Medical studies

Take a break from studying medicine for a semester

Lara Wagenecker

Lara Wagenecker

Author at futuredoctor

Reading time: 3 Minuten
Last updated: 26 March 2024
As everyone probably knows, the minimum period of study for a medical degree is six years, although there are also some universities where you can get your doctorate in five years because they have shortened the holidays and can finish a year quicker. As studying medicine is a very difficult course and six years is a very long time, you often ask yourself whether you should take a semester off to recover from all the stress of your studies and simply switch off. To regain more motivation for your studies afterwards. The only question is whether it makes sense to take a semester off or not. As I mentioned earlier, studying medicine is quite stressful and it's tempting to take a semester off and relax on the couch. But the problem is that you don't graduate until later and it's extremely difficult to get back into studying afterwards. I find that you notice it after the summer holidays if you've been on holiday and haven't studied for a few weeks. It's harder to get back into studying and sit down at your desk and study for a few hours. If you've then taken a whole semester off, I imagine it's almost impossible. In my opinion, a semester break is therefore not a good idea unless there is a compelling reason for it. There are always exceptions, of course. For example, if you have family problems, such as a seriously ill family member or even a death. Then it hits you very hard and then it is only understandable and probably a smart decision to take a semester off. A friend had exactly the same thing, he had a very unpleasant situation in the family and therefore couldn't concentrate on his studies because he had to think about it everywhere and at all times. That's why he decided to take a semester off. And now he is back at university and is doing better than ever, as he can now fully concentrate on his studies again. Another reason for taking a semester off would be, for example, that the pressure of studying medicine simply becomes too much and you can no longer cope with the stress. Before you fall into burnout, you should listen to your body and take time out to clear your head. To summarise, I would like to say that taking a semester off in medical school depends on the situation of the individual person and in some cases it is certainly the best decision you can make, in others it is probably not a good idea. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves.

📖 Table of contents

As everyone probably knows, the minimum period of study for a medical degree is six years, although there are also some universities where you can get your doctorate in five years because they have shortened the holidays and can finish a year quicker.
As studying medicine is a very difficult course and six years is a very long time, you often ask yourself whether you should take a semester off to recover from all the stress of your studies and simply switch off. To regain more motivation for your studies afterwards. The only question is whether it makes sense to take a semester off or not.

Getting back into medical school

As I mentioned earlier, studying medicine is pretty stressful and it's tempting to take a semester off and have a break. But the problem is that you don't graduate until later and it's extremely difficult to get back into studying afterwards. I find that you notice it after the summer holidays if you've been on holiday and haven't studied for a few weeks. It's harder to get back into studying and sit down at your desk and study for a few hours. If you've then taken a whole semester off, I imagine it's almost impossible. In my opinion, a semester break is therefore not a good idea unless there is a compelling reason for it.

Take your time when you need it

Of course, there are always exceptions. For example, if you have family problems, such as a seriously ill family member or even a death. Then it hits you very hard and then it's only understandable and probably a smart decision to take a semester off. A friend had exactly the same thing, he had a very unpleasant situation in the family and therefore couldn't concentrate on his studies because he had to think about it everywhere and at all times. That's why he decided to take a semester off. And now he's back at university and is doing better than ever, as he can now fully concentrate on his studies again and get involved.

One size doesn't fit all

Another reason for taking a semester off would be, for example, that the pressure of studying medicine is simply too much and you can no longer cope with the stress. Before you fall into burnout, you should listen to your body and take time out to clear your head.

To summarise, I would like to say that taking a semester off in medical school depends on the situation of the individual person and in some cases it is certainly the best decision you can make, in others it is probably not a good idea. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves.