The foundation of your ameliorating your struggles in med school will likely be your friends and family, the people who support you in your lowest times, and can also take you away from the sometimes toxic environment of med school. I find that it is more difficult than ever to keep in touch with friends and family outside of school given the demands of time constraints of med school/clinical rotations; however, I have also learned that it truly is the little things that matter in the long run. Even if you cannot find time for a long phone call or to go home and visit your family, a few texts a week will be meaningful to them to let them know you are doing well and still thinking of them amidst the challenges you face daily. I have discovered that maintaining friends in med school is just as important – which again, can be hard given that many people do their own thing, do not find group study favorable, and we are separated from each other with our individual clinical rotation schedules. Although I too am a solo studier, I like to sit in the same place as friends on the weekends to study next to each other, not necessarily with each other. It is also nice to spend those fleeting free moments you have with friends, such as grabbing lunch, walking home from the hospital, or working out at the gym. Ultimately, your immediate friendships will be of constant value to you throughout your four years of school and thus it is important to maintain them.
