throughout a whole entire term/semester. If you feel like your schedule is a little bit too hard or easy, feel free to adjust it along the way.

Here is a schedule I made while studying for my Step 1 exam. Make sure to get a good amount of sleep each day!

2. Write down your goals and look at them every day

I cannot emphasize this enough. As the world-renown clinical psychologist Fitzhugh Dodson once said “A goal that is not written down is nothing more than a wish.”

These are the goals I have set and have posted on my bedroom door. I read these every morning before I leave to start my day!

3. Exercise and Eat Healthy

You need to get the jitters out. I don’t know if it is just me but I cannot effectively sit in a room for more than four hours without me getting restless. On your breaks exercise which enables you to stay focused while studying. Eating healthy is just as important. It’s hard to stay concentrated during a sugar crash.

When you exercise whether it is lifting weights or running make sure not to overdo it. You will still need energy for your postworkout study sessions!

4. Find friends to study NEXT TO

If there was anybody in the world that hates group study it is me. I always found it inefficient and ineffective. I realize most people like studying at their own pace. You do not need to study together but you at least need someone to study next to. Having a study buddy to sit by really helps you be accountable for your schedule and vice versa. I always felt guilty watching Youtube for so long while my friend was deep in thought memorizing all those nasty Nephrotic and Nephritic syndromes.

This is my friend I sat next to almost every day in class which motivated me to get to class. Humans are social beings find someone you can vibe with!

5. Look at the overall purpose of why you are at school

Ultimately YOU ARE GOING TO BECOME A DOCTOR AND ARE GOING TO SAVE LIVES! See the overall picture. Find and remind yourself of the reason why you are attending medical school. It could be that you lost a lost loved one to a disease or maybe you aspire to find a new cure in the treatment for cancer. Whatever it is, this will ultimately help you get through the onslaught of facts you need to memorize. For me, whenever I get tired I call my dad, a now-retired physician. I talk to him about all his experiences and I can relate to him what I am going through during medical school. Hearing some of his experiences and stories of saving and treating lives motivates me to do the same.

This is a picture of my father taking a power nap while attending medical school and raising a family.

I hope this helped you out today. Let me know what motivates you through medical school. Comment below or contact me at medicalmotivate@gmail.com

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