Moving alone for rotations

Why moving for rotations hits differently

When you started medical school, everyone was new together. Orientation threw hundreds of people into one room, and there were meetups every night. Moving for rotations is different. You might be the only student from your class at that site. You don't get an orientation week of new friends. You get a schedule, a preceptor and an empty apartment.

On top of that, you're starting clinicals, which can feel like starting medical school all over again. Doing that alone is a lot.

If that's where you are, you're not alone, even when it feels like it.

What it was like for me

Leaving was harder than I expected. We'd loved that apartment and the downtown around it, the cafes and the walking paths. As we pulled away, I felt a deep sadness, mixed with hope about a bigger city with more to offer.

The new apartment was quiet. Then rotations started right away, and my first preceptor had very high expectations. Coming home to an empty place after a day of feeling tested every minute was hard. It was one of the reasons the early part of third year felt like such a rollercoaster.

I'd felt something similar before. During Step/Level 1 dedicated, Becca was away for surgery, and the house felt incredibly empty. Being alone was the hardest part of that month, too.

What helped me when I was on my own

Arriving early when I could. Before medical school, I moved before orientation so I had time to settle in before everything started. It made a huge difference. If you can, give yourself even a few days in a new city before day one of a rotation, to find the grocery store, the gym and the route to the hospital.

Calling it temporary, out loud. Reminding myself that this was a season and not my life helped me get through the quietest nights.

Building a routine fast. During Step/Level 1 dedicated, the gym and the basketball court became my escape. Having a place to go and something physical to do gave my days a shape that wasn't all medicine and an empty room.

Finding small company. During that dedicated month, I listened to the same podcast lectures on repeat, and a familiar voice filling the silence helped more than I expected. It sounds small. It wasn't.

Talking to the student who came before you. Before each new rotation, talking to someone who had recently finished it, with the same preceptor, made walking in on day one much less lonely.

Reaching out early, even if you're quiet. I'm naturally quiet. In first year, I pushed myself to set up meetups during the first week, and some of those people became my closest friends. The same idea works at a new site: one coffee with a resident, a classmate or a neighbor can change how a place feels. There's more on that in finding your people.

What I'd suggest from the other side

I'd try harder to make the space feel like mine. Even a few things on the walls, a plant or a favorite mug might have made coming home easier. I told myself it didn't matter because it was temporary, but temporary still meant months of coming home to it.

It's also okay to tell the people who love you that this is hard. You don't have to wait until it shows.

When loneliness is more than the move

Feeling lonely in a new place is normal. If it's lasting, getting heavier, or making it hard to get through your days, that's worth talking about with someone trained to help. If you're far from campus, ask your school how its counseling or wellness services work for students at distant rotation sites.

If loneliness has settled in and isn't lifting, the support resources page has gentle places to start.