Page 5 - Spring 2016
P. 5
RING 2016 Page 5

Betsy Wooden
Class of 2018
University of Kansas School of Medicine - Kansas City

A Day in the Life of a Medical Student:

A day in the life of a medical student can look vastly different, depending on the day, the student, and the year in school.I am a
second year student, and have finally developed my ideal study style. It took almost all of my first year to determine how Istudy the
most efficiently, but I think I have finally found it (which as a medical student, was a pretty exciting revelation)! I typically wake up
between 5:30-6:00 AM to begin my day of studying, and end by 6:00-7:00 PM. It is important for me to have my evenings free to
relax and see my fiancé, so I try to structure my day so that I study while he is at work. Then when he gets home we can enjoy
dinner together and have a “normal” life, that doesn’t involve me glued to my computer.

The specifics of my day vary widely depending on the module, but typically it involves studying class lectures, attending small group
activities, and reading outside resources. At KU, the current curriculum is module-based; each module covers an organ system or
topic, and lasts 4-8 weeks. How I approach each module varies since each one is unique in many ways. Sometimes a module may be
filled with more conceptually based material, and sometimes there is a lot of material that needs to just be memorized. Usualy the
first weeks are much more relaxed than the last week or so. I study consistently throughout the module, but the week before the
exam I kick it into high gear and study at a much more intense level to make sure I have mastered the material for the exam.This
system has worked well for me, but I am sure it is different than many of my peers, who have their own study system.
There are many afternoons that have activities scheduled that are generally interactive group-based learning opportunities. Those
include a variety of things such as small group learning activities, clinical skills labs, or anatomy labs. In med school, students just call
these “afternoon activities” and there are generally 2-3 per week, but this also varies between modules. During my first year of
school, I went to class almost every day, and now as a second year, I have mostly switched to podcasting (watching the lectures
after they are recorded live). I switched to podcasting because it fits my study schedule better, and I like the advantage oflistening
to the lectures on a faster speed. I also like being able to study while snuggling with my puppy, and don’t have to worry about
changing out of my pajamas in the morning!

Now to contrast all the information on how I study, I want to talk a little about how much fun I have while in med school. Entering
into medical school felt a little bit like I was going to be leaving my life for four years, but this hasn’t been true for me at all. I
personally wouldn’t be able to make it through the rigor and stress of school if it weren’t for the time I take off, away from studying.
I wouldn’t be enjoying my life, and I don’t think I would want to continue if I really had to just study ALL the time. I do study a lot,
and a lot more than I ever thought I could, but I also take breaks so I don’t get burnt out. I end my studies in the early evening, and I
also take almost every weekend off (except the weekend before an exam). Allowing myself time off on the weekends gives me
energy and motivation to get my work done throughout the week. I find enough time to work out, spend time with loved ones, and
do the things I enjoy in life. Life is all about balance, right?! Medical school can be stressful and a bit overwhelming at times, but I
am studying the material that I am passionate about and learning the skills towards becoming a physician, so there is nothing I
would rather be doing!

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