I thought I had everything figured out before medical school. I had a good study schedule, strong networking skills, and figured out what field I wanted to go into. What I hadn’t planned for was how important it would be to take care of myself.
That became clear during my second year. Between studying for the USMLE Step 1 and living in a city three hours away from my family and friends, I found myself struggling and spending most of my time alone in my apartment. I was struggling to work out, spend time with friends, or even do things I enjoy. I knew I needed to change something, so I chose Fridays.
Before medical school, I made myself a rule: no studying on Fridays. No homework. No flashcards. No checking Canvas. Fridays were my day to completely disconnect from school, and it was one of the best things I had ever done for myself. However, when medical school started, I fell into the trap of thinking that everyone else was studying on Fridays (and every single day), so I needed to study too. The funny part was that I had never actually asked anyone if that was true. I had simply created this expectation in my own head, which was dictated by life.
So during my second year, I decided to adjust my Fridays.
I was fortunate that I didn’t have class on Fridays that year. Instead of studying alone, like my first year. I asked one of my friends to study with me. Our Friday routine would consist of getting to the library around 7 or 8 a.m. and studying till we couldn’t anymore. What started as two people studying grew to five of us spending our Fridays together.
Studying with friends gave me something I didn’t realize I was missing: connection. After each Pomodoro session, I could feel the energy drain from the room as we got deeper into our workload. So we found ways to make studying feel more fun. We would put on Animal Crossing lo-fi videos to change the ambiance and transport us away from a dreary library room. We brought different snacks and hosted little potlucks. Our 10-minute Pomodoro breaks regularly turned into 30-minute conversations because someone would bring up a topic that none of us could stop talking about. We found games we could play and use to quiz each other when things got too serious. It wasn’t that studying suddenly became easy. It was that I didn’t feel like I was doing it alone.
One Friday, I decided to take the idea of a “day off” one step further. I got home, put on a movie I had been wanting to watch, and got my favorite dessert: frozen chocolate-covered raspberries for the evening. I was tempted to check my email. I wanted to log on for “just a minute.” But I had to consciously remind myself that I was allowed to take a break. That weekend I felt different. I was rested. I was refreshed. When I returned to studying, I was able to focus better than I had before. I realized that taking a break from school hadn’t made me less productive. It had helped me come back with more energy.
Some Fridays I would go to the gym or try a new workout class. Some were spent eating ice cream and laughing with friends. Some involved driving home to see my parents, while others involved binge-watching a new reality television show. Sometimes I did absolutely nothing productive. Fridays gave me something I had been missing in medical school: control. For one day, I could decide what I needed instead of constantly asking myself what I should be doing.
Over time, I noticed the benefits extended beyond Fridays. I felt less stressed throughout the week. I felt more present with my friends and family. I became more confident in my ability to handle the demands of medical school. Most importantly, I started to understand that taking care of myself was not something I had to earn after finishing my work. It was part of what helped me keep going.
It’s easy to believe that students in medical school spend every free hour studying, networking, researching, or preparing for the next exam. There’s always another task waiting, or another person who seems to be doing more than you are. What I’ve learned is that the healthiest thing for me to do is to protect my Fridays. The important thing was finding something that made me feel like myself again and protecting that time without guilt; for me, that was spending time with my friends and doing something for myself. I’m still learning how to balance being a medical student with being a person. I don’t always get it right, and some Fridays are more restful than others. As a third-year medical student rotating at the hospital, I sometimes don’t even have time off on Fridays. But I am thankful that I learned one important lesson early: taking care of my mental health doesn’t take away from being a doctor. It helps me become the kind of doctor and person I want to be.