The life of a medical student is incredibly regimented. As a self-proclaimed list-maker, I thrive in an environment where I have the ability to plan every minute of my day. Growing up, a common mantra in our home was, “pre-planning prevents poor performance.” I have always taken this expression to the extreme, organizing each day and week in numerous assignment pads and on wall calendars. I personally feel most comfortable following a strict routine, and any uncertainty in my schedule creates some anxiety.

As a medical student pursuing a career in Plastic Surgery, I decided to take a 1-year leave of absence after my second year of medical school in Philadelphia to complete a research fellowship in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. When I began in April 2019, I did not know how rewarding or exciting my time would be at UTSW. Over time, I fell into a comfortable rhythm and by November, I decided to stay for a second year to continue on with the projects I had become so invested in. In March 2020, however, the routines I had grown accustomed to over the past 11 months were completely upended by the spread of the novel coronavirus. Although our research team followed the news and was aware of the developing situation, events seemed to unfold so quickly once we were directly impacted. Within the span of 3 days, we packed our desks, canceled all upcoming research appointments, and planned how to remotely continue as many projects as we could while working from home.

The first week at home provided a much-needed opportunity to focus on manuscripts and complete any unfinished paperwork that had previously been laid aside to prioritize patient care. Work was a welcome distraction from what was unfolding around us. New information was constantly available through social media, news outlets, and university e-mail updates. I found comfort in creating lists of what we needed to accomplish. Meticulously planning my schedule eased some anxiety over the uncertain situation that was rapidly evolving.

I did not truly start considering the long-term impact this virus would have until the second and third weeks of quarantine. While roughly 500 patients had tested positive in Texas by the end of March, positive cases in New Jersey numbered nearly 3,000. Over the past 2 months, Bergen County, a county in Northern New Jersey of roughly 1 million residents, including my parents, has been impacted to the greatest extent, with over 11,000 confirmed cases and 650 deaths as of April 17. As I was still in Texas, my parents updated me daily on new mandates, such as nightly curfews, store closures, wearing masks in public, and limiting the number of shoppers in grocery stores. We spoke about medically vulnerable relatives at risk of exposure and people who had lost their entire lifesavings, as businesses were forced to permanently close due to financial hardships. My friends in medical school also called to tell me about the shelf exams, clinical rotations, and graduations that had been canceled across the country.

Although it seemed selfish, thinking about my friends’ and family’s experiences eventually led to worry over how the current situation would impact my future, both in the short- and long-term. As the idea of work–life balance is something I have always struggled with, my coping mechanism tends to involve immersing myself in work. I continued to distract myself with this, instead of reflecting on my current circumstances and striving for a healthier balance.

By the fourth week, however, I realized that in order to get through this time to the best of my ability, I would need to create a new routine. I began to consciously implement new strategies that helped my mental well-being more than ignoring the current realities. There is no single foolproof method to achieve a perfect work–life equilibrium. Maintaining sanity during this time requires a personalized approach for each individual. Below are some personal anecdotes that proved helpful to me adapting to what was my new “normal”.

To read the full article: bit.ly/3pm7kX6

doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojaa021