Balancing Personal Relationships
Written by Alisa Malyavko
Good time management is a critical part of being successful in medical school. Not only is it important to make time for lectures and extracurricular activities, but setting aside time to spend with friends, significant others, and family will help improve overall well-being.
Before entering medical school, I was told several times that I will only be able to see family and friends over holiday breaks during preclinical years and could forget about seeing anyone during rotations. Hearing this made me more anxious about my ability to handle the workload of medical school. It seemed like I was being given an ultimatum – success in medical school or friends and family. And I’m here to tell you that you can maintain your close relationships while still pursuing the career of your dreams.
I decided to interview some of my classmates to see how they manage to balance school, volunteering, research, and still sustain important social connections. I’ll be describing specific relationship examples below, but these can be applied to friends, significant others, and family members!
1. Create a shared calendar
Sometimes it can be difficult to find free time in both your and your partner’s schedule. A close friend of mine created a shared google calendar with her significant other where they add times they are working, the free time they have, and time they would like to spend alone. This has helped reduce the amount of energy spent on texting back and has reduced the overall stress of making plans.
2. Make meals together
Everyone has to eat – even busy medical students need to make time for meal breaks. Going to the grocery store, waiting in line, and finding recipes can seem a little daunting and time-consuming, so many individuals turn to meal kit services to simplify some of these steps. Some great meal kits that my classmates use are HelloFresh and Blue Apron. Making dinner with a friend or family member can be a great way to catch up while cooking up a fun meal and giving yourself a mental break from work.
3. Workout together
There are many ways to combine moving your body with socializing. Some of my friends and I created a running group when medical school first started to get outside and make the most of 30 free minutes. Additionally, a lot of studios offer discounts for first-time participants or give a free pass to bring a friend. I’ve had the opportunity to use friends’ guest passes to workout studios such as SoulCycle, Orange Theory, and Solid Core.
4. Use the virtual time you have wisely
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our medical school transitioned many of our electives during our clinical years to virtual. This allowed many students to go back to where they were from and spend time with their families while participating in a virtual elective. This was also a good time for those in long-term relationships to go visit their significant other. Since it can be difficult getting time off during an in-person rotation, these electives can be a good time to attend a family gathering or wedding.
5. Zoom is not just for meetings
Although we are all probably experiencing some level of Zoom fatigue, this can be a great platform to keep up with important people who you can’t see face to face. Zoom can help facilitate some of the activities mentioned above (making dinner via a shared recipe or doing an online workout class together) and can also be used for many other things! Having a Zoom movie night can be a fun way to destress and relax after a long week of studying. Also, several games, such as the Jackbox games, have become popular games to play remotely with others.
Although schoolwork is a top priority in medical school, there are many ways to make the best use of any free time you have and spend it with those who matter most to you!
