Finding Balance within a Graduate Program

With any graduate program, a great degree of time and effort is to be expected. When it’s within the realm of medicine — sometimes even more. 

It’s critical to ensure you are at a proper time in life prior to committing to such a taxing journey. I don’t believe there’s a way to know just how much of yourself you dedicate towards your professional career in school until you’re in the depth of it all. 

Most students will say that their first year is the hardest. This could be because many students have children, are re-acclimating to student life after taking time off, or have a job outside of work. I’ve seen it all here at Bastyr. 

I say this not to deter anyone from joining a graduate program, but rather to open the conversation around some of the practices I have found to have helped me create balance within my career as a student in the Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine program. 

1. Study in small chunks of time: I don’t know about you, but looking over the vast amount of work needing to get done all at once has never done anything for me other than create unnecessary stress. I also find that I don’t retain as much when studying for hours on end, or that I simply don’t have that amount of free time with classes. Studying my school material, specifically within chunks of about 25-35 minute time increments followed by a 15-minute break (a technique called Pomodoro) has been shown to be effective in increasing memory. This is particularly helpful within the Chinese herbal medicine program. I feel accomplished and simultaneously successful with my study sessions every time. 

2. Don’t stretch yourself too thin: If there is one thing that being a graduate student taught me, it’s that grades are not everything. A high score on a test is never worth making yourself sick over. The sheer amount of information you will learn within a graduate program isn’t something you can remember overnight. It takes time and continual effort until one day, it sticks! Your skills as a medical professional are not determined by the grades you receive; rather, your ability to stay persistent when times are challenging and how you show up in love for yourself and your patients. The knowledge and skills will blossom over time so don’t sacrifice your biggest blessing in life, your health, in the process. 

3. Let others into your world: School-related stress can feel isolating at times — as if nobody understands what you’re going through. Sometimes, your partner/friend/roommates won’t, and that’s okay. Do your best to share your world with them. Express when you have off days when you’re feeling extra strung out and need support. Furthermore, do your best to connect with those around you in your program. They will be your rock throughout this whole process. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, try journaling your thoughts or taking advantage of the incredible students that run the Bastyr counseling center. Sharing the most challenging parts of your life with others is one of the best ways to not feel isolated during this stretch of your journey.

Being a graduate student can be one of the most difficult yet rewarding times of your life. You will look back on your accomplishments and realize how much you grew as a person throughout the process. In the meantime, I hope you find these tips for creating balance meaningful and that they help you to remember the truly important aspects of your life: your time, health, and relationships with others are what truly matter. When you nourish these parts of yourself, it will make your journey through graduate school much easier. 

About the Author:

Ivy Garrett is a Bastyr student in the Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine program. She loves all things creative: writing, photography, painting, and movement in addition to herbal and energetic medicine. She has a particular interest in Women's Health and looks forward to pursuing this field more after graduation.