The Ideal Daily Routine For Medical Students

Being a medical student isn’t the easiest thing in the world.

On top of keeping up with lectures, lab work, and assignments, you have to find the time to relax and rewind as well.

Many are still on the hunt to find a ‘perfect routine’ which can help them balance everything. While we don’t suggest that you need to follow an hour-by-hour plan to set the structure of your busy day, you definitely need to fix on a few daily activities you can’t put off till the next day.

So here is how you can build your ideal daily routine!

Wake Up Early

Medical classes usually start very early in the morning. For clinical students, the day might start even earlier.

The key to waking up early and not feeling drained is to have a proper night’s sleep.

In spite of what people tell you, you don’t have to feel like a zombie every day! It is completely possible for a medical student to get at least six to seven hours of sleep.

If you avoid procrastinating, you can finish your work by bedtime and get a good night’s rest without having to sacrifice your sleep.

It can be tempting to give up a few hours of sleep to finish your work but remember you will feel the effects after a few days.

So set an alarm every day. And make sure your curtains are wide open so you can wake up with the early morning sunlight lighting up your room!

Take Notes During Lectures

Avoid skipping your lectures at all costs.

Your professor could be discussing some important concepts which are a vital part of your curriculum.

Take notes using your notebook, ipad or whatever is convenient for you. It will help you a lot during revision time when you want to refer back to a particular topic.

Take Your Breaks In Between Classes

Finding time to rest as a medical student is hard.

You must learn to use any little time you get to take a breather and rest.

If you get a solid twenty or thirty-minute break in between classes, use that time to catch up with a friend, get a coffee, or go for a walk.

There are others who like to review their notes right after class. This is more of a ‘study as you go’ method.

If this works for you, that is all well and good.

Remember that there is no ‘ideal daily routine’ which works for everyone.

Whatever works for you should be your ‘ideal routine’!

Structure Is Essential

When it comes to medical school it is imperative that you follow a proper routine.

‘Winging it’ or ‘going by the flow’ will not work and the result will be messed up eating, studying, and sleeping schedules.

Make an outline of your routine from morning till night. Don’t forget to make time for sleeping, eating, and small leisure breaks as well.

Set aside time to study and go through your lecture notes – this should consist of a few hours every day if you expect to finish your portions on time.

If you are a new medical student, following a routine might seem daunting at first but you will get better at it with time.

Procrastinating on weekdays might mean working more on the weekends and giving up some of your free time.

Of course, there are students who prefer to pull late nights but remember getting quality sleep must be a priority.

During peak work days, try Writers Per Hour to help you finish your written assignments.

Don’t End The Day With Your Phone

The secret to a great daily routine is a great ending.

And this involves staying away from all kinds of screens as much as you can.

After a long day of looking at your laptop, diagrams and doing lab work, what you need is a good pre-bed routine which will prepare you for bed.

It will help you rest your eyes and sleep better. This can include journaling, stretching or anything you enjoy doing.

Conclusion

It is important to remind yourself that someone else’s daily routine which seems perfect might not work for you.

Try to figure out how you can balance your academic and social life in a better way.

And don’t worry if you don’t get it right away!