David Walker and Jesse Gettinger are back, and this time we are ready to tackle a topic that may have a few of you concerned: medical school and marriage. Impossible, unmanageable, overwhelming—no way you can do both right? Wrong. We sat down with our good married friend Christian "Smee" Smith (pictured center) and asked him how it is done.

Christian, thank you for joining us. First question, what's it like to be married in med school?
Well as you can imagine, in some ways it makes medical school easier and in some ways more difficult. We view it as a team effort. My wife helps around the house, she's the cook, and on top of that, she is the bread winner. She is the only one making money right now. It’s also great to use her as an excuse to not study or to avoid social events [Smee gave a wonderful, hearty laugh here]. Overall she makes life much more enjoyable. But it can be difficult seeing how med school can also affect her, which she didn't really sign up for. It’s tough because my decision to come to med school can sometimes seem detrimental to her life.

How has med school affected your marriage?
It’s made me much more aware of Kathryn’s expectations. I need to be much more diligent in how I communicate to her. Sometimes I will tell her that I'm going to be home by 5, when it turns out I might not actually be able to get home until 7, and that can be tough for her. It's made effective communication an absolute necessity.

Do you foresee having children in medical school?
Yes. I have realized that the career path I have chosen is always going to be busy, and the timing is never going to seem great. So even though I am very busy, I don't feel like that is a good reason to not have kids right now.

What are the ways in which your wife helps you in medical school?
Besides the things that I've already mentioned, she's helped practice my physical exam skills. That is, she helps me practice my physical exam skills for a patient who is extremely ticklish and easily annoyed by professionalism. She always wants to know:"Can you not be a little more goofy?"

Between balancing school, work and marriage, can you find time for hobbies, friendships, etc.?
There are simply not enough hours in the day for everything, you have to choose, and you have to cut things out, and that really goes for everyone in medical school. Sometimes you can combine them— I study with friends, and when we take breaks we are really just hanging out. It's also great to bring Kathyrn to social events, especially with my other married friends. You also have to be creative with your time. The early morning, usually around 6 a.m., has become my time for basketball and bible study. In other words, I find time for my hobbies while my wife is asleep.

Do you have any last words of advice for incoming married or engaged students?
Something that took a while to learn was that med school and marriage are not opposing forces. In the beginning it seemed like if I was doing well in one, I was doing poorly in the other. Then we began approaching medical school as a team— as something that is in both of our lives. Really what I am trying to say is that your attitude is a game changer. I signed up for both med school and marriage, and they are both incredible aspects in my life. You can make them work together.  I am thrilled with both these decisions.