How To Be Happy In Medical School (15 Stress Management Tips)

One legit question—given the stress and overwhelming workload, how to be happy in medical school? Is it possible? Can med school ruin your life? Most students might have been wondering whether one could find happiness in medical school.

I’ll say it loud and proud that yes, it is possible! I loved and enjoyed the days I had when I was a medical student. Here, I’ll answer the questions that might be bothering you as you choose the medical journey. I will be sharing with you ways on how to be happy in medical school.

Happiness In Medical School

Happiness in medical school may not be that hard to find in contrary to the beliefs of some. In fact, the experience could be fun! Yes, it’s very challenging. You’ll get to have endless sleepless nights, get to miss a lot of family celebrations because you need to study for 5 exams the next day, get to skip watching your favorite series because your schedule’s too hectic you can’t squeeze your hobbies in but, mind you, it’s all about perspective and a balanced schedule.

 

15 Tips To Be Happy In Medical School

1. Be Positive

Always embody a positive outlook in your med school life. Choosing to wear a positive mood whenever you go to class has a lot of difference. It keeps you motivated despite how hard the odds are.

2. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Med school may be toxic, but it could be bearable with the help of the people around you. Your support system should be composed of people who inspire you to be better, help you push beyond your limits, and will be with you through thick and thin. Med school itself is toxic enough, don’t let other people add more toxicity to it.

3. Fill Your Space With Motivating Reminders

Most of the time we get too tired of the daily encounters we have in med school. It feels like an unceasing routine of lectures, exams, and paper requirements that push us to our limits. Simple motivational quotes posted in your room or study space could be a big inspirational boost to study smarter and harder.

 

4. Set Daily Goals

Little progress is progress. Make small attainable goals every day and exert great effort on accomplishing these. Ticking all your goals on your to-do list is one of the most fulfilling things in the world. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you motivated to keep on achieving new things each day. Here’s why you need a to-do list in medical school.

5. Get a Good Laugh

When was the last time you laughed? You might be in a stressful situation but it doesn’t mean that you should succumb in the dreadful depths of med school. Laugh hard with your friends and families. Engage in happy conversations! Because no matter how stressful you could be, laughter is the best medicine.

6. Do Your Hobbies

You’ll have a hectic schedule in medical school and 90% of that time will be consumed by studying. Yes, if you’re going to plot the things you need to do in a calendar, you’ll find yourself stockpiled by loads of exams. A common mistake done by students why they become burnt out is that they do not spend time anymore for their hobbies. Make time for your hobbies. It’s not just a form of relaxation, but also allowing you to grow in other aspects of your life.

If you’re contemplating on this and thinking that you’ll only feel guilty for using your free time on activities that are not related to med school, you don’t have to. Check out my video below. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to keep up with more videos like this!

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7. Meditate

Meditation could help you heal mentally and spiritually. Why not spend 30 minutes of your time meditating with positivity? If faith has been a part of your life, take some time to close your eyes and absorb positive energies.

8. Be Yourself

One of the secrets to how to be happy in medical school is by being yourself. Find and do what makes you happy. Incorporate it into your schedule. It’s only you who knows the answer to this. By just doing what you love adds up to having a positive and motivated outlook in life.

9. Love Learning

Learning is a lifetime activity you will be doing as you enter the MD journey path. You should always have the passion to learn new things. Be receptive to new ideas. Learning will all be there in med school, so you get to embrace it every single day.

 

10. Get Enough Sleep

This may sound ironic since the demands of med school may be overwhelming that 24 hours is not enough to accomplish all things. But, I always make sure that I still get enough sleep for at least 7 hours. Exhausting yourself to the limits is unhealthy and might cause you to get sick.

11. Remember Your Purpose

Always remember the reason why you started. It will help you to move forward with every challenge in medical school. Never forget your personal answer to the question “Why do you want to be a doctor?”.It never hurts to regain motivation in medical school every once in a while.

 

12. Get These Stress Relieving Apps

Did you know that there are apps that could help you on how to be happy in medical school? You could try checking the article I made on the best apps you could use in med school!

13. Socialize!

Make friends! Establish a support system that you could count on while in med school. These are the people whom you could talk with if you’re having some difficulties. These are the people who could relate to you the most during your MD journey. Go to that party. Sign-up to that organization.

14. Eat Healthily

Eating healthy should be a part of your life. Because you’ll be a soon-to-be advocate for health, you must start practicing it with yourself. Make sure to have healthy eating habits. Don’t skip meals and don’t devour too much junk food. Be mindful of your health.

15. Stay Fit

Allotting time for exercise is one of the ways on how to be happy in medical school. Exercise releases happy hormones. It doesn’t only make you fit but also boosts positivity in your med school life. Here are some short workouts that are effective in the pursuit of staying fit as a med student.

FAQs On Medical School Happiness

Does Med School Ruin Your Life?

That question is kind of harsh, but the answer is no. Med school does not ruin your life. In fact, it is the journey you need to take towards your goal of becoming a doctor. There are no shortcuts. Med school is part of the process—and you should accept it. We cannot erase the fact that med school is hard, and the experience varies from one person to another depending on how you respond to the challenges that med school throws at you. If you do, however, feel like you’re stuck in an abyss of never-ending stress and challenges, this article I crafted provides you with 6 methods to deal with medical school stress!

Do Medical Students Enjoy Their Life?

Yes, most students enjoy their life. Though it has ups and downs, they gained a lot of positive experiences from it. The journey is intellectually satisfying as you’ll get to learn all the stuff you need to know once you become a doctor.

It’s possible to have a life in medical school. Yes, you heard that right. Learn how I was able to live intentionally during my med school years! If you have found the video below insightful, you can keep up with similar content by hitting the subscribe button on our Youtube channel!

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How Can Med Students Avoid Burnout?

Med students cope with stress in various ways. Some turn to their hobbies, go for a quick trip, hang out with friends and families, eat their comfort foods, watch their favorite TV series and movies, or any activity that would make them relaxed and happy. I suggest you should always squeeze in some rest and hobbies in your schedule so you could prevent yourself from burnout.

If you would like to know how to be happy in medical school and avoid being burnt out, you may check the article I wrote on the best apps that could help you relieve stress in med school!

How Stressful Is Medical School?

I won’t sugarcoat. Medical school is very stressful. It will get the most out of you. It will ask for a lot of sacrifices—time, energy, sleep, fun, and money. You should prepare yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally for the absolute stress that it would cause in your life. But, always remember that stress is temporary and there are ways how it could be relieved. Here’s one piece of advice I could give you on how to handle your medical school stress.

Which Medical School Has The Happiest Students?

I tried to search if there are actual reports of the med schools with the happiest students but there’s none. However, in forums, some students have mentioned some like the University of Michigan, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine because of the nearby beach, Oregon Health and Science University because of free weekends, Washington University School of Medicine, and Yale University based on the students who were interviewed.

Here are the tips on how to be happy in medical school. The journey may be tough at times, but always remember that the way you respond to the challenges that makes everything different. Heads up and be happy!

If you have enjoyed this post, how about checking out some of our other blog posts for more great content?

• What To Do If You’re Tired Of Studying In Medical School
• How To Survive Medical School is Not Good Enough (3 Tips On How To Thrive)
• 7 Reasons You’re Stressed in Medical School
• Staying Fit in Medical School
• How to Succeed In Medical School (The Preclinical Guide)
• Why Are Doctors Leaving Medicine? [The Real Truth]

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I also want to share with you my best strategies and tricks on how you can succeed on your medical journey & residency with the Med Elite Academy!

Check out how I went from barely passing my exams to graduating med school with a 3.9 GPA in these resources. It worked for me and it could also work for you!

Again, thanks for stopping by!

Until next time my friend…