A Week in the Life of a VMS1
Being a medical student at Vanderbilt is one of my favorite things, and I hope I can convince you how wonderful it is! Not only is Nashville incredible, but the people and culture of Vandy are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at a highly academic institution. One of the things I wondered in the weeks leading up to starting medical school was what my new schedule would look like, how to allocate time for studying and wellness, and (let’s be real) whether I would still have time to watch Game of Thrones and all the other embarrassing weeknight television shows my husband and I like to watch. Well, good news! Life as a VMS1 is both challenging and rewarding, but also allows for plenty of time for wellness activities and keeping up with hobbies and relationships. I personally have a dog, got married in the first few months of medical school, and enjoy kickboxing, watching movies, and hiking. While this is just an example of my own schedule (which everyone knows is much more lame than many of my classmates’ schedules), I hope that I can make you a little more comfortable in your transition with some idea of what your own schedule might look like. And, remember, we REALLY value wellness here at Vandy, so be sure to always make time to keep up with the things you love to do (even if that’s binge watching cooking competitions or Dance Moms from time to time… not that I’ve done that or anything…)
First, based on which college we are in, we have two different afternoons off per week for study time. While there may be an occasional change in this schedule, we almost always get two afternoons of protected study time. Because I’m in Robinson college (the best, duh), I have Monday and Wednesday afternoons free, and have CCx on Tuesday, and my PDx sessions on Thursdays. All Fridays technically go until 5pm with afternoon activities and PDx, but we will typically be out a little early because Dr. Fowler is the most wonderful and often takes pity on us!
We also have weekly quizzes and an essay question for the weekends (don’t worry, they’re not that scary). As far as when to take quizzes and essays, everybody finds something that works for them. In the beginning of the year, I was always a Sunday afternoon quiz taker, to allow myself ample time to intersperse my weekend with some relaxing, some adulting (ugh), and a good amount of studying. However, during exam months, I’d try to take them Friday night or Saturday morning to force myself to stay on top of things during the week so that I could use weekends for reviewing. There’s no right or wrong time to take them – you just have to find what works for you, and plenty of us take the quizzes at all different times throughout the weekend!
To give you a more detailed/Type A version of what I just said (read: what I needed last year about this time), here’s a sample of what a typical week might look like for me.
Monday/Wednesday
6:30 AM – Wake up, eat breakfast, take my dog for a walk
8-10 AM – Talk through this week’s CBL cases with my CBL group
10-12 AM – Lecture, anatomy lab, or other classroom activities
12-1 PM – Drive home, lunch break, play with my dog
1-5 PM – Review lectures, work on LO’s for the week, research for CBL cases, study in groups
5-7 PM – Go kickboxing, walk my dog, make/eat dinner
7-9 PM – Finish studying or reading any more notes
9 PM til bedtime – Spend quality time with my husband, off to bed!
Tuesday
8 AM-12 PM – Lecture, anatomy lab, TBL, or other classroom activities
12-1 PM – Drive to CCx, lunch break
1-5 or 6 PM – CCx clinic
6-8 PM – Make/eat dinner, walk my dog
8-10 PM – Study, finish CBL prep for Wednesday
10 PM til bedtime – Spend some time with my husband, off to bed!
Thursday
8 AM-12 PM – Lecture, anatomy lab, TBL, or other classroom activities
12-1 PM – Lunch break
1-3 PM – CELA or PDx preceptor session
3-6 PM – Study, work on LO’s, study in groups, etc.
6-8 PM – Make/eat dinner, walk my dog, maybe go kickboxing
8-10 PM – Study, finish CBL prep for Friday
10 PM til bedtime – Spend some time with my husband, off to bed!
Friday
8-10 AM – Work through final CBL case with my CBL group
10 AM-12 PM – Learning communities
12-1 PM – Lunch break, college office hours
1-3 PM – Lectures or other classroom activities
3-5 PM – Physical diagnosis lecture
5 PM til bedtime – Relax, maybe study, maybe don’t… (probably don’t…)
Saturday
8… or 9… or 10 AM (okay I like to sleep in!) – Wake up, eat brunch, go kickboxing or hiking
1-5 PM – Read over any remaining lectures/notes from this week, study weekly LO’s, (alternatively this is time that can be spent at Shade Tree Clinic as well!)
5 PM til bedtime – Relax, hang out with my husband and/or friends
Sunday
9-11 AM – Go to church
11-1 PM – Eat lunch with friends/family
1-6 PM – Finish studying LO’s, take weekly quiz/essay, walk my dog when he won’t stop bothering me
6 PM til bedtime – Eat dinner, spend quality time with my husband and/or friends, get ready to do it all again!
Again, this is just an example of how I have found my schedule works best, and is just to give you an idea of how you might balance responsibilities (and fun) both in and out of the classroom. Understandably, during the month before exam time our schedules change to allow for more time studying, but it’s REALLY necessary to still allow some time for wellness too! Also, some weeks, lots of things just happen and you can’t stick to a schedule like this – and that’s okay! Life happens outside of medical school, and we all have times where there’s a ton going on outside of the classroom that we have to attend to (like getting married – I think that counts?) While the curriculum of the first year is rigorous, and staying on top of things is wonderful advice, there is enough time to catch up if you have a busy life week every once in a while!
I hope that if you are a super planner like I am, you have found this useful. Feel free to email me with any questions about life at Vandy, or really anything at all! (alexandra.l.foshage.1@vanderbilt.edu) I know I’m totally biased, but Vandy really is the best place to be!