You may find yourself facing mental health challenges, whether they begin with the start of medical school or you have been dealing with them for a while. Even if you’re in a pretty good place with your mental health, the transition to medical school (moving, meeting new people, figuring out how to learn in med school) can bring lots of change and stressors. Below, we discuss things that we wish we had known when we started medical school. We hope that you find them helpful, and please remember that it is incredibly common to face mental health challenges in medical school. We hope that through our efforts, seeking community and support for these challenges becomes just as common.
Let go of perfectionism. We may have been used to getting straight A’s and striving for perfect GPAs, but medical school is different. It is a place for growth and not perfection. Embrace the fact that the first two years of classes are pass/fail and that STEP 1 has become pass/fail as well. Focus on learning while also taking care of yourself and continuing to socialize and pursue your hobbies. Remember: all you need is 70% to pass. The key is balance.
Build up your support networks. Life can feel lonely when it seems like you’re the only one who is experiencing anxiety, depressing thoughts, disorganized thinking, etc. Although it may take a while until you are comfortable enough with your new friends and classmates to ask for their support, make sure to talk to someone about how you are feeling. Reach out to your support network (family, friends, religious community, or new/older classmates) as well as resources on campus (our mental health counselor or academic success advisor) or off-campus (other mental health professionals, etc). It can be freeing to share what you are going through and you will come to realize that others around you are probably experiencing similar things. Mental health awareness and mindfulness are learned skills, not just instincts. Many students adopt the habit of daily journaling and meditation, and there is even a new selective called The Happiness Selective that explores the learned skills behind happiness and well-being which you should definitely join (shameless plug).
Don’t be afraid to seek professional mental health care! Many mental health concerns can be improved through therapy and/or medication, and there is no shame in that. It’s better to seek help before you feel like you need it than to wait for things to get worse. You’re dedicating your career to helping other people, and you can do your best when you are getting the help you need to be a happy, healthy human :).
Sleep and exercise really do make a huge difference. We know this can be really challenging, especially when trying to balance med school and life, and it won’t always happen, but making sleep and exercise a priority is so worth it, both for your physical and mental health. Many people set a time that they stop working at night (ex. 7pm), and discipline themselves to just stop even if they didn’t finish all the work they were hoping to. Exercise is also a fantastic study break and can help you sleep better at night. We highly recommend you make use of that Mountainside membership through Mayo or go on a morning hike when the weather is nicer.
Make time for things that are important to you. There will never be enough time in the world to do all the things you need to do or want to do. You will learn that there is a difference in making time versus finding the time to do things. We all have a limited amount of time in a day or a week, and you can and should prioritize your health and hobbies. If you want to bring your classmates into your favorite activities and need funding, make sure to submit a SIWA grant! These are reviewed every month or so and you can get up to $250 per semester to run an event that would improve the student body's wellness. A popular example is Saturday night volleyball (another shameless plug). On the other hand, learn to say no. You’ll never have enough time for the things you love if you accept every opportunity that presents itself to you. A good rule of thumb is to assume everything will take twice as long as you think it will. If you find that you’ve over-committed, also realize that people are understanding if you need to take a step back. It's essential to find time to rest too sometimes.
Embrace change. We all developed study strategies to take the MCAT and settled into habits or routines in our past lives. Most of these will serve you well in medical school, but your study strategy may change every block, your hobbies may come and go, or your workout time will change once summer hits. Academically, transitioning to new blocks can be a struggle, so know that it’s normal to take 2-3 weeks, or even 5, to adjust and get into a new rhythm. Medical school is a great time to grow and try new things. Whether you develop the new perfect study strategy for yourself or find that you also adapt constantly, it’s okay to let go of your old methods and explore. Use the pass/fail system as a chance to experiment and find new strategies that work for you.
Medical school is academically challenging. Mental health concerns can impact your learning, and vice versa, so don’t forget to seek out help for academic challenges as well. This can be simple; for example, learning can be so much more fun (and memorable) with good group studying. Also, life is less stressful when we are organized and manage our time well, so time management resources and asking classmates to help you stay on track with the material improves your mental health as well as your academic life. Remember that Mayo offers academic coaching and tutoring services at no cost to you! It can be more effective to seek out help earlier rather than later.
Everyone struggles. In our first year of medical school, we have already experienced so many things as a class, and it’s been especially challenging with the COVID-19 pandemic. People have lives outside of medical school and have faced extremely difficult personal challenges. Despite this, our classmates have made it through with the right resources and help. Please know that it is perfectly normal if you struggle and that your classmates and the school administration are here to help you. Most importantly, we want to make sure you have the resources you need if you ever encounter a dark patch.
Student Services available to you: must be on the intranet to access the link
You have access to many services which you can find at the above link on the Student Services page. Don’t shy away from using these services. It’s better to use them prophylactically when things aren't yet dire than to wait until the last minute. We recommend:
Academic Services - tutoring services at no cost to the student
Counseling Services - free therapy sessions to students either through a Mayo counselor or externally via BetterHelp
If you don’t have access to the intranet, you can access counseling services via BetterHelp by visiting WellConnectForYou.com and using the School Code: MCCMS. You will get up to five sessions with a mental health counselor through BetterHelp and this is a fantastic resource. Mayo does not restrict the length of the sessions, so make sure to ask your counselor if you want a 50-60 minute session rather than 30 minutes (which is sometimes the default).
Note that all of the above services begin when you start school, so if you are reading this before starting medical school, keep these in mind and bookmark these links!