Having a life outside medicine: why a Starbucks job saved my year

What happened

This was a little past halfway through my second semester of first year. While classmates were lining up research and summer projects, I was learning to steam milk, pull espresso shots and layer caramel drizzle.

It was a completely different kind of mental work. Learning the drinks, the timing and the lingo used my brain in a way that had nothing to do with pathways or lecture slides. I threw myself into training, and before long I was one of the more reliable people on the drive-thru, which had a rhythm of timers and teamwork that felt almost meditative.

Those last two months of the semester were the busiest of my life, between exams and shifts. And I felt better than I had all year.

Why it worked when "taking a break" didn't

The days after an exam had always been my worst. I'd sit down to start the next block, get nothing done, and feel guilty for wasting the day. Then I'd do it again the next day.

So I set up a routine with my manager: I worked the morning shifts the two days after each exam.

I'd walk in still replaying questions, wondering how I'd done. By the end of the shift, the weight had lifted. Instead of feeling guilty for not studying, I'd spent those hours on something structured and useful. When I came back to the books, my head was clear.

It wasn't always easy. Sometimes I felt nervous about starting the week "behind" while classmates dove into the next block. But I'd learned from experience that I wasn't studying well on those days anyway. The job turned wasted time into reset time.

A bonus I didn't expect: classmates would come through the drive-thru on their way to class and stare at me. "Wait... are you still in our class?" It made me laugh every time.

Knowing when to stop

I worked full-time that summer and liked it so much that I kept going part-time into second year. By December it was clear that boards needed more of my focus, so I quit.

That was the right call. Balance changes with the season you're in. Something that saves you in first year might not fit during dedicated, and stepping away from it isn't failure.

The summer question

My Starbucks job carried right into my first summer, while many classmates were locking down research. I also took a few trips with Becca, proposed, and did a low-key research elective through my school. I didn't study, and I'd make the same choice again.

There's no right way to spend that summer. Some people need to rest, some want to build their CV, and most do a bit of both. Whatever you choose, choose it without guilt. Comparisons come back in full force in second year; it's worth enjoying the quiet while it lasts.

You don't need a job. You need a "not medicine."

I'm not telling you to go apply at a coffee shop. A job won't fit every school, schedule or financial situation, and that's okay. What mattered was having something that was:

• Structured. It had a start and end time, so I couldn't drift.
• Completely different. It used a part of my brain medicine didn't touch.
• Scheduled when I was weakest. The two days after exams, when I'd otherwise spiral.

For you, that might be a rec league, a weekly class, volunteering, music, cooking with friends on Sunday nights, or a long run with the same group every Saturday. Friends matter here, too. Finding your people early gave me a group that planned dinners and weekend escapes.

What this taught me about balance

Before the job, I thought balance meant squeezing in rest when I'd "earned" it. What I learned is that a life outside medicine isn't a reward for studying well. It's part of what makes studying well possible.

If finding balance feels out of reach right now, the support resources page has gentle places to start.