be so hard on a relationship as there is less time to communicate than normal.
Having doubts does not mean your relationship is doomed. It’s perfectly natural to doubt, to fear, and to wonder. Doubt only becomes a problem when we ignore it; when we push it aside. This is because if your doubt isn’t addressed, it will never go away. After time that doubt will grow and eventually become something you fully believe. It will not happen overnight, it may take a while, but it will happen.
Our mind can play tricks on us and the fear that results from doubt can be enough to create emotions within us; such as, feeling defensive, angry, or distrusting. These emotions can then cause us to do stupid things. Next thing you know, you and your significant other are constantly fighting and you don’t know why. The reason can be traced back to that doubt you never got rid of. So the question then becomes: how does communication and trust extinguish doubt? Communication is first when it comes to the two most important things in a relationship. Good communication allows two people to stay on the same page. Communication also allows two people to get back on the same page if there is a mishap. Being on the same page means there isn’t room for doubt. You know what your significant other is thinking and how they feel
Trust is second on the list. You might think this should go first, but without consistently good communication there can be no trust. Trust fights away that doubt in the back of your mind. When your significant other isn’t available to remind you they love you, trust reminds you for them until they can. Communication errors will happen no matter the level of communication between a couple. Trust helps a couple get back on the same page quicker and with less problems. Remember, doubt about your relationship is nothing to worry about. It’s natural. If you are experiencing doubt now, then that’s great, because you’ve recognized the doubt. Now you are able to deal with it. Talk with your significant other about your doubt. Allow them to work it out with you. The two of you are the only people who can drive that doubt away for good.
Though it can be hard in med school, keep the communication constant and work on developing the strength of your communication within your relationship. It is important to constantly remind each other that you love each other and how important the relationship is to you. There won’t be as much time to talk as there was before med school started. You need to be understanding of that. That potentially could be the hardest thing to get used to. Also realize that sometimes your significant other might want catch up on sleep or go hang out with friends rather than talk on the phone or video chat with you. That’s okay. Don’t take it personally. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to spend time with you. It just means they need an outlet; a way to unwind after the stresses of med school. As long as you two still find time to communicate throughout the week, your significant other taking a break from spending time with you to do other things isn’t an issue.
From an individual stand point, patience and being understanding are the keys for your relationship to survive with someone who is trying to survive med school. Remember that. Also remember the two keys for two people to survive a long distance relationship: communication and trust. Those two keys are the only thing that will allow the two of you to extinguish doubt and to keep from becoming a failed long distance statistic. Stay on the same page with communication, trust each other, and your relationship will have no problem surviving long distance and med school; there’s no doubt about that.
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