The clock is striking, and you are running late for a lecture. You skipped your meal to ensure you reach on time, but you are underprepared for the test that you have to take today. The test did not go as you planned, and a sudden wave of demotivation is there. You feel pressurised by the workload, but you also want to keep going since you have always dreamt of being where you are right now. – Life of every medical student. 

You must have been at this point too sometime or the other in your medical school journey. Highs and lows are a part of it and every day is not the same. Some days you might be able to derive an insurmountable amount of productivity from your day, while on other days, even attending lectures might seem like a task. It is completely normal, but it is neither healthy nor sustainable if you are in medical school and want to perform well. How to be productive every day is a question every medical student asks themself. The answer is a solid medical student time management schedule. 

Make time for studying but also make time for your hobbies. This balance is what is required to avoid being exhausted all the time and reduce the frequency of extreme highs and lows. 

Here are some tips for you to curate a solid medical student time management schedule. 

Tame your brain 

Mental preparation is the first step toward medical student time management strategy. You need to be ready for what is coming and accept that you must dedicate time to achieve your goals. In the constantly whirring surroundings, you need to be stable and train your brain to study regardless of the surroundings and distractions. This brings us to the next step- reduce your distractions. You cannot drive productivity if you cannot concentrate and cannot concentrate unless your attention is divided among 10 different things. 

As a medical student, you need to be calm to read and absorb the information. Learning to stay calm even in situations that induce panic will help you not only in student life but also when you will become a doctor and enter the professional space. So when you start studying, you should be able to shut your brain to everything around you and just focus on your book on exactly what you will need to do while treating a patient. 

Distractions are called what they are called because they are fun and alluring in the present but have a negative impact on one in the long run. 

The clarity to clear blockers 

Medical student time management goals won’t be easy to achieve unless you have clarity about your to-do list. As a medical student, you need to be clear about what you need to do in your day and, most importantly, why. As a medical student, you need to learn to complete tasks within the deadline or you will lag behind. Time is the most vital asset for a medical student because you need to handle classes, self-studying, as well as your life while constantly acquiring the skills of a doctor. 

A to-do list is necessary since you need to dedicate your time carefully to the tasks on the basis of their priority and urgency. When you will have clarity about your to-do list you will be able to design a practical and sustainable schedule that will be operational in the long learn. 

Making a schedule is the next step towards clarity. When you will have a task list now it will be time to give deadlines, allocate the number of hours you need to give to a particular task, and finally start executing this schedule. With this schedule, you will not only be able to achieve your daily goals but also find some time to entertain yourself. 

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up a pen and start journaling your to-do. 

Consistency leads to consistent results 

“It takes a minimum of 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” – Dr. Maxwell Maltz 

Everyone can be productive for a day or two, but making sure that the productivity graph keeps going up is a task for many. College can be too packed and can make it hard for you to follow a strict routine. But it will become easier when your body is following a pattern of waking up at the same time, exercising at the same time, as well as studying at a fixed time it becomes easier for you to stay consistent. A fixed routine helps you in enhancing your productivity as well as drives motivation. Building healthy habits will not only help you study better and enhance your productivity but also help you later in life when you will be practicing as a professional.

Also, try to keep up with your regular routine even during the exam season because pulling all-nighters can reduce efficiency, affect your productivity, reduce your energy, and you may lose focus as well. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind, and a healthy mind helps in driving productivity. 

Lectures are your holy grail 

Skipping lectures to make time for self-study? Not a good idea. If you think recording lectures and watching them later at your convenience saves time and if you think you will be able to grasp the information better, then you might be wrong. First, missing lectures is not suggested since you will be learning a lot beyond your textbooks. Second,  you will waste a lot of your valuable time trying to cope with the missed lectures. Lastly, classes at Commonwealth University are not only just about textbook knowledge but also beyond that. The professors go above and beyond to make the lectures interesting and interactive.

Also, when you attend lectures, you will be able to cover one topic just by listening to the professor, and then you will just need to revise it in your self-study sessions this way, the number of revisions would be more. Also, It is also easier to grasp information in class than through a video!

Make time for health and wellness 

Pressure is inevitable as a medical student. You are getting prepared for what is coming in the future. As exciting as it sounds, it can also be frustrating and can take a toll on your mental health. Pushing yourself every day to be productive can be pernicious in the long run. 

You need to accept the fact that you will have your ups and downs when it comes to productivity, and medical student time management plans might not always be as efficient as you want them to be. During your low days or when you are worn out, give yourself space and take out time for self-care activities.

One form of self-care is incorporating some kind of physical activity into your daily routine. According to WHO, physical activity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and also enhances thinking, learning, and judgment skills. Physical activity also helps in improving productivity since you release endorphins that help you feel positive and keep you energetic. So you kill not two but three birds from one stone- improve physical & mental health, enhance your skills, and improve productivity. 

A holistic medical student’s time management schedule must include some self-care activities. After all, you need to be healthy yourself to be able to help others. 

Find your weak spots and best study methods 

If you need help, do not refrain from asking for it. Medical school is competitive, especially with as extensive a curriculum as provided by Commonwealth University. When there are ample opportunities available and a plethora of learning space are there, one can sometimes get flustered. The best way to make sure you never lag behind is to seek help. 

Unable to understand a topic? Talk to your professor. 

Couldn’t understand what was taught in the lecture? Discuss with your peers and take your learnings from the discussion. 

The time is limited because of which if you lag behind once, you can have a hard time bouncing back. 

While keeping track of your weak points, make sure you focus on your strengths as well. Find out the areas where you are strong and make sure that you prepare well enough that you only have to revise during exams. Making such strategies will help you manage your time well as well as perform well at the same time. 

A medical student’s time management schedule should be based on the foundation of willingness to learn and perform well in the assessment. 

Work for what you desire 

One day, you will be doing what you have worked so hard for. With great passion, compassion, and motivation, you will be helping others. Medical school is the preparation for that, it is the preparation for the future you are looking forward to. 

Medical school is indeed a tough nut to crack. There is immense pressure and competition. A lot of motivation is required at all points, and it can be made possible with the right medical student time management schedule. The right guidance and support are also needed to keep going. We at Commonwealth Univesity ensure that every student has that support around the clock to accomplish their goals and career aspirations in the medical field. 

We hope these time management and productivity tips help you get better control of your student life and further empower you to keep doing your best and live your student life to the fullest!