It is that of the year when millions of people all over the globe are reevaluating their New Year’s resolution plans for the year 2021. But welcoming 2021 may feel a bit different this year. Many students started in 2020 with dreams of performing clinical rotations, participating in extracurricular activities, enjoying medical school life, exploring medical specialties, and many more.
Lockdowns, social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made it difficult for people to attain their goals in 2020. So, it’s safe to add all those plans to your New Year’s resolutions list that you had planned for 2020 but couldn’t be able to complete because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students are eager for better times ahead and setting goals that will help them to improve their academic and personal life. It is important to set goals you can easily track, consider, and lead you in the right direction.
No matter if you are planning to apply to a medical school in 2021, complete your premedical courses, or want to learn a new skill, the key is to stick to your goals. The new year is the best time to improve yourself and prepare you for a positive academic year and a memorable medical school experience.
If you haven’t made any plans for 2021, here are some New Year’s resolutions for medical students that they will need to keep in 2021.
Let’s check them out.
- Master New Skills
To become a brilliant medical student and competent physician, you need a specialized skill set that will help you fulfill your academic and professional goals. Though grades matter most when applying to a Caribbean medical school, the admission committees prefer those candidates who have communication, problem-solving, time management, and critical thinking skills.
If you don’t know how to communicate with fellow students and teachers, perform during your clinical rotations and board exams, how could you perform in the real healthcare settings. Learning something outside of your medical school curriculum is important to broaden your knowledge and improve your skills. Thanks to the latest advancements, the internet is filled with a number of useful resources that will help you learn diverse skills required for your medical career.
So, in 2021, make a plan to learn a new skill instead of focusing on completing your assignments or earning a good GPA.
- Enroll in Online Courses
Some aspiring medical students don’t have an impressive academic profile, which makes it challenging for them to complete the medical school admission requirements. If that is the case, you can enroll in the online post-baccalaureate program to get a solid foundation of medical concepts and improve your GPA. You can also enroll in different medical courses that are especially designed for medical students to learn different skills and give them the confidence to do well in medical school and in professional life.
If you are wondering which online courses to take in 2021 for your personal and academic growth, simply check these online courses for medical students:
- The Basics of Trauma Surgery
- Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us
- COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers
- Introductory Human Physiology
- Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
- Learn How to Manage Your Time
Every medical student should have strong time management skills so that they can easily manage the rigorous medical school workload as well as the challenges of clinical rotations and residency training. It is important to realize that staying on top of medical education requires a lot of effort and determination. Whether you are attending online classes due to the coronavirus pandemic or doing your clerkships, developing strong time management skills will help you get the most out of your online education.
It is advised to create a schedule to complete your assignments, presentations, lab work, and other important tasks to make sure you are on the right academic track. Creating a dedicated, distraction-free study space is also advised so that you can focus on your studies with a productive mindset.
- Virtual Medical Shadowing Opportunities
There is good news for medical school hopefuls. Now many medical universities are considering accepting virtual shadowing experience and clinical hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking for some online shadowing opportunities in 2021 is a great idea to prepare yourself for medical school. You can describe your clinical experience in your medical school application and show the admissions committees what skills you learned from online shadowing.
During your online shadowing experience, you will know how to take a patient’s history and present cases to residents and attending doctors, build your diagnostic skills, how to maintain a positive relationship with patients, and much more.
- Virtual Volunteering
Don’t worry if the pandemic cancelled your hospital volunteering, research work, and other plans. The year 2021 will provide you with a diverse range of virtual opportunities that you can take to improve your medical school application, build academic credentials and communication skills. There are a number of organizations and educational institutes that are offering online volunteering opportunities for medical students.
Key Takeaways
These are a few New Year’s resolutions for current and future medical students that will prepare them to fulfill their dream of becoming a licensed physician. Create goals you can realistically achieve, stay more organized, learn from your past mistakes, and work on your personal development.