Biggest Cheerleader

I met Ashley and Mike at EFY. They also happened to meet each other at EFY. Go, EFY! Mike is a dear friend of mine that makes everyone in a room laugh until their guts hurt and Ashley is his beautiful, crafty and amazing wife. I thought Ashley would be a perfect person to guest post because I have asked her and Mike tons of questions about med school and they always make me feel more calm. Mike is in his 4th year at Midwestern, a DO school in Arizona. Here they are:

Acceptance (he did it!). White Coat Ceremony (this is really happening!). Boards (what did we get ourselves into?). Rotations (oh ya, this is why he’s doing this). Residency interviews (my husband’s months away from being a legit doctor).

There are so many exciting, stressful, and rewarding times in medical school. When Michelle asked me to guest post about anything I wanted, I literally lied in bed at night wondering which topic would be most beneficial for those who are just starting (or already started) the journey. I feel very strongly about certain aspects such as how to keep busy as a med-student wife, how to work with your hubby to find your perfect balance (between his studying, your activities, your marriage, and for us, church was included in this list), and making friends (both you and the mr.). But one specific topic kept coming to my mind when I thought about this post. It was advice my aunt gave me when we first got married.

Do your absolute best to make sure your husband knows you believe in him. Be the best cheerleader in the world.

While the thoughts and prestige of medical school can be so enticing and fun, I won’t sugarcoat it. Medical school is hard. Your husband is surrounded by some of the top students from many schools. To keep a high rank, be involved at school, possibly juggle some research; the pressure can sometimes be overwhelming. There were times my hubby would come home so discouraged. I would think of anything and everything I could possibly say then I’d remember the wise words of my aunt.

When my husband felt and knew the honesty of my words, his day would turn around. I believe in my husband. I know he’s a smart man. He’s capable of accomplishing seemingly impossible tasks. He’s strong minded and has the determination to accomplish his life long dream of helping people in the medical field. And he has a desire to provide a good future for me and our future children. He can do it. I know he can do it. Sometimes he just needed to be reminded that I know he can do it.

Cheer him on. Whether it’s telling him or finding a way to show him, do whatever it takes to make sure he knows how much you believe in him. He will find so much strength and motivation in knowing the love of his life is also his biggest cheerleader.

*If you have any questions at all (about 1st-4th years, boards, rotations, how to keep busy, finding the perfect balance) I’d be more than happy to chat! Go ahead and shoot me an email: ashleychristensen9 {at} gmail.com ---

it’s always so nice to talk to someone who is going through or has recently gone through the same thing as you. Because let’s face it, people back home just don’t quite understand ;)