By Katie Unger
First off, congratulations and welcome to medical school! I know how good it feels to finally get here! And we are so excited for you to join our awesome community! The first few weeks of medical school are going to bring a lot of emotions! It’s a whirlwind for sure. But hopefully my experience can help you a little bit! The first week is truly amazing! There are many events/opportunities to meet people, and the students are focusing on team building activities at school. So no stress yet. I remember my husband coming home everyday and expressing how much fun he was having. He really felt he was in the right spot. I HIGHLY recommend going to all social events in the the first few weeks. And get to know your neighbor med students. Anything social! This is where you will meet all your new besties. If you are the spouse/partner of a medical student, you will be relying on friends A LOT. So get out of your comfort zone and go to as many social events as you can the first few weeks! It’s the best way to find your people and make friends. Get their number, and make a text group! Finding good friends will truly help you have the time of your life even when your medical student is gone away.
The second week. Man oh man. This was a rough one. I honestly thought my student might drop out. He even messaged admission what would happen if he did drop out. The second week is when they dive right in, the fun games are over. And it’s overwhelming, like drinking from a fire hydrant. Maybe your student will feel this stress week 2, week 5, or week 35. But just remember to take one day at a time, and this too will pass! In the moment, it’s terrifying and so hard to know what to say. And every relationship is different, so I’m not going to tell you how to react and communicate. BUT just remember it’s OKAY for them to feel overwhelmed. It’s normal. I know I often just try to fix everything. But it’s okay for them to take some time to digest it all. It will pass. So just hold on and try to be understanding! By week 3 my husband was able to get a grasp on what life was going to start looking like. What medical school would require. And the nerves were able to start settling. When it’s all new, it seems so crazy! And I’m not going to lie, medical has never been a walk in the park. But hopefully by week 3 your student can start to feel a little more confident in your journey. For you as the spouse/partner I really hope you’ve found some friends and are getting outside during this warm weather as much as you can! Go to park day, splash pads, book club, workout group, the pool, etc. This is when it’s easiest to make friends fast because everyone wants to be active outside! I truly hope you will try to make good friends, because it has changed my whole experience here. I can honestly say I’m having a blast, and it’s because of the friends I made from the very beginning! I hope this helps and I hope you will love this journey! It’s going to be so hard and stressful at times, but we are all here to support one another! This truly is the best school and community! Welcome, I cant wait to meet you!!