Dear stressed-out student,

I get it - I was once in your shoes.

It feels like you’re hitting against a wall - but nothing works.

The grades aren’t where you want them to be.

Your free time is all but not existent.

And this journey - something you looked forward to for so long - is not as fun or
interesting as you hoped.

What gives?

And how do you fix it?

Like I said - I’ve been there.

My first year of medical school was a complete slap in the face.

High school wasn’t hard for me. And college felt like a breeze.

I thought I had my studying, time management, stress management, and focus dialed
in.

I was terribly wrong.

One month into medical school - I was in the bottom 25% of my class.

I was praying that I would see at least a C on the exam so I could move on to the next
class.

And this wasn’t because I wasn’t studying enough.

In fact, I was easily pulling out 10-12 hour study days to retain all this information.

Just to hope that I got a C!

How crazy is that?

Now you likely have the same combination of:

● Stress
 ● Doubt
● Burnout
● Overwhelming Anxiety

That I did.

Let me show you the top lessons I learned to help me:

● Study faster
● Retain more
● Master my free time
● Enjoy my journey as a doctor
● Have some success along the way!

Why Trust Me?

Really quickly - if you’re going to put the effort to go through this guide - are my words
even worth reading?

Hi friend - my name is Lakshya (pronounced Luck-sh) Trivedi. I’m an internal medicine

physician and the founder of [Link]

Like many students, I struggled in med school early on.

But I also did well in stretches here and there.

So I began to write about my experiences.

The good and bad.

And throughout the process - I learned what worked well and what didn’t.

And shared them with strangers across the world.

Apparently, people loved that kind of real, straight to the point advice.

So I did it even more.

And I eventually started to pick up on the patterns that made me successful and double
down on them.

So much so that I went from:

 ● Barely passing my exams to getting consistent B’s and A’s on my exam
● Honored nearly all my rotations
● Earned 250+ scores on my Step 1 and Step 2 CK exam
● Graduated med school with a 3.9 GPA (my school weighed rotations more)
● And got into my #1 choice for Internal Medicine residency

Now fast forward nearly 7 years - through [Link] - I’ve helped thousands
of students have their own success stories.

Students like Scotland who started off struggling to even pass our exams to now getting
the best grades he’s ever seen while actually feeling prepared for our exams

Students like Nichole who wanted to learn how to better balance a hectic med school
schedule, family time, and still do well.
Ultimately able to use some of the lessons through our study program to get her first
ever 4.0 in med school.

Students like Tanya - who were struggling to pass their classes to beating her class
average by 20 points (twice!).
And students like Jessica - who went from 150-170’s on her initial Step 1 practice
exams to finishing her dedicated confidentially scoring in the 230’s.

In case you’re interested - here’s the interviews with some of our best students and their
results!

● [Case Study] How Nitya Got Better Grades In Med School With More Free Time
● [Case Study] How Jessica Passed Step 1 With Confidence In A Few Short
Weeks
● How Nichole Got A 3.95 GPA In Medical School While Studying Less [Case
Study]
● How Tanya Went From C’s To Straight A’s [Case Study]

(P.S. If at any point you want results like some of our past students - here’s how we can
help you do the same)

The fact is – med school and medicine is amazing. But it can be hard if you’re left to
learn the nuances yourself.
I want to share with you the same lessons that helped me love being a doctor, a care
provider, a student – and still had time for myself.

I want that success for you.

Here are the biggest lessons and strategies I’ve picked up over the past years –
hopefully, they can be a small reason for your success.

I kept this document as a Google doc mainly because I want to have the freedom to
continue to add to it.

Think of this as your medicine success guide [but for free :D]

Let’s get into it!

Access All Your Free Content:

Glad you’re checking out this document - but I promise there’s more where this came
from.

Below you can access our Med Vault - an entire library of free med school
content/resources to help you on your journey!
Access the Free Med Vault here.

Some of my favorite resources from the Vault include:

● 8-Steps To Getting Better Grades ASAP

● Study Rehab Course
● Free Med School Guides & Resources

But let’s get into the lessons!

Lesson 1: A Simple Study System Is Critical To

Becoming A Top Student
Too often – and I’m guilty of the same – I see students who try to complicate their entire
studying.

Too many resources. Too many steps.

And most of it’s due to a combination of:

● What do you think you should be doing

 ● What do you see others doing that you think you should also be doing

But simplicity is the key.

There are really two steps you have to master (I’ll share a third in a second).

Obtain -> Review.

Obtain the information as quickly as possible.

Review as many times as possible.

Now look at your own study system and it likely looks like this:

● Obtain information from syllabus -> Take notes

● Obtain info from lectures -> Annotate slides
● Watch videos from high-yield resources -> Take extra notes
● Review notes (when time is available)
● Play catch up on reviewing old notes

While it seems right to go to many resources to obtain the information – like most
students – you never actually get to the review phase (the part that actually matters).

This is why you’re likely getting behind, procrastinating, and overwhelmed by how much
there is to learn.

So step #1?

Work on using just one means of obtaining information and one predictable way to
review it daily.

Quick example – my favorite study method ended up being using a “Note

flashcard” system to acquire and review my information in one place.

You can check out the system in this free video here.

Lesson 2: You Need To Make Your Studying Perfect

For You
I always thought studying was how I read the textbook, took notes, and did practice
questions.
There’s some truth to that. But if you’re like me (which I’m assuming you are) - you’ve
done some reading of SDN and Reddit forums on how to study.

Notice something? Everyone does it differently!

Now if we assume most high achieving students aren’t lying online on how they study
then you can assume that it matters less what technique you use. There’s no one way.

Instead how you study is important. Specifically having a repeatable system and
process of how you approach new and old material is what you need to create.

Do you tend to study at random times based on “when you’re free”. Do you have a habit
of jumping back and forth between study techniques, subjects, location, etc.

Then you my friend need more predictability.

Here are some things you need to have solidified to better create a system for you.

● How many hours do I want to study every day?

● How long will each of my study sessions be? (Min and Max Time)
● When will I wake up every day?
● What topics will I study each day of this week?
● What study related tasks will I do first, second, and third?
● Which study technique will I use to gather the information? How long on average
should I spend doing it?
● Which study technique will I use to review the material? How long will I spend
doing it?
● What is my system to review old material? Is it in my calendar? How will I keep
myself consistent?
● When will my breaks be inserted into my schedule?
● What is my plan if I get behind or procrastinate?
● What will I do to limit social media, phone, and other forms of distractions?
● What are the 2-3 resources I plan to use? Do I need them all? Why?
● What will I do every weekend? What time will I wake up?
● When am I guaranteed to have time off from studying and med school?

If you can answer these above questions with some conviction then you begin to picture
what your life as an efficient med student looks like.

Then you start living that life.

“But Lakshya - what if it doesn’t work?:

Tinker my friend. Remember this concept of dials over switches.

You want to turn the dial slightly regarding elements that you think can help. Avoid doing
a full 180-degree turn and flipping the switch.

If it doesn’t work then go back to the last iteration that worked - and start tinkering again
until something sticks.

Create that system slowly but keep working on it until it’s perfect for you.

If you’d like an expedited path to creating a system that’s perfect for you – you can find
the same 6-steps other top students have used to crush it in the Level Up Your Studying
course which you can find here.

Lesson 3: Working Longer Doesn’t Equal Better

Results
I learned this the hard way.

When I first started my belief was that I needed to create a schedule with a study
session in the morning before class, one during every hour break, and then more on the
evenings and weekends.

Where was my free time? Oh yeah nowhere. But that's med school, right?

Nope! That's a myth.

Your hours don't matter! What you do during those hours is what really makes the
difference.

Here's what you need to realize. You may be doing well or poorly, but you're likely
spending time on study techniques that are useless to you.

Want to see for yourself? Fill out my free Fluff/Impact Worksheet and see for yourself.

Use that worksheet to see what's taking your time but giving you little results.

Now want more? Here's a challenge, cut your studying time by 25% today.

Yep that's right. Scary and seems impossible right?

But stay with me. What would you do and what would you not do knowing you have less
time?
If you take the time (and do the worksheet) you'll be able to notice where time could be
used better with techniques that are better suited for your style.

If you need help in identifying your perfect study style and system, check out Level Up
Your Studying 3.0 to do just that in a few weeks.

Lesson 4: Pay Attention To The Flow Of Studying

May sound like I’m spending a good portion of this on studying thus far but that’s where
a majority of the anxiety comes from after all.

The students who have the biggest leap and chances of success are….

… the students who are self-reflective of what’s working and what’s now.

If you’re waiting for a quiz/test to tell you,

“Oh **** - I should have started [insert the mistake you made here] sooner”

Then you’re a reactive student.

But if you want to be a top student – then you have to start asking the question – what’s
working and what’s not working.

Too often we do things we think it’s the right thing at the time – only to realize it was a
complete time waster.

So focus on your flow of studying.

What are all the things you’re doing for a particular class?

What is actually helping?

What’s useless?

What’s the biggest retention generator?

Do this on a daily and weekly basis and you’ll start to have those “hell yes!” moments
when you’re studying :D

If you have any issues figuring out what’s a waste of time vs. useful – then the Rapid
Study Accelerator is a quick training I put together for you to be on your way (it takes
one day to master!). You can find it here.
Lesson 5: 3 Phases Of Studying You Must Master
This is my favorite thing to teach to my coaching students.

It’s the reason that students like Sean come to me struggling to pass their quizzes to
make just one change and getting an 80 on their exam in just 3 DAYS!
It’s the reason that students like Scotland and Nichole are crushing it in med school on
each of their exams and quizzes.

What is it?

Understand the 3 phases of studying:

1. Information Gathering
2. Reviewing
3. Weakness Mastery

This guide would be extraordinarily long if I went into detail of each of these (you can
master each of them here)

But here’s the gist.

We spent way too much of our time in phase 1 – information gathering.

This is your lectures, syllabus, notes, etc.

But when I ask most of my coaching students what their retention is after phase 1 …

… most say 20-30% (at best).

Why spend so much time on a phase that is barely helping your retention.

Phase 2 – Reviewing The Info

Now we all have our own methods for doing this (I share my favorite 10X methods
here).

But the problem is that we don’t do it:

1. Predictably
2. Consistently

If you did you wouldn’t have an issue with cramming or retention.

If you don’t have a schedule of when you’ll review a lecture you covered today for the
first, second, and third time before the test – you don’t have mastery of the phase 2.

When I was in med school – I worked backwards from test day to know exactly when
each of my repetitions were going to happen.

And it made studying predictable and full of momentum.

Phase 3 – Weakness Mastery

Most students suck with this phase.

Think of your learning and retention like a bottle.

You want to fill it up as much as possible with knowledge before the test.

But as you fill it up – you’re bound to have some leaks in your bottle.

Eventually you’ll reach a point where you’re learning new info as quickly as you’re
forgetting old info.

The problem – most of us don’t pay attention to the holes.

We just pray they don’t show up on the exam.

And what’s the biggest reason for anxiety on a test?

When one of those tough topics that you only understand at a surface level show up.

Damn.

This is why I have the third phase – a weakness master session – where you keep a
running list of difficult topics, missed practice questions, etc. – and practice them on a
weekly basis.

This leads to a student who is filling their retention bottle and preventing the leaks.

Ultimately leading to more predictable and higher grades.

Again if you want to learn how to master these 3 phases, I’ve created a step-by-step
program for students just like you. It’s the Level Up Your Studying Program which you
can find here.
Lesson 6: Taking Time For Yourself Is How You
Remain Sane
We all hear about med school burnout and stress. I went through some myself.

But here’s how you limit it - make time for yourself before med school has any claim.

Here’s what I mean.

Normally you may look at your weekly schedule and think about when your classes, lab,
study sessions, and review will take place.

“Where the heck am I supposed to have time for me?”, you may ask.

It’s hard to find the time or see free time if you stuff your schedule with med school first.
It’s like filling a jar with an endless bag of sand - there will be no space for your large
priorities and hobbies.

But if you fill that same jar first with your hobbies and priorities (working out, dating,
hanging out with friends, TV, etc.) then you can fill the remaining space with studying
and med school.

Now you may think this is too dramatic. “Scheduling my TV time and dating life first?”

Well yes and no. Start with just finding 1 hour for yourself every day. I like to schedule
my workout before I put in my study sessions.

Thus I can make sure that I always have time to focus on my personal health. For you,
that priority may be different.

Over time try to increase this number as you become comfortable with the idea of
scheduling med school into your life and not life into med school.

For instance, I then began to add Tuesday and Sunday evenings as free time to watch
my favorite TV shows. It was glorious!

So want to be well? Find that one hour starting tomorrow that is for you and you alone.
Med school comes second to your personal well being.

If you need help with getting more efficient and effective as a student - the Med School
Domination Bundle can help. You can get it along with our other study programs here.
Lesson 7: People Skills Are More Valuable Than
Memorization Skills
I’m the living body example of this. People smarts and brain smarts aren’t worth the
same.

In fact, you will do better if you are better at your social skills compared to being just
good at medicine.
Being smart will help for sure - but being terrible at interacting with your colleagues,
residents, attendings, and patients will cause everyone to overlook how smart you are.

I was never the smart person on any of my rotations, but I did consider myself to be
patient, have good listening skills, and have a deep interest in helping the patient.

This may have meant that I looked up something my peers already knew, but who
cares?

So before trying to show off how much you know, remember that the people who can
determine your grades and future will look at your personality first.

Thus smile, be humble, be curious, and always look to authentically improve. If you’re
already at the top of your game, ask how you can be even better. Or even more
important - ask how you can get better at building rapport with your patients.

I honestly believe I am where I am today because I have developed the skills people
would consider “likable”. The medicine intellect is continuing to come.

Lesson 8: Walk In Your Own Shoes To Increase Your

Success
In med school, you’ll find two sets of people.

Those who complain all the time and those who look like they never have anything to
complain about.

Be in the latter group, please!

Here’s how. Always look at what advice you would have liked to receive before you did
(fill in the blank) in medical school.

What do you know now that you wish someone would have told you?
Now how would you share that advice with someone who will be in your shoes?

Would you try to scare them about how bad Step 1, med school, surgery rotations, etc.
are?

No! They already know it sucks. They don’t need your negative butt.

Instead, think of positive and real advice you could pass down.

Now in all honesty, you never have to give this advice to anyone.

But the process of acting like you do makes you look at everything differently. The
problems of med school aren’t as big of a deal.

The stressors seem manageable if you know how to do X,Y, and Z.

That’s exactly how I got through med school without the depression, lack of enjoyment,
or burnout.

I was constantly giving advice through my blog and YouTube channel. I knew that no
one would watch if I acted like the sky was falling. I needed to be real but helpful.

So be real and helpful yourself.

Just help one person who is either going through the same struggles as you or who will
one day be in your shoes. You'll be amazed at how quickly your perspective about being
a med student changes.

Lesson 9: Using Little Bits Of Time Well Is How You

Become A Productive Machine
People think I run a YouTube channel, blog, write books, create courses, and am a
doctor because I’m just productive.

Well yes, but what’s to say that you can’t?

Here’s my little secret - whenever I’m just chilling on my phone I ask if this is how I
should be spending my time.

Most of the time the answer is “No you idiot - you need to read about (insert topic) for
your next rotation!”
And then I often go do it.

But sometimes it’s not about just procrastinating for hours. It’s also about making the
most of the little bits of time that you and I both have.

What do you do in the few minutes in between classes, patients, while waiting for food
to cook up, etc?

I spend those times doing questions, answering your emails, creating ideas for new
videos, and more.

You see we both have the same 24 hours a day. The extra time we don’t spend won’t be
returned to us. So the question is how can you better utilize all the time you have?

This means having practice questions on your phone for minutes where you can get 1-2
out of the way.

This means already planning out what you’ll do as soon as you wake up so you don’t
waste time getting your life together.

Find your little free time, and fill it with opportunities to get better.

Lesson 10: Be Okay Being Wrong

Oh man, oh man. I did struggle with this one.

You may be like. I want you to raise your hand (I promise it’s not that weird) if you avoid
saying answers out loud in the fear of being wrong.

I currently have 30 hands raised.

Because let’s be honest - that fear of feeling stupid and everyone remembering for the
rest of their lives of how dumb you are is scary.

But reality hits - and you realize no one cares much less remember what you had to
say.

So be okay being wrong!

Have an idea of what the answer is? Say it! And if you’re not right? Learn from it.
Imagine, you could have been walking around with that wrong piece of knowledge
because you’re too afraid to look dumb. Now imagine using that wrong piece of info to
treat patients as an attending or resident. Crazy right?

So be okay being wrong. In fact, during my Subinternship rotation in internal medicine

(the field I’m currently in) - I made it a game to see how many eye rolls I could get out of
the cardiology fellow because of how wrong I was. And it was a lot.

But you know what I had more than any of my classmates? Right answers!

While I had a bazillion and one wrong answer - I also had more opportunities to look
impressive.

So if you were my med student, I’d tell you that you’ll become a better doctor by being
wrong now. Don’t want until you’re in my shoes.

Lesson 11: If You Can’t Recall Your Why - Stop

Everything
If you have an evening where you’re studying and then are faced with the question
“What’s the point…?”

Stop everything.

You need to restructure your why.

Seems overdramatic? So what, you just had a feeling of desperation right?

Maybe but I’m going to bet that you don’t just say it once. Over time, it becomes more
frequent.

So my friend - find your golden nugget.

It’s a concept I talk about a lot (here’s a video that goes more into detail).

But here’s a basic breakdown.

You likely have at least one source of motivation to go into medicine. Think back to your
personal statement.

Now ask yourself - is that reason good enough to push me forward? For instance, I
always use powerful patient experiences to keep me moving forward.
In one specific case, I had a patient tell me prior to his discharge “You’ll be a good one -
one day”.

That memory always gets to me.

Now while that motivates me - it’s only Step #1.

Step #2 is asking - did the effort that I put in with that patient worth the result that I got?

And the answer is 110% yes! So now I stay motivated to provide each subsequent
patient with the same level of effort in hopes of similar results. While I may not always
get it, having that mindset has helped me gain more experiences that keep me going.

So find your golden nugget and keep looking for more!

Lesson 12: Have Tunnel Vision When It Comes To

Your Success
We’ve touched on this a bit, but ask yourself if you have an internal or external source
of motivation.

Are you motivated because of how well your classmates are doing (and want to do the
same) or do you have an internal drive to keep pushing forward?

Many med students start with an external source.

But eventually it’s not enough to keep pushing them. After a while guys we stop caring
what our classmate Sam is doing. It no longer pushes us to do better.

But those who have an internal source of motivation keep working hard. These are the
same students who look like they’re at the top of the world.

Thus you have to remember to have tunnel vision when it comes to your success. Stop
looking elsewhere to compare yourself and find examples of others doing well. Good for
them but you need to focus on yourself.

Eye on the prize and keep that focus on your next class, quiz, test, rotation, etc.

At the end, you'll realize it’s really just you vs. you.
Lesson 13: What Would My Patients Want Me To Do
Right Now?
This one is the icing on the cake.

Are you feeling down, unhealthy, sleep-deprived, sad, angry, frustrated?

What would you patients want you to do right now to address it?

Maybe they’d like their future doctor to sleep more? Or maybe they’d prefer it if you
weren’t so cynical towards medical school. They’d like a happy doctor please.

So if you’re struggling and find yourself in a slump - consider the advice you’d get from
future patients. Sometimes it’s that simple to understand the obvious way forward.

Lesson 14: False Confidence For The Win

You will always not know everything in medicine.

Even if you’re a doctor like me.

There will be topics that make you uncomfortable or that you have no idea on how to
approach it.

And because of this - you’ll have moments where your confidence will take a hit.

“I’m not that smart - I don’t even know anything about [insert topic]”

These kinds of thoughts will happen all the time.

That’s okay.

What’s not okay is to let that lack of confidence affect your ability to make a decision.

I see this a lot with brand new senior residents.

They become so used to having an upper-level resident help make decisions with them
that when they’re finally in that senior role - they freeze.

And you know what happens when they freeze? They lose confidence.
Which again is fine.

But freezing to make a call leads others to lose confidence in you!

If this continues long enough - the confidence never builds and everyone else stops
relying on you.

And in reality - most decisions are not binary (one right decision and one wrong one).

There are often many right and wrong ways to take care of patients.

So sometimes the best thing to do when you’re uncomfortable is to accept that you may
not have all the answers, do your best to fill in the gaps, and make a call.

You’ll get feedback from your decision quickly.

And if you were right - perfect! Use that to help make your next call even more
confidently.

If you were wrong - no worries - now you know

Fake confidence can help you get far as long as you remain humble that you don’t
100% know. But during the process, you will gain the knowledge needed to have true
confidence in your upcoming decisions.

Lesson 15: What If It Was Faster?

Life in medicine continues to get busier. But no one teaches or prepares you for your
future efficiency.

Everything is about how to get work done now.

The problem is - you’re creating a system that’s only good enough for the next few
months.

Then you’ll be busier - and have to reinvent your efficiency system again.

So my weekly process for avoiding this altogether is to ask…

“What if it was faster?”

What would my studying look like if it was faster?

How could I prepare for the lecture in a faster way?

What would my test review look like if it was faster?

Questions like these help me identify opportunities.

But not every opportunity is successful.

And faster doesn’t always mean better.

But for every 3-4 things I try, 1 or 2 of them end up saving me time without costing me
results.

So evaluate everything periodically.

When I’m asked how I have time for everything (YouTube, Books, Fitness, Full Time
Doctoring, Being A Husband, Etc.) - it’s a tough question because it’s not one thing.

It's been years of asking “how can I make this a little better”.

And if you want to make things faster - the 6-steps in the Level Up Your Studying
program are exactly what I did to get the biggest bang for my buck in med school.
…

Remember this document keeps getting updated as I find more gems that have helped
and hopefully can help you do the same! So like the Terminator - please be back! :D

Lesson 16: It’s Not What You Know, It’s What You Do
Consistently
I enjoy this quote from Tony Robbins that states that if new information is all we really
needed - then we would all be billionaires with six-pack abs.

Unfortunately, that’s not true.

And it’s because we all have shiny object syndrome (myself included).

But here’s the truth. That fancy-looking resource likely won’t make the difference
between where you are now vs. the grades you want.
Trying to use another video resource instead of the one you’re using won’t move the
needle.

You don’t need more information or a new approach - it’s the act of committing to it and
sticking to it.

As we talked about earlier - tunnel vision.

Think about this - you know all of the people you’re impressed by (peers, attendings,
etc.)?

You think they bounced from resource to resource or study method to study method to
get to their current level of success?

Probably at the start - but at one point or another they committed.

The same way a basketball player commits to being a shooter or a passer at the start -
they can then use their advanced foundation to add more things later.

So no you don’t need to just try this fancy thing your friend is doing.

The hard truth is that you just need to commit to the simple but hard to commit to
activities to see results.

You are as good as your level of consistency.

Again if you’re not sure how to create a system that feels like it’s yours and something
you can stick to - then the Level Up Your Studying program is for you. Get that and
more in our Med School Blueprint here.

Lesson 17: Focus On The Story To Not Work As Hard

Let’s face it - every phase of this journey is to impress some stranger in the future.

Do well in college to impress med schools.

Do well in med school to impress residency.

Do well in residency to impress for fellowship and future jobs.

It never ends.

But the default state is - “work my butt off so I get all A’s, high board scores, glowing
evaluations…. and hope that’s good enough.”
But as you’ve seen from your own experience - you don’t always get the marks or
evaluations you want.

Board scores may not go your way.

And that’s stressful if you’re taking the all-or-nothing approach to achieve your future
dreams.

Instead, take the story approach.

Work backwards from the goals you want to achieve and build them via experiences.
Take two students for example - one is going to hope that they get all the best scores
and evaluations. The other student is going to still work hard but focus on gaining
experiences towards their final goal.

For instance - let’s say they’re both interested in orthopedic surgery.

Student A is going to spend a majority of their time playing defense - “hope nothing
goes wrong” approach.

Student B is going to say - “I think I like surgery and want to learn more about
orthopedics.”. And so they may take the following approach.

Semester 1: Focus on getting 1-2 shadowing opportunities per month

Semester 2: Discover they love global health and surgery and start working on research
with a faculty member who focus on both
Semester 3: They’re in love and managed to get an elective overseas at an ortho clinic
Semester 4-5: They have some more niche and unique interest in global health +
orthopedics and so they work on projects in these areas

Who do you think residency’s will want more? The hard worker with the same generic “I
worked my butt off” application or the student who is shouting “I love orthopedic
surgery” on their application.

Focus on your story. Use each experience to point you towards the next one and I
promise you’ll enjoy the process much more!

Lesson 18: Your Definition Of Hard Work Will Change

I once signed up to work as a medical staff member at a Type 1 Diabetes camp for two
summers during medical school.

I was easily working 80-90 hour weeks on this job and I was tired.
But it taught me something.

Just when you think you know what hard work is - and more importantly, what your
upper threshold for hard work is - life will show you that you’re nowhere close.

Fast forward a few years - I’ve now worked over forty 28-hour shifts as a resident (that’s
28 hours of not leaving the hospital and often not sleeping).

Again - my definition of hard work changed.

I’ve learned now that I’m likely nowhere close to my definition of hard work in 10 years.

It’s a constantly evolving process.

Use that to remind yourself that - just like your hard work - your potential as a student
and as an individual is so beyond what you think.

And if you want the help of myself and my team to help you achieve that potential
sooner - click here to work with us on your medical journey.

Lesson 19: We Often Care Too Much About What

Doesn’t Matter And Care Too Little Of What Does
If there’s a constant regret that I have over and over again in medicine - it’s that I give
an unfair proportion of my time and stress to things that don’t matter.

MCAT score - sure it matters for the short term - but after a while - you don’t remember
your score.

Step 1 - yep you want to pass - but after that you move on to the next thing.

But on the flip side I realized I missed out on giving proper attention to some precious
moments including:

● Bedside lectures from amazing attendings - maybe I would have remembered

some difficult to understand concepts if I gave them my full attention
● Small lessons from my peers on balance, health, studying, productivity, and just
living a full life
● Interactions with my loved ones which I know for a fact I could have been more
present when I was around them
To help with this - remember the final goal is to become a good doctor for your patients
while still enjoying your personal life.

Thus anything that could help you become a great care taker (such as being more
attentive to those bedside teachings - pay attention).

Anything that could make you more balanced outside of medicine - take advantage.

Lesson 20: Make Learning Practical And Intended For

The Long-Term
Often I get questions such as “What’s the best way to learn Pharmacology or Micro?”

Unfortunately, it’s really a question - “How do I get a good grade on the exam?”

And yes while getting a good grade is important - it’s not the question you should be
asking.

Real question is - “How do I learn this so I can remember for the test and when I take
care of patients?”

For example - if you wanted to learn how to learn pharmacology - here’s my answer.

1. Focus on what diseases you’re trying to master (Let’s pretend you’re learning
about esophagitis).
2. When you’re in your learning phase, you’ll surely learn about management
including medications like H2 and PPI blockers.
3. Now is a great time to ask how these meds work and store them in your note
taking system (make another word doc, or Notion page about H2/PPI blockers).
4. You can add info regarding the mechanism of action, side effects, dosing, etc.
5. Continue with your typical review method of choice.
6. Update the medications as you find new diseases (GERD or Peptic Ulcer
Disease for example where the same treatments apply) and see how much you
remember.

This is a great way to see your learning as both practical and meant for your future as a
care provider.

Lesson 21: Think Of Your Learning As A Second Brain

There’s just way too much info in medicine.
And in reality - unless you have a lot of experience or exposure to something - you
won’t truly have it mastered.

So the best way to learn medicine for the long haul is to think of learning medicine in the
form of a storage mechanism.

For example - below is a screenshot of a Notion database that I made for one of our
Med Ignite students - Ferra - who is preparing for residency.

We added the most common problems and diseases she needed to know and she
slowly went to high-yield resources to learn about each individual one.

Now when she gets called about a patient with low blood pressure - she doesn’t have to
freak out and rely on her memory. She can just quickly pull up her personalized chapter
on the topic and look through it as she walks to the patient's room.

Eventually, she’ll have seen hypotension enough to no longer need her Notion database
- and that’s exactly what medicine is - learning through repetition.

But until then - find a way to store your knowledge (I love Notion for now) and come
back to it to add updates/new connections.

If you’re interested in my Notion method - I share it in both our 6-step program as well
as our 1-on-1 program here.
If you’re like Ferra and want to prepare for residency - this may be for you.

Lesson 22: The Most Important Question To Ask

Yourself
I love asking coaching students this question when we work together…

“How helpful is [insert method/resource/strategy] to you?”

Often we do things because we feel like we have to. In fact - I challenge you to look at
your own study, productivity, stress management approach. Most of it is created out of
“feels need” vs. “feels right”.

But when you really get into the weeds - 90% of what we do is useless or less effective.

It’s like working hard to pick up pennies when you could have stopped for a second just
to see a stack of dollars right next to you (wouldn’t that be nice).

Be reflective to identify what’s needed and always ask - “is this actually helpful?”

Lesson 23: The Three Steps Needed To Get Better

Grades
Now I’ve made a free course for you here so I’ll be quick on this one. But here’s the 3
steps to be on your way to:

● Get better grades

● Have guaranteed free time

1. Make your study system jump into the review phase ASAP and question everything
that isn’t testing you on your knowledge. Refer to this lesson to get more insight

2. Schedule yourself first and then your studying second. This makes you happy and
your studying more efficient. Win-win. Go here to see how you can do this.

3. Understand that the main reason you’re not scoring highly is likely due to step 1 but
once you get that mastered - you need to be able to catch your weaknesses. These are
the topics that you review and learn - but still suck at. Here’s how you to overcome this
challenge.
And if you want help to personalize this for your own day-to-day - see if you’d like
results like these.

Lesson 24: How To Become A Pro Student

In med school, I’ve fallen into this trap often.

“Oh my god! Look how smart they are! I wish I could be like that.”

Only to forget that that “pro” of a student was once an amateur.

In reality - the pro student is just an average student who simply showed up every day.

Falling behind? Understand what factors (cause there are many) cause it and address
them. Don’t accept that it’s a normal thing to be behind - it’s not. It’s a consequence of
the system you’ve created yourself.

Procrastinating on some days? That means that what you want and what you’re willing
to do aren’t aligned.

There’s nothing wrong with having planned time to slack off and be on social media or
Netflix. But if you’ve said that “This is study time” then you’re not being true to yourself
on what you’re willing to get to the next level.

Once you identify examples of what a pro looks like in your environment - stop looking
around and get to freaking work (strategically of course :D).

Lesson 25: Your Attendance Doesn’t Matter - Here’s

What Does
Too often we think that if we show up to things then the results are just the natural
course of the universe.

“I went to lecture and still got a C. Guess the lecturer is at some fault for my low grade
since their slides suck”

“I went to the review session and still did poorly on the exam - guess they’re not
helpful.”

Your attendance doesn’t matter - your attention does.

How are you participating in each of these activities?

Are you asking questions mentally and out loud?

Are you testing yourself along side the review as it’s happening?

Are you thinking of connections between ideas you’re learning now vs. the ones you’ve
learned recently?

You are what you pay attention to.

Don’t go through the motion - be present and reap the rewards.

Lesson 26: Don’t Limit Your Growth As A Student

Once, I had two med students on my internal medicine rotation with me while I was an
upper level resident.

It was my job to evaluate and grade them. Thus, I found it important to give them
feedback so they could work on improving.

One student - took everything I shared with him and made the effort to improve. It was
noticeable.

The other - heard me - but never truly heard me. He kept making the same mistakes in
his presentations, assessments, and patient care. It was also noticeable how little he
was improving week to week.

I brought it up to him once - “hey man - remember to try to make small improvements
here and here - those are your biggest weaknesses. And frankly the reason you may
not get as high of a grade from the attending.”

His response? “Yeah I figured that I’m just going to get the grade I get. Can’t do much
about it.”

What???

He pretty much accepted being an average student - refusing to take feedback because
he didn’t see the benefit or the possibility he could improve.

Don’t be this student.

You can be smarter.

You can be more efficient.

You can be more disciplined.

You can have better patient presentations.

You can have better rapport with the people around you.

We all can make progress - even the best of us.

Don’t think that you’ve peaked. You’re nowhere close.

And if you’re on your rotations and want to avoid costly mistakes like these - go here to
learn how to honor the most common rotations in med school.

Lesson 27: Don’t Force What’s Not Possible In Your

Studying
It’s silly when we think of it but there’s this unrealistic expectation that we should have
near 100% retention the first time we learn something.

Don’t believe me? Think about how long you perseverate on a topic before moving on to
the next one.

If you think it takes you too long to review - then you likely have this issue.

Think of learning medicine just like you would learn anything - in stages.

For example - if you’re learning a language - you don’t need to memorize the entire
vocabulary - just the most common words.

Learn the surface before you start to go deep.

Often I encourage the students I work with that as long as you have a predictable
review system (which we help them create) - then it’s okay not to have mastered every
flash card or note they make.

In fact a 70% understanding + a completed review of the lectures and not being behind
is much better than 100% of ⅓ of the material + being behind the rest of the material.

As long as you have another scheduled review into your schedule - move on and give
the next topic the same attention.
Lesson 28: You’re Better Than Average - Act Like It
Medicine will beat you up - but don’t let it defeat you.

Too often I meet students and residents who have capped their potential.

They’ve essentially given up on progress.

In their 20’s!

Crazy.

Now some may disagree but I’m a big believer that you’re better than your current
average.

Keep in mind I said YOUR average. Not anyone else's.

But any day you’re okay with giving less than an above-average effort - is a vote against
yourself.

Why waste your potential?

You can do better in that class, on that board exam, on that rotation, or just in this
career compared to the ceiling you’ve set.

In fact- I encourage you to start setting superstar goals.

What is a superstar result requires the stars to align for you? Is it honoring a rotation
that’s tough or crushing an upcoming exam?

Aim for that superstar result.

For some of you - this may mean an A. For others, it may mean getting a B+.

Who care - shoot for it.

Because what happens is you start to behave like the person who achieves it. You look
at your decisions and lack thereof differently.

And even if you miss - you’re better because of it.

Lesson 29 - Train Your Interest Like A Puppy
If you’ve never had a dog at the puppy stage - it’s tough (for many reasons).

One that applies to med school is leash training.

To a puppy - everything is interesting. The grass, rocks, dirt, bugs …

But our goal is for them to learn how to walk straight down the darn path.

When I got my puppy our trainer told us that the easiest way to teach our Goldendoodle
how to walk straight was to keep his interest.

Be faster, more animated, and more exciting than any other distraction around him.

So I started to walk fast. Walk slow. Make noises. And try to keep him on his toes.

Soon enough he realized - this guy is so much more interesting than that blade of grass
over there.

In medicine and in school - it’s the same thing.

We go into school and we’re excited. But then the boring old path is less exciting. It
becomes a trek. A chore.

But everything else - social media, alternative career paths, procrastinations - seem
more interesting.

So how do you address it?

Same way - always make the path more interesting.

I personally enjoyed reading books that gave a real insight into the life of a doctor. I also
found watching random medical mystery videos on YouTube to be helpful.

Now what that is for you can vary - but an effective tip is to have a running hit list of
things you can go to when the motivation or interest levels run low. Such as:

● Podcasts
● Books
● Videos
● Articles
● Reddit Forums
You may find that it gives you a productive break from schoolwork while still keeping
your interest level high enough.

Lesson 30: Systemize The Process

We often are terrible at coming up with a nice recipe for pretty much anything we do in
medicine.

Studying. Reading, Learning. We’re often average at them all. (I used to be the same.)

We’ve talked about creating a system a lot thus far but I want to give another example
of how to:
1. Identify the need for a process
2. Create the process

Let’s take reading a syllabus chapter for example. It’s boring, dense, and hard to learn
from.

But most of us still do it.

That’s a good sign you need a process to make it more effective.

Now let’s work on creating the process.

What’s the biggest issue you have when you read?

A common complaint is - “I’m not sure what’s important”, “the notes I create aren’t
helpful”, or “it takes too long.”

Let’s work on each of them, one by one.

If you’re not sure what’s important - maybe it’s worth an extra 10 minutes watching a
high-yield video on the topic so you can build a good foundation.

Now you can identify the overlaps between the video and your text to identify what’s
important.

If your notes aren’t useful - maybe you can transition them into questions like I
breakdown in this video.

Now your notes become something you can actually review vs. just read.

If the process is taking too long - perhaps you realize you’re wasting so much time
switching between reading and creating your notes.
Maybe you decide you will do the reading strategically (like this method) first and then
the note-taking to make it more streamlined.

In the end, you can end up with a reading method like this one.

Each step in that method was created by identifying the pitfalls and addressing them
into a process.

Lesson 31: Threshold Work Leads To Better Results

In the past few years, I’ve gotten into running long distances.

During my second year of residency - I did my first marathon.

I finished - but just not very quickly.

This got me looking into how people get faster when you have to “work” or run for these
long distances.

Here’s something cool I found - the best runners train themselves right at that
uncomfortable zone.

In running, this is called your lactate threshold - the upper limit of what your body can
balance between your aerobic and anaerobic threshold.

And to get better at making this threshold higher - runners will occasionally challenge
themselves to work right at the zone.

Medical school is the same thing.

It’s a long process. It requires stamina.

But you can either overdo it and “red line” and burnout.

Or you can severely under do it and never see results and progress.

That’s why it’s important to work yourself at that threshold line when you’re studying.

For example - if you can study 2 hours and start to notice fatigue at 2.5 hours - then you
have to train your mind and body to be efficient and focused around that 90-120 min
mark.

This is where alternating between deep work sessions in 90 minute (or wherever your
threshold is) intervals helps build that stamina.
After each session, it’s also important to ask how focused you were.

If the attention was poor then it’s like running a 15 min mile pace when you’re threshold
is a 9 min pace - it’s not close enough to make you better.

So while I’m a big believer in not overworking yourself - don’t use that as an excuse to
be lazy and then wonder why progress never comes.

You have to be at that zone of uncomfortable to really see progress.

This is true for studying, learning, fitness, and other aspects of life.

Lesson 32: Take a deep breath

I get it - the semester just started. You may not be where you wanted with grades, time
management, etc.

But take a deep breath.

Stress is useful when it makes you act. But too much is paralyzing.

Simple questions to ask - what's the best thing I would do if (insert stressful situation)
was tomorrow?

Your outlook will hone into the one or two activities that can make things simpler.

Lesson 33: Thank those who don't hear it enough

As a doctor - many of my patients are appreciative of what I do.

But when I take a step back - there are often patients where I had little to do in their
success.

So when I remember - I try to thank the nurses, pharmacist, social workers, and more
for their roles. And I encourage the patients to do the same.

This past week, one of the social workers was near tears but I was so excited of how
helpful she was. Clearly she didn't feel appreciated that week and needed to hear it.

So take a second and thank those who don't hear it enough.

You may just make someone's day!

Lesson 34: Take an experience collection session

Often we put so much work in, do a crap ton of extracurriculars, etc. - only to look good
on applications.

But if you can't take value out of each experience - what's the point?

A large part of why I was so happy during the long and hard medical journey is...

... each experience had a lesson that came with it.

Some were good. Some not so much.

But regardless if it was a low score or a tough rotation - I looked at those experiences
as pogo sticks to propel me on the next challenge.

Do the same today. What recent experiences have you had and what are the lessons
you want to hold on from them?

Lesson 35: Ask better questions of what you should

be doing today
Often we get caught up in CV building on the medical journey. Truthfully - we don't know
what we're doing.

CV "stuffing" is normal.

An easy way I learned to take most of the crap off my plate and stick to activities that
were going to help me and my CV - was to ask better future oriented questions such as
...

"What would future me want me to be doing right now?"

Don't know? Ask mentors in the fields you aspire to pursue - what they would do if they
were in your shoes.

You'll be able to get a lot of clarity vs. stuffing your schedule with busy work that doesn't
mean anything for your future career.
Lesson 36: Think of the part of your day with different
goals
Currently my day is broken into a creation, work, and consumption phase.

I wake up and work on creating new content, ideas, and moving the needle forward for
my life.

Work - whether I'm on my week as a hospitalist or my week off - this is where I get my
repetitive tasks for the day done.

Consumption - this is my late evening time sessions for social media, reading, podcasts,
etc.

I try not to blend them too much. This allows each of the phases to be part of my day
and I'm always moving forward.

As a student - you can do the same thing. Think of your day as information gathering,
reviewing, test prep.

First half of the day may be for lectures, reading, note-taking.

Reviewing phase of the afternoon then may be reviewing your material from your first
phase.

And finally your studying may finish the day with time dedicated to do practice problems
or review lectures for an upcoming exam.

Think of your day as phases to avoid blending them too much. You may find a better
sense of flow.

Lesson 37: Remember that you are successful

At this point in your journey - even if grades, evaluations, and stress are not on your
side - you've made it this far!

That's a huge success.

The same version of you 2-5 years ago was freaking out about all the tests,
applications, rotations, etc. that you've now conquered.

So if that old version of yourself is proud of where you are - then you're the definition of
success.
Now regardless of how crazy things may be now - the next question is to take what
small steps your future version would want you to do today.

That's it - just today. Take those small steps - admire the progress and repeat.

You'll continue to be a better student and version of yourself. And ultimately that's all
that matters!

Lesson 38: Store the small lessons and teachings

If there's one thing I regret from my med school days - I wish I listened more attentively
during those small teaching sessions and wrote my lessons down for the future.

I had some great attendings teach me small pearls and I would have paid more
attention if I was thinking of what I wanted to write down later.

If I was to do it all over - I would keep an active Notion library of these small lessons and
fill them in after each day on the wards or in the classroom.

I would be 2x a better doctor right now if I did.

Lesson 39: Teach often

Despite being a tough week where I wasn't the most engaged at work - the best
instances I had were when I spent 20-30 minutes teaching patients and family about
their disease.

It helps the patient but it also helps me learn better!

If you think you don't know enough to teach - teach whatever bit of knowledge you have.

You'll identify your weak points quickly -> fill them in - > and then repeat.

My strongest topics currently as a doctor are those I taught often.

So go out and teach! If you're shy - talk things out in private and identify where you don't
quite feel comfortable. Then fill in the gap.
Lesson 40: Remember that you're motivating others
without even knowing it
There are people in your support and friend circle that are amazed by how much you
are doing. How hard you work. And how far you've come.

It may not feel like you have much to give to others - by being the persistent and hard
worker you are - there are others who are driving themselves to be better.

Don't forget that. Use it next time you want to slack off.

"Nope - others see me as driven and consistent. I need to continue to show up."

That can spark a great study session, more focus, and more motivation during a busy
final stretch to the semester.

Lesson 41: Choose your hard

Medical school is quite tough, which causes many students to complain.

It's also not easy when there are people highlighting other career options that could
have been easier or more fruitful.

But honestly - everything is difficult.

You couldn't pay me to go through law school - I'd be miserable and would find it very
difficult.

But even medicine is difficult, I wouldn't mind going through it again.

So remember - hard doesn't mean it's not the right path for you.

Just pick what your hard is going to be and commit!

Lesson 42: Keep it simple

Your classmates will convince you that you need 100+1 things to do well on the test.
You don't.

Decide on your review strategy to mastering each lecture and pick your source of
review and repetition (flashcards, whiteboards, practice questions) and get through
them.

Lesson 43: Plan ahead

If you're in a situation where you have many tests and deadlines at once - this is even
more important.

Look at your test dates. Decide when you'll finish your first and second pass for each
class. Give yourself a few buffers to fall behind too. This may mean you have to do
more lectures per day to account for life and procrastination happening.

But it's totally worth it.

Lesson 44: Now is the time to put your head down and
work
Put away the social media, phones, and excitement about winter vacations/break.

Finals and the end of the semester are hard for everyone. But they're much easier for
those who get to work and keeping moving forward.

Lesson 45: Systemize everything you do

There's a reason that rich CEOS and Presidents wear the same outfits most of the time
- they minimize their decisions on what they have to wear each day.

Thus they systemize what they'll wear and how to get dress quickly so they can do more
important things.

The same goes for being a student.

Look at everything as an opportunity to have a system.

Studying (we teach that to you here)

Time management
Making time for workouts and family!

If you do - your life becomes like a factory - it puts out the results you always want
(happiness, good grades, family time, etc.)

Ask yourself what you'll systemize today. Come back to it in a week and adapt it even
more based on the results!

This is how I can run a side business, be a full-time doctor, train for a marathon - and
still have time to catch my favorite Disney plus shows (I'm a child at heart :D)

Lesson 46: Life is an act of juggling constantly

Glass balls and plastic balls.

Life is an act of juggling constantly.

But some of our life "balls" are plastic - nothing happens if you can't keep up with them -
they just bounce back up.

The glass ones however - shatter and can't be regained.

Right now you're likely juggling a lot. School, mid-terms, finals, test anxiety, etc.

But how are you doing juggling the glass balls? The priorities?

How many of those are close to shattering?

Ask this daily and you'll have much more clarity on your decision making.

Lesson 47: Fight for your patients - otherwise no one

will
I had a patient that looked like they had no option for rehab he severely needed. His
wife begged us to look at other options.

Everyone else gave up and said "he has to go home."

I decided to make a few calls to make sure we had exhausted all options.

Turns out - we didn't. With just a few phone calls, notes, and teamwork - we got the
patient the care he needed.
Awesome win for all of us - and the wife was super thankful.

Now I share this story because sometimes I practice lazy medicine. I don't fight enough.

"Guess there's nothing we can do", I'll tell myself.

But always take a closer look and maybe once more. The life of that patient may
depend on your effort.

Lesson 48: Identify your stress bottleneck

As I write this I've had a week where various things have come up at once - and I felt
the stress.

Now in the past - I would remained stressed.

But now I find the biggest source and attack it first.

The same goes for stressors that happen on your medical journey.

Attack the biggest source of anxiety and then move on to the next one.

With each step you'll find yourself able to take a deeper breath and becoming more
comfortable.

Lesson 49: Ask what the future version of you would

say to the actions you are or are not taking
We all have aspirations of being successful, smarter, more fit, wealthier, happier,
healthier...

... but often our daily actions don't reflect that person.

As a student - you may want better grades. But have you done the actions that the
future 'A' version of you would take (reevaluate, simplify, get help) to actually reach that
success?

A goal without a plan is just a dream.

We want success for you. And one of my favorite ways to do this is by asking - "What
would the future version of me tell me to do right now?"
Often the answer is simple. Next step is to get to work!

Lesson 50: Never be satisfied with your current

situation
I applied for further training in cardiology - not because I wasn’t happy with my current
job, but because I thought I could have a more amazing career.

Look at all your core pillars in your life - your studying, your fitness, your time
management, your relationships and ask - “how could I make this a little better?”

If you care enough to consider them pillars, make sure to avoid ignoring them or
thinking they’re fine as is.

Remember - anything left untended will crumble.

Things only truly matter if they have your attention and dedication to improvement.

Read that last line again.

Now go make some small improvements!

Lesson 51: Each day is about moving the needle

forward
How quickly do you go from waking up to doing something that moves the needle?

There are some days I'm surprised of how much social media scrolling I've done in bed
which added no value to my life.

I could have easily used that time to begin reviewing for an upcoming test, get my
workout in, or something else.

Remember each day is about moving the needle forward.

Endless screen time, checking emails, etc. will not get you there.

So starting tomorrow - measure how long it takes for you to go from awake to work.

Each day work on shortening this time and see how productive and effective you
become!
Lesson 52: Grades aren't everything
When I started medical school I would Google something like...

"How do I become the top in my class?"

I was obsessed with the idea of being at the top or being the best.

But it wasn't because I was obsessed about being the smartest.

In reality - I was insecure about avoiding the bottom.

Often when we ask "how can I be a top student or an A+ student" - it's because we don't
want to be an average or below-average student.

Being at the top means you're not at the bottom. Often the fear of being close to the
average is stronger than the desire to be at the top.

Tough pill to swallow when we realize what's driving us.

But the biggest lesson I walked away with was...

... grades aren't everything.

In fact - you can't afford for them to be the only thing.

Just like myself - every student is asking how to be at the top.

Everyone is obsessed with being at the top to avoid the despair of being at the bottom.

But you know what? Even if you reach the "top" - you'll just be compared and competing
with other students with good grades when applying for med school, residency, etc.

It never ends.

Grades can't be your only ammo. They're just part of the equation.

The real formula you need to know about?

Success = Grades + Experiences

Yes you need the grades. But without a CV that also complements the intelligence -
you're just another pre-med with a 4.0. (There's plenty of those).

In reality your medical journey needs to have the following steps:

1. Learn how to study more efficiently

2. Use the extra free time to build your interests and CV

3. Repeat & enjoy the extra free time to stay happy & balanced

Easier said than done. But impossible? Nope.

That's what we help so many of our students do.

​Click here to help you implement the "Success Formula" to med school.

Lesson 53: Be that calm presence wherever you go

Recently I admitted a patient who was transferred to us for higher level of care.

His foot was in severe pain and everyone was concerned that he had a significant
blockage to his blood flow (thus the reason for the transfer to our hospital).

When I walked in it was clear the patient and family were anxious. "Is he going to lose
this foot?" was likely a thought going through their heads.

I did what I always do - remain calm to dictate the atmosphere of the room.

I asked questions to distract him while doing my exam of his foot so he wouldn't be
hyper focused on what I was doing.

We joked. He laughed. And everyone was finally relaxed.

I gave them the plan (thankfully his foot wasn't that bad) and explained the next steps
and what that would mean for him.

He finally took a deep breath.

"Thank you doc - I appreciate your calm demeanor"

This isn't the first time I've heard this nor do I think myself to be a "calm individual".

But sometimes you have to create calmness for a patient to receive the care they really
need.

Ask yourself next time you walk into any room (be it a patient room or in a group setting)
- what atmosphere do you create? How can you improve on it?
Lesson 54: Show up fully
I wrote this on a Sunday where it's common to have a dread of the Monday that's
coming.

5 more days away until the weekend.

What a terrible way to live - where you are constantly dragging through the weekdays to
enjoy 2 days of the week.

But imagine if you showed up tomorrow fully present and interested.

What would it look like if you showed up to class tomorrow with more enthusiasm?

What about showing up to your rotation or to work with a different focus and
excitement?

I learned this late in med school but here's what I discovered:

● The day goes by faster

● You go from faking enthusiasm and transition to authentic interest & curiosity
about that subject, course, or rotation
● Your best days come when you're ready to meet the day with an optimistic
mindset
● You begin to build an avalanche of positive momentum which continues
throughout the week

So if you're dreading the upcoming Mondays - see how quickly that changes if you
come fully present and interested.

Lesson 55: Plan for 2 week stretches and commit

The medical journey is more a game of consistency and discipline than it is intelligence.

I've seen below average students outwork the smartest ones to look more impressive
on rotations and boards because they showed up and executed their plan.

But after years of coaching - most students who struggle - struggle to remain consistent
to one plan.

They're always changing and making adjustments a few days in.

That time could have easily gone into moving to the next lecture or video instead of
adjusting a plan that would have worked in the first place.
This is why it's important to have a planning day during the week - Sunday for example.

Then the rest of the week is meant to execute the plan. You'll be unsure at first - but
much more likely to finish the task you laid out.

As a pro tip - if you need to reevaluate what you're doing - have another mini-planning
day during the mid week on Wednesday to see how your plan and schedule is going.

Readjust as needed and then get back to work.

Lesson 56: Work on your pattern recognition

90% of the medicine I do is built on the patterns I've recognized to combine a clinical
patient with their labs, vitals, imaging to diagnose and manage them.

Very little of how I practice comes from the textbooks or endless lectures slides I went
through.

Being a doctor is primarily being able to see the clues and pair them together over and
over again.

The best way to get better at this? Practice it even when you don't have to.

Use apps such as the HumanDx app if you're early on.

If you're on your rotations then look at each of the patient's labs and explain how they
relate and make sense for that patient.

But also look for those anomalies that are too high or too low for that patient. Why is
that? Look it up -> understand the possible reasons and store that for future knowledge
when you see that lab again.

In reality being a doctor is very much detective work. Some mysteries are easy to solve
(ie. Fever, elevated WBC, dirty urine sample = urine infection).

But others require a closer eye and more reps under your belt.

So keep working on that practice and pattern recognition and you'll be on your way to
being an amazing provider!
Lesson 57: Focus on the big piece of the pie first
I recently finished a group coaching call (learn more here) where a student was
obsessed with how to study for lecture + board material at the same time.

After a few questions we learned that 70-80% of her final grade was based on a final
that was predominately board style questions.

The quizzes on the other hand were just 1-2% each.

So what's the best way to not feel stressed for this class?

Prioritize your week and day for that big piece of the pie (in this case the board level
learning. This meant for this student - video resources over lectures, board questions
over your class slides, etc.

So if you're finding yourself overwhelmed - ask where the biggest piece of the pie is?
What matters the most? Which lecture is the most important? Which portion of my
grade has the most weight?

Then structure your attention to these areas first.

Lesson 58: Fire yourself from responsibilities until

you can breath
In medicine it's very common to put too much on your plate.

But it also seems like the default option to figure it out and attempt to balance
everything.

If we give up anything - it often tends to be our wellness, sleep, hobbies.

But if there's one thing I learned early in med school it's that it's okay to become
minimalistic in your obligations.

My 2nd year in med school I stepped away from leadership roles, community service &
research projects that I was excited to join - but now were giving me more stress than
satisfaction.

I often ask how I can "clean my plate" weekly as a doctor - removing responsibilities that
seem important but aren't as valuable as they seemed when I said yes.

And once you reach that point where you can finally breathe - clean some more.
You'll eventually reach a place where you feel like you have too much free time and lack
of obligations. There will be a pressure to add more back to the plate.

Don't. Enjoy the peace instead.

Lesson 59: Create a daily victory goal

It's a shame that most of the days we have are forgettable. They bring very little value to
the progress and happiness of our lives.

How wasteful.

But what if you hoped to make each day matter with a vision for what that day is meant
for.

Maybe today is meant to get past that anxiety and catch up on school work. That's a
win.

Maybe today is meant to attempt to break your PR on pull-ups. You're a bit stronger
today.

Maybe today is when you learn to try a new recipe that you've been putting off - now
you're a better cook.

Here's a simple test - if you go to sleep each day knowing that a majority of the days
were worthless to your personal progress - imagine your life if just 20% more of those
wasted days mattered.

How much could you achieve?

Scary and motivating at the same time isn't it?

Lesson 60: Jump into testing quickly

I write this as many students will face their mid-terms or the doom of an upcoming final.

It's easy to be overwhelmed during this process.

Best way to handle it?

Test yourself ASAP. (I'll share why shortly)

Practice questions, flashcards, review slide questions - all fair game.

Here's the benefit - you quickly identify what you're weak at. Most importantly the topics
you thought you had nailed down and still missed.

Think of this as a close call - you avoided finding out on the actual exam!

Now here's what you do with this - create a running list for that quiz/test of the concepts
you need to review based on your testing.

Usually this is a combo of questions you got wrong + ones you guessed correctly (with
the wrong logic).

You can now review this list daily, biweekly, or weekly (on weekends) for example.

And how you do it is quite flexible. Flashcards, reciting the answers out loud, or drawing
them up on a whiteboard. All perfect.

But because you've now started testing ASAP - you have a longer window of time to
make mistakes, correct them, and repeat the learning to solidify the foundation.

So get to testing my friend!

If you need any help - we can teach you our 3-step process to a better study system
here.

Lesson 61: Let the person you care about motivate

and inspire your decisions
As of this writing I recently announced to you all that I'm going to be a dad.

Feels weird to say but I'm super excited!

But here's how I've used this recently to motivate me and help my decision making.

"What would my future daughter think of the decision I'm making right now?"

Now you can replace a child with anyone you care about - including your future self.

But when you ask this question from the perspective of someone you care about - you
don't want to disappoint them.

If I have house chores to get done - I don't want to be seen as a lazy dad. So my future
daughter motivates me to get them done.

If I am working out - I go an extra rep because that work ethic is something I hope to
diffuse to her.
If I'm studying - I'm less inclined to procrastinate because she's also a beneficiary of my
better grades, career options, and salary.

So just ask - "What would (person I care about) - think of the decision I'm making or
about to make?"

Sometimes that's all you need to get your butt into action.

Lesson 62: Prioritize the relaxation

Top students know this but peak performance is important over the long-haul not just in
bursts prior to exams.

You have to pace yourself.

It's just like running a marathon - you can't expect to do well when the first few miles are
ran at the fastest speed you can run.

You'll run out of fuel.

The same goes for the medical journey.

Easy ways to prioritize the relaxation in addition the tips we've talked about before
include:

● Plan something fun after a big quiz/test as a celebration for your hard work
● Do 1-2 fun things each week that you look forward to. (The more people you do
this with the better)
● Take a half day once a week where the other half is spent on catching up on
errands and some you time

This journey is long and the life balance you have later will greatly depend on how you
prioritize yourself now.

Lesson 63: Deal with your test anxiety by working

backwards
Often time around mid-terms and finals are stressful not just because of the tests but
also the stress that comes with coordinating it all.

Here's how I handle planning for exams. (Here's a video in case you're interested.)

Look at your calendar and mark down all your test dates first.
Then work backwards and tell yourself when you want to be done with all your first
passes of the material. This way if you have two tests back to back - you know you will
have to finish review for at least one of the exams much earlier.

Next - assign a start date for when you want to start reviewing for each test. For some
classes you may want to start now. For others you may be able to wait until 2-3 weeks
before the test.

Once this is done - count up the amount of lectures you have to do and divide this
based on the day between the start and finish date on your calendar.

So if you had 10 days to study for your Biochem final and 20 lectures to review - that's 2
lectures per day. Start adding them one by one into your calendar.

Now do this for all of your classes and tests.

What you will find is that you likely will have to front load certain exam prep (ie. start
prep for final for class #1 now so you can be done by the time you start prepping for
final for class #3).

You also may have to move more lectures on the weekends to hit your daily review
average.

But in the end - you will be able to see how reasonable and doable your plan is.

If it's not - start studying even sooner or increase the time you spend reviewing.

Again - watch this video if you want more of a breakdown!

Lesson 64: Remember the wow moments

During my babymoon, my wife and I took a gamble on an AirBnB over a traditional
hotel.

What we walked into when we opened the door left us speechless.

The ocean was just 10 feet from our window - and nothing else.

You could hear nothing except the beautiful sounds of the waves crashing on the shore.

That was the first wow.

The second wow was after we woke up from our nap to see the most amazing sunset
I've ever seen (from the window of our bedroom).
Two moments my wife and I will never forget and cherish together.

It's important to collect these moments and store them even on your medical journey.

Write them down, add them to your phone, record a video or a voice memo - but collect
and cherish them.

Because the medical journey is so long and difficult - it's normal to go for stretches of
time without a "wow" moment.

That's okay and normal.

But it's difficult to persevere through unless you can reflect on the moments that made
you want to continue.

So remember those "wow" worth diagnoses, patients, shadowing experiences, courses,

and people you meet.

These will keep you going forward!

Lesson 65: Predict what you tend to give up or

underappreciate in the pursuit of a goal
On the medical journey in the hopes of a great test score, admission into a great
program/residency, or a great career - we always lose track of what's important.

I do it. You do it. It's part of being human.

But as I write this in anticipation of my first child being born & starting fellowship - I've
found it effective to ask "what will I likely regret not doing between now and then?"

Often this points back to my priorities.

● Spend quality time with my wife and family

● Prioritize my personal health daily
● Avoid consumption and focus on learning and action

Asking that one question - "what will I likely regret in 2-3 months" helps avoid sacrificing
what matters to you.

So if you're studying for a final, mid-term or prepping for application season - ask
yourself what you're likely to sacrifice and make it a priority.
Lesson 66: Understand the importance of doing hard
things and building a calloused mind
As of this writing I went on a 5 mile jog today.

Most people would think I enjoy running enough to go a leisurely jog of that distance.

But in reality - I don't enjoy running much at all.

My body aches, my feet hurt, it's hard to wake up for, etc.

But that's not why I do it.

The reason I enjoy the process of running to commit to 5 miles is its ability to help
callous that inner voice of convivence.

That voice that says "It's too early - don't wake up and go for a run - you don't need to."

At mile 2 the voice that's telling me to "turn around - this is long enough - you won't be
able to go much further"

At mile 3 the voice that's saying - "take a break - you can't breath"

At mile 4.75 that's trying to convince me to "take the shortcut home - you basically did it
all anyways.

We all have this voice.

Most of us - myself included - will listen and agree to it.

On our medical journey - this is what makes the difference between a student who looks
like they kept making progress and the student who started to blend into the average
and status quo.

The reason I love running is that it reminds me that this voice is not actually speaking
the truth nor is it for my benefit.

In fact - the more you train yourself - whether it's through running, fitness, difficult skill
building - the more you understand it's just a nuance.

So remember that picking hard things is necessary to quiet that lousy voice and become
the version of yourself you picture and hope for.

It starts with saying - I pick hard and I don't quit when things are tough.
Hope this helps!

(Remember we're here to help you with how to go through the hard things and become
successful on the other end here.)

Lesson 67: Enjoy the milestones as you cross them

When you're so into and obsessed by the next thing on your plate - we often don't relish
and enjoy the victories enough!

Do well on a hard exam - celebrate!

Finish a hard rotation? Big win!

Finish a hard semester and need a break - way to put in the work!

Remember to celebrate yourself each step of the way. You owe that much to yourself!

Lesson 68: Your definition of success is likely going

to change so take a deep breath
Recently one of our coaching students began to feel a lot of anxiety (normal around
finals time).

They began to worry if their future version of success (med school of their dream, future
career options, etc.) were no longer possible.

When I was in my last year of college - I was told not to apply to specific med schools
because my MCAT was an average score.

A few weeks later I not only got interviews to those same schools - acceptance letters
came shortly after.

And although some never extended an interview - in hindsight it didn't matter.

10+ years forward - I'd consider my journey successful thus far but nowhere near what I
would have predicted.

And it still turned out fine!

So if you're early in the journey or towards the end of residency - take a deep breath
and remember that it'll be okay!
Lesson 69: Pick one area that you would like to make
an improvement the next three days
If you're finding that you're at an end of a semester or in the middle of a slump and not
really sure how to get out because life is getting out of control for a variety of reasons,
the thing that I would recommend the most is to just pick one area that you would like to
make an improvement the next three days.

Often we try to make an answer to all of our solutions and often that just leads to more
problems and anxiety.

But if you're, for instance, having issues with studying, gathering your notes, reviewing
for your test, finding time for exercise, etc - just pick one of those many stressful items
that you would like to strategically work on over the next 3 days.

This doesn't mean that you'll abandon approaching and addressing the other stressors,
but the main thing they will be focused on is making an ideally positive change on one
of those stressors and then reevaluating how it works.

If I was struggling with my time management, I may work to create a system where I
plan my week on a Sunday and then review it Tuesdays and Thursdays to evaluate how
I feel my time management system is now going.

In a similar fashion, if I felt that I was struggling on retaining what I was learning in
school - I make the commitment to implement more active techniques such as a free
recall session on a whiteboard every morning for 20 minutes.

With every stressor, pick one stressor to adjust, the system change you want to try, and
a date to reevaluate the results.

If the results are positive - ask yourself how you can either increase or make this a
natural habit into your system.

If you haven't found any results then ask how you can further adjust it to make some
improvement.

And if for some reason if your adjustment was deemed as a negative experiment then
go back to the last iteration that seems to work.

Remember, we're always happy to help with your struggles here if you need us!

Lesson 70: Perform routine check-ins & goal settings

If you're inconsistent with the frequency that you set goals and reevaluate your progress
- your progress will also be inconsistent.

As I write this crossing the half-way point of another year - it reminds me that there are
several great opportunities to set goals, evaluate how they're going, and set new ones.

Some of my favorites include monthly, 3-month, 6-month, and annual basis.

This goes for your academic, career, and personal goals.

Ensure that you don't let a busy life cloud the fact that you're not hitting the goals which
are meant to help you progress.

Because one of the most defeating moments is when we realize we spent "time" without
any "progress".

Start today - ask what you want to achieve, when you'll circle back to see if you're on
track, and repeat!

Lesson 71: Work backward to your perfect day and

week
Often we finish a month and realize we've spent very little time doing what matters and
what we care for.

In regards to our academics, you may realize that you wasted time watching videos and
are going down a rabbit hole of resources. In reality, just spending more time on any of
them would have helped.

In our personal lives, we let our career/academic obligations cloud away our focus on
our family, fitness, and personal hobbies.

To avoid month after month of disappointment - try to look at an empty calendar and ask
what each week and each day would look like to give you time for what you care for.

Perhaps the perfect week would mean two planned dinners with people you care about,
a workout three times a week in the mornings, and Sunday morning where you sleep in
and enjoy your leisure reading.

If so - map that out on your calendar and then find the time slots that will have to be
"work time" so you can enjoy yourself when you're scheduled to.

As we get busier it's easy to lose track of how off-track we are.

So work backward and create these mini-appointments with yourself to keep you
balanced and happy.

Lesson 72: Stop always looking for an easier solution

In today's age it's easy to always think there needs to be an easier way to do
something.

But sometimes things are hard for a reason and the only way past is to put in the work
vs what we normally do - spend hours looking for solutions.

Just like you wouldn't look for an easier shorter way to run a marathon - you accept it's
a 26.2 mile run - the same goes for many of the tough parts on the medical journey.

So if you're having a tough few weeks or months ahead of you - find the best solutions
to solving it, then stop looking for more options - just get to freaking work!

Your definition of hard work will change and you will be capable of more if you just learn
to be okay with hard.

Lesson 73: Start with one thing you want to be better

at this week and set aside time for its development
To avoid becoming stagnant, it's important to always identify what skills and knowledge
need improvement.

And then it's even more important to find time during your week to work on them.

For me that may mean 10-20 mins diving deep into a cardiology topic for fellowship.

For my personal life it may be three weekly sessions working on my singing or playing
the harmonium.

So remember to enjoy yourself on this journey, you need progress.

So work at it every day!

Lesson 74: Structure and prioritize strategic wellness

Wellness is one of those nasty words in medicine.
Everyone knows you need it but no one shows you how to apply it.

Here's what you need to be well (and ideally improve what that means over time).

1. Something to grow physically

2. Something to stabilize mentally

Now yes you can exercise here and there, do some yoga a few times a year, maybe
read a book or two...

... but this creates a recipe of hills and valleys in your wellness.

We want that nice uptrend in our well-being.

This is why it's important to structure your wellness into your schedule specifically.

For instance - I know as a cardiology fellow and new dad - my time is going to be
limited.

But I want to be fitter as a dad than I am now.

So my mornings (when she's sleeping) before going into work has to include a quick but
effective home workout.

So now in my schedule from 5:30 - 6 AM - my workout is scheduled and planned.

Next is stabilizing my mental well-being.

Stress is going to be at an all-time high with the little one and a new fellowship.

So I need to find strategic time for what keeps me leveled.

For me, this is a combination of reading and learning for a run with audiobooks &
podcasts.

I thus have them scheduled into my drive-in/from work + my weekly runs.

Now when I look at my calendar - I see my wellness as an active part of my week vs.
something I need to make time for.

Lesson 75: Expect to fail and be okay with it

As I share this into my first week of being a dad - I realize that the medical journey is
very similar to being a first-time parent.
At the start of every new phase, class, rotation, exam, job - you have no idea what
you're doing.

Even if you read up on the best tips, resources, and step-by-step advice ...

... you will still feel unprepared.

And that's okay!

No one comes out of the womb knowing how to tie a suture, study biochem, take an 8
hour board exam...

... and no one for sure is born knowing how to be a parent.

You will fail and that's part of the process.

Instead of fearing mistakes and setbacks - lean into them.

Don't be hard on yourself when things are going as you'd like.

Ask "what could I change to make an improvement here?"

Then try it!

And repeat this fun cascade of success -> failure -> failure-> more success.

Lesson 76: Stop expecting perfect

I write this a week into being a dad.

Despite knowing how busy having a newborn was - I still fell into the trap of being
ambitious with my schedule.

I had planned time for a workout, and 4 AM wake up sessions to study.

None of that has happened.

But it's okay.

I know being a new dad is what I need to focus on - the rest will come when they can.

The same goes for your medical journey!

You will want everything to be on schedule and receive the same level of focus.

It likely won't happen.

If you can accept that - then you begin to ask "well - what needs my attention the most
right now?"

Lesson 77: Look at each new experience as a baby

Writing this as my daughter just turned 2 weeks old - here's one of the biggest lessons
I've learned.

To a baby - everything is new, strange, and difficult - and thus a reason to have some
tough moments.

For my daughter, that's crying until that little bit of gas or the wet diaper is fixed.

For us on the medical journey - that having a few quizzes/tests that don't go our way,
motivation being low, and always feeling anxious when you're not 100% sure of what to
do.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed with each setback - remember that it's likely very normal
to feel that way in the first place.

So new class? Expect for it to be challenging and wonder if you can retain it all.

New rotation? Expect to hobble learning the lingo and what your team/attending want
from you.

New job? You're not an imposter if you don't have 100% confidence when you first start.
It's expected.

Hope this helps you get past some of those tough spots on the journey!

Lesson 78: Leave your ego at the door

Medicine is filled with Type A personalities and Type A moments.

But often - and I'm guilty of this - the biggest growth and lessons come on the other side
of humility.

So don't assume you're better or worse than your peers.

Don't assume you have nothing to learn.

Don't assume that a patient, peer, or supervisor can't teach you or help you grow.
And always keep that ego in check!

Lesson 79: Try the bridging time management system

Often the issue with our productivity system is that we either plan to do too much and/or
have no plan on how to achieve it.

For instance, I used to have over-ambitious lists of what I'd do in a day. Only to find out I
made it through 25% of my list until I burnt out.

But now I use a bridged time management system.

Here's what it looks like.

First start with all the things you want to do in your core areas of your life.

For instances:

● Academics
● Personal
● Family

Then add the to-do tasks for each of these:

● Academics: Read chp 4-6 for bio, watch lectures from ochem, study for quiz
● Personal: Workout, Laundry, Buy Plane Tickets
● Family: Dinner with spouse

Now break down your day based on hour chunks and add the tasks where they would
fit:

● 6-7: Workout
● 7-8: Read Chp 4+ Laundry
● 8-9: Watch Ochem Lecture
● 9-10: Catch up + get ready for day
● 10-11: Read Chp 5
● 11-12: Chp 5 + Lunch
● 12-2: Buy Plane Tickets + Finish Bio Lectures
● 2-4: Relax
● 4-5: Study For Quiz
● 5-7: Dinner with spouse

You take your to-do list -> split it into relevant categories so you can see what will be the
most important task -> then add them into chunks for the day!
This way, you can picture your entire day and preplan to pace yourself to avoid that
midafternoon burnout.

Lesson 80: Embrace the "beast mode" inside of you

We all have a version of ourselves that can be hyper-focused, productive, and just get
stuff done.

Unfortunately, this version is often too rare. It doesn't happen enough.

But the best students can tap into this mode when they need to efficiently study, make
progress on that research project, etc.

When I personally need to be in this hyperactive state - I start with my daily system.

Do I wake up knowing exactly what I must accomplish?

Have I minimized the distraction?

If I'm feeling momentum during the day - am I feeding on it to get even more done?

As you begin to reflect on your hyperactive state - it becomes easier to get into this
mode...

... so much so that this becomes your natural state of work.

Then you can reach a new level of what your work & attention can achieve!

Give it a shot today :D

Lesson 81: Impress through progress

Medical school is a natural ground for students to act impressive.

We want to be seen by potential evaluators, attendings, and our peers.

We do this to make our CV more impressive but also because...

... we want that gratification of being good enough.

I'll tell you from experience - my classmates who stuck their chest out hoping to look
impressive or in the same if not worse positions than I am currently.
And it's not because they weren't impressive - it's because they were too obsessed
without outside validation.

My approach? Identify where I needed to improve and impress others through my

progress.

If my classmates could do a better differential diagnosis or physical exam than me - I

used that as a weakness I could work on.

With time - my skills also got better and people took notice.

No need for showboating - just impress with results.

Fast forward 8+ years - you'll be internally motivated to find what needs fixing next and
will naturally work on them vs. focusing on what would impress others.

Hope this helps!

Lesson 82: Make board studying natural and simple

I often get at least 1-2 emails a week asking for tips on USMLE and board studying.

Often students will share the 3-4 resources they want to use and the elaborate strategy
& schedule they've put together.

Here's what I often tell them.

Remember the ultimate goal of test prep...

... see enough now so there's less on test day that can trip you up.

Imagine having a gauge that represents your board-level knowledge.

A full gauge going into test day = a high score.

A low gauge of knowledge = low score.

Makes sense.

So if I was to study for any of my boards again - I would focus all my energy between
now and test day filling that gauge.

What does that mean?

Lots of practice and reflection.

Make more mistakes through questions & flashcards (not videos and notes) -> learn
why you made those mistakes -> repeat.

Fill the gauge more and more each day and watch that score naturally go up.

Lesson 83: Learn to slow down and focus on doing it

right the first time
I write this as a new dad and I know for one thing - my daughter can tell when I'm
rushing something.

For example - if I'm trying to put her to sleep I have two options:

1. Try to put her down as soon as her eyes close and hope she doesn't wake up
(rarely effective)
2. Or go through the entire routine of rocking, shushing, and gently putting her down
long after her eyes have closed to ensure she gets a high-quality nap in.

Often we rush our actions because we're busy or just want to move on to the next thing.

But in medicine - just in any aspect of life - learn to slow down, do it well and enjoy the
results!

Lesson 84: Optimize your morning flow

As students, often the quality of the rest of our day is dependent on how we start it.

For most of us - including myself early on - the start of our day had no structure.

Often, I'd focus on snoozing the alarm as long as possible. (As if the extra 10 mins
made me more rested).

And then would hurry out of the door to make it class or lab.

I basically would go from waking up to "student mode".

So if anything was off - lack of sleep, boring lecture, lack of motivation - the rest of the
day would likely suck.

But once I started to optimize my morning - the game changed.

I asked - "what makes a difference in the energy and quality of my day?"

Things that often came up included:

● Getting a great workout in

● Feeling a sense of progress

So I optimized my morning by doing the following:

● Woke up about 1-2 hours earlier (meant I went to bed a bit earlier as well)
● Got in a 20-60 min workout first thing in the morning depending on the day
● Worked on the first school related thing which would actually boost my retention
(flashcards for me)

This 1-2 hour morning session made sure I was optimized + had already had a few wins
in the day.

This way if the rest of the day goes to **** - I still come out on top at the end of the day.

Even as a cardiology fellow today - I still do this. Most of my mornings are spent getting
a quick workout in my garage or going for a 2-4 mile run.

Then I'll alternate to reading the next paper/topic I have on my list (to feel that sense of
progress).

So I ask you - how optimized is your morning? Does it set you up for
progress/momentum and a high-quality day?

If not - what one change will you make to make that happen?

If you want our help to help create a daily/weekly schedule to optimize your energy,
study system, grades, productivity, and more - learn more here.

Lesson 85: Be okay with your future looking different

than you imagined
In medicine there's an added bit of stress we put on ourselves when our current state
doesn't look like our 5-10 year plan we used to have.

I'll be the first to tell you. That's okay.

In some ways - your life will be better. In other ways - it won't match what you intended.

Again - this is normal.

But I'm a big believer that you end up in the situation which is right for you.
For instance - I couldn't have imagined doing cardiology fellowship 8 years ago.

I thought I'd be a practicing surgeon, sports medicine doctor, or radiation oncologist by

this point.

Clearly, none of those happened.

But I love my life right now. I enjoy the challenges my career provides.

You have enough to stress about right now - don't add the "perfect future" to the list.

Work hard. Reevaluate your process based on your results. Constantly improve. And
you will be fine.

(If you ever need our help to improve your process on the journey - this is for you.)

Lesson 86: Take a second to think about your exit

plans
This is more important when you get closer to rotations and actually practicing but is
supercritical.

I write this after performing a normal procedure on a sick ICU patient. Normally my plan
would be to finish the procedure and evaluate how they did.

But this patient was sick and all of the risks of the procedures were even riskier in them.

So we had to be prepared. We accounted for what would happen if their blood pressure
dropped. What would we do if their heart rate changed? What would we do if their
oxygen dropped?

Before we even started - we had everything in order to be prepared.

And guess what, every single thing that was a risk ... happened.

But we were prepared.

This scary situation applies to multiple aspects of the medical journey.

Often we are too focused on just doing the standard steps. But we don't pay enough
attention to - "what will I do if this doesn't work out my way?"

Having an exit strategy with your goals, patients, procedures, etc. will serve you well.
Lesson 87: Assess your progress rate
Often we're focused on outcomes like grades, evaluations, etc - which is fine.

But they're often too spread out apart and dependent on too many factors.

One of the most demoralizing aspects of the medical journey is going from one
class/rotation to another without feeling like you're getting anywhere.

So it's important to focus back on something you can control - your rate of progress.

How much do you feel like your learning, fitness, relationships, career exploration, etc.
are going?

Which of them are the most important to you?

What small steps can you take this week to see a tiny bit of progress going into next
week?

As long as the journey is - we often need little wins. Focusing on your personal rate of
progress helps you achieve just that - even if the grades, evaluations, etc. are not going
your way.

Hope this helps!

Lesson 88: Focus on impact vs. business

As a med student, my to-do list was often long but the quality of the individual tasks...
not so much.

On the flip side - if you begin to focus on the 2-3 high-impact things that will move the
needle in your life - you'll see a lot more progress.

It's true what they say - we overestimate what we think we can do in a day or week but
underestimate our potential over months to years.

So start with the areas of your life you'd like to see progress the most. Then come up
with tangible goals to understand your progress.

Finally, split that goal into daily & weekly tasks which will help you get there.

For example - if I wanted to crush my upcoming board exam - this would be my

process.

1. Get a 250+ on Step 2 CK

 2. Goal for this month: Do questions every day + review missed questions in the
morning
3. Each day: Missed questions for 20 min in the morning + 40 question block and
review in the evening

Aim for what you want. Set yourself up with mini-steps that are high-impact. And go do
big things.

Lesson 89: You are and will be where you're meant to

me
Call it destiny or faith - I'm a big believer that things work out for a reason.

Your life to this point and on your medical journey may have gone exactly or completely
unlike what you had predicted.

Obviously, if everything goes your way - then it's easy to enjoy the journey.

But for most of us - we've had our bumps.

Whether that be a low board score, fewer interviews than we expected, or not getting
into our dream school/program - disappointment is part of medicine (and life).

My journey is no different. (I still remember being told not to apply to the medical school
I ultimately went to because my MCAT was not extraordinary enough.)

The way I see it, each part of the journey - even if it's not what we originally wanted -
has the potential to be exactly what we need in our lives at that moment.

The real art is mastery of the act of embracing it.

If you live constantly with the reminder of being disappointed or the fear of facing it -
you're playing defense. You likely will (as I have many times) - allow your emotions to
scare you away from opportunities...

...or even worse - you may not even notice them.

So regardless of where you are vs. where you wanted to be - remind yourself that like
us all, you'll be okay.

You have a lot to gain and learn from your current situation. Use that vs. comparing
yourself to this self-created measuring stick.
Hope this helps.

(As always - if you need some help to help you on your journey - we're here to do that
when/if you need us)

Lesson 90: Use stress as a reminder that things can

improve, but don't let it paralyze you from moving
forward.
I see it way too often - especially in our coaching students when they first start out.

The usual scenario will be a student who comes to us wanting better grades and a
better system. So they're stressed to start with.

But if anything feels "off" - the stress builds.

Now instead of using that stress to evaluate what changes can lead to progress - they
freak out more.

Suddenly everything they're doing is the problem. They start to crash and freeze.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed - remember that this is normal.

But the next step is to ask - "what's the biggest source of stress right now?"

Then ask - "what's 1-2 things I can try right now to work on minimizing it?"

Use stress as a cue vs. a form of paralysis.

Lesson 91: Chunk your goals and assess your

progress
I take a lot of my tips from running - this is no different.

As of this writing, I've done my share of speed runs for an upcoming half-marathon.

In order to get faster I have to push paces faster than my goal race time.

But these can be hard - running a mile at a speed faster than what I'm used to.

So what I've done for these hard runs has worked wonders - I focus on the goal for
small chunks of the bigger run.
So if my pace was 7 mins a mile - I may just focus on hitting that pace for 0.25 miles at
a time.

If I feel great after the first quarter mile - I focus on the next 0.25 and not the remaining
0.75 miles.

It's much easier to see the goal as achievable when it's broken down into pieces.

The same goes for my academic journey. If I have a research project or upcoming test -
I break it into weekly and daily tasks.

Then most importantly - reevaluate where you are.

The smaller chunks aren't excuses to procrastinate - they're a way to make the bigger
goal easier to accomplish.

So this last step of reflection helps make the day to day easier + helps you stay
accountable.

Lesson 92: 2 Day Rule

I learned this from Matt D'Avela who is popular on YouTube on productivity, life hacks,
and more.

But one of his many videos that stuck with me due to its simplicity was the 2-Day rule.

It goes like this: Any habit you care about sticking to - you can't miss more than a day in
between.

So if you choose to workout more - you have to do it at least every other day.

If you choose to read more - you can't go more than 48 hours without instilling the habit.

If you choose to journal, meditate, learn a new skill, etc - the two-day rule applies.

This principle is stupidly simple but for someone on the medical journey - it helps get
past a common villain which gets in the way of keeping up with habits and goals...

... laziness inspired by inconvenience.

For instance - you may have not been able to stick to your habit today of working out
because you were sick or the weather was bad.

But we often use one day of things not going our way for one day to make it easy to not
show up the next day/opportunity.
But with the 2-day rule - it is black and white - you show up at least once every 48
hours.

Try this with 1-2 habits you want to stick to and let me know how it goes!

If you want to be more productive and fulfilled in your day to day on your medical
journey - this may be for you.

Lesson 93: The two systems you need to study well

I share this in detail in the Final Playbook Workshop (you can check it out here if you're
interested)...

... but if you want the best study strategy - here are two things you need.

1. A method to learn quickly and easily day

2. A method to connect the dots

Now most of us will have a go-to strategy for #1.

For me this was flashcards. For others, it may be outlines, etc.

But this isn't enough.

For instance - flashcards are great for details and knowing a specific answer to a
specific question. But they're not the best at helping with second or third-order
questions.

This is why you need a connection system. Something that helps you connect the forest
and trees.

If you want to see a few examples I used - I share them in this video here.

But ask yourself if you have something for the details or the bigger picture.

If not - create a system for your daily driver via #1 and at least doing #2 on a weekly
basis.
Lesson 94: Sprints are super effective in achieving
productivity
Often as a student, you may have a big to-do list which can be overwhelming to begin
with.

You'll wonder how it's possible to get everything done.

Trust me I've been there.

But in these settings, I've found it an effective strategy to get my #1 task done as fast as
possible.

Obviously, do this without destroying the quality of the activity (ie. no 20x listening to
your lecture)

But even a little bit of extra speed can help spark the productivity juice and get you into
a sense of flow.

Try it next time you have a lot to do. Ask how quickly you can get the first task. Then
challenge yourself to beat that goal.

Not only will you make a game out of a busy day - but you likely will also spark the
momentum needed to finish your to-do list.

Lesson 95: Identify the dents you want to buff out

I think of my medical journey kind of like a car with a lot of tiny/big bumps on it.

The only way to make the car look more complete is to slowly start buffing out some of
those dents.

But not all of these dents (weaknesses) are of equal importance for you.

Which ones do you want to work on the most (pick 2-3) and make those your defining
markers of your progress

Lesson 96: Identify the strengths you want to develop

Now this is different than just improving on weaknesses.
There are things that you may average/above average on that you would like to improve
on.

Perhaps you're okay at research or self-studying but want to make these of your
strengths.

What goals can you set to help develop these into strengths?

This format of systems, weakness buffing, and strength building will help you have an
amazing year going forward.

Lesson 97: Understand the concept of Knowledge

Blindness
During your journey you will think what you know, experience, and have to offer is not
unique.

Because we're so used to comparing ourselves against our peers - we assume we're
average or below average at everything.

But in reality - you have a lot to offer.

Just how you will occasionally find peers, mentors, etc. who are inspiring when they
share their pearls, knowledge, stories - you have the potential to do the same.

One simple way to begin the process of rebuild confidence in all you have to offer &
share is by:

● Keeping a running list of your experiences and takeaways

● Try to store the pearls that your teachers and attendings give you
● Remind yourself what comes easier to you compared to others (motivation,
efficiency, discipline, happiness, etc.)

This process helps me surely remind myself that:

1. I'm not just average. I have my strengths compared to my peers and I should
double down on them
2. I can improve to the potential I hope to achieve. That starts with knowing my
current "knowledge balance" and deciding how I will grow it

Hope this helps!

Lesson 98: Remember the goal is to be an asset on
this journey
Too often we think it's good enough to go through school, read the books, pass the
tests, etc., and get the job we wanted.

But unfortunately - that's the recipe to get the jobs that no one else wants.

To truly have a great medical journey into your practicing days - you have to remember
one key fact.

You ultimately need to be an asset for whoever you work for.

You need to be an asset to your patients, employers, colleagues, etc.

What does that mean?

Go past thinking that memorizing "knowledge" is all that's needed.

Instead, ask yourself how you can create pillars in your medical journey that make you
stand out.

Perhaps you realize that you enjoy teaching. Make it a focus to work on your skills to
educate patients and trainees extremely well.

Maybe you have a specific area within your field you like to learn about and treat. Make
that something you know better than most - this is how people start to acknowledge you
as an expert and send patients your way.

Make sure you work on the sways of your emotions. You become an asset simply by
being calm and level-headed.

Work on your ability to help your colleagues and be a team player.

Over time, you transform into a provider that knows their stuff (really well), is great with
patients and is a great team member to work alongside.

It's hard not to hire that version of you.

So get away from thinking about just grades - instead thinking about what skills you
want to develop and strengthen over the years to become desirable.
Lesson 99: Don't confuse hard work for "natural gifts"
It's easy to look at classmates and attendings that are brilliant and immediately begin
comparing how far away we are from them.

Often we may attribute their strengths to natural brilliance. Maybe we're not lucky
enough to have it to the same degree.

But everyone started knowing nothing.

The ones who are truly at the top of the field - those who make it look effortless - have
put so much effort that it looks easy from the outside in.

This tip comes inspired by the book - Bounce - which breaks down the myth of success.

We may attribute prodigy and natural talent when we hear the names Mozart, Picasso,
Federer, etc.

But in reality - there has been thousands of hours of deliberate practice from a young
age.

How can that help you on your medical journey?

Understand that - with time - you can become good at anything. You can reach the
levels of those who inspire you too.

Be selective on what you pursue. And then - just keep working at it.

Lesson 100: Easy way to have well-being while being

busy
This tip is inspired by a question from the audience who asked me "how do you
maintain your mental well-being being busy as a doctor, father, husband, and creator?"

I answer the question (+ more in detail) here.

But here's the big takeaway.

You can have balance and be busy. It's not one or the other.

The reason I can feel like I have good mental well-being is because despite being busy
- I love each role I've taken on.
I love being a father. I love being a husband. I love being a cardiologist. I love creating
content for you all.

Thus despite being busy - each of these roles are important in my life. They each
provide a purpose.

Thus despite the hectic schedule, some less-than-ideal nights of sleep - I love the core
roles.

At the same time - I'm very selective of the roles I take on. Thus I say no to a lot.

So hectic? Yes. Busy? Yes? But all still with a sense of balance.

Now ask yourself - what's your level of balance with roles you actually enjoy to take
on?

Hope this helped!

Lesson 101: Setbacks And Letdowns Are Not Failures

You likely will not achieve every goal you have on your medical journey.

And that's okay. It should not be considered a failure.

There have been many times in my journey that I've been turned down for opportunities
I wanted/thought I deserved:

● College admissions
● Honor Societies
● Scholarships
● Leadership positions
● Award/Recognition
● Medical School Admissions
● Residency Interviews
● Better Evaluations & Feedback
● And so much more

If I considered each of these a failure - I would feel pretty down about my entire
experience.

But in reality - each of these "let downs" are just a reminder that the journey may not go
exactly how I want or expect.

But it will ultimately take the course it's intended to.

Because I by no means think my journey thus far as a failure.

● I've loved where I've trained

● And I'm exactly where I want to be

So remember that setbacks and letdowns are not failures.

They will happen. But you have something better waiting!

Hope this helped.

Get all of our tips and strategies for med school success here.

Lesson 102: Shorten the to-do list and get more done
As of this writing I had a great chat with a friend who was feeling a lack of control in life.

He works as an engineer and wanted a change in his career.

Problem was - he didn't have the skill set quite yet to get the kind of jobs he wanted.

So he created a plan to set aside time throughout the week to build those skills.

But like any planning session - everything you want to do clouds the picture.

"What about family time?"

"Oh I also want to make time for exercise."

"Oh and I wish I could read more books"

He kept going and going with more wishes and desires for a time that is finite.

I stopped him and said the following:

● Your anxiety and lack of control comes from trying to do everything and in
turn getting nothing done
● Pick 2-3 things from your goals that you would be happy about if you
accomplished a majority of the time
● Pick one day of the week to reflect on your success rate (Sunday for him)
● Only when you've had 2-3 months of consistency with these habits should
you even consider trying to add other aspirations

I could see the lightbulb moment in him.

He was so hyperfocused on trying to maximize every minute - that he spent so much
time trying to create perfect... when in reality good enough is all he needed.

● He didn't need every single day to be a home run

● He needed to accept that some days will come with laziness,
procrastination, unseen obstacles

And that's okay.

If you do what you set out to do a majority of the time - chances are you'll be fine.

So take a look at your aspirations.

Is the list too long? Does it actually make you anxious instead of excited?

If so, pick just a 1-3 of those things you make as your main priorities. The rest can
happen as they come.

This is how I've created a life for myself where I can balance medicine, being a dad,
husband, content creator, business owner, family man, and all the other roles I play.

One puzzle piece at a time.

Lesson 103: Simple System To Improve Your Grades

Today I want to break down how I would rethink learning, retention, and better grades if
I was to redo med school. (This also is from our email newsletter so make sure you
keep an eye out for more step-by-step tips like this)

(Lots of value coming your way).

Back then here was my process.

● Frontload with a crap ton of resources so I don't "miss anything"

● Have limited time to review them and thus no real plan on how to handle
all the info
● Cram closer to the test/quiz hoping that rote memorization would be
enough to get at least a B

Sound familiar?

Well here's how I redid my own process in med school. (It's a similar process that we
share with our coaching students as well here. ​

1. Identify Your Biggest Weakness In Learning

To get the grades you want - you need to start with the end in mind.

If you want A's - the best way you learn how is to ask what's preventing you from getting
them now.

Think back to your last 3-4 exams. Why were they not all A's (if that's your goal)?

Was it retention? Lack of reps? Test anxiety? Something else?

Now you're likely going to have multiple and various issues from test to test...

...but what's the common theme or biggest limiting factor?

That's where you need to start from.

For most of our coaching students - it's a lack of effective repetitions. So we'll use that
as the example for the rest of the steps.

2. Optimize Your System To Address Weakness #1

Now that we know your biggest limiting factor - time to adjust our study system to
improve it.

In this case, we'll continue to use the lack of reps as the example.

Let's say you were struggling to get 2 effective passes of each lecture. In reality, you
realize you need closer to 2.5-3 passes to feel confident.

Perfect - now that you know your minimum threshold - ask how you'll schedule this into
your week and month.

Maybe pass #1 will be the day of the lecture. Pass #2 will be on the weekends. Pass #3
may be closer to the exam.

(P.S. If you want to learn all of our strategies for scheduling effective repetitions - you
can access our entire study program here)

The big takeaway from this step is that we're working on optimizing just one factor in our
less-than-stellar grades.

If your main issue was test anxiety - you would focus less on reps and instead on
putting yourself in more test-like environments during your studying and prep.

3. Religiously Plan Your Strategy

A strategy without a plan and schedule is just a fancy thought.

We need pen to paper... task to calendar to make sure we take action.

Using our above examples - just saying that rep #1 will happen here and rep #2 will
happen here isn't enough.

Take your daily lectures and plug it into your calendar.

You'll not only visually be able to see your plan. But you will also begin to realize if it's
possible.

Are you being realistic with your plan? If not - what do you need to adjust?

If you fail to plan - you plan to fail. Put your strategy & adjustment into your calendar

4. Reevaluate Weekly

What does success look like if the week went according to your new plan?

You may say - "I want to review all my lectures twice based on my schedule".

Now at least from my experience - we're rarely successful 100% of the time.

So now ask - "What is my minimum goal this week?"

What's the bare minimum needed to make this week a success?

Maybe you decide that getting 100% of pass #1 and 80% of pass #2 would be
considered a success.

Perfect - now you know your target to aim for.

Now at the end of each week - ask how you're doing according to these metrics.

Regardless if you're hitting them or not - go to the final step in this flywheel.

5. Continue To Turn The Dial

Think of your study system like the volume dial on your car. You want the levels to be
perfect.

But just like any dial - there's no need to make rapid adjustments. Small tinkers here
and there will get you to the final result you're looking for.

The same goes for your studying and retention.

With step 5 - you'll be able to understand if your strategy & adjustment has legs or not.
Is it working?
If not - just like the dial focusing on tinkering vs. redoing the entire process.

Maybe you realize that a second pass on the weekend is too hard to do. But you've had
little issues getting the first pass in.

Okay - let's focus on pass #2 then? Think of ways you can make adjustments in this
mini-step in your overall strategy.

Maybe instead of reviewing entire lectures on the weekend - you can spend 20-30
minutes at the start of each day reviewing lectures that have already been reviewed
once. (This is easier with flashcard systems and strategies that we teach here.) ​

Now with each change - you go back to step #3 and plug your new version into your
calendar.

Then repeat the process.

After each exam - go back to step #1.

Over time - you'll be more optimized, more in control, and likely will have the grades you
want!

Hope this breakdown was helpful!

Lesson 104: Don't overthink the hard phases

It will be hard before and after - often getting started will allow you to focus on just the
work.

I share this tip after recently getting a personal record in the half-marathon.

I remember feeling anxious prior to starting. The course, time goal, and weather all felt
like they would get in my way.

And even after the race - I have no idea how I ran as fast as I did. In retrospect - I
should have slowed down or given up at many points.

But for some reason - when you're in the midst of the storm, if you just focus on the next
step and the work that needs to be done, you continue to move on.

There will be many phases of your journey when something will seem too tough to
complete or succeed at. In hindsight - you will remember it as a tough phase as well.
But when you're in the middle of it ... just focus on the next piece of work that needs to
be done. Often you'll get to the finish line without being too focused on what you can't
do just because you're hyperfocused on what you need to do.

Bottom line. Don't over think the hard phases. Get started. Enjoy the victory at the top.

Lesson 105: Find your pacers and use them well

In running it's common to have pacers who will run your goal time that you can run
alongside with.

But in my runs - I've found complete strangers to be great pacers for my goal time.

Essentially I just pick someone running in front of me at a pace I'd like to stick to.

If I pass them - then I pick a new person in the race with my goal pace.

Instead of focusing on the finish line or the miles left - I just focus on this one person.

You can do the same on the medical journey!

There are so many examples of people & mentors "ahead" of you that you can use to
be an example and pace you.

Instead of focusing on your version of the finish line - just use this person to pace you to
the next milestone.

What does pacing mean on the medical journey?

Use this individual to be an example of work ethic, consistency, focus, etc. and commit
to giving the same level of input & work that they are.

More often than not - you'll find yourself being more productive and often focus less on
the miles you're putting in. You just get the work done because you're following a great
example doing the same.

Lesson 106: Identify when you're in a funk and

understand the best steps to get out of it
Life will get busy. Often it will be busy with tasks you don't necessarily feel excited to do
but have to do.

It's common to lose steam and motivation when you're stuck in this "have to do" phase.
Here's my approach for getting some momentum back. (In no particular order)

● Set a personal goal/skill that is only for you (ie. I sign up for
marathons/half-marathons to get faster with each race. Main beneficiary is myself
in this case)
● Always reflect on your motivation level. If you idenitfy that you're in a rut - that's
okay. Better to idenity sooner than later
● Box of time in the week that is protected from life obligations. Despite being a
busy dad, fellow, and content creator - during these ruts I'll set aside time to work
on my personal well-being.
● Move, eat well, change the routine, sleep well. Take care of your body.
● Remember to get out of a rut, it's probably a good idea to say "no". Saying yes to
a lot of requests is likely what led you to have too much on your plate (it's surely
true for me). Thus having a phase where you're a "no" unless it's a 100% yes is a
smart move.

These are just a few of the many things that have helped me regain motivation and
momentum.

Hope they help you!

You can find tons more tips and pieces of advice/strategies here if you found this
helpful.

Lesson 107: Pick the most ambitious career goals and

shoot for them
Often I get asked to decide between two career paths and specialties.

How do you pick?

Well in reality - time will help you out here.

With more experiences under your belt - you'll get closer to highlighting the best career
path for you (remember you can have more than may be a good fit for you).

But here's one thing you don't want ...

... you don't want to have a resume that underperforms for the most ambitious of the
career goals.

For example - if I was considering family medicine, internal medicine, and orthopedic
surgery, then orthopedics would be the most competitive specialty to get into.
But if I created a resume only good enough for the first two - I may not have the
experience and grades for the latter.

Thus it makes more sense to assume you'll pick ortho, and create the resume and work
ethic required to get there ...

... and then if you change your mind - you still have a competitive application.

Makes sense right?

I did the same when I considered radiation oncology and internal medicine.

Rad onc is known to be a more competitive residency match. Higher board scores,
more publications, etc.

So I worked towards a possible radiation oncology future. When I flipped to internal

medicine - I had grades and a resume that was still very competitive.

Same thing for cardiology. I knew there was a chance I may just be a hospitalist but I
wasn't 100% sure.

So I did the research, built the connections, and did my best to be the best future
cardiologist I could be.

And when I decided to leave my hospitalist job for a cardiology fellowship - it worked
out.

So aim high - even if you miss you will set yourself up for some great opportunities.

And remember - we're here with step-by-step advice to help you become a competitive
medical student and future trainee. Check out the results here.​

​Hope this helped!

Lesson 108: The cost of distraction is the person you

could have become
Full disclosure - I did well enough in my medical journey to be happy with where I'm
currently at.

But I also know that I had hefty dose of laziness and distraction that prevented me from
doing better and working harder.

Imagine where I could be today if I had focused just a bit more?

And even if it got me to the same place - the path would like have been easier.

So does that mean no social media, phones, TV, or time with your favorite people?

Of course not.

But the 10 minute scroll session here, the 20-minute YouTube binge here, the repetitive
checks of emails, etc - it adds up.

That time could have been used for something so much more valuable (either academic
or personal).

So remember - you are what you pay attention to.

And it's likely costing you the most streamlined path towards the goal you do want.

As a bonus tip - here's a simple way to "allow" distraction.

Just block off certain time slots that are free for whatever you want to do.

This can be a 30-minute time slot that can be used guilt-free for social media, YouTube,
or a nap (I prefer the latter).

But be strategic with your distractions. Use them as a safety valve to decompress vs.
another cheap source of dopamine.

Hope this helped!

(And remember if you want to make the medical journey a lot easier for yourself - here's
my entire A-Z blueprint on how to do just that)

Lesson 109: Slow down to enjoy the entire thing

I'm a big foodie. I love a good meal. But I'm also guilty for finishing it way too fast.

The same held true for my medical journey.

I'm guilty of looking too far to the next step that I realized that the true joy was in
savoring the beauty of the current phase.

For example - as busy as the first two years of med school was - I had the most amount
of flexibility in my schedule.

I could have enjoyed the variability even more.

As a resident, I was busy and looking forward to being an attending or a fellow.

But I didn't slow down enough to remember that this would be the best time to learn
medicine with endless mentorship and teachers around me.

Again there's no finish line in medicine. So might as well enjoy the mile you're on.

You'll be glad you did!

Lesson 110: Hustle can be a short term thing if you do

it correctly
Some either think that you have to grind the entirety of your medical journey or be okay
with a less desirable outcome.

Not true.

In fact- if you understand that the short-time grind reaps some of the best rewards you’ll
begin to look at opportunities differently.

For instance - early in college I put in the work to impress researchers and faculty
members.

This meant hours on our initial research project in the span of 1-2 months.

But because of that short term hard work - I was given more opportunities. Many were
easier to accomplish but led to even more success.

For instance, not only did that first project prove my worth, it led to future projects which
led to publications (despite less effort).

In residency I worked my butt off to learn cardiology knowing it may be a future career.
On my cardiology rotations - I worked even harder to hone my skill, be respectful, build
rapport with patients and colleagues, and go the extra mile.

The letters of recommendations, evaluations, and calls on my behalf when I was

applying for jobs and fellowship - made the entire application process so much easier.

(I got into my #1 choice for fellowship).

Another example - as of this writing I’m currently a first year cardiology fellow. I know in
2-3 years I want the best job I can get in a location my family prefers.

How do I set myself? By impressing the right people and working hard (especially
around them).
Now in my institution one of the big decision makers is in the field of interventional
cardiology. It’s not an area I plan to do with the rest of my life.

So while it would be natural to coast and get back - I’m trying to make a good
impression. I want to be associated as a hard worker, fast-learner, curious, team-player,
etc.

So when I’m on my procedural heavy month - despite it not being my future - I give it my
best effort to leave a good taste in the mouth of decision makers.

This is strategic short-term hustle. It’s not faking a persona or anything like that - it’s just
selective use of your energy when you know that giving it your all will likely reap results.

So this is to remind you that not everything needs you to grind and empty the tank.

But if an opportunity excites you or is in line with something you want in the future - go
all in.

Lesson 111: Extraordinary effort + consistency is

needed to separate yourself from the pack
Here's how to become like the top 5% of students on the medical journey.

Remember that rarely anyone gets to a top level without putting in the work.

So if you truly want to be one of the best or want to get into a competitive specialty or
program - ask yourself this...

... are you putting in top 5% worth input and effort?

Or are your inputs at a "normal" level?

There's a reason that not everyone has a 6 pack, high board scores, high GPAs, great
evaluations, etc.

Extraordinary effort + consistency is needed to separate yourself from the pack.

So if you have big goals - that's great. But is your input and effort worthy of your
ambitions?

It's a nice self-reflection tool on if you're being over-ambitious or just under performing.

Hope this helps spark a fire! :D

With that guys, you have gotten my tricks and secrets to dominating medical school.
Because remember - you want it to be 4 years worth remembering.

I really appreciate you taking the time to make it to the end.

In all honesty, I sat down to “begin” this guide and found myself finishing it within 2
hours because I couldn’t wait to write about the next tip. Hope you can feel that passion
and joy through the pages or screen.

Remember it will continue to get longer so use this when you’re in a tough spot.

Now if you want to learn where to go for more help:

You can follow me for daily or weekly tips below:

● YouTube - Subscribe For 1-2 Weekly Videos To Crush Med School!
● Instagram - Follow and Leave Your Comments For Future Posts

If you want more ASAP help to get results:

● [Recommended] Go through the 6-steps to getting your best grades guaranteed
here.
● Work with me and my team 1-on-1 in getting the grades of your dream
● Succeed at all phases of medical school using our best resources here.
● Crush it on Step 1 using our step-by-step plan here.
● Become an honor student on your rotations here.

The last thing I’ll add is that 99% of what I do is free to help individuals like you.

I do it because I really do think your life changes once you learn how to be a happy,
efficient, and healthy doctor. I hope you can then do the same for at least one person
and pass it along.

If you have gotten any value from this guide, my posts, videos, or emails - please share
the platform with just one person. This can be a simple text message or social media
shoutout. Help me help as many people on their medical journey! :D

Thank you for your support, time, and trust.

Until next time my friend…

Lakshya “Always Hungry, Always Happy” Trivedi, M.D.

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