How Physically Altering Your Brain May Be the Panacea to Medical School Success

Medical school is a stressful time, one of intense study, divided attention, and extreme mental demands. As a brand new third year student, I can feel my attention being tugged in many directions. On any given day I have lectures to prepare for, cases to read about, labs to check, patients to see, reading assignments, etc. It’s hard to say if it’s more material than the previous two years of school, but it is definitely more diverse in nature.

Naturally I am interested in anything that increases my mental abilities. Many students, myself included, turn to energy drinks and coffee for those days we can’t get it together. But a recent body of research suggests there may be a better alternative to mega doses of caffeine. Mindfulness training and meditation, something that has been known to Eastern cultures for centuries, has slowly migrated its way into Western society and has been the subject of a wealth of literature over the past decade.

A study published last year in Psychological Science demonstrated that just two-weeks of mindfulness training improved undergraduate reading comprehension and focus. Another study looked at incorporating mindfulness training into a semester of classes for undergraduate students. This, too, demonstrated improvements in attention. A review of the literature suggests that there are numerous studies correlating mindfulness mediation training with increased attention and enhanced working memory

So how does it work? In short, no one is entirely sure, but imaging studies have shown mindfulness programs can physically alter your brain, in as little as 8-weeks. Using anatomical magnetic resonance imaging, researchers demonstrated that those who practice mindfulness have increased gray matter in areas involved in learning, memory processing, and emotional regulation. There are also significant differences in the default-mode network, an area of the brain associated with attention, between experienced meditators and those who do not meditate.

I am not the only one who thinks mindfulness is a perfect fit for medical school – it turns out that some medical schools do too. Unfortunately this trend has been slow to catch on, for many reasons. First, where do you fit it in? In the preclinical years? Residency? Typically faculty and students cringe when they hear about additions to a program curriculum because it is usually already full. There is also push back against things that are hard to quantify, such as the “touchy-feely” stuff. Though this isn’t about emotions per se, there are some who see it that way and are disinterested in its still evolving science.

But just because your medical school doesn’t offer a mindfullness program doesn’t mean you can’t try it. And just because you try it doesn’t mean you have to stick to it. I use mindfulness in my own life. It takes practice, but thus far I find it rewarding. How can you incorporate mindfulness into your life? There is a wealth of books that can walk you through formal programs, however, just implementing a daily meditation routine can allow for tremendous improvements, as demonstrated by the cited literature. Websites like mindful.org have free guides and the University of Wisconsin has a whole program about incorporating mindfulness into your medical practice.

Perhaps you are not like me, and you find juggling all the responsibilities of medical school easy. But I suspect that is not the case. If you are having trouble keeping all the balls in the air, give mindfulness a try. It doesn’t speed up your brain, but does slow down the world so you can begin to keep pace.


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