If you are a religious or spiritual person, it can be hard to learn how to stay spiritually connected during medical school. Time is just so tight that it can be challenging to find opportunities to be as dedicated as you were. Perhaps you don’t have time to go to church two or three times a week, volunteer as often, or even connect with the word.
Being unable to do these things as frequently as you were doing before can make you feel guilty. You may even feel like less of a [insert religion/spirituality] because you can’t do all those things. Medical school takes up so much time, that any spare time may be used for rest, laundry, grocery shopping, spending time with friends, etc. But if you start to feel disconnected from your religion, that can have severe impacts on your well-being.
Spiritual well-being is important. It helps you feel connected to a community. Without active participation, you may feel like you are no longer a part of that community. This can feel so isolating, and make medical school that much harder. Even though medical school is busy, you don’t have to feel this way. Continue reading to learn more about how to stay spiritually connected during medical school.
Understand you’re doing spiritual work
A misconception that you may feel when you are spiritually disconnected is that you are not fulfilling your higher power’s ideals. When you can’t attend church, spiritual gatherings, missions tips, etc., it might fill you with guilt. You have built up this idea that you must be doing all those things to be an active member of your spiritual group.
However, medical school doesn’t allow for all those activities. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that by being in medical school, you are doing spiritual work. Just because you are not attending a service twice a week, every week, doesn’t mean you aren’t a dedicated member. You are using your gifts and talents that have been bestowed upon you. You are putting in the work so that you can provide service to those in need. So, if you are concerned about how to stay spiritually connected during medical school, remember that by doing the best work you can, you are actively walking in your purpose and using your gifts to be a blessing to others.
Join religious and spiritual groups
Another avenue for how to stay spiritually connected during medical school is to join religious and spiritual groups on camps. Many campuses have organizations devoted to specific religious practices. This could be one of your weekly extracurriculars. It also is an opportunity for you to connect with your fellow classmates who believe in the same religions or spirituality as you do. Examples of these include:
- Christian Medical and Dental Association
- Catholic Medical Association
- Muslim Student Association
- Hindu Youth for Unity, Virtue, and Action
- Islamic Medical Association
- Jewish Student Association
- Muslim Medical Student Association
- Global Medical Missions Alliance
- Baptist Student Ministry
This list is in no way exhaustive. These are just a few examples. But explore if any chapters are available at your school or in your area.
Having this connection is essential, because you may view things through a similar lens. Medical school does have its fair share of atheists and non-religious peoples, who may not understand viewing situations through a spiritual lens. But those classmates who are in the same group may feel the same tinges of guilt, and can be great partners to pray with, talk about the word, and provide encouragement in the setting of a religion or spirituality.
Participate virtually
One primary method for how to stay spiritually connected during medical school is to attend church or a spiritual service. However, depending on where you live, the type of time you have, etc., this may not always be possible. One of the only good things to come with COVID-19 is a higher prevalence for virtual services. Churches have become quite efficient at organizing and producing virtual services. Therefore, there is a higher likelihood that you can find a great online service, than not.
If you are feeling extremely disconnected, and need to hear the word, then find an online church service that you can watch from anywhere. This service can even be playing as you are doing other tasks, such as cleaning or preparing for the week. Exposure to your practice through any form is better than being completely isolated. Sometimes when you are so disconnected, you forget how comforting a service can be. They always seem to say exactly what you needed to hear to get you through the week.
Volunteer when possible
Volunteering is a large part of religion and spirituality, and can be an effective manner for how to stay spiritually connected during medical school. Churches and spiritual organizations often have food drives, health fairs, toy drives, vaccine clinics, etc. If you are able to take an hour or two to participate in these once a month, or once every other month, you will feel both connected to your religion and your community.
Giving back and service in general is a large part of medicine and healthcare. The money and the time that you spend becoming a doctor means that making a lot of money is not the primary reason you want to be a physician. You can do anything else and make way more money in a shorter amount of time. But, you chose this profession because you are passionate about helping people. Even without being a practicing physician, you can begin by helping people through your organizations and still be fulfilling your religious and spiritual duties.
Spend 5-10 minutes each day practicing
I once went to a church where the pastor said you don’t have to pray for hours a day, but you shouldn’t let an hour go by without praying. Now, in reality, you may not have the time or the awareness to spend that much time praying, reading devotionals, listening to praise and worship, etc. However, you can spare 5-10 minutes a day practicing.
When thinking about how to stay spiritually connected during medical school, you can get creative. There are so many ways to connect. Podcasts, devotional journals, TikTok devotionals, plans on the Bible App, etc. are always to spend 5-10 minutes each day practicing. These little nuggets of your practice can total anywhere from a half-hour to an hour a week. Find little activities that work for you, and plan them into your day.
Plan your week around religious activities
If an event or a service is approaching that you really want to attend, then it’s important to plan your week around those. Sometimes we have these aspirations about attending service. But then we have lectures that need to be done, or an upcoming exam that can make it seem like there is no extra time. If you want to learn how to stay spiritually connected during medical school, then it’s essential you manage your time well.
Make that religious activity a non-negotiable. By doing this, you create a pressured environment that forces you to get your work done faster. If you’re behind come Sunday, it’s probably because of procrastination throughout the week. But, if attending that service is really important to you, then using attendance as a goal will encourage you to stay on top of your assignments throughout the week.
Key Takeaways
Figuring out how to stay spiritually connected during medical school can be tough. But, it’s important for your overall well-being. Remember, by being in medical school, you are doing spiritual work. As long as you don’t forget about the service aspect of medicine, then you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of using your purpose to be a blessing to others. If you are a medical student who has struggled with spiritual disconnectedness, please leave a comment on how you overcame that!