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Here are some of our best time management tips!
1. Make a realistic schedule and daily to do list. Consider realistic productivity expectations and be flexible.

2. Find an accountability buddy. Organize video chat study sessions and check in on each other.

3. Use the pomodro technique. Check out this website for a pomodro timer: https://lifeat.io/

4. Write down your goals! Keep them in a place you can see and read!

5. Be sure to schedule and respect time for yourself!

6. Set a realistic number of working hours per day. Remember, doctors are not allowed to work more than 80 hours a week so neither should you!

7. Take breaks and reward yourself!

8. Cut out things that are a cause of stress. Medical school is tough enough!

9. Turn your phone off. Remove time consuming apps. Be mindful of how social media affects your mental health!

10. Use waiting periods or time in between classes, meetings, and obligations well. Multiple 15 minute gaps will add up!

11. Try not to procrastinate. Procrastination is usually due to feelings of inadequacy or anxiety. But, friend, you are more than capable! Start now! You can do it!

12. Start with your hardest to do item first. See 11. You can do it!

13. Ask for help. It can be tough to manage other daily life things after a long day of studying. It’s okay to ask for help or drop that laundry off or buy the pre-cooked freezer meal! Consider these all as self care!

14. Declutter. Have a desk space that works for you and is free of unnecessary distractions.

15. Use effective studying techniques. Don’t wast time re-reading textbooks or re-watching videos if you haven’t utilized active learning in your day. Of course, balance is great for passive and active learning but make sure the balance leads towards active!

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Here are a few tips we suggest for approaching USMLE questions that asses communication skills and ethics:

1. Don’t assume you are a conversational expert. It is okay to practice these types of questions in your q-banks so that you not only have a good understanding of how to speak to patient’s on exam day but also in your clinical practices.

2. Lead with empathy and compassion. Often, patient’s are scared, need reassurance, and expect further guidance. After hearing your patient’s concerns (or after reading the vignette), find an answer option (or respond) in a manner that affirms you understand how the patient is feeling. For example you can note, “Thank you for sharing those details with me. I understand how scared/stressed/frustrated you feel.” From there you can guide the patient history to address their concerns.

3. Remember to respect patient privacy. Brush up on times when it is acceptable to ask parents to leave the room or when to ask elderly questions outside the presence of their care takers.

4. For decision making and consent scenarios, understand the concepts of “power of attorney” and “living will.” It is important in every situation to asses the patient’s decision making capacity before they give their consent.

5. Familiarize yourself with the definitions to these words: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Be sure the response you are selecting follows each of these values.

6. Remember to follow HIPAA.

7. Understand when to utilize your hospital ethics team’s reporting system.

8. Direct patient’s who have complaints about other medical professional to speaking directly with the professional in question.

9. Brush up on your knowledge of STD reporting and testing. Understand what STDs must be reported to partners and if testing of a minor needs to be reported to parents or guardians

10. Utilize SPIKES when discussing bad news and long term patient care.

Good Luck!