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What is the best way to maintain a healthy work-life balance while attending medical school and working in a very demanding job in the medical field?

I want to know what tatics were used to keep work at work and being present with your family. Since medical school is long and keeps you busy, how do I make sure I live in the moment?

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Keith’s Answer

The years of medical school and residency/fellowship involve sacrifice for the future physician and their family. If you and they accept this at the beginning and all understand this is a career choice that necessarily creates priorities that, at times, means the patient’s well-being takes priority over your own comfort and the pleasure of your family having you present, you all will be well-served.
Medicine is very rewarding in many ways, but it is not a career that can be successfully navigated without that mindset.
With that in mind, accept that the next 7-10 years will be difficult but rewarding. When seeking a permanent career location and practice after that, THEN focus more on the balance you are seeking—seek practices that value family, allow time off in adequate amounts to recharge and be present for your family.
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Julia’s Answer

Hey there! Here is a response from a medical student that I interviewed: “Some advice Savannah gives to aspiring med students like herself is to give yourself grace. Pursuing medicine is difficult, but we're capable, she mentions. Keep showing up for yourself and keep the faith! She also recommends staying consistent with academics, mastering time management, developing meaningful leadership and service experiences, gaining clinical exposure, building relationships and gaining mentors, as they can potentially craft you a letter of recommendation or become a research mentor. You got this! SImilarly, when managing stress, Savannah highlights the need to give yourself a break. For her, after her first two weeks of studying, she found herself becoming tired. It was because she hadn't really taken a break at all since she started. Then she began incorporating 2 break days, Saturday and Sunday. That changed the game for her completely. It gave her enough energy to get through a full week of studying and it also gave her something to look forward to! These break days allowed her to spend time to rest, read, catch up on shows, spend time with family, and ultimately reset. Again, give yourself grace! You've been working hard, emphasizes Savannah.”
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