Medical students have unique decisions to make when the everyday world is scheduled to take a break. That said, the annual break for winter holidays surrounding Christmas and New Years presents a recurring challenge for many. From their first year of med school through residency, med students have to decide if it is truly worth it to take a real break and disconnect from medicine for a few days. However, for the most part, the winter holidays for med students vary greatly depending on the student’s year of study.
For the vast majority of students attending U.S. medical schools, first-year (MS1) classes begin in August or September just like the past four years on their undergraduate calendar. But, after entering medical school and especially during the first year, the intense demands of this high-stakes learning creates a pressure cooker-like environment where mental health struggles are common and symptoms often peak around exam times. But for med students, it’s not just end-of-semester pressures to study for exams, there’s that persistent need to study for their next Board exam.
“Without doubt, med students often experience higher rates of depressive symptoms when the Holidays arrive due to the exhaustion that comes from the mental overload,” says Dr. Hans Wolf, founder of WOLFPACC’s Physician Achievement Concept Course designed to boost a student’s potential for scoring well on any COMLEX-USA or USLME licensing examination. “After all, making the crucial lifestyle changes required for transitioning from one year of medical school to the next isn’t that easy.” For many, it is the year-one Holidays where the transition of being a student and becoming a doctor leaves them feeling more isolated than ever before.
Christmas holidays can be a trigger…
Medical students had adapted to experiencing life as an undergraduate and very likely looked forward to reconnecting with friends and family during the winter holidays. It had always been a perfect time to disconnect from learning for a few weeks and focus on one’s well-being by eating better and sleeping late. But, even the pressures of MS1 can create an overwhelming need to reflect on the past semester’s successes and revisit tougher subjects.
In later years, instead of just having time off to rest and recharge, a med student’s winter holidays are filled with setting realistic goals to avoid burnout by getting ahead on the next semester’s challenges like exploring opportunities for volunteering, performing research, or planning study sessions for an upcoming board exam. Managing these holiday triggers involves building resilience by adopting strong routines, seeking support from mentors, prioritizing self-care, and implementing proactive strategies for more realistic time management.
Typical Break Durations for Medical Students
Maybe more than students pursuing careers in other industries, today’s medical student needs to build a foundation for managing life’s triggers. After all, their future as a physician will require them to separate their identity as an individual from the constant demands of everyday life. Creating daily routines can help them feel more in control. Prioritizing eating, exercising, and sleeping is non-negotiable, and practicing mindfulness can enhance focus by reducing anxiety. Planning their work day and working that plan can help prevent overwhelm.
Here’s a look at the potential breaks that deserve consideration:
- University Holidays: Standard federal holidays are usually observed, though clinical med students may be expected on-site depending on their clerkship director’s discretion. Though med school holidays usually match the university’s, specific dates vary by institutions and the year of study, but MS3 or MS4 students on clinical rotations generally have less time off.
- Preclinical Years: During MS1 & MS2, med students will receive one to three weeks off from academic attendance that spans from mid-December through the first week of January. Upfront that seems like a lot of time but it can fly-by like never before. Preclinical students should learn how to prioritize tasks to better manage stress and reduce holiday anxiety.
- Clinical Years: Breaks are shorter and less predictable during MS3 & MS4 and is even less predictable during residency. Most programs do offer time off around Christmas and New Year’s between rotations, though specific hospital assignments may require a med student to work during holidays, which can include Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve.
Although holiday time often depends on a medical student’s phase in their curriculum, typical winter holiday windows include academic time off that begins the day that the student’s classes end the week before Christmas and ends when the medical institution resume instruction, which is generally the first Monday after the New Year. Nonetheless, the specific dates for Winter Holidays and the length of break durations do vary by institutions as well as pre-clinical and clinical student years. For those attending med school in Canada, winter recess holidays are most often observed.
Activities for Your Winter Holiday Break
Most medical students will learn how to balance time during the Christmas holidays to schedule study time, catch-up on rest, set some clear goals for the upcoming semester, incorporate physical activity to prevent burnout, and have some fun with friends and family. Wow, is there anything else? Well yes there is. For starters, maybe set a study schedule for upcoming clinical rotation shelf exams or your next COMLEX-USA or USMLE board exam. Typically, third-year (MS3) students find winter holidays to be more difficult if their rotation site is open. Oh, yeah, one more thing – try to relax.
(MS1) First-Year Med Students: Although the winter holiday break for MS1 may seem jammed packed with things the med student wants and needs to do, it is likely the easiest year to recharge and reconnect by spending more time with family and friends. Academic prep time is still optional, plus there’s not much needed to prepare for the upcoming MS1 semester.
(MS2) Second-Year Med Students: During a second-year med student’s holidays, balance is important because rest is essential to help prevent burnout and time should be devoted to consolidating study methods, for what they learned during MS1, with what they will learn during the final months of basic sciences. The key here is to disconnect some to recharge while investing in some light study to get ahead.
(MS3) Third-Year Med Students: Third-year med students must focus on their personal well-being during any and all breaks. Scheduling dental appointments, catching up on paperwork, exploring opportunities to volunteer, and mentally preparing for the demanding second half of MS3 clinical rotations. If there’s enough time, start preparing for board exam prep and start thinking about residency applications.
(MS4) Fourth-Year Med Students: For fourth-year med students, now is the time to use the winter holiday break to balance wellness with future planning for residency and completion of their COMLEX-USA or USLME board exams. It is essential to prevent burnout while getting ready for residency. Whereas it is important to prioritize sleep and relaxation over cramming, set goals for COMLEX-USA or USMLE prep time.
Navigating medical school requires a delicate balance between relentless academic drive and personal well-being, making the Winter Holiday break a critical time for students to recalibrate. Whether you have one week off or three, start by setting clear goals; while some students may need to dedicate quiet hours to board exam prep or research, it is equally vital to prioritize mental and physical health to combat burnout. However, for those on clinical rotations without time off, the holidays offer a unique silver lining, as reduced staffing provides more hands-on opportunities to interview patients or scrub for surgeries.
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It is important for students to strive for success every year of med school and each phase of training. Since a 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 for a lifetime. 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 look forward to helping you reach your goals.
