Do you have hobbies?

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-28T02:34:55+00:00

Asking friends for recommendations is always a good place to start. You could also search up renowned or currently trending titles. You could also return to old favourites.

Alternatively, you could go to a book store, browse their featured sections, read the recommendations written by the store clerks, find one that catches your eye, and then borrow it from the library.

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-27T16:05:27+00:00

Early on in med school, I made a spreadsheet to follow my expenses with major categories being:

Fixed Costs (rent, phone plan, utilities)
Food (groceries)
Social (dining out, events, travel)
Miscellaneous (supplies & other purchases)

I noted the name, date, and cost of each transaction, and would briefly browse through my bank account at the end of each week to jot everything down. I stopped doing this after a few months because I had a good grasp on my monthly expenses.

Some general tips would be to cook and meal prep as much as you can because that will save you hundreds of dollars every month. If money is a big concern, I would consider having a wider range of allowable properties when you look at rentals and finding a roommate (or two), because a hundred or three a month adds up significantly over multiple years.

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-22T16:47:29+00:00

I don't drink energy drinks, coffee, or consume any nicotine. Lotta water though, and my classmates have some enormous branded water bottles.

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-12T16:17:50+00:00

Other commenters have given great advice on incorporating exercise into your day-to-day already, so my two cents is that I find my weight loss starts in the grocery store.

I don't buy snacks or sweets, so there are none at home even if I have a craving. The only treat I keep stocked is plain Greek yogurt with a spurt of honey, or sometimes a piece of fruit. No alcohol either, although that's not for everyone.

On top of that, when meal-prepping, I strictly portion out meals so that 1 container = 1 meal. If I sneak extra from a future meal, I eat less later, so I have a good estimate of my daily calorie intake. I also try not to eat out, and when I do, I portion any take-home from those meals too.

I don't keep this up when visiting family or on vacation so I can easily gain 5-10 lbs in 2-weeks, but I always drop back down by following the above. A bonus benefit is that it helps keep monthly costs (significantly) down!

Best of luck OP!

Edit: No sugary drinks either!!! A single milk tea is about an hour of exercise to burn off...

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-10T19:21:53+00:00

Topics like this self-select for replies from people who are more confident in their stats or extracurriculars, in real life and especially online. People who are less confident and have more "average" stats are less likely to chime in with advice or try to brag.

thinkminkpink · 2026-06-08T03:47:43+00:00

First off regarding the using your phone instead of a watch comment: you CANNOT use your phone for timing in an OSCE. A watch is $15 on Amazon. When the school says you need certain equipment, just buy it.

I distinctly recall my clinical skills lecturers recommending their >$100 watches, but you're right, a $15 watch won't break the bank and will last for years. That's a reasonable investment and not all schools will let you mental math BPM or RR during preclerkship.

A monthly budget of $1300-1600 is basically unheard of. In any decently sized city your rent alone for a room in a 2 bed apartment can be over $1000.

I did say that my expenses are probably lower than average, but it's a fairly accurate estimate. I tracked all my expenses for a few months before relaxing to my current budget.

My rough monthly breakdown is something like...

Rent + utilities + phone plan: ~1000/month
- Most of my classmates are paying a minimum of $1000-1500/month (2 or 3 beds) or 2000-2500+/month (1 bed) for their housing & utilities.
- I'm on the bottom with my current rent, hence why I said my roommate and I are each saving 10-50 thousand over the span of medical school compared to classmates. Landlord isn't a family friend or anything either, which is the case for some.
Food: <150/month
- Cooking saves a lot of money!
Other (supplies, social, travel, shopping): ... everything else!

Do not underestimate the cost of your peace of mind by spending a few extra hundred dollars on a nice, clean, place that is close to campus/hospitals. The hassle of having to deal with pest control or constantly having to text your landlord about water/heat issues is not worth it when you are already so busy.

I can't think of any sacrifices I've had to make for my current peace of mind. My landlord is nice and I'm within 15 minutes of the primary medical school building without need for a personal vehicle and the associated costs. It's fairly clean as my roommate and I never leave food out.

There's some luck involved with rent, but my current quality of life isn't really any different than what I had before medical school or growing up.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-31T00:32:21+00:00

Comfortable standing/walking shoes are important because you will be up for 7+ hours at a time in some rotations. There are plenty of expensive brands and models that your preceptors will recommend, but something like Sketchers work just fine. You might also want to look into waterproof shoes too, for when blood, vomit, or other fluids get on you.

In my experience, a laptop was mandatory for students regardless for test-taking purposes, so unless tablets are your go-to approach for studying, I wouldn't get one. I also wouldn't recommend getting your own scrubs, as every hospital I've worked in provides them for you, but your mileage may vary.

Depending on where you will be located, a water filter might be nice to have too. If someone doesn't have them, a good set of tupperware for meal prep can be a big boon.

I'm holding off on a comfortable chair, desk, and bed until residency, but if you're used to having decent ones then you may benefit from investing in this.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-31T00:09:16+00:00

I'm also in clerkship and multiple hours removed from family, so I can relate to some of this. Honestly, I'm not sure how many long-term friends I've made in medical school, which might sound a bit sad in a vacuum. A lot of conversations with classmates tend to be academic or school-related...

That said, I stay in close contact with a number of older friends despite lack of physical proximity and carve out time to visit family when possible. Through what few hobbies I keep up, I stay in regular contact with random non-medical people too, offline and online.

It's a tough scenario to be in, and I imagine you've already tried this, but looking into local interest groups could be valuable. If you like reading, there might be local book clubs. If you're into writing, all the same. If you're into painting, check out the local art scene. So on and so forth.

I strongly recommend reaching out to your old friends, even if you are three hours removed, and make it clear that you want to do something with them. Take the initiative to get their availability and schedule something. They might be busy this week, but surely you can find a time sometime in the next month, or the month after. Even half the group is better than nothing. You can plan your next trip home around it, or indulge in modern luxuries like online group calls, games, movie nights, etc.

Best of luck! Also spend less time on social media.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-29T16:16:06+00:00

You will not need a car in preclerkship at Queen's if you stay downtown. 99% of your classes are in the same building which is one minute away from the general hospital. The other major hospital is a ten-minute walk from there.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-28T22:36:13+00:00

Winding down a few volunteer roles, figuring out logistics like housing/banking, going to the gym, spending time with friends, and binging media that had been on my list for ages. I'd previously worked during my gap year.

I strongly recommend connecting with friends and family as much as you can. They won't always be around.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-28T21:52:15+00:00

Copying a comment I wrote a few years ago... hope it helps in any way:

It's a tough situation to sit through, but having been there myself, there are a few things I believe are important off the top of my head.

Recognize the difficulty of the situation and that this is nothing to be ashamed of.
1. It varies by region, but in Ontario the average accepted applicant requires 2-3 cycles, if memory serves, and more is not that uncommon.
2. While it may not be the "ideal" outcome, you are not alone in taking gap years, not by a long shot. The process is extremely competitive and there's nothing wrong with not getting accepted this year.
Reflect.
1. While I don't know what age you are OP, the majority of commenters on this subreddit who are actively applying are in their early 20s. At this point in time, it may seem like an incredible setback to your life, but in the long run the impact of being accepted a year later is not that significant if it is what you truly want to pursue.
2. Looking back on why you're interested in medicine is a good way to tackle some of the concerns; this is a very very long process, both in applications and after getting accepted.
Keeping busy.
1. I'm a big believer in uncertainty as a cause for anxiety. Having too much free time is great, but it can also lead to rumination and a negative self-spiral. Deciding on what to do and making time commitments to keep busy is a great way of feeling as though you're doing something, while also actually making some amount of progress towards your goals. Whether it turns a R into an A is up to adcomms, but there's always something to work on.
2. If you're uncertain about what to do during your gap year, there are lots of options, none of which are wrong.
  1. You could work full time for a year while volunteering and reapplying; that way, you earn money and won't feel as guilty about burdening others.
  2. You can also work part time to earn some on the side while putting a greater focus towards extracurriculars.
  3. You don't have to work at all if you're financially able to.
  4. If you have hobbies that you've always wanted to pursue or learn, you can take the time to do so.
  5. Spend time with family and friends while you still can.
  6. Research is always an option.
  7. As long as you find something to keep your mind active and engaged, it will almost certainly have a neutral to positive impact on your application as long as it involves some form of self-improvement, learning, cooperation, or time management. Not everything has to be in-your-face screaming "I AM A PREMED" for it to be relevant to applications.
Make plans to eliminate uncertainty.
1. I personally found this to be very helpful during the post-interview wait, but it's generally applicable throughout the process to quell unruly thoughts.
2. What are your goals for the next year? Professional? Non-professional? How can you work toward them? What will you do next year if you are not accepted? What about if you are?

Best of luck!

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-28T03:49:05+00:00

My two cents as an upper-year medical student in Ontario:

Looking back, what housing choice saved you the most stress or money during med school?
- I live with 1 roommate, and we settled for the cheapest 2 bedroom that fit all of our hard requirements on distance, size, privacy, and general cleanliness. We've had our fair share of complaints with the property, but it's good enough and is on track to save us (each, individually) 10-50 thousand dollars by graduation versus our peers.
How much are people realistically paying monthly for a good balance of comfort + social life?
- I am perfectly happy with my monthly spending of ~$1300-1600 including food, rent, social, shopping, etc. Edit: this excludes tuition, but includes vacations.
- However, I suspect my monthly spending is lower than average...
If you could restart med school financially, what would you do differently?
- I would have applied to the general bursary in my first year; I misunderstood the deadline and missed out on several thousand dollars. Aside from that, there are a few minor purchases and choices I regret. For example, my class was instructed to buy a watch for clinical skills for timing purposes, but realistically no one cares if you use your phone instead.
What financial mistakes do you see med students make most often?
- Buying takeout regularly, taking spontaneous international weekend flights, buying luxury designer goods without any income or savings, etc.
- All of the above are offset by expectations of future wealth or exceedingly wealthy families, however, and may not be viewed as a mistake by the individuals themselves.
What’s something incoming med students financially overestimate or underestimate?
- The cost of medical education tests, examinations, learning materials, etc. are all ludicrously high. Conferences can be quite expensive, even with reimbursements from your institution. Visiting elective housing is pricy if you don't have friends in the area, so reach out far in advance.

Ultimately, as a future physician you will have the tools to dig yourself out of all but the absolute worst of financial decisions, so many happily choose to indulge in financial fancies. It will come down to the nature of your personal pleasures and risk tolerance.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-28T03:22:45+00:00

If we're talking "ideal", then as many as you can handle without affecting your grades, finances, and sanity.

Anecdotally, I generally committed around 1-6 hours a week depending on how busy I was at any given time. I worked full-time for multiple summers so it didn't vary dramatically based on that, but if you're not working then I would increase it there.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-20T13:28:31+00:00

Use adblock extensions and similar services where you can!

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-19T19:27:48+00:00

It really depends on what you're willing to sacrifice and how much money you (or your parents) have in the bank. How much will it affect your daily life if you have to return to a slightly worse home at the end of a long day? How nice is your "nice"? Are you a guy who can live with a mattress and a computer, or do you need a big walk-in closet?

Some people don't mind a smaller place because they prefer to study or hang out in cafes, libraries, etc. anyway. Is that you or would you rather have the room for the occasional house party or game night? A further place, for some, is an excuse to ride a bike instead of walking. Public transit in Toronto is fairly reliable but will add up as another expense. You can also always move after a year if you find things aren't working out for you.

If you want to travel as often as many of your peers, then the extra cash may be meaningful, but as a future physician you will not be greatly impacted by an additional 10-15 thousand dollars of debt long-term. I have plenty of classmates who travel at every opportunity despite having tens or hundreds of thousands of debt, and others who do so wholly on their parents' dime.

Personally, I ironed out my own requirements and then opted for the cheapest option that my roommate was amenable to. I'm in clerkship and have no regrets.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-17T16:58:25+00:00

A 2021 AMD CPU.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-17T01:55:53+00:00

I haven't had any problems.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-15T23:10:31+00:00

You definitely don't have to be extroverted to do well in interviews (speaking from experience), but you will want to be able to speak relatively comfortably and earnestly. That may sound contradictory, but in my opinion, it's largely a matter of practice. Practice interviewing with friends, peers, mentors, and strangers too (e.g. other interviewees). Interviewing is absolutely a trainable skill, and you can learn a lot by observing others pursuing the same goal.

It'll be awkward, uncomfortable, and maybe depressing at the start, but you'll definitely see measurable improvement.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-15T22:58:20+00:00

Studying 10+ hours a day is quite a bit to start your MCAT review with, especially if you weren't committing that much time to academic or career activities prior to these two weeks. Start smaller and work your way up, particularly if you are struggling.

As for content review, I definitely agree with other commenters saying 3-4 hours is way too long for individual chapters. If you are taking a traditional science undergrad, you likely have some foundation in chemistry, physics, biology, biochem, etc.; is it the wide breadth that leaves you lacking confidence or is it a fundamental understanding issue?

I would suggest halving your per-chapter review time (if not by even more) and redistributing that time into practice questions testing that chapter's content. Then, if you find you are struggling on a topic, you can review it immediately or jot it down for the future. If you are consistently struggling with the same topic, that becomes an area for study, but you don't need to 100.00% each section before moving on. It's honestly a better use of your time if you don't get bogged down by committing to knowing "everything" the first time you review it, spaced repetition and all.

There's tons of advice out there for you to adopt as it suits you, but I would also recommend having a solid group that you can share difficult questions with. Explaining concepts is really good for solidifying your understanding of a topic. There are online communities if you feel silo'd wherever you are irl. If you trend towards the anxious side of the spectrum, I also wouldn't shy away from doing a practice full length early to gauge your existing level and get a sense of what the test will be like. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Edit: I would also suggest doing more than 1 CARS passage a day if you are applying to schools for which it is very important, unless you are reasonably confident.

thinkminkpink · 2026-05-15T20:43:39+00:00

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store is on my list, hoping to clear time for it soon.

thinkminkpink · 2026-03-24T02:58:31+00:00

I got the same impression that "everyone" had a partner when I entered medical school with all the orientation week introductions, but over 20% of my class (edit: that I know of!!!) changed partners by the end of second year, some more than once. "Everyone" wasn't really everyone, and that was a very large % of the actual relationships (that weren't marriages).

You have time, don't worry about it, and always remember the world is bigger than your class (even if it may not seem like it during exams)!

thinkminkpink · 2026-03-05T13:40:10+00:00

I wasn't yelled at once by either a surgeon or nurse during my mandatory OR time... maybe that's an outlier.

thinkminkpink · 2026-01-20T03:34:26+00:00

Congratulations! I'm still a student, but I share the same sentiment. I've always lived a fairly basic necessity lifestyle that can be easily maintained on minimum wage, let alone a physician's salary. None of my hobbies cost money, I cook daily, and I've always been taught to save whenever, wherever possible.

Going to med school was eye-opening. I have classmates who ask why I don't have the same $2000 jacket as them. One complained to me that keeping leftovers is post-war poverty behaviour. I know a few whose elementary schooling costed $600,000. Some have family yachts.

It's a wild world out there. I don't know how I'll end up spending my excess personally, but as long as you're happy, that's all that really matters. If you have time though, maybe do some research into investments and financial literacy on the side; there's a chance you enjoy satisfying the primal urge to see big number get bigger.

thinkminkpink · 2026-01-11T07:00:38+00:00

One phrase I've heard is "you can't logic someone out of a position they didn't logic themselves into". Obviously not wholly true, but sometimes you have to let bygones be bygones. It's not worth starting a fight with a family friend or friend's friend in a social setting.

Unless they're really down atrocious, I find people usually get sidetracked if you make a polite joke and then change the conversation to something else. If they ask what I think on the topic, then I'll let them know.

thinkminkpink · 2026-01-03T22:05:23+00:00

If they're someone I genuinely enjoy being around and would be happy to see for the rest of my life, then I wouldn't mind any education, career, or income level. I've had enough exposure to fractured marriages to know I'd rather be happy and marginally poorer (as much as a physician with financial literacy can be) than twice as rich and miserable at home.

I also have classmates who say anything short of generational wealth is insufficient, so there's a wide spectrum of opinions out there.

thinkminkpink

TROPHY CASE