Hey,
I have a question for all those MDs out there that find time to train and race triathlons. I am currently a college junior preparing to apply to medical school sometime in the next couple of years, but I would still like to be able to train and race throughout medical school and into a career. I am curious what your thoughts are on maintaining training during the medical school years and how you balance things like training, family, and a medical career after school.
Thanks!
It is very healthy to do so (mentally) - helps keep the focus in the classroom. Good example to patients etc…
Great stress relief of the rigors of your training.
You tend to eat alot on call!
With that said - I was involved in other sports through medical training - not Triathlon.
The extra 20lbs during residency/fellowship still managed its way on.
Have fun!
Training during the first 2 years is pretty easy to do. You generally only have class 20-30 hours a week. At my school we had 2 afternoons off each week. You can study at night and use the daytime for training.
3rd year is a little more difficult since you are on your clinical rotations. You have to take the training time when you get it. Don’t try to stick to a plan during third year, at least not during busier rotations like surgery. Its the hardest to find time for long bike rides, but you can always work in a short run here and there.
I more or less agree with the above…that being said:
Not everyone will agree with me, but when you choose medicine you are choosing an entire lifestyle to go with it. Especially the first few years, it is really important to lay a good ground work of studying and work ethic. Meaning, the more time and effort you put it, the better your long term results. Not to mention you owe your patients. Does that mean that you can’t train? No, but if you want to do ironmans all the time, either wait till after residency, or better yet, take a few years off and go to med school later.
Med school, and especially residency, is about doing that job first and foremost. Training to keep sane, and for small goals is good, but just don’t plan on doing it for 15 hours a week.
Of course, I’m a general surgeon starting a 3 year fellowship this july…and I plan on training like crazy. But when you are starting off, you can’t think like that. It has to be “all” not halfway.
Someone in my class trained for an ironman in the first two years of med school. I think she got injured, but that’s not the point. Point is, she failed her boards and ended up having to repeat a year. Might have been a coincidence, maybe not.
If you choose the right specialty, 10 years from now when you finally get a real job you will probably have time for appropriate triathlon training. Until then you are probably better off sacrificing your training rather than your career.
It all depends on how strong academically you are.
I was able to train 10-15 hours per week very consistently every year of med school and residency in a very competitive specialty while graduating in the top 2% of my class and finishing pretty much near the podium in my AG in my races (running races actually, before tri the past 3 years.)
I was in the best shape of my life during residency, running 80-100 miles per week and in tri, training 14-18 hrs a week at peak. It was hard, but very, very rewarding.
3rd yr med school is very difficult to train a ton of hours.
Again, it largely depends on how good you are acacdemically. Some people need to study literally every waking hour just to get by. Others, like myself, who knew I’d be in an academic type field as an adullt and thus refined my study habits from age 8 to adulthood, I could study <2 hrs per day and consistently score in the 99% on standardized exams such as MCATs, board exams, etc.
I am currently in a very competitive specialty at a top-tier institution and still performing at the same level academically without compromise despite training 10+ hrs per week.
Too bad I can’t train low volme like that in tri and do as well!
Eric Bean finished 21st at Kona a couple of years ago while in med school full time (8:52ish). He also finished something like 5th at IM Wisconsin and 6th at IM Arizona (8:29).
However, that isn’t normal. : )
It all depends on how strong academically you are.
I was able to train 10-15 hours per week very consistently every year of med school and residency in a very competitive specialty while graduating in the top 2% of my class and finishing pretty much near the podium in my AG in my races (running races actually, before tri the past 3 years.)
I was in the best shape of my life during residency, running 80-100 miles per week and in tri, training 14-18 hrs a week at peak. It was hard, but very, very rewarding.
3rd yr med school is very difficult to train a ton of hours.
Again, it largely depends on how good you are acacdemically. Some people need to study literally every waking hour just to get by. Others, like myself, who knew I’d be in an academic type field as an adullt and thus refined my study habits from age 8 to adulthood, I could study <2 hrs per day and consistently score in the 99% on standardized exams such as MCATs, board exams, etc.
I am currently in a very competitive specialty at a top-tier institution and still performing academically without compromise despite training 10+ hrs per week.
Too bad I can’t train low volme like that in tri and do as well!
I’ll pretend you’re being honest about how amazing you are, but the med student kids I know aren’t that talented–and they are very talented people.
The ones I know are able to train decently, race a few times a year and get their studies done. If you’re looking to medicine–realize that is your vocation. The patients you see will care a lot more about how hard you studied than your PR 
Interestingly, there are a LOT of high-achieving athletes in medical school. At least 8 people in my class, both guys and girls, were accomplished endurance athletes that could place in fairly competitive midsize races and were collegiate runners/swimmers/track athletes (not D1, though). If you include other types of athletes, it’s surprisingly common.
I was the “wannabe” athlete. I trained a lot, but didn’t have the ability to compete with those folks in sports.
They were strong academically, as well. No compromise in their quality of care.
Med school attracts a very competitive, high achieving group. At least from what I’ve seen in 4 years worth of medical students, it’s unusual to have a high-performing athlete do it at the cost of their medical education - most of the folks I saw excelling at sports did it with no compromise to their acadmeics. At this level of selectivity, most folks have their priorities straight.
Interestingly, there are a LOT of high-achieving athletes in medical school. At least 8 people in my class, both guys and girls, were accomplished endurance athletes that could place in fairly competitive midsize races. If you include other types of athletes, it’s surprisingly common.
I was the “wannabe” athlete. I trained a lot, but didn’t have the ability to compete with those folks in sports.
They were strong academically, as well. No compromise in their quality of care.
Med school attracts a very competitive, high achieving group. At least from what I’ve seen in 4 years worth of medical students, it’s unusual to have a high-performing athlete do it at the cost of their medical education - most of the folks I saw excelling at sports did it with no compromise to their acadmeics. At this level of selectivity, most folks have their priorities straight.
Oh for sure… that’s why I love you medicine types so much. It requires a similar drive–and those with the good can usually put it all together.
I was more advising the OP that med school is hard. Actually probably harder than he/she is thinking As you well know, premeds are a funny lot.
i agree with most of the above posters-- training is great to keep yourself sane and healthy, but you need to do what it takes to 1) learn what you need to become a good resident, 2) do what you have to do to get into your specialty – some are more academically competitive than others, and most are competitive based on location/reputation of the program and 3) learn what you need to in residency to become a competent, safe, intelligent doctor.
all that said, i know a guy in my specialty (ortho) who has been an elite ironman athlete throughout residency. i think the key is having the base before you start. i’ve been doing sprints since 4th year of med school, and i can race easily on my baseline fitness at this point but i’ve had trouble moving to oly due to the inconsistency of my training during residency. i’ll have a couple of great weeks, then a few killer calls will derail me for a week or so. but, i’ve been able to get at least one race in every year.
overall i think balance is key. i’d love to be a better triathlete, but for now i’m focused on being a better orthopaedic surgeon.
cheers.
Was once told that you can in life do 2 things well, but add a third and you can do 3 things poorly.
Have seen many classmates place lifestyle ahead of their specialty and regretted the decision. Or place medicine and hobbies ahead of family.
Do what you love and will do for the rest of your life, don’t do yourself and all of your patients a disservice by not giving your all.
Good luck, and have fun
Wow!! That’s definitely a lot to think about. I really appreciate getting to look at this issue from all sides, and hearing from those of you who have done what I am thinking about doing means a lot!!
Don t overlook the chance you can get injured in this or some sports in a bad way.
Right now I have my arm in a sling, i am on pain meds, cannot concentrate well and sleep fitfully. i will check out of the thinking world for a week as I deal with bike crash results. It will be two months before I can do most of what I did with my right arm.
The fun I have had racing and training surely WORTH way more than THIS TEMPORARY SET BACK…because it is temporary for me. It did not lower my earning or potential nor cause me to take a step backwards.
The doc who will repair my clavicle was limping from just having his knee scoped after boston. Maybe I’d just run until I got my first good job while I spent 70k/ year becoming a doc.
It will be easier to train if you don’t have a wife or kids. If you do, it will be next to impossible to find time to train. Many people have a tough time in good medical schools or residencies because the bar is set very high. I think it will be easier to train in med school. Residency has an 80 hour work week (by law, it used to be more). On top of that you have to study. I agree with the poster who wrote 2 things well, 3 poorly. That is why most academic docs are usually good at 2 out the following 3-teaching, research, practicing good medicine.
If you can crank out
3.7-4.0 GPA
30+ MCAT
Volunteer, both medically and socially
Research
Train
All this before you graduate. Should be no problem.
I swam in college, I got the grades, volunteered, and that was it.
I took 3 years off, took up a research tech position (published a number of times), ate the MCAT for breakfast and continued volunteering and started tri’s.
It all depends on how strong academically you are.
I was able to train 10-15 hours per week very consistently every year of med school and residency in a very competitive specialty while graduating in the top 2% of my class and finishing pretty much near the podium in my AG in my races (running races actually, before tri the past 3 years.)
I was in the best shape of my life during residency, running 80-100 miles per week and in tri, training 14-18 hrs a week at peak. It was hard, but very, very rewarding.
3rd yr med school is very difficult to train a ton of hours.
Again, it largely depends on how good you are acacdemically. Some people need to study literally every waking hour just to get by. Others, like myself, who knew I’d be in an academic type field as an adullt and thus refined my study habits from age 8 to adulthood, I could study <2 hrs per day and consistently score in the 99% on standardized exams such as MCATs, board exams, etc.
I am currently in a very competitive specialty at a top-tier institution and still performing at the same level academically without compromise despite training 10+ hrs per week.
Too bad I can’t train low volme like that in tri and do as well!
Not questioning your immense talent (and focused ambition from age 8!) but you are also an overachiever in the arrogance dept. In fact, you might have actually won the award for most arrogant ST post this year. Hint: there are more subtle ways to make your point… good thing to rememeber when interacting with patients.
check out www.dramandastevens.com, she made it through Med School and is still racing strong.
she would be a good source to ask.
…and her parents are still pissed at me 
.
… but is NOT a practicing doctor.