Medical students often find themselves navigating the end-of-year holidays with a mix of anticipation and obligation. While most medical schools close for major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, students, especially in their third-year (M3) and fourth-year (M4), may still find themselves in hospitals or clinics as part of their clerkships.
“Medical students frequently study and work more than a dozen hours a day,” says Dr. Hans Wolf, the founder of the WOLFPACC Physician’s Achievement Concept Course. “Sometime their clinical schedule includes weekend or overnight shifts.” Dr. Wolf added that the brevity of winter holiday breaks can feel like an insufficient amount of time off for a student to enjoy rest and recuperation.
The third year of medical school is notoriously challenging. Although different medical schools have different break lengths for winter holidays, hospitals never close, and even if students aren’t required to be present, some may feel compelled to show up. Plus, board exams like the USMLE Step 2-CK or the COMLEX-USA Level 2CE are looming.
Relentless schedules can lead to burnout.
Any medical school’s four-year curriculum can prove challenging and becoming a doctor involves learning how to avoid burnout. So balancing preclinicals and the demands of clinical rotations with one’s desire to enjoy holiday festivities is tough. But prioritizing patient care over personal time off can leave a positive impression with the healthcare professionals and residents overseeing your learning experience. However, for some medical students, taking time to relax and enjoy their winter break offers a crucial opportunity for physical and mental recharging.
Winter Breaks During Medical School
Not all medical students get the same length break. In part, this is due to the fact that some medical schools start a given MS years sooner or later than others. Most medical schools have a standard two-semester program but a true trimester system can change how winter holidays are scheduled. Nonetheless, attending med school will always require a student to manage their time off, even with a weird system of holiday breaks. Here’s a simplified look at breaks by school year:
- M1 – The first year of medical school is the time for medical students to adjust to life in medical school, develop study patterns, and make new friendships with their colleagues. The M1 curriculum provides the building block for basic science knowledge in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. As a first-year student, they can expect to be very busy with jam-packed days, lots of classes, labs, and loads of studying. Most often there is a one-week fall break, two days for Thanksgiving, and a couple of weeks winter break for Christmas and New Years.
- M2 – The second year of medical school continues the learning of basic sciences with focus on pharmacology, microbiology and biochemistry. M2 modules reinforce the studies of the first year while introducing students to more advanced techniques and applications. Plus, students refine their clinical skills, learn medical ethics, and are exposed to health environments for case-based externships. Many students don’t have time for a summer break but do get a couple days for Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas and New Years. At the end of M2, students complete preclinicals.
- M3 – The third year of medical school is mostly devoted to clinical rotations. Students often say M3 is the hardest year. While some love the clinical experience, others may hate the challenges of this type of observational learning. Either way, most of a student’s awaken hours are spent at the hospital or clinic. The third year ends with board exams for Step 2-CK. For osteopathic students, their Level 2-CE is often completed during the third or fourth year. However, spring and summer breaks start to disappear, and holidays may require clever uses of time.
- M4 – The fourth year of medical school is a med student’s dream year but can feel as busy as ever. During M4 medical students are doing sub-internships or a capstone project as they begin preparing their residency application. This is the time they must show up early, work hard and stay late. Students can expect to put in long hours while living a less than optimal lifestyle. The last year is mostly clinical work and most students have to choose between working on Christmas or New Years. That is provided their hospital or clinical rotation lets them have a break at all.
Without doubt, attending medical school consists of four very rigorous years of study and training with M1, M2, M3 and M4 all having different challenges and unique experiences. Preclinicals involve less time socializing and more time spent studying. The student’s clinical years involve a series of core rotations with most of the time spent in a clinical setting or hospital. Then it is time to pursue a subspecialty, complete an internship, apply for residency, and wait for “Match Day” results.
On Holidays Will You Work? Study? Play?
It is important for today’s medical students to strive for success at each and every phase during their medical school training. For starters, med school with its academic demands, core clinical rotations, studying for board exams, and practical applications for applying what they’ve learned is key in their becoming a competent practicing physician. This involves developing the learning strategies and lifestyle commitments a doctor will need for the rest of their life.
One to three weeks of breaks during the winter holidays can represent some much-needed time to rejuvenate. Here are some tips for making the most of one’s holidays as a medical student:
- a) Create Winter Holiday goals: Before deciding whether or not to travel for the winter holidays, it is important for the medical student to create goals for their personal, academic, and routine needs. Some students may feel motivated to study for upcoming exams while others may choose to use their time for a clinical or research opportunities. Depending on the travel time, most students can visit family and friends during their winter breaks.
- b) Devote some quiet time for your studies: How much time med students devote to their studies (if any during the winter holidays) may depend on where they are at in their coursework, their assignment of study time for board exams, and how they feel about their current standing. Even for the two-week winter break, it is important for students to think about what it could mean for them to catch up.
- c) Take a much needed Holiday break: It’s okay to take a break. In fact, students are often encouraged to take a break during their winter holidays. Burnout is a real risk for any med student, so it’s important for them to take responsibility for both their mental and physical health. That’s where some “fa la la” may come in handy for anyone who desperately needs to recharge their batteries.
- d) Improve your physical wellbeing: Eat healthy, exercise, visit family, and take time for the things you enjoy. The holidays can be a good time to schedule health maintenance appointments, such as an annual physical, dental cleaning, and vision checks. Med students must focus on wellness throughout all four years of training and the winter holidays are no different. It’s up to each student to ensure they physically recharge.
- e) Make time for mindful reflections: Think about winter holidays as a time for mindfulness, where a student can engage in reflective writing or catching up on reading outside of medicine. Med students can use the time off to keep up with hobbies, enjoy a music concert, play their favorite sports, or enjoy the great outdoors. Binging on movies or TV series with friends and family can be a helpful reconnection that recharges the body and mind.
Many base hospitals offer no days off during med student rotations, including Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s, so it’s essential to prepare friends and family for a required absence during these typical holiday times. Since holiday shifts can mean a reduced hospital staff, they offer unique opportunities for med students to gain hands-on experience by interviewing and examining patients or scrubbing for surgeries and suturing surgical wounds. Working on holidays can help students decide if they’re comfortable with such schedules and may help to influence their choice of specialty.
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Since every medical student’s program takes so much of his or her time to become a full-fledged doctor, Dr. Hans Wolf developed the WOLFPACC Physicians Achievement Concept Course. It is purposefully designed to provide allopathic and osteopathic students with a powerful approach for passing their board exams and practicing medicine. If you are a medical student or IMG who wants or needs to score well on any USMLE or COMLEX-USA medical licensing exam, Dr. Wolf and his team of professionals look forward to helping you reach your goals.
