🩺 Scrub In: The Motivated Med Life

What do you do—or rather, how do you feel—when you find yourself not fulfilling your own plans?

Here’s what I mean. I had planned to wake up early, drive an hour to school, and spend the day doing practice questions. Technically, I can do practice questions at home, but there’s something powerful about studying in a space I’ve mentally designated as “study only.” At home, it’s harder. Once everyone wakes up, phones buzz, conversations start, and distractions multiply. Headphones help a little, but noise-canceling ones feel tight and uncomfortable on my ears. Not exactly a win-win.

So when I can’t execute my plans—even though they were made for good, practical reasons—what should I feel? What should I do?

This past week I’ve been unusually tired. I haven’t had the motivation to review my last practice test or dive deep into new practice questions. I’ve done some flashcards, but not as consistently as I’d like. Thankfully, I don’t feel burned out (something I’ve battled before and could definitely write a whole post about). So the question remains: am I just being lazy, or is there something deeper happening?

Part of my frustration comes from breaking my routine. Somewhere in my mind, I’ve tied the success of Step 1 to sticking with my routine. Routines are great: they create structure, discipline, and momentum. But routines don’t guarantee success. In fact, sometimes they can become counterproductive. I learned that the hard way when I pushed myself into exhaustion, only realizing later that rest and balance are just as critical to long-term success.

So, yes, today I stayed home instead of going to school. And you know what? It hasn’t been that bad. I’m still studying. I’m still progressing. I’ll still take my practice test this weekend. I’ll still meet with my advisor. I’ll still commit six hours a week to peer tutoring. I’m still taking walks and making time to eat with my family. I’m doing well, even if today didn’t look like my “ideal” routine.

What I’ve realized is this: plans are helpful, but they’re not sacred. They’re not the sole measure of success. Sometimes listening to your body and adjusting is the smarter move. Being human means being flexible.

So if your plans fall through, ask yourself: is this a sign of failure or simply a reminder that you can still show up for yourself in another way?