Tips on being with a med student

The first thing I have to say is TGTSIO (thank God that shit is over) aka: I am officially done with this semester.

HolyballsIcanfinallyrelaxomgyessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!

I finished my last final project tonight, and I am feeling great about this holiday break. It can be really overwhelming sometimes; being a full time employee during the day, and a full time student at night.

K. Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can say yay again! Because guess what? I got my first email related to this blog. I was so excited to read it. I immediately thought that it must be some super cool chick that lives in Chicago that wants to befriend me and tell me all of the amazingly cool things to do/see/eat. We will bond instantly, she will know where the good produce is, and she will definitely know a place I can go (close to Hyde Park) to practice Bikram yoga.

Not so much.

I mean, don't get me wrong here. I am sure she is a super cool chick, but she doesn't live in Chicago. And she doesn't want to tell me about all of the amazingly cool things to do in the city. Nope. She wants to know what it's like being married to a med student, because it just so happens that she is dating (and falling in love with) a med student.

Being married to a med student in a nutshell? It's fantastic! He's actually FINALLY in the same country as I am?! Sweet!

Seriously though, any committed relationship with a med student is gonna be tough, but I don't think it's tougher than being married to anyone else with a demanding job, or a demanding school schedule.

I have a couple of tips:

1. You need to have a life of your own. I am a strong advocate for having a life of your own no matter who you're dating/married to/partnering up with, but it is especially important when you're with a med student. Med student = BUSY AS HELL.

Sure, it's easy to get sad when you wanna hang out but they are busy learning how to scope buttholes/perform pelvic exams/remove infected toenails/perform life saving brain surgery, but you can't sit around being all mopey all the time. That is LAME, and frankly, it's a little pathetic.

You are a whole person that stands on your own; you are not half of a whole. Make sure you remain true to yourself. Enjoy time with your friends. Enjoy your hobbies. Exercise. Read new books. Join a club you've been eyeballing. Enjoy your life 100% without your partner, because it makes the time you do have together much more enjoyable.

2. Ignore the haters/naysayers. You will inevitably encounter an asshole (or seven) who waltzes up to you and congratulates you on "snagging a doctor". People fail to understand what financial burdens the majority of med students go through to become doctors.

(Read: 8 years of school+clinics, plus 2-8 years of residency = student loans to the tune of about $150,000. And I'm lowballing that number, people.)

You know that you're not dating/married to your partner for their money, and so does your med student partner. So eff the idiots that think you're some sort of money grubbing whore! It's not worth trying to argue with them.

You will also encounter people that seem to think that whatever you do for a living just pales in comparison to what your partner does. Eff them too. Yes, doctors are important, we all know that, and we're all thankful for doctors. But so are teachers, and veterinarians, and plumbers, and truck drivers, and farmers....and on and on. Don't you ever let anyone disrespect your work, or make you feel like less of a person because you don't save lives for a living.

3. Remain positive. Seriously. There will be lots of functions that your significant other will have to miss because that whole life saving thing is goin on. Lots of romantic dinners/weddings/family reunions/friend reunions/concerts/funerals/anniversaries/vacations that you will spend solo.You have to remember that their calling is noble, so don't go getting all huffy and bitchy when they have to care for their patients. This is what they signed up for, and by choosing to be their partner, so did you.

In conclusion, being married to a medical student is not all fairy dust and skittle farts, but I love my husband, and I wouldn't trade him for anything. Ever. Not even a zero student loan balance, or a diet sans the words 'ramen noodles.'  ;)