6 Ways to Stay Healthy in Medical School

As tempting as it is to reach for the carbs and sugar, as a medical student you’ll know the importance of nutrition and having a well-balanced diet.

Your body is going to hit rock bottom by the time it’s stopped bouncing off the walls after you’ve finished your fifth Red Bull, cappuccino or Coca-Cola. Instead, reach for healthy study snacks such as nuts or fresh fruit and veg. Their natural sugars will help boost your energy and concentration levels.

Even if it’s just going for a 15-minute walk each day, it’s nice to have a change of scenery and be able to refresh your eyes as well as your mind, and take some time away from your books.

“Studying medicine requires you to be sat down for hours on end revising, so it’s important to do some form of physical activity,” advises Dean.

“Many medical students join sports clubs or societies, some go running, others go to the gym as well. The gym isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to find what makes you happy. My biggest advice is that you do some form of exercise as it’ll really help your positive wellbeing, as well as improve your ability to study.”

Although medical school comes with inconsistent schedules, you should try and make sure you go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

Sleeping is just as important as studying – without it, you can’t function properly. In fact, the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep per night in order to function at their best.

Although this is easier said than done, there are a number of apps out there as well as more traditional sleeping techniques that can help you catch up on well-needed rest.

Finding a way to relax and relieve stress is something that’s personal to you. Everyone has different ways of achieving it, whether it’s meeting up with friends, going to the cinema, baking, reading, or even going away for a short weekend break.

Dean says: “I always use Monday to Friday as my study time, working hard from 6.30am all the way through to 8pm. I do this so I can have Friday night, Saturday and Sunday off to do anything I like.”

“We also like to go travelling and have mini breaks in European cities, which is actually a lot cheaper in some cases than going to London for the weekend. We go out at night, eat out, sight-see and explore the local culture.” 

Both are as important as each other, and when you’re a medical student it can seem like a real cliché of practicing what you preach. Good self-care is a basic survival tactic, and it’s important you listen to both your body and your mind.

If you’re feeling down or anxious and are finding it excessively difficult to cope, it might be a good idea to seek the closest professional help available to you, whether it’s talking to your local counselor or contacting your GP. Extreme and prolonged feelings of despair or dread may be signs that something more serious is going on, and may require further support.