Managing stress as a pre-medical student is all about work-life balance, or in this case, study-social life balance. I won’t lie to you, getting into medical school requires hard-work, but too much studying will make you burnout if you don’t learn to give yourself breaks and manage your stress. Here are a few ways to manage your stress in a pre-med program.
Make Your Extracurriculars Fun
A good medical school applicant will have a repertoire of extracurriculars to make their application stand out. A great way to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed by balancing school and multiple extracurriculars, is to make sure you’re passionate and interested in the extracurriculars you participate in. Have extracurriculars that feel like a break from school will not only help you reduce stress, but make building your med school application much easier.
Seek Out Mentorship
A great way to ease your stress and nerves about getting admitted into medical school is asking for advice from upper-year pre-med students or current medical students. Talking to someone that has been through what you are currently going through can be a super helpful experience.
Exercise
Exercising regularly can help improve your mood, which will ultimately improve your motivation and drive to keep studying. Even if you implement a 10 minute workout each day, you’ll thank yourself later.
Rest and Practice Self-Care
When you feel yourself needing a break, take one. Although it’s helpful for your extracurricular activities to feel like a break, they shouldn’t be your only break. Take time for yourself to read, hangout with friends, or whatever else you do to relax. Find ways to care for yourself, not matter how busy your schedule is.
I hope these tips help you reduce and manage the stress that comes with being a pre-medical student. Getting through pre-med is part of the battle of becoming a doctor, so don’t give up on your dream!