Managing Time between Studies and Personal Life during MBBS

An MBBS Degree is one of the most difficult degrees to pursue. Medical students have to balance classrooms, practicals, clinical postings, assignments, examinations, and self-study. On the other side, students still have to balance their personal health, mental health, relationships, hobbies, and personal responsibilities. The stress and burnout from poor time management affects students’ quality of life and also their performance in studies.

Be it studying in India or your medical education through MBBS abroad, with MBBS Advisor, knowing the balance between studies and personal time is always helpful. The productivity and motivation benefits of a good routine extend beyond the classroom and into your career.

Even students who are studying for NEET and are estimating their admission chances with a NEET Rank Predictor should know that time management skills learned during this time will be invaluable once MBBS begins.

Time Management and Its Importance during MBBS

Time management is important in medical school more than other undergraduate studies, because learning is compartmentalized into semesters with new learnings, new practicals, new hospital attendances and regular assessments. Medical school also has a vast syllabus, which means that studies cannot be postponed for even a few days.

Time management makes it possible for students to:

• Complete the syllabus without having to rush it.
• Stress less for examinations.
• Improve their health.
• Enjoy other activities.
• Have confidence in clinical practice.

The WHO suggests it's essential for future healthcare workers to have a balanced personal and professional life. This is important for their future careers, and their healthcare education, because their mental wellbeing forms part of their holistic care.

Understand the Demands of an MBBS Curriculum

Create a workable timetable for MBBS only after you have a clear if not exact idea of what will consume your time the most.

Your possible daily undertakings can include the following:

• Attendance during lectures
• Laboratory practical sessions
• Dissection sessions
• Clinical postings
• Presentation of cases
• Assignments
• Self-study, and or
• Group discussions
• Revision, and
• Test preparation

The medical colleges approved by the NMC have fully structured courses with academic blocks that demand strict regular attendance and participation.

Because of this, students should aim to integrate all of these activities to facilitate structured daily routinization, rather than viewing them task by task.

Create a Practical Daily Study Schedule

Unrealistic study schedules are a common mistake among medics. For instance, the expectation that continuous studying every day of the week for ten to twelve hours is practical.

A realistic routine dictates that the:

Morning

• Previous day’s study topics are revisited.
• All lectures are attended with full concentration.
• Important concepts are recorded.

Afternoon

• Practical classes.
• Clinical postings.
• Short revision after classes.

Evening

• Self-study.
• Diagrams are practiced.
• Standard text books are read.
• Previous years questions are answered.

Night

• Difficult topics are revised.
• Tasks for the following day are scheduled.
• Adequate sleep is ensured.

Routine is of higher priority than studying for extremely long and intermittent durations.

Prioritize Tasks Using the Right Method

Not all tasks are of equal weight.

Students should sort their tasks into categories like:

High Priority:

• Upcoming exams
• Preparation of clinical cases
• Submissions of practicals

Medium Priority:

• Revision of the week
• Reading from the reference books
• MCQ practice

Low Priority:

• Note organization
• Watching previously learned educational videos
• Study material organization
• Educational video organization

Getting work done helps to avoid stress during exams.

Avoid Procrastination

During the period of the MBBS, procrastination becomes problematic.

Difficult subjects like Anatomy, Pharmacology, Pathology, or Biochemistry get unnecessarily hard due to the delay.

Instead, a study session of 25 to 30 minutes is done.

• Large chapters of study material are broken down.
• Procrastination is rewarded after the target is completed.
• Don’t wait for the perfect mood to study.

Progress both big and small will get the desired results.

Balance Clinical Learning with Theory

There is no doubt clinical exposure is very important in the medical field.

Books are not the only source of learning in the hospital and many students ignore this.

• Before ward postings, theory is read.
• Patients are observed.
• Faculty are asked about what they teach.
• Clinical cases are studied after the session in the hostel.

Theory is the foundation of learning and without it, clinical exposure will not give the desired results.

Smart Use of Technology

Studying is all about making the right choices.

Technology helps with computation, organization, and learning and is a positive choice.

All of the following are great resources:

• Digital calendars
• Reminders
• Flashcard apps
• Medical learning platforms
• Online anatomy resources

But with no moderation, studying will become less productive.

Students should:

• Turn off notifications.
• Put phones away.
• Have scheduled screen time.

Balance Physical Health

It is important to practice teaching others and always maintain the right habits.

A future doctor should get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep.

• Regular walking or exercise.
• Balanced meals.
• Proper hydration.
• Limited caffeine intake.

The WHO cites having healthy lifestyles as the foundation for physical and mental health.

Healthy students have faster learning with better memory.

Protect Your Mental Well-Being

Medical education can be emotionally demanding.

Common stress factors are:

• Endless examinations
• Heavy syllabus
• Competition
• Clinical duties
• Fear of failure

Mental health should be a priority.

The following strategies can be helpful:

• Talking to friends.
• Talking to faculty.
• Meditating.
• Taking short breaks.
• Hobbies.
• Family.

A refreshed mind learns better.

Learn the Art of Saying No

Medical students are the target of invites for outings, social events, gaming sessions and more.

While socializing is good, socializing too much can cost the time you need to study.

You should learn to:

• Politely turn down invites, doing so is for the best.
• Avoid late night activities that are distracting. Do this to protect your study time, and you will see drastic improvements in your academic performance.

Build Effective Study Techniques

To study better, you don’t need to study longer.

Good studying includes:

Active Recall

Instead of reading your notes over and over, close your notes and recall the concepts.

Spaced Repetition

Revisit the topic after 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month.

Concept Mapping

Connect the related medical concepts.

Group Study

Do your study with serious and focused people and take that time to study a particularly tough subject.

Use the Previous Year Questions

This will familiarize you with the exam formats.

Having a better understanding of the exam formats will stimulate better academic performance.

However, keeping good relationships builds better emotional balance.

Examples of easy relationship-building habits include:

• Frequent calls made to parents.
• Hangouts with friends on weekends.
• Books that are not related to medicine are read.
• Music is listened to.
• Movies are watched now and then.

Resting personal time is taken to prevent burnout and help with the return of one's motivation.

Managing Time as an International MBBS Student

International MBBS students have many extra responsibilities.

These responsibilities are:

• Coping with the culture of the country they moved to.
• Learning the transportation systems in the new country.
• Budgeting personal finances.
• Meal Prepping or Cooking.
• Adjusting to a new language.
• Keeping in contact with their home country.

Designing a good personal timetable for international students is very important.

Students who want to guide themselves with the MBBS Advisor get familiar with the academic systems in the new countries and tailor their study systems to the countries they are going to, before they depart for their overseas education.

Start Preparing Early for your Licensing Exams

Many students start preparing for Licensing Exams when they are in their final year.

However, the best practice is to start preparing for them early while they are doing their MBBS.

The better practices are:

• Keep a regular review on the basic sciences.
• Weekly practice of MCQ.
• Keep short summaries.
• Use the recommended texts to keep study habits regular.
• Start working on your conceptual clarity from the first year.

The students who got into medical schools through the NEET now have the advantage of good preparation systems while in medical school.

Those who are not in this category can use the NEET Rank Predictor to see the available medical schools before they apply to medical school.

The medical schools that are listed in the WDOMS follow academic systems that support good study habits and systems throughout the year.

Mistakes that impair good time management

There are many things that reduce good time management habits while studying MBBS.

The following should be avoided:

• Study only when exams come up.
• Neglecting review of topics taught.
• Skipping class when lectures are held.
• Poor sleep habits.
• Neglecting good nutrition.
• Excessive use of mobile devices.
• Constantly comparing yourself to your classmates.
• Missing help when needed.
• Ignoring physical health.
• Taking the wrong approach to studying.

Mistakes will be recognized over time, allowing routines to be built for the long term.

Conclusion

MBBS students have very little free time. The abundant hours students have are not for work. They are for building a lifestyle where physical health and growth, social relationships, and work all are balanced and integrated. Students can very much improve work performance without harming physical and mental health when they incorporate healthy habits, and learn to set priorities and plan and schedule work in a realistic way.

MBBS students can be found at a variety of places: preparing for the NEET exam, learning other ways to get an MBBS, checking admissions for the NEET via the Rank Predictor, or getting advice on MBBS from consultants. The first steps toward an MBBS will begin learning the skills to invest time more effectively to optimize academic work and health at the same time. The NMC, WHO and the WDOMS all publish work that can help students learn about the standards of quality medical work and give students a successful medical career.