You can’t buy happiness with material objects, but they sure can help make medical school
much more manageable and far less painful. Here are my 7 favorites.
Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com. You don’t need me to rehash the list of
items you know you need for medical school, like a stethoscope. These are the items that
are often overlooked, either in not purchasing them or not investing enough in getting quality
products. Links to all of these recommended items are in the description.
If you’ve never tried studying with two screens rather than one, your mind will be
blown once you do. Doing so allows you to more easily tackle projects that require multiple
simultaneous windows, which are actually most tasks. Maybe you’re watching a video of
lecture and taking notes on the other monitor, for example. Or perhaps looking up research
articles and reading PDF's on one monitor, and writing a manuscript on the other.
If you’re deep into the Apple ecosystem like I am, you can even do this with your
Mac and iPad, whereby your iPad serves as the additional monitor. There used to be apps
for this, but now it’s baked into iOS 14 through Sidecar and is seamless.
I studied a great deal at my medical school in the small classrooms, and we were lucky
that there were 1 or 2 TV’s in each. By simply bringing my own cable to school, I
would be able to dual screen my laptop, getting all the benefits of a second monitor without
the added cost or bulk of carrying one. I got more done this way and could even share
notes or slides with my study buddy. Medical students are crunched for time, and
that’s why I emphasize productivity and efficiency so heavily. Whenever possible,
you should seek to automate and delegate tasks to free up your own time. Hiring a maid service
can get prohibitively costly quickly, but investing up front in a robot vacuum for a
couple hundred dollars is well worth it, particularly when that robot vacuum works for years and
saves you countless hours of vacuuming yourself. iRobot is considered the leader in the space,
but I’ve had great results with SharkIQ at a fraction of the price. It will even automatically
go back to the base station to empty out its contents.
Since studying will be such a central focus and large chunk of your day, you want to invest
in items that serve that purpose, either making it more comfortable, enjoyable, or effective.
A large part of that is the desk you use. But as a broke medical student, I figured
taking an IKEA jerker and fixing it at a higher height would be best. Back then, motorized
standing desks were far too expensive for me to justify. I used a standing desk in all
of medical school, but it was a fixed desk at a fixed height, and I didn’t use a seat
or stool. By having a seat, I figured I'd be tempted to almost always sit, thus defeating
the purpose of the standing desk. I recently bought a motorized base for $200
that goes under my table top, thus converting a regular IKEA desk into a fully functional
motorized standing desk. I only wish I did this sooner, as I get the benefits of both.
I’ll be giving an updated office tour on my personal channel. Link in the description.
Optimizing your studying also means blocking out distractions, including distracting noises.
It's for this reason that noise cancelling headphones or earbuds are a must for medical
students. I find my AirPods Pro convenient, effective at blocking external noise, and
sounding good enough for my portable listening needs. The issue with earbuds is that some
people find them uncomfortable over longer listening periods. The alternative is noise
cancelling headphones, which trade portability for improvements in comfort and sound. I recommend
the Sony WH-1000XM4's for this purpose. When studying at home, I found it preferable
to get nice speakers, or studio monitors. As I cover in my video on the effect of music
and studying, certain types of music can minimize any detrimental effect on focus and memory
consolidation while making studying more enjoyable. Invest in a quality pair, as they can serve
you for years. I'm still using my same set of Emotiva Airmotiv 4 studio monitors 9 years
later. In the pursuit of eating healthy and saving
time, slow cookers and instant pots are life savers. If you're often too lazy to cook,
like I am, then slow cookers or multicookers reduce the friction. You simply throw in a
handful of ingredients, set the temperature and time, and are welcomed to a delicious
and nutritious meal later in the day or the next morning.
I started off with a Crock-Pot, which was a good way to dabble, but once my girlfriend
of the time introduced me to Instant Pots, which have a pressure cooker functionality,
I was an instant convert. While slow cookers like the Crock-Pot require some planning ahead,
the Instant Pot's pressure function allows for quick cooking and last-minute decisions.
Sleep is one of the three pillars in maximizing your performance in medical school – the
other two being nutrition and exercise. But it's strange most of us don't prioritize it
the way we should. Once I upgraded to a quality memory foam mattress in medical school, my
sleep was instantly better and back pain greatly reduced.
You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on a mattress either. I was actually blown away
by the very affordable Spa Sensations 12" mattress from Walmart, which I found more
comfortable even compared to many more expensive options.
Without having a water bottle nearby, you're likely to find yourself dehydrated, which
can impair your focus and performance. My obsession with finding the best water bottle
is a bit strange, but here's what I've learned. First, it should be made out of metal, as
even BPA-free plastic can still leech other chemicals into the water. Second, large capacity
means you can adequately stay hydrated without running out of water or wasting too much time
making trips to refill. And third, the mouth piece should be entirely covered when not
in use. I found out the hard way why that one's important. My go-to and daily driver
is the Takeya 40z insulated. Those who follow me on Instagram or on my
other YouTube channel, Kevin Jubbal, M.D., know that earlier this year I got majorly
obsessed with tea. I had dabbled with coffee in medical school at the beginning of my fourth
year, but quickly realized that the gastrointestinal effects weren't suited to my sensitive gut.
Plus, the jittery wired feeling from coffee wasn't really my jam.
High quality loose leaf tea, not the tea bags you buy at the grocery store, is now my favorite
drink of choice. The tastes are varied and amazing, but more importantly, tea contains
a combination of caffeine and L-theanine. This ultimately results in a calm, focused
state. If you want to dive into good tea and see
what you've been missing, I'll be making an introduction video on my personal channel,
including all the gadgets to buy and where to source your tea from.
There are a few other considerations I want you to keep in mind.
First, you'll be spending a great deal of time at your desk studying, and you should
optimize that space appropriately with a second monitor, comfortable chair, standing option,
and so on. But don't forget that how you set up your desk is also critical. You can have
the best products but if they're not set up with proper ergonomics, you'll find yourself
having aches and pains. Second, I wish I spent more money freeing
up my time. Because I had no income and had student loans, I was too reluctant to spend
money on a cleaning service or even a robovacuum, and only began getting groceries delivered
at the end of medical school. Third, where you live is hugely important
and should not be taken lightly. Does your apartment complex have a gym so you can squeeze
a quick workout in when you're crunched for time? Is it close to your medical school or
hospitals? Reducing commuting time will be key, and it’s even better if you can ride
a bicycle to get exercise in. Are you close to friends? The importance of social support
cannot be overstated. And last, I bought various products to improve
my sleep quality in medical school, and I'm so glad I did. From blackout curtains to smart
lights to white noise machines, I cover not only the products that will help you sleep
better, but also the science and behavior change to sleep better than you thought possible.
For sleep products, watch this video, or watch my entire sleep playlist. Much love, and I'll
see you guys there.