If you are anything like me, then the first thing that you will want to do once your summer starts is kick off your shoes and throw yourself a little party! Why? Because you got into medical school and now the hard part is over, right?

Not exactly.

Although I do recommend you take at least a day or two to really appreciate and reflect on how far you have come. You need to keep in mind that the next four years of your life will be some of the most grueling of your life. Because of this, it will take you some time to mentally prepare.

So, in the month or two that you have free leading up to fall semester, here is what I recommend you do.

Disclaimer: Everyone is different. You should treat the summer before medical school starts however YOU want to. Truth be told, this is your journey and should be spent as you see fit.

Reconnect With Old Friends

Your life is about to get busier than it ever has been in the fall. Take the free time that you have now and spend it hanging out with your buddies. The relationships that you have spent all those years building will now become the backbone of keeping you sane when you are up until 3 AM studying.

Reboot Your Mind

You will need to bank on a couple habits come fall that you may not have started yet. It will be important for you to have a balanced diet, exercise a few days a week, and get lots of sleep. Start rebooting your mind from what you are used to so once September rolls around, you are already in the full swing of these habits.

Read

Reading is something that you are going to need to do a LOT of, so you might as well practice it. There is an endless amount of medical information out there for you to brush up on, take the time to do so. Start exploring your interests in the medical field. Make the reading stuff that you want to read about. It’s ok if you don’t understand every word yet, but getting a head start will prove to be helpful.

Reach Out

Remember when you first started high school? There were some people that you knew going in and some that you didn’t. Medical school will be like that but on a much, much bigger scale. Some of the people that you meet in the coming months could prove to be life long friends. Take some time to introduce yourself on Facebook, send someone an email, or meet up for coffee. This will help build your excitement for what you are about to take on and let you bounce your concerns off of someone else going through the same things that you are.

Relax

Last but not least, relax! You made it this far and that is quite the accomplishment! Don’t lose sight of that as you start to feel more pressure as the semester creeps closer. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to worry over the next four years, no sense in getting started now.