Since med school began in February, I have settled myself into a daily routine. I would wake up, go to class, come home, eat and study. Everyday I would see the same group of people, every hour of class would be packed full of new information, and every night I would try to decode the information and integrate it into my brain.
As you can tell dear reader, as a med student you are immersed in the culture of medicine and at times it can feels like it's become your life.
Last week, we finally had a week of holiday. Compared to those undergraduate students that have 7 weeks off, our measly 1 week break is nothing at all. However for us, this is 33% of our total yearly inter semester break. I used this opportunity to go back to Taiwan and visit my family.
Over the last week, I've rediscovered a different routine. Taiwan was a different environment to Canberra. One was in the middle of summer, the other was freezing in winter. One environment was loud and busy, the other was peaceful and quiet. One was full of good food to eat out, and the other was an environment where I needed to cook my own meals. More importantly, one was where family lived, and there other was where my fellow med friends were.
The change in company and environment forcefully yanked myself from the daily routine I had established for the last few months. I was away from my study desk, textbooks, friends and notes but instead surrounded by family, food and a comfy bed. While I tried to do some school work while there, within 2 days I couldn't find the motivation. After staying in Taiwan for 4 days, for a brief moment I forgot I was a med student.
The change was refreshing. It reminded me that there is a life outside of studying, and it is crucial to find a good balance between medicine and 'me-time'. For the first time in a while, I picked up a novel that wasn't a text book. I talked had discussion with people that wasn't about medicine. I spent a day just eating, drinking and relaxing without feeling any guilt about falling behind. Ahh, that was a nice feeling.
But alas, I would be telling you a lie if I really 'forgot' I was a med student. Afterall, the mentality is like a little goblin squatting in the corner of your mind. The novel I read were a series of short stories about diagnosis (Every patient tells a story by Lisa Sanders M.D.) , the conversations with my family were about my experiences in Canberra and how I felt about my degree. Every now and then I would be reminded by the goblin about an assignment that is due soon. But at least it wasn't the main focus on my mind every day.
There is another confession I need to make. I may have made the med school culture seem dreadful, but the truth is I find the full immersion into medicine very enjoyable. Yes it can be stressful, but I love the things I am learning. Every lecture I tackle and conquer gives me a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy discussing my new knowledge with friends who seem to enjoy it too. Surely some people may think students like us 'don't have a life', but when you're enjoying the experience as much as I am I think So what? I like it!
By the end of the week, the tension and stress built up over the past 19 weeks had melted away and I feel refreshed and ready to tackle classes again! To any future med students, it's important to give yourself some time away from study every now and then. Too much stress can lead to burn-out where you just stop giving a rat's ass about the task at hand (regardless of how much you enjoy it).
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