Time For God in Med School

Maria Joseph
Jul 27
3 min read

It’s only been one week into medical school and already, it’s a lot.

The lectures. The pace. The volume. The pressure. The mental shift. I don’t say that to complain, but to say this: medical school is not undergrad. It’s not even close.

It feels more like a full-time job with high stakes and no room for shortcuts. What worked in college doesn’t work here. And that’s not a bad thing, it’s just real.

But amid the chaos and the challenge, I’ve seen the hand of God more clearly than ever. And I’ve realized something essential: if I don’t choose to give God my time, everything else starts to fall apart.

A New Mentality

I no longer study just to pass exams. I study to become the best physician I can be, because one day, someone’s child or parent or spouse will be in my care. What I learn today could one day preserve a life. That awareness has changed everything.

And with that awareness comes a new kind of discipline. I’ve had to learn more than just anatomy or histology. I’ve had to learn discipline, prudence, self-control, and time management. And above all, I’ve had to learn how to intentionally set aside time for God first.

If There’s a Will, There’s a Way

A lot of people say that when you start medical school, your faith life gets put on the back burner. “There’s just no time for prayer,” they say. But I don’t believe that’s true. I believe the opposite: when things get overwhelming, that’s when we need God the most.

There’s a saying: “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” For me, that’s meant waking up earlier than I want to so I can spend time in prayer, read Scripture, journal, or go to Mass before the academic whirlwind begins.

It’s hard. But it’s worth it.

Saint Francis de Sales once said,

“Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy—then we need an hour.”

It’s not about fitting God into my schedule. It’s about building my schedule around God.

The Forgotten Parts of the Tithe

We hear the word “tithe” and we think of money: 10% of our income. But what if we don’t have an income? As a student, I don’t. But I’ve learned that God asks for more than just treasure.

He asks for our time, our talents, and our treasures.

Someone once shared with me that if we tithe 10% of our time, that’s about 2.5 hours a day for God. That could mean prayer, service, spiritual reading, music ministry, conversations about faith; anything that lifts your heart to Him. Do I spend that much time with Jesus daily? Not always. But I’m striving.

“You will never regret giving time to Christ.” – St. John Paul II

Giving My Time, Giving My Talent

Right now, I can’t give much treasure, but I can give my time and my talents.

That means giving God my early mornings in prayer. It means using my gift of writing to reflect and share through this blog. It means using whatever I’m good at, whether it’s studying, encouraging others, or even planning a study group, as a way to glorify Him.

“God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta

So I show up. I give what I can. I do it for Him.

Seeking First the Kingdom

Matthew 6:33 says,

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Jesus reminds us that our worries about grades, responsibilities, success should never outweigh our desire for Him. When we put God first, everything else falls into its proper place.

That’s my hope for this year. That even in the rush of med school, I won’t forget why I started. That I’ll keep choosing Jesus; even when it’s hard, even when it’s early, even when it’s inconvenient.

Because He is worth my time.

And more than that—He is my peace in the midst of all this learning.