Devan D.
Photo provided by Devan D.
If you’re reading this, take a moment to look at the sunset.
My camera roll is full of sunsets. Almost every day, I carve out time to catch a glimpse of the pink, orange, and red colors that reflect off the clouds and dance across the sky. I have pictures from home in North Carolina, my rooftop in Kansas City, my grandmother’s house in India, and all over the world. Even my phone background is a sunset from my senior year college window. My family and friends think it is because I find them beautiful, and while that is true, there is a deeper meaning: it allows me to catch my breath.
It would be an understatement to say that medical students have busy days. There are days where I run from lecture to lecture and quite frankly, it’s exhausting. I would much rather be sitting on a beach with a book than smell like formaldehyde running to the next lab. There are more days than not where I just want to take a break and watch something rather than come home to study. While I would love to take a break, the fire hydrant that is medical school unfortunately does not cater to my schedule, and I tend to feel signs of burning out and an overwhelming sense of dread sometimes.
To fight some of these feelings, I’ll take five minutes for a quick walk or to glance out the window and take a deep breath to look at the sunset. Watching the sun set over the horizon is a reminder that every single day has an end. Bad test? It’ll be okay, you can do better next time. Had a lonely day? Pick up your phone and call a friend this weekend. Didn’t find the time to go to the gym? You can go tomorrow. The promise of tomorrow provides something rare during medical school: hope. This is the real reason I watch the sunsets. As the sun sets in the west, I know that it will rise again tomorrow morning in the east with a new brilliance and a new opportunity to tackle medical school.
As I look back now, I’m in awe of how much I have learned and grown as a person this year. Medical school has not been busy, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to pursue the dream that I dared to envision over a decade ago. There have been many days where my sunsets walks are the only chance I get to catch my breath, but they allow me to recharge and wash away the burdens of the day.
If you’re reading this, I want you to take a moment and look at the sunset today. Take a deep breath and reflect on your day. Slow down from the constant race that medical school puts us in and find something that sparks joy for you. Once you find it, nourish it and never let it go.
Devan D., First Year Medical Student
Photo provided by Devan D.
Q: What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while pursuing your medical education?
A: First of all, I am still figuring out how to find my perfect work-life balance (if it does even exist). However, one thing that has helped me throughout my first year has been taking every Friday night and Saturday morning off. I try to hang out with friends, cook a fun meal, or spend a few hours watching Duke basketball or soccer games. I’ve found that having a dedicated “no-studying-period” recharges me and I am more relaxed heading into a new week. I would encourage everyone to build in time that makes sense for them!
Q: What is your motivation when medical training/education gets hard?
A: I was recently in a meeting where an advisor struck me by saying, “how does it feel to live your dream.” Her words struck me because while there are busy days, if my younger self knew where I was right now, he’d be so proud. For so long, my dream was to get into medical school, and now that I’m here, I have to recognize what an accomplishment that is. Taking moments to remind myself of how far I’ve come motivates me greatly. It’s easy to look at the heights and dreams in front of us, but at the same time, it’s important to look back and see how far your feet have carried you in the journey that is life.
Q: What advice do you have for incoming medical students regarding mental wellness?
A: There is an analogy of ducks and imposter syndrome. Imagine that everyone in medical school is a duck gliding across a pond. From the surface, it looks like everyone is getting around with much effort. When you finally take a look underwater, you will see just how hard their feet are pedaling for the smooth movements. Think of medical school the same way.
You will have some classmates who seem like they are gliding past everyone else without much effort. You will have some classmates who will enter medical school and hit the ground running with research or volunteering. You have to remember that everyone is putting in the effort. Some parts of medical school will come naturally to you and others will not. Trust the process and keep your head up high. You will get through it!
Q: In what ways do you think medical schools can better support students' mental health and well-being?
A: Entering the 2020-2021 school year, I had never been lonelier, and as I looked at my peers, I realized that I wasn’t alone. Taking away social intersections and not being able to see my friends smile when we hung out in person took a toll, and I wanted to do something about it. As a student government senator, I worked to increase mental health access and add wellness days to our calendar. One way that I would love to see medical schools increase support for mental health and well-being is by adding at least 1 wellness day per semester that students can take when they want to. While overall mental health days for an entire class are helpful, everyone is unique and will have different days where they need to catch their breath, and I believe that having wellness days that students are able to use to reset and recharge would be invaluable.
Several studies have revealed that medical students, physicians, and healthcare professionals experience mental health symptoms at rates significantly higher than the general population. Stethos[Cope] is a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis designed to help medical students and professionals cope with the unique stressors of medical training and change the narrative of mental health in medicine.
To read more letters and interviews from students, and to learn more about mental health in the medical community, visit the Stethos[Cope] home page.