Relationships in Medical School

Written by Samuel Fuller

Medical school is hard. Maintaining a relationship while in medical school is even harder. As with any relationship, finding an understanding partner is key, but even more so in medical school. In medical school, time is filled with studying, shadowing opportunities, and research. You likely won’t have as much time as you did as an undergraduate student. This makes it difficult to maintain a relationship and can be especially hard if your partner isn’t also going through/has been through medical school.

As my significant other likes to say: “I am mentally in medical school.” This statement sums up what for a partner to be in a relationship with someone in medical school. For the most part, a lot of the relationship is dependent on the person with the more time-intensive schedule. This means that a non-medical partner may have to make sacrifices. On the flip side, for medical students, we must remember that our partners make huge sacrifices for us. Additionally, as a medical student, it is important to set aside dedicated time to maintain our relationships. My partner and I try to take a least one full day a week to do whatever we want, whether that be lying in bed and binge-watching the latest Netflix show or going out for an activity.

As with any relationship, communication is key. During my surgery rotation, it was difficult to spend one full day a week together. During this rotation, the schedule was more intense and there were 24-hour calls. On busier rotations, it is important to communicate with your partner and set realistic expectations for your work hours and study time. This means taking the time to enjoy the small moments like car rides, grocery shopping, or dinners together. By communicating and setting expectations, your partner will better understand the structure of your rotations as some are busier than others.

In summary, relationships in medical school involve key aspects of any relationship: communication, understanding, and sacrifice. However, these qualities are important in medical school. In addition, in medical school, we must remember how much our partner sacrifices and set realistic expectations for our schedule.