One of the original posts from the blog was about my miracle morning in medical school. Since then I’ve adopted a consistent 4:30 wake up time and a new morning routine. In this post, I will go over my updated morning routine in medical school.

Wake Up At 4:30:

Yes I still wake up at this ungodly hour. In fact, today I woke up at 3.

Why? Read this post on how waking up at 4:30 changed my life for the better. 

To help myself get out of bed by 4:30 I start setting alarms at 3:30 and 4.

To be honest, even after 1.5 years of waking up at 4:30, it’s still not easy.

But as soon as I swing my legs over the bed and get up – I’ve won.

The thing I’ve found which makes this easier is to have a solid evening routine. When I wake up I already know what I will be working on.

This takes the decision making out of it. All I need to do is get my butt out of bed.

“To be honest, even after 1.5 years of waking up at 4:30, it’s still not easy. But as soon as I swing my legs over the bed and get up – I’ve won.”

Read for 30 Minutes:

If you follow my mini resolutions post (you should if you aren’t) then you’re aware that I’ve read 12 book before the end of February.

What? How?

I schedule 30 minutes every day into my morning routine in medical school to read.

I will create a separate post on this all together but I love using the OverDrive app. This app allows me to read and borrow ebooks and audiobooks from my local library.

I often read more than one book at a time. Usually, I will read something motivational in the morning. Currently, I’m reading Make Your Bed, a book by Admiral McRaven who interestingly was the commencement speaker at my UT graduation giving advice he then turned into this book.

If you think you don’t have time to read in medical school, you can find 30 minutes.

Blog/Edit for 30 Minutes:

People always ask me how I have time to run this blog and now the youtube channel.

I make time for it every day.

More specifically I make time to work for 30 minutes every morning.

In 30 minutes I can crank out a rough draft of another article. That can easily be 4-5 drafts ready to be edited and scheduled.

In 30 minutes I can also edit the posts, change up the website, or edit my Youtube videos (which take a long time!).

Plus I find it easier to wake up when I have a creative project to work on.

I can’t say the same about school work.

Morning Prayer:

In my original morning routine post, I mentioned the importance of meditation.

This doesn’t have to be hardcore mindfulness.

In fact, it can be a “distracted meditation” session. This means you give yourself permission to allow whatever thought you have. You can choose to think about them more or let them pass.

I get my best ideas during these distracted meditations.

Personally, however, I spend my morning with a religious prayer.

But I recommend you spend at least 2-5 minutes in silence during the morning routine in medical school.

Difficult Vs. The Sense of Productivity?

So this is the next question I ask myself. Do I work on a task that is difficult or a task that will make me feel productive with little effort?

Every morning is different. Some I want to go back to bed. Thus I pick a quick and easy task to get the day started.

Other I’m ready to tackle whatever the world throws at me. Thus on those days, my morning routine in medical school consists of working on a more intensive project.

What’s important is allowing yourself the flexibility.

Too often we tie ourselves down to an order to-do list. If we fail to accomplish item one in time, the rest of our day is in flux.

What Will Be Your Morning Routine in Medical School?

Now it’s your turn. No, you don’t have to wake up at 4:30, but wake up earlier!

The ability to “beat the sun to work” is extraordinary.

The feeling you get when 2-3 items on your to-do list are done before your roommate hits snooze for the first time is addicting.

I can’t even remember what I was like before waking up at 4:30. The successful aspects of my life (the blog, medical school, etc.) seem impossible without these extra hours of silence and focus.

Yes, you and I may need an afternoon nap, but who doesn’t?

Ask yourself what core aspects of your life you want to tackle. Maybe you finally want to get back to reading. Perhaps you want to fit in a morning workout.

Wake up early, beat the sun to work, and watch your days (and life) transform.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Comment below and let me know what your morning routine in medical school is!

If there is something specific you’d like me to address in a future blog post, comment below or email me at [email protected].

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If you’re a first or second-year medical student wanting guidance on how to succeed in medical school, read my book, The Preclinical Guide. I provide all the tips I wish I knew day one of medical school. Check out the book here.

Until next time…