SMS (“Stanford Medical School”) Unplugged is a forum for students to chronicle their experiences in medical school. The student-penned entries appear on Scope once a week; the entire blog series can be found in the SMS Unplugged category.
A few months ago, I read the following quote: “Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” For some reason, this quote got to me. This year is my 18th consecutive year as a student, and there are too many days that seem the same, where I’m caught in the tasks and obligations of school and extracurriculars and forget to take time out of the day just for myself.
Fortunately, I’m surrounded by classmates who are very much aware of the bubble but also skilled at disconnecting from the med school busyness. A couple weeks ago, I took a leaf out of their book, woke up at 5:30 AM, and joined four of my fellow classmates for a hiking trip at Castle Rock State Park.
Castle Rock is about a 45-minute drive from Stanford and filled with beautiful redwoods, moss-covered trees, and stunning views. Much of the group had to be back on campus at 1 PM for meetings and such (can’t escape the bubble forever!) so we chose to do a ~6-mile hike, giving us time to pause along the way whenever we felt like it.
There were moments when all of us were quiet, relishing the moist, woody smell of the forest and appreciating the absolute silence that surrounded us. Of course, most of the time, we were chatting it up. Despite the fact that all of us are together almost every day, taking the same classes and working together on group presentations that accompany our coursework, it felt like we hadn’t really talked in ages! During our three-hour hike, we bonded over so many different topics – where we wanted to live when we graduated from medical school, things we’ve struggled with this past year, our families, and so much more.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had a chance to escape into the wilderness with classmates. Last year, med school kicked off with a pre-orientation camping/backpacking trip called SWEAT (Stanford Wilderness Experience Active (Orientation) Trip). SWEAT was a 4-day, 3-night adventure, and, like this hike, was an incredible bonding experience – one that even included a few bear sightings.
The point of this entry is to 1) make it seem like I have a life outside of med school (Kidding! Kind of…), and 2) emphasize how important it is to take the time to do things you love and enjoy. One of the things I struggled the most with – both when I went to college and when I came to med school – was figuring out how I could incorporate the things I've always loved doing – dance, drawing, reading, etc. – into a life filled with classes, deadlines, and meetings. While the classes will soon come to an end, the deadlines and meetings and obligations certainly won’t. And that’s when I’ll make a conscious effort to traipse off to a dance class, a bookstore, or a hiking spot like Castle Rock.
Hamsika Chandrasekar is a second-year student at Stanford’s medical school. She has an interest in medical education and pediatrics.
Photo courtesy of Hamsika Chandrasekar
