Take a moment to look around you. Slow down and smell the roses. Soak in the majestic sunset. Listen to the blue birds sing. Take a trip to a foreign land. Smile at your neighbor.

Let’s be serious. You are probably reading this blog in a busy library or while taking a break from your studies. Who has time to do those things anyway? Actually, we all do if we choose to make it a priority. Too often the premed tunnel vision causes us to miss out on the beauty around us. We fail to take a stroll in the park which would relieve stress and help with our physical health. We aren’t there for our loved ones when they are in need or during special moments in life. In fact, that stranger sitting next to you has an interesting story and may be someone who can forever change your life if only you take a second to smile and introduce yourself to them.

Create Time: The medical journey is a long and arduous one. As a premed, you are embarking on a path that if travelled correctly can be very enjoyable and worthwhile. You will likely develop lifelong friendships and possibly find a spouse and/or start a family while chasing your dream of becoming a doctor. You will no doubt spend many sleepless nights, shed tears, and experience failure and success. Being a premed can be draining but the truth is it only gets more demanding mentally and physically while time becomes more of a rare commodity but you will somehow adapt. If you can’t find time to call your mom for Mother’s Day, take part in that hobby you love, or go to the gym now as a premed student, the chances you will find that time as a medical student, resident or fellow are slim to none. You need to make time to do the little things that matter in life. Start practicing now as a premed to devote a block of time to make that phone call to those who mean something to you because you never know how long they will be there.

Fall in Love with the Process: Some of us are so infatuated with the title (whether it be “wife/husband”, “mommy/daddy”, or “doctor”) that we miss out on the process of getting there. It is the falling in love while dating that makes one confident about marrying their partner. It is 9 months of pregnancy that makes a newborn and his or her mother inseparable. Earning money at that job and saving it to buy that first car made you very protective of it. The wins and losses on the court during the regular season makes the championship trophy so much more special. Likewise, the sleepless nights studying, running from one meeting to the next, and watching webinars are part of the process. Till this day, I still laugh with my two former premed buddies about our all-nighter fail since we were completely delirious and ended up falling asleep during the test that morning. In 10 years, these premed moments will be mere memories. Memories that you still have time to mold into pleasant ones. Loving the process will make the goal much more meaningful and worth the struggle. Soak it in and embrace.

Keep a Smile Going: I recall being a 3^rd year medical student waking up at 2am to a pager reading “22yo male with gunshot wound, Trauma Rm 3, ETA 8 min.” It wasn’t easy getting up from the bed at first but it never took me long to put a smile on my face and hurry out of the call room. The reason behind my smile was because I had the privilege to be breathing and doing what I truly loved. Many others, including the patients we were caring for weren’t quite as fortunate to be where they chose to be. There are many pessimistic, “woe is me” students out there who make the room a shade grayer every time they enter it. Don’t be that student. Never, fall into the trap of thinking your buddies who graduated and went straight into the workforce have it so much better than you do as a premed. Well, maybe a few have it better but I can tell you from personal experience, you will be just fine in the end. Just sit back, smile and enjoy the ride.

Live Life to the Fullest:  In the New York Time’s best seller “When Breath Becomes Air,” Dr. Paul Kalanithi, a resident Neurosurgeon at Stanford, chronicled his last few months after being diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer. He was a new father at age 36 with a promising future. As much as I hate to conclude this blog on a more melancholic note, I feel this is the realest way to illustrate just how important it is to appreciate. On this earth, we can achieve many degrees, attend the most prestigious schools, earn a lot of money, but in the end, it is the relationships we build with one another that will matter the most. Being a doctor is such an awesome privilege. We sometimes have the opportunity to share in the joy of the birth of life, impact its course, and witness its end. We have front row seats observing and interacting with this precious thing called life. Why not cherish it and make the most of every day even while studying? What are you waiting for? Carpe diem!

Written By: Dr. Daniel

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