To do it all or not?

Dr. Preeyati Chopra

General Advice:

This journey all of us embark on when we decide to pursue the field of medicine is probably (read definitely) like none other. You grow, you learn so much more than just academics, you discover new depths of friendship, you uncover your passion and probably inculcate a hobby that will last with you for a lifetime! The growth curve is incomparable. It’s beautiful and unique for every single person who’s on it.

The topic I had to write about was how to make the most of your third year of MBBS or pre-final year. For the longest time, I had no clue what to write, for someone who knows me may seem to think I do it all or that somehow, I take out time for everything. But that’s simply not true. I am just a normal 21-year-old trying to meet the deadlines and stretch myself to grow more every day.

This is not a how-to guide for third year, nor this checklist for all the things you need. Think of this as reading my experience in third year and my desire to share it with you in the hope that you gain something positive out of this!

I had been a active member of certain medical student organizations from my second year. These gave me an outlet to inculcate my interest in something other than academics and also served as a pleasant distraction. I entered third year in January 2020 (the period of the calm before the storm, of course I’m talking about COVID-19). One of the projects that I had a deep desire to fulfil was already underway, I organized the first undergraduate conference in my college with a team consisting of my batchmates and juniors. I was grateful to start and finish this by February 2020.

For the first 2-3 months into third year, I was still in the bliss of having completed my second year. By the time, I started researching and asking seniors on how to proceed with final year, the COVID-19 news started floating around and we were all sent home for 2 weeks to tide over it (lol!) From there started a very weird series of events, the days merged and the uncertainty of it all was just too much to take! But I used to catch up with my friends and for a while, it seemed okay.

I got myself into a lot of extra-curricular activities – organising an online event, or doing courses of my varied interests from Coursera and sometimes just organising different parts of my house. This helped me in keeping my mind off from what was going around the world and kept me in my own bubble.

This carried on for a few months with studies sometimes taking a backseat but into the 3rd month of the lockdown, I realised that the first and foremost thing in my life is my career and the goals I have for myself for which could only be achieved via studying. So, I started incorporating and dedicating time to different subjects from Pathology to Ophthalmology. I tried to cover my second-year syllabus along with third year (even though I failed miserably). The following months were just me trying to balance academics with my loads of cocurricular activities.

When finally in October the notice for going back to college was confirmed, I was anxious on how we’re going back to a completely different world we left behind 9 months ago. It was all very daunting at first but by and by I settled into the routine and gave my final university exams for third year in February this year and entered the last year of MBBS.

I’m sure you won’t find anything out of the ordinary from this the above recap of my year but to make it easier I’ll summarise it in 4 broad headings:

1. ‘A healthy mind resides in a healthy body’

I’m sure all of you must have heard or read this saying a million times. But it’s the first point here because the entire year – made me realise the importance of a being physically active and how even 30 minutes of exercise per day has a profound effect on our thoughts and mental health. To all those who watch Netflix in bed or have a not-so-great posture like me, I would encourage you to take just 30 minutes out of your day and work on yourself. Some amazing apps through which you can set goals, and reward yourself on some awesome goodies on completing those goals: Myntra fit, StepSetGo and so many more, just google it!

2. ‘A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.’

Keeping in mind the last year where everything was on a standstill and all you could do is spend hours and hours with yourself, developing a hobby that keeps you busy and creatively alive is a must! I developed the habit of reading novels (again!), reading about different ways of interior designing, graphic designing, website designing – you get it. Basically, having an activity that has nothing to do with academics or career as such but something that gives you happiness and joy. There are loads of websites that give you a small course or just a glimpse in something that has always intrigued you – Skillshare is one of them, all you need is type the right keywords in the search bar.

3. ‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.’

Les Brown Dream big and don’t be afraid to go for it! I am a person who likes to analyse the chances of my failure in a particular task first rather than just going for it, that is a perspective that has been forever changed by this last year. I have stretched myself to grow in every aspect – academics, co-curriculars, trying new things, being better at keeping different relationships with people around me as well as taking care of my health. The basic idea is to stimulate yourself to be a better version of yourself, manifesting a life you desire for yourself and working towards it and at the same time, not being too strict with yourself if things don’t go in your favour. Like it’s said: you win some and you learn from others.

4.’In a world where you can be anything, be kind’

Inculcate positivity in yourself. Try to be patient with yourself and with people around you. Choose the areas in your life where you want your energy to be utilised, where you think you’ll have the maximum impact. This past year has been cruel to many, count your blessings everyday even if on some days you have nothing to be grateful for. Keeping a positive mindset and attitude can help you overcome a lot of situations in life. Lastly, for everyone who has entered in third year – Make the most of it despite the circumstances you’re in! Keep your studies a priority always, the human body is fascinating, the more you study about it, the more you will want to learn! If you find a particular topic difficult at first, don’t panic. Read through it, re-read it and take the help of various online sources and even your seniors, if they can help you out. Don’t just leave it here. Trust you’ll remember that you left that particular chapter, just kidding! You’ll feel a sense of achievement after you’ve given it the time to understand it. Pick up on the hobby that you’ve been wanting to do for a long time.

You have the time and energy to do so much, all you need to do is focus and develop your interests towards it.