Typical Medical School Student's Daily Study Routine

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1. Wake up at 5:15am, go back to sleep until 5:50am
2. 6am: Get to the gym with my gym partner & fellow classmate Mike
   1. 20-30 minutes of HIIT or cardio on treadmill (I am training for a 5k - yay!), then either abs, arms, butt, or legs exercises - detailed workouts coming soon!
3. 7:15 am: Shower on campus or head home along the whole 0.9 miles away to wash up and change clothes. That mile long drive always gets to me. JK - I live close on purpose.
4. 7:45 am: Eat food from the school cafe, drink 2 glasses of WATER, drink my Celsius pre-workout drink, interact on social media, check emails, and relax for 10 or so minutes before 8 am class begins. If it is a really really good day, I will read over the slides diligently before the teacher begins.
5. 8 am sharp: class. uneventful. highlight. take notes. outline. take clicker quizzes. learn!
6. During class breaks: check emails, respond, interact on social media, think about post for later today, text back everyone I ignored during class, go to the bathroom, I write down everything in a notebook, then drink WATER!
7. Class ends around 4pm!
8. 4pm - 5pm take a nap, eat, drink WATER - simultaneously!
9. 5:30 maximum - I must start studying by this time or I am off track
10. 5:30 - 11pm - study study study - take breaks every 45 minutes and use a 50 minute youtube timer. I use this one. & only this one.
    1. ​​Take 10 minute breaks and either start writing blog entry, get up for WATER, eat a snack, or engage on social media
11. 11pm - 12am: focus on blog, professional emails, connections, club responsibilities, call family, love my friends/SO
12. Take half a melatonin 3mg if necessary, pray/journal, and sleep !

​There you have it - the 10 or so steps (well 12...) I follow everyday to get ahead. This is a weekday schedule. The weekends are better study days. Especially if a big Georgia or Alabama game is coming on later - I push myself to study. I am hoping my grades will improve also with this new schedule. I want all As! 2018 is mine.
What do you like to do to schedule in health, spirituality, relationships, family, and fun while trying to become the best professional you can be?
Comment below with your routine - whether you are a first year, second year, third year, fourth year, or intern starting on the wards of your residency! Happy first few weeks of February.
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(& don't worry, the author is not a gunner and lives a self-proclaimed "well balanced medical school life", whatever that means !)
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