–Prashasti Sharma
One of the biggest challenges in medicine isn’t necessarily the complexity of the science—it’s keeping your life organised in the middle of the chaos. Between patients, lectures, studying, exams, and the unpredictability of clinical duties, it’s easy to feel like you’re just trying to stay afloat. For me, getting organised hasn’t meant colou r-coded planners and on-schedule perfection—it’s found systems that allow me to keep focused on what matters most without losing my mind.
Why Organisation is Critical in Medicine
Unlike some careers where work is done behind the office door, medicine is an all-encompassing odyssey. There are perpetually unread articles, never-completed notes, never-returned messages, and exams looming overhead. If you do not have a plan, things pile up quickly, and the burden of it all can be overwhelming. I was taught this the hard way during my first set of clinical rotations, where I spent more time trying to mentally take care of business than doing it.
1. Make a Master List
The simplest tool I’ve ever had is a running list. Mine resides either in a notebook or in a plain ol’ notes app on my phone—nothing fancy. I divide it up into three categories:
Patients: labs to follow up on, consults to call, things to document.
Academic: lectures to study, questions to drill, things to read.
Personal: errands, appointments, calls, and the things that carry over outside of medicine.
Having everything in one place means that I do not need to juggle mental lists. If something happens to me, I jot it down immediately. My mind is not trying to hold loose ends in my brain all day.
2. Block Your Time Instead of Multitasking
I used to think that multitasking was the only means of survival. I’d be learning and looking at messages, and trying to take notes. Really, I was doing nothing particularly well. Now I block out time in small amounts of focus. Twenty minutes of going over patients. Thirty minutes of practice questions. Fifteen minutes of life admin. It’s not about rigid scheduling—it’s about giving yourself permission to focus on something at a time.
3. Pack a “Brain Book
In medicine, you will forget. That’s why almost every resident or student carries a pocket notebook (or electronic equivalent). Mine is filled with snap notes from rounds, patient care reminders, tiny mnemonics, and even random pearls I overheard from attendings. It’s a mess, but it’s gold. Writing it down frees up mental space and makes me less anxious about forgetting something important.
4. Prioritise Three Tasks a Day
On extremely busy days, it is impossible to accomplish all you want to. That is why I strive to identify three flat-out necessary tasks. If I accomplish them, I consider the day a success. The others can be carried over. It is a slight mindset shift that prevents you from burnout, because you stop expecting yourself to do the impossible daily.
5. Use Dead Time Wisely
Medicine is strange rhythms—wait hours and hours, then mad rushes.
I pack those “dead time” spaces with completing small but significant tasks. Five minutes to send a text to someone. Ten minutes to read a drug mechanism. Fifteen minutes to plan meals for the week. Those small boosts collect and they keep me from feeling like my list of tasks goes on forever.
The Bigger Picture
Organisation in medicine is not perfect. No notebook, app, or planner can get rid of the work. What they do is reduce the mental disorganisation so that you can focus on patients, learning, and self-care. There are always going to be long days and late nights, but with little habits, the disorganisation is less overwhelming. And in medicine, sometimes that is the best victory you can achieve.