Med School-ing: 3 Quick Tips for Adulting While Med School-ing

Adulting (v): to do grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups. (urban dictionary)

Let’s face it, medical school obviously isn’t your standard 9-5. As a matter of fact, it can often feel like a 6am to 11pm! You’re in that #twentysomething category, but sometimes you feel like you’re stuck in this strange adult-like purgatory where you’re in the 18^th grade while all of your friends climb their career ladders.

Even though you’re still a student, you’re now what they call an “adult learner,” which comes with lots of ~adult like~ responsibilities you probably didn’t have as an undergraduate! Unless you had a number of gap years before medical school, figuring out how to balance school and living an adult life can be quite the challenge when you’re getting started.

What can you do to get on the right track!? I've got you covered!

  

① Budget, Budget, Budget: Money management is NO JOKE. If you’re on financial aid, most programs disburse your $$$ for living expenses twice per academic year, once at the very beginning and once more midway through. Since it’s such a large amount each time, it can be a recipe for disaster if you’re not careful. This is such an important section that this tip has some subtips coming your way!

·      Set aside your rent/utilities/car payment, etc: Running out of money for your rent and other important revolving payments would be stressful and is totally avoidable. I always multiply the payment by the number of months and set it aside in my savings account to avoid any mix ups. This way, I know I have it tucked away and I just transfer it each month when I’m ready to make a payment!

·      Work Those Numbers: With what you have left, decide how much you want to spend on groceries, gas, clothes, make-up, Netflix, the gym, and other daily expenses. It would be wise to set aside some “savings” for a rainy day because you never know what may come up! I track some things on a weekly basis (ex: $40 per week on groceries) and others on a monthly basis (ex: $5 /month for Apple Music).

·      Keep Track: The apps that are available these days make keeping track so much easier! The most popular one seems to be Mint, but I’ve really taken a liking to an app called Daily Budget. I’ve discovered that I’m really bad at setting and sticking to discrete amounts of money for categories like clothes, entertainment, and eating out. With Daily Budget, I can input the total I’m able to spend each month and my important recurring charges such as rent. It takes the remaining funds and divides it amongst the number of days in the month to give you a “daily budget”. If you don’t spend your full “budget” for the day, it rolls over to the next day and continues to do so throughout the month. I like it because it’s a more realistic view of my spending and I can easily balance the times I spend very little with the times I spend more.

·      Practice Good Spending Habits: Instead of buying coffee every day, make your own. Meal prep/Cook at home. Make a grocery list. Buy your toiletries in bulk. Avoid impulse buys. All of these little things will save you money over time!

② Plan Ahead: Use your calendar! Med school is chock full of lectures, labs, interest group meetings, and more. When you have to schedule meetings, (your own o__0) doctor’s appointments, oil changes, or time off for your best friend’s wedding, your life will be so much easier if you keep track of everything in a calendar. I also put in alerts for my bills and credit card payment deadlines so I never forget them! Double booking something or missing a payment is no fun, but it is so easy to stay on track with a calendar! Make your life even easier by using one that syncs across your phone, computer, and tablet!

③Take care of yourself: There will be easy days and there will be really hard days. It is so important to recognize that taking care of yourself is just as important as your academics/adulting at any given point. Take breaks. Naps are still a thing. Practice some serious #selfcare. Your mind and your body will thank you!

How do you balance adulting with med school-ing?

Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl Recipe

I have been eyeing these buddha bowls on Pinterest for some time and I finally decided to go for it and make one. I'm one of those people who loves eating out of bowls just because (can't explain it lol), so this was perfect for me! It's basically a bowl filled with plant based goodness and a great idea for #MeatLessMondays! I couldn't find a recipe that was 100% right for me, so I just roasted a bunch of veggies with my favorite seasonings and threw it together. It ended up being super tasty and filling! This recipe makes 5 Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowls aka HELLOOOOOOO MEAL PREP :D I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

(Be forewarned, I'm no professional food blogger so recipes are structured casually and my measurements are often "to taste," because that's how I do it! lol I certainly don't have this thing down to a science, but I want to share manageable, healthy things I cook with others!)

Recipe

Ingredients

-Two Large Sweet Potatoes

-Brussels Sprouts

-Two Heads of Broccoli

-Cauliflower rice (I used a bag of Trader Joe's Frozen Cauli Rice)

-1 Can of Organic Chickpeas

-Baby Spinach 

Seasonings By Vegetable

Sweet Potatoes: Trader Joes' 21 Seasoning Salute, Garlic Powder, and Chilli Powder

Chickpeas: Curry Powder, Garam Masala, Salt, & Pepper

Brussels Sprouts: Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, and Pepper

Cauliflower Rice: Tumeric and Black Pepper

Broccoli: Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°

2. Wash all of the vegetables and drain/rinse the can of chickpeas.  

3. Dice the sweet potatoes, clean and cut the brussels sprouts in half, and cut the broccoli florets.

4. For the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, brussels sprouts, and broccoli, toss with olive oil and the seasonings listed above. 

5. Place sweet potatoes on separate baking sheet. Roast for 35-45 minutes. 

6. The other vegetables can be roasted together for 20-25 minutes. (Depending on the size of your sheets, you may need multiple! I needed two).

7. Sautee the cauliflower rice with the tumeric and black pepper. 

8. Once everything is done, place a bed of baby spinach at the bottom of a bowl and top with all of the yummy roasted veggies! 

9. Optional add ons: Avocado (take it from me & do it!!!), Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing, and/or Sriricacha. 

10. Enjoy!

How do you like to make your Buddha bowls?

MS1✓ & Medical Student Tag

I have officially completed my first year of medical school! It is seriously unreal how quickly the time flew by. It's cliche but, it feels like it was just yesterday that I hopped on a plane with a one way ticket from NY to CA, two suitcases, and no idea what to expect. Fast forward 10 short months and I can't even begin to tell you how much I've learned (!!!), grown, and experienced. 

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and as I reflect, I can truly say that 23 has been the best year of my life. Starting medical school has been on my mind ever since I dreamed up the idea of becoming a physician when I was very young. It feels like I have been living the dream, my dream every day and I couldn't be more grateful. What an honor and a privilege it is to pursue this path. 

 I'd like to give a special shout out to all to the people who have supported me and believed in me throughout all of these years (special s/o to you, Mom & Dad♥ I know you're reading lololll). THANK YOU! I would of course be remised if I didn't thank all of you for following along and sharing this journey with me. When I started blogging, I never expected to become a part of such an inspiring and supportive community. It's been truly amazing and I'm looking forward to what this summer, MS2, and beyond has in store!

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To mark the end of MS1, I wanted to participate in this fun Medical Student Tag shared by Trisha over at Three Thousand Miles Blog (check her gorgeous blog out)! I tagged some other amazing med student blogs in my instagram post to keep it going. I hope you enjoy it! 

Who are you and where do you study? My name is Shanice and I study medicine in the beautiful state of California! 

When did you start studying medicine or premed courses? I was premed all throughout college. I was one of those weird "always wanted to be a doctor" kids hahaa There were certainly times in undergrad where I questioned being premed, especially when I was faced with challenges that made me feel inadequate. But, when I explored other fields, it always came back full circle to medicine. With the right combination of support and determination, I pushed pushed through, overcame those feelings, and achieved my goals. 

What made you choose the medical field? My initial interest came about at a young age because my mom is a nurse. Whenever I was asked that “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question, the answer was always that I wanted to be a doctor. At the time, I think I was more interested in the cool stethoscope or my "doctor" toy kit, but my later experiences are what solidified my decision to pursue the medical field. I chose medicine because I believe that health is the most fundamental human necessity and the health disparities that currently exist are unethical and preventable. As a physician, I believe I can play a (at least a small) role in righting some of the wrongs in our healthcare system and giving people the treatment they deserve. 

How did you come up with your blog name/username? Welllllll, I love (& by love I mean I'm utterly obsessed with) tea & I really wanted to create a place of good vibes/energy. The play on words with positivi"tea" was perfect for me and tbh, purely just rhymed to complete it! 

How would you describe your blog? It's my getaway! I love having this as a creative outlet and I try not to take it too seriously, which is why I pretty much post what I want (from food to med school) and when I can (if I'm busy, there's no stress about posting a certain number of times per month or anything like that).  If I manage to help a few people along the way, all the better!

What’s your favorite quote? "A river cuts through rock not because of its power, but because of its persistence." -James Watkins 

Best memory in medical school? This is a toughie! If I absolutely had to pick one stand out for now, it would be the moment my parents helped me into my white coat at the white coat ceremony. 

What’s one course you struggled with? Neuro was tough! Our neuro block was 5 weeks long and I had no exposure prior to starting, so learning all of that information was a massive undertaking. There were times that I thought it would never come together, but luckily it did in the end!

What’s your favorite book? Hmm, I don't think I have an all time favorite book. I'd say my favorite recent(ish) read is When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

What do you do in your free time? My absolute favorite thing to do is cook! I love finding new recipes, going grocery shopping for them, and whipping them up in the kitchen! I also blog, insta (probs more than I should), chronically window shop online, watch TV, and other normal/not so exciting things. 

What do you want to major or specialize in? Not too sure right now! Keeping an open mind :)

Who do you look up to? My parents! They both grew up in impoverished, rural Jamaica, then immigrated to this country, made a life, and gave us so much. I am in awe of all that they have been through and they are my BIGGEST sources of support. I hope to be half the parents and people they are someday. 

How do you study (productively)? Allow me to point ya in the right direction -> How To Study Actively

How do you stay motivated in medical school? I stay motivated by taking whatever opportunity I can to interact with real patients. It can me so easy to get lost in mountains of powerpoints and forget why you even started medical school and what your end goal is. Talking to patients and getting to know them reminds me of why I'm in this and gives me the push I need to keep moving forward. 

What are your best tips for future medical students? Get excited! This is going to be hard, but it's going to be worth it. There's a million learning styles and resources out there. Find what works for YOU. Stay inspired. Make time. For yourself, for your family, for your non-medically related hobbies. Never ever neglect your own self care. Sometimes you'll need to study all day. Sometimes you'll need a study-free day. If you need help, ask for it & ask for it early. You've worked hard to get to medical school. This is not a mistake or luck, you belong here. 

Nut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe

I know I'm not the only one that has reached the bottom of a nut butter jar and felt a pang of sadness one, because I love the stuff and two, because it's actually pretty expensive! #thatstudentbudgetthough It's just so good! I'm typically an almond butter kind of gal, but I recently picked up this mixed nut butter from Trader Joe's and it is ah-mazing! Instead of committing to single nut, I get a mixture of dry and roasted almonds, cashews, walnuts, brazil nut, hazelnuts, and pecans in this bad boy! Why have one when you can have em all!?

I had been toying with the idea of making overnight oats for a while, but never got around to it because the idea of cold oatmeal didn't sound too appealing to me. I knew you could warm them, but that seemed to defeat the purpose of quick, on the go breakfast! Well, I finally decided to go for it with this near empty jar of goodness!

RECIPE

Ingredients

- 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

- 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
- 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1 Tbsp plain Greek Yogurt (extra creaminess & protein!)
- A Dash of Cinnamon and Brown Sugar (optional)
- Topping: Sliced banana (& whatever else you want! :D)

Directions

Easy! Mix all of the ingredients in the jar and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add the toppings and enjoy! You can even make batches and store them in the fridge for up to a week.

I can't believe I took so long to make this because I ended up LOVING it and there are 3 mason jars full of overnight oats in my refrigerator right now! #converted It was creamy, filling, and the nut butter totally set it off! I'm not a huge breakfast person, but the taste, satiety, and convenience of overnight oats has me hooked. 

One of the greatest things about overnight oats is that they are SUPER customizable. Make it yours! Add, take away, or totally flip what I included in the recipe. Other ideas for toppings include strawberries, flax seeds, walnuts, and more. How do you like your overnight oats?