22 for 2022: Med Student Resolutions

Hey Everybody! So glad to be a part of the ND MD family. I’ve been thinking a while now about how to start off things here at the blog, but my brain keeps jumping around. Maybe it’s because I’m about to start dedicated study (RIP in peace), maybe it’s because I’m about to enter my last year of med school (also RIP in peace), or maybe it’s the fact 2022 is upon us (can’t be worse than 2020 or 2021 right?….Sigh, RIP in peace), but change is everywhere. So with that, I thought what changes have I made these last few years and what more could I make for the year to come for life in medical school to be the best it can be.

#1 Wake-up, phone down: get a morning routine

I know I know, basic right? But for good reason. How you start the day sets the tone for everything to come. The first few choices you make when you wake up can lead to a day of productivity or a day of scrolling through posts in bed, shame-eating oreos and promising tomorrow you’ll start getting it done. So, put the phone down for 60 mins when you wake up. That includes all socials: don’t let someone else’s moment frame your experience the day, create your own frame. Get a quick workout in, take a shower, get that cup of coffee, make a list of all you want to accomplish before day’s end, or whatever you need to do to get in the right mindset, that first hour is the most important hour of your day. And MOST importantly, whatever routine you make, STICK WITH IT! It may be a pain and a half to start, but getting in the habit of a productive morning is a sure-fire way to change your 2022 for the better.

#2 Sleep isn’t for the weak: get a nightly routine

What’s as important as that first hour of the day? The last one. How you end the day will either give you the energy to conquer what comes tomorrow or fall back into the same habits you’re trying to break. Now, everyone says the same things about “no screens an hour before bed” or “read 30 mins every night” or “bed before 11 to get 8 hours in heaven.” I’m not even going to pretend to suggest these to med students who barely find time to eat. What I will say is something hard for a lot to grasp: learn to give yourself a break. Work your butt off during the day, but allow yourself the day to end at some point. There’s no use in studying another hour when nothing is sticking. Close out Anki, put down socials, and let yourself unwind. Personally, I listen to music for 20 mins while stretching or rolling out on a foam roller. Then I set out what I’m going to wear the next day and brainstorm a quick task list for all I’d like to accomplish tomorrow. Try and give yourself half an hour free of your phone to protect your circadian rhythm. That way you can best recharge and take on next day.

#3 Exercise: 30 for 30

Med students work out their mind seemingly 24:7. Give your mind some rest and put your body to work instead. Not only will it energize you for working later, but for god’s sake it gives you a study break even your guilty, type-A conscious can get on board with. Something I’m trying this next month is what I’m calling a “30 for a 30 challenge.” Every day, 30 mins a day, for 30 days I’m going to exercise in some way shape or form (trying to new exercise every day) to see how it boosts my energy and creativity. Please feel free to join and let me know what kind of workouts you end up trying or how you feel differently during the challenge!

Let me know about how your 30 for 30 is going here!

#4 Stuck in a study rough? Break out of complacency

Someone once told me med students spend more time studying every day than they do sleeping, eating, and talking combined. Massive yikes. So it goes without saying if you don’t keep it fresh, life is going to get monotonous quite quickly. I’m not saying mess with your routine; if you’ve got a solid strategy down, don’t touch it. But if you’re like me and are tired of what you’ve been doing (especially with months of dedicated study about to begin), try switching up the location, the music you listen to, or even style of alone vs. group to keep things interesting. If it doesn’t work at first keep trying something, but that’s better than staying complacent with a method you know won’t get you fired up to learn.

#5 Give pomodoro a shot

Along with the previous point, don’t fall into the trap of sitting down for 12 hours straight and assuming you’ll get 12 hours worth of studying out of it. Spoilers: you won’t. Your mind needs breaks and rewards for the hard work you’re forcing it through. Something I’m going to be more intentional about in 2022 is sticking with the Pomodoro technique of studying, which if you’re unfamiliar with is a method in which you lock into studying for a set time (no phones, no breaks, no distractions) and after allow yourself a small break. Whether it’s 25:5, 50:10, or whatever ratio you like, it’s much more satisfying and efficient to “run a few pomodoros” knowing breaks are coming than to sit down and study indefinitely until you’re burnt out and turn to an hour off scrolling through feeds.

Check out a free customizable pomodoro timer here!

#6 Start practice questions

Last resolution on the study front: start implementing practice questions into your study habits early. This is more for those at the start of the med school journey, as I wish I had. If I could go back and do it all over, for every hour I spent re-reading notes or writing cribsheets, I would have spent at least half the time puzzling my brain on 3-hammer questions (and if I really hated myself that day, maybe throw in a few 5-hammers). In a world of infinite resources, I’d recommend starting with Amboss, USMLE-rx, and Uworld. 4/5 dentists recommend Amboss in combo with that sweet, sweet Anki add-on available. And no one likes the fifth dentist anyway.

#7 The Notion Motion

Having a tough time keeping track of everything you need to do in medical school? Resource-overload getting you down? Look no further than Notion: the notetaking-organizational tool designed to be the one-stop organization site for your life. This is by far the most useful tool I’ve come across since starting school and now it absolutely manages my life. Everything I need to do in medical school, my music, my writing, or just life planning and organization, all of it is housed within one convenient app. It’s completely customizable to your liking, and you can make it as basic or intricate as you’d like. I would definitely recommend checking out Kharma Medic’s walkthrough below (it’s what I used for the backbone of my own setup) to see just how useful and timesaving this can be in the life of a medical student!

Learn more about Notion here.

Check out Kharma Medic’s Notion Tour above!

#8 Bring on the succulents! Own your study environment

This one probably only applies if you’re like me and study from home, but for some reason it took a full year of quarantine for me to realize it was time to invest in my study setup. You’re going to spend an ungodly amount of time at your desk, so spruce it up a bit! Stop the constant “it’s not worth it” arguments between your bank account and your heart and just get that laptop stand or chair you’ve been thinking about. You won’t regret it. Make your study environment a place you’re looking forward to get lost in. Personally, my succulents (Crab and Goyle), have been the heart and soul to my productivity.

#9 Instant Pot, Instant Success: Meal Prep for Days

Oh my god, I cannot say this enough. I would have starved without my instant pot. Is that true? Probably not, but I’ll preach it anyway. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to cook dinner, and more often than not a med student’s schedule keeps them away from home. If you haven’t already, invest in meal prepping. I usually spend Sunday afternoons throwing together a pot of [insert Tyler delicious meal here] and let that baby stew while I get what else I need to get done accomplished. Then I eat on that bad boy all week (or as long as I don’t get tired of it). But you know what I don’t get tired of? Saving precious time.

Order an Instant Pot on Amazon here.

#10 Don’t let your passions die: 1 day - 1 hr rule

Please, please don’t forget to be human. That’s what’s going to keep your patients coming back to you, and it’s what will keep you going long after others burn out. In 2022, this is going to be my most difficult but most worthwhile resolution: 1 day a week, 1 hour that day I will spend entirely on music and or writing. Completely disparate from medicine, absolute escapism, I know for me if I don’t practice keeping passions alive, no matter how busy life gets, they’ll fade away. So I ask you to try and do the same. Whatever thing you love, biking, painting, cooking, take an hour a week and tell the world to go quiet. Allow yourself that escape and I promise your future patients will thank you for it.

#11 Stop and remember: Why med school?

Why did you do this? When you could do anything in life, why did you decide to devote life to this? This is really easy to forget the further we get in medicine, but remember those days when you were applying with absolutely no guarantee all that hard work would pay off? Why did you risk it? Take some time at the start of 2022 to go back in time and remind yourself of the reasons. Write it down and tape it where you’ll always see it. Remember the moment you decided medicine was for you. Remind yourself of the day you got that acceptance letter, knowing the risks had been worth it. You’re here now, you made it. Remember why you are here, and then make a roadmap for where you are going.

#12 Residency Roadmap: What do you want out of life?

The next step. It may seem silly to say, I mean we’re all killing ourselves for some reason, but it surprises me how often we get caught up with the day-to-day hustle of medical school and forget what we’re fighting for. Are you looking to push the boundaries of a given field? Or maybe you’re looking to work with a certain population in a specific town? Whatever your goals may be, you need to know what they are before you can move forward towards them. After remembering why you decided to embark on med school, think hard about what kind of life you’re looking for. After that, find out what it takes to get there, and set out a course over your time remaining with stops along the way to ensure you’re putting yourself on the right path. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to do that last part quite yet, this is where we all need people in life we trust to give us the best advice for our future. And since we’re best friends now, please feel free to reach out with any and all questions you may have!

Please help us get to know you and let us know your questions!

#13 Find a mentor

Along those same lines, we can’t get through life alone. It’s absolutely crucial you have someone in your corner whose opinion you trust and who you know will always tell you how they feel even if it may not be what you want to hear. Whether that be through your school, work, a family friend, or whomever, find someone early to help guide you to success. Pride is painful, never be afraid to ask for help. The best doctors do.

#14 Be a mentor

It may be hard to believe, but you are already a valuable medical resource to someone else. You don’t have to be a doctor or in medical school to help people achieve their medical goals. Seek out and help someone earlier in their journey than you and share your successes and failures with them! Be the inspiration for future physicians as others were for you.

#15 Help your fellow med students: Aid-a-Day

It’s been an absolutely brutal week, you’re tired, you’re on the brink of crying and shame-eating an entire package of Oreos, and you know you’re the only one who feels like this. Right, you’re not. I can guarantee you there’s someone else close to you at that same moment ready to tear into those like Ralphie tearing into his Red-Rider BB-gun. Every day, take a moment to reach out to someone in medicine you know and offer support. Text them you’re thinking of them, call and ask if there’s something you could do to take something off their plate, send a meme to remind them life is ok. Help be part of the solution and help make medicine a more loving community. Because you know there are days when you could use the same love.

#16 Make time for life

“I’m sorry man, I can’t right now I have to ___.” You know how many times I’ve said that? Too many to count. A big change for 2022 I’m trying desperately to do is make time for the things that make life worth living. It was especially easy to convince myself at the start of medical school to miss out on life events in favor of. But life is short and while you’re watching that sketchy vid for the 3rd time, your friends outside of medicine have bought their first home and gotten a dog (and it’s a golden too, like the kind that’s genetically bred to be perfect). You can’t go to everything, but you can go to some things, so make time for the ones that count. I just got back from hosting a bachelor party the weekend before a CBSE, and I would’ve kicked myself for the rest of my life if I missed being there with my brothers. No Ragerts.

#17 Make time for love

I cannot WAIT to dive into this one deeper later, but dating in med school…is hard. Plain and simple. I’m supposed to find time to meet people when I barely have time for myself? And then there’s the added pressure with all of your non-medical friends getting married and having babies and their babies having babies….well no but you get it. That being said, life in medicine is always going to be busy. So if finding somebody is someone you want, don’t let the schedule get the best of you. Anything worthwhile in life takes time. Make time for it, put yourself out there, and try your best not to Anki on first dates when she’s in the bathroom.

#18 Integrate Passion and Profession

This one I hesitate to recommend only because you may need to keep your hobbies and interests outside of medicine just that: outside of medicine. Don’t feel pressured to have medicine seep into every aspect of your life, that being said if there are ways you can happily meld the two, you might be able to accomplish things no one else in medicine is doing. For me, music is a massive part of my identity and a go-to escape from reality. When quarantine began, I found myself playing more music than I had in my entire life to keep life light. I was fortunate enough to be able to bring this gift to others through “Songs of Comfort” a medical music initiative highlighting musicians in allied health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to arguably one of the most incredible experiences of my life (and my introduction to ND MD Productions), with the creation of “Stay Inside | A Toast to the Frontline,” an original music video tribute to frontline workers. Think hard about ways you might be able to bring your non-medical gifts to the field. You may be surprised how much good to others you can bring.

Check out “Stay Inside | A Toast to the Frontline” below!

#19 In the word’s of Tom Haverford: “Treat yourself”

I’m not saying break the piggy-bank at Skymall like Tom, but I’m also not not saying that. We’ve just had a colossally horrible last two years, and I think we all deserve good things and more for 2022. What’s that one thing you’ve been wanting for a while but can’t pull the trigger on? All I’m saying is life is short, and who knows what 2022 will bring. But if there is a weighted blanket or a self-heating coffee cup that will bring for sure comfort and joy into your life, you deserve it.

#20 Support yourself: mental health and happiness

If 2020 and 2021 proved anything, it was that we all need connection and support. The COVID-19 pandemic and grown on and shifted in ways we couldn’t have imagined, and in doing so the need to care for one’s own Mental Health has skyrocketed. There are people in your life that need you at your best, and they need your help every day. You cannot help others to the best of your ability if you aren’t taking care of yourself. It’s not weak. It’s not selfish. Take time to cultivate your mental health and happiness in 2022 to be the fully realized medical student and human being you know you are capable of being.

In need of mental health services? Contact a health professional at BetterHelp today.

#21 Rely on others. Do not go forth alone

If you haven’t already, make finding your people your priority. You’re going to go through a lot in medical school that you won’t be able to handle on your own. Before doing anything else, find others to go through the highs and lows of medical school with. These people will see you at your best and worst, and you them as well. I can say with certainty the friends I have made in medical school are family. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them, and I know there isn’t anything they wouldn’t do for me. That certainty gives me the strength to go on when the weight of school is too crushing to hold; I know they’ll help hold it. Make 2022 a year for those you do life with, and if you haven’t in a while, give them a ring and thank them for lifting you.

#22 Give thanks for where you are

This may be the hardest one. Med school is by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. It often feels like two steps forward and ten steps back, and all too often I question whether I’m capable enough or not. What I fail to do, though, is be thankful for being here. Be thankful for all of those who sacrificed and help get you to where so many dream of being. Be thankful for every pain and every struggle you’re faced with as they are medals you carry with you after that proved you were capable. Be thankful that one day your job will be to wake up every morning and make someone else’s life better. This is a heart-breaking, heart-warming, stress-inducing, and peace giving field that you are forever lucky enough to be a part of. Be thankful that you’ve made it here.

I hope this helped you build a frame for 2022. This year is going to be a great one for all of us. I plan on going deeper into a lot of these topics in future posts plus tons of others about life, love, and the pursuit of that oh so precious M.D. I hope you stick around and follow along. Please I’d love to hear your resolutions and how 2022 is about to be your best year yet! Reach out and let me know what you’d like me to cover next, and I wish everyone out there a Happy Happy New Year!

Follow Tyler on Instagram!

Don’t miss a single post by subscribing to the NDMD blog here!

Is there something you’d like us to talk about? Send in your suggestions for future blogs!