Tag: intern year

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The Difference Between An Intern and a Senior Resident

At my hospital, we call first year residents ‘interns’ and all of the second and third year residents are the ‘senior residents’. It makes it easier for everyone in the hospital when you introduce yourself as ‘the intern’ or ‘the resident’. It set’s different expectations right from the get go. The biggest difference I’ve noticed between an intern and a resident is the following:

Now take a step back all the way to medical school where you don’t even know what you don’t know. It’s absolutely terrifying. You finish two years of classroom lectures and two years of clinical rotations and are eventually given a degree that essentially says ‘I know enough medical stuff to not kill someone’. And then on day one of residency you’re given 10 patients and realize they didn’t teach you any of this stuff in medical school. And that’s normal and okay. I still barely know what I’m doing everyday (I know, not really what you want to hear from your doctor).

My point that I’m trying to make to any medical student or intern reading this is that residency is terrifying at times and you won’t be okay. For some reason people don’t acknowledge this fact. That you are going to freak out at some point along the way either from anger, anxiety, fear, or all of the above. Just know that it’s going to get better.

I remember my first rapid response. A patient was in new onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response with a heart rate in the 180’s.  He was hemodynamically unstable with oxygen saturation dropping into the low 80’s in front of my eyes. I arrived to the patient’s room and there’s one nurse getting a new EKG, another two nurses placing a new IV and drawing labs and an arterial blood gas, another nurse helping the respiratory therapist adjust the ventilator settings, as well as the rest of the floor nurses gathered outside the patient’s room to witness what was going on. “Oh good, the resident is here!” one nurse exclaimed. And then all of a sudden everyone turned and looked at me for guidance. Oh, and did I mention that this was the first time I had ever met this patient before? I was just covering overnight.

Thankfully this situation happened later on in the year so I was comfortable handling it. Not to mention I love being the center of attention and hearing the sound of my own voice so I live for these kind of moments. Ultimately the patient did fine and we resolved the underlying issue (mucous plugging caused hypoxia which induced a.fib which caused hypotension and altered mental status so regular deep suctioning would prevent this in the future).

Looking back at that rapid response, I would never have felt ready to handle that type of situation if you asked me during my first few months of residency. Even halfway through intern year I still would not have been nearly as confident in my medical knowledge or even in my ability to handle the stress of the situation. It is normal to be overwhelmed. You are only one month into residency. We don’t expect you to be full fledged attending physicians yet (again, I’m still figuring stuff out on the fly half the time). Just promise yourself to be better tomorrow than you were today. At the end of the day that’s all we can ask for. Micro improvements each and every day.

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The life of a family medicine intern who failed step one

Thanks for taking the time to let me interview you…again. I introduced my readers to you a few months ago in an interview about the residency application and interview process. Specifically about how it’s still possible to match after failing step one. Fast-forward to today and we’re both about six months into intern year. So what is it like to be an intern?

My pleasure! I’m so glad to share more with your readers. Being an intern is great. It’s not as scary as people make it out to be. I’m learning so much working on different services and with different attendings.

 


 

What has been the most rewarding part of being a family medicine intern?

As cliché as this may sound, the best part is feeling that I’ve helped someone. Knowing that I’ve touched a patient and made their day a little better makes me smile – whether it is addressing depression that has been overlooked and neglected for decades or reassuring an anxious first time mom-to-be that her pregnancy is safe and viable.

 

 

What has been the most frustrating part of residency?

Lack of flexibility with my schedule can get frustrating… More frequent than not, I cannot commit to social events, like dinner with friends on a Friday night or holiday parties. Luckily everyone around me is understanding of my rigid schedule and they’re cool with me scheduling get together on average 3-5 weeks in advance.

 

 

What has been your most challenging aspect of residency?

One of the internal questions I wrestle with daily is “am I good enough?” Am I learning enough? Am I giving my best to my patients? After years of schooling and studying, it’s easy to take time to relax and fall into a lull of complacency. Integrating study time into a full time residency is my challenge.

 

 

What was your biggest fear going into intern year? Have they come to fruition? How have you dealt with those issues?

I think my biggest fear was that I would be a completely incompetent physician and my residency would regret hiring me. I’m glad to say, that hasn’t come up yet. Every new intern comes in with fears, it is normal and to be expected. People are aware that you’re climbing a steep learning curve. Self-reflection was my preferred way to deal with my fears. I even visited a psychologist for a session just to talk out loud about this new chapter in my life (settling in a new place, moving in with my boyfriend, having real responsibilities at work, no longer being a student, “officially” moving from Canada, etc…)

 

 

What are you hours like? What’s a typical day for a family medicine intern?

There are usually two types of “typical” days: at the hospital or at the clinic. Hospital days are almost always longer than clinic days. A day in the hospital can range from 8-13 hours, whereas in the clinic or with private physicians I can clock in 7-10 hours. It’s hard to describe a regular day for me because it varies depending on which rotation I’m on. I could be working a 10h shift in the emergency department, helping manage a service at the Children’s hospital, seeing patients at my clinic, or working on a consult service at my hospital.

 

 

What do you do outside of the hospital to keep your sanity?

When I’m outside of the hospital I try and disconnect. I have always been a big proponent of separating work life and home life. My parents rarely talked about work when they were at home. I intend on following suit. I relish in wandering the aisles of the grocery store, strolling through the mall, calling my friends with no purpose other than to catch up, and planning how I will spend my next vacation.

 

 

How often do you exercise? More or less compared to before residency started?

I’m embarrassed to admit that I exercise MUCH less than before residency. At this point, I barely exercise once a month. Shameful, yes I know. I ended up canceling my gym membership because I simply was not going. I wish I had established a more diligent work out habit before starting residency but now I value sleep more.

 

 

How often are you able to see your family or significant other?

My family lives 9+ hours away so I see them max once a year. I haven’t been great at calling my mom very often but I try and touch base with home once a week or once every other week. My boyfriend and I moved in together before the start of residency. We’ve been good at making a point to have one activity a week – going out to dinner, opening a bottle of wine at home, going for a long walk near the woods. As with any relationship, you have to make it a priority and dedicate time and energy.

 

 

How are you handling the debt?

Money management is always a work in progress. Budgeting and number crunching was essential to me. I found it insightful to hash out on paper how much I got per paycheck then subtracting my fixed and variable expenses. It helped me see where my money was going and I would be more mindful of my spending as to not go into credit card debt.

 

 

When do you plan on taking step 3?

I have my Step 3 scheduled in April 2017. I’m nervous as with any exam but my goal being to pass regardless of the score is somewhat comforting.

 

 

What’s it like having the responsibility of teaching medical students?

I haven’t fully grasped yet this responsibility. I’m trying to keep my own head afloat! Since I don’t feel at this time that my medical knowledge is all that phenomenal, I make a point to teach my students about the art of medicine. I like to show them my approach to difficult subjects, how I weave humor into interviews, and my use of analogies to simplify medicine to patients.

 

 

In retrospect, with the knowledge that you have now, are there any questions you would recommend to medical students to ask during their interviews?

I would encourage medical students to ask programs what kind of support they have in place to help residents through the years. Do they have board review courses? How do they handle resident burn out? What support will they offer if you score below average on the yearly in service exam? While some students may fear that asking these questions show weakness on their part, I think it is important to know what is available to you in your new work place.

 

 

Speaking of medical students, do you strongly feel that there is anything you wish you did differently while you were in medical school that would have better prepared you for residency?

I don’t think there is anything that I would do differently per se. As a student, I took full advantage of the various opportunities offered to enrich my learning by attending conferences, going to drug rep talks, and striking up conversations with other physicians. I would encourage students to do the same. You never know what you will learn and you never know whom you might meet.

 

 

For the current medical students reading this, what general advice do you have regarding residency?

For medical students approaching residency, I urge you to enjoy the process. Although residency and the match are riddled with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, have faith and trust the process. Everything happens for a reason and you will end up where you are meant to be. I know it is easier said that done to relinquish control but things will happen the way they were intended to. You will get out of residency what you put in. Your attitude and outlook are the biggest factors in your satisfaction with residency.

 

 

 

Thank you so much Emily for taking the time for this interview. I know there are plenty of other students out there who have come short on big exams like the USMLE’s or COMLEX and it’s encouraging to see someone else who still managed to match and continues to succeed in residency.

 

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Intern Interview Spotlight Update- The Life of a Pediatrics Intern

Prior to starting intern year I interviewed Zack Manier about the residency application and interview process. Today he is six months into his intern year, the first year of his pediatrics residency at The Children’s Hospital at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. I sat down with Dr. Manier to find out what it’s like to be a freshly minted medical doctor.

Thanks for taking the time to let me interview you again. I introduced my readers to you a few months ago before we both started residency in an interview about the residency application and interview process. Fast-forward to today and we’re a little more than six months into intern year. What’s it like being a doctor?

Ummmmm…so many feels. Important, accomplished, nerve-wracking, busy, overwhelmed, stimulated, stressed, anxious, lost, rewarding, powerful, prolific…shall I go on?

 

That sounds like the all too familiar. So what’s the most rewarding part of being a pediatrician?

Honestly, the gratitude from the parents. Hearing parents (and even adolescent patients) compliment me or compliment me to an attending saying things like “best doctor we’ve had” (yes, that’s happened…I’m not just bragging) is so amazing. It makes all the times I feel completely stupid and useless worth it. Also, definitely having parents ask to specifically have me as their child’s doctor and come to my Thursday afternoon office hour. Clearly my competence (or confidence) is showing, and that is just as rewarding.

 

 

To contrast that story what has been the most frustrating part of residency?

Continuing to be at the bottom of the totem pole. “Yay, I’m a doctor now and no longer a student! I’ve moved up in the ranks!” Wrong. You’re back on the bottom. You’re just the intern. And yes, interns still do [female dog] work. Definitely not as much as when I was a student, but it happens. Oh, and overnight nursery pages. It’s frustrating, but hey…that’s the way the cookie crumbles, right? Now I want a cookie…

 

 

Ah, answering pages. Grey’s Anatomy made it always seem like every page was life and death. Turns out its more often that the patient is having too few or too many bowel movements. So what about residency do you find most challenging?

Trying to be confident with my decisions and not just looking to my senior for everything I’m unsure of (even though they are the best and are always happy to help). I’m not a student anymore. I’m not supposed to just ask my senior to do everything. I have to do it. It’s on me now. I make the phone calls. I order the medications. I call the attendings in the middle of the night. I tell the parents that Child Protective Services is taking their child away. I decide a baby’s respiratory status is improved enough to discontinue oxygen. And if that baby decompensates? It’s on me now. That’s something that you have to realize from day one…you’re a doctor now. This is the start of the rest of your career.

 

 

Our jobs can indeed be quite humbling and terrifying at times. Can you speak on what your biggest fear going into intern year was? 

 Probably what I just discussed above…that even though, yes, you have your seniors…you have to make your own decisions and become a self-sufficient physician. It was hard a first, but I quickly realized I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t be passive (not that I am that type of person anyway). You have to. That made that fear dissolve within the first two months.

Also, one fear that I’m sure everyone shares…feeling incompetent. You’re going to enter feeling like you know nothing, especially when you’re put on the spot. I imagine that’s what tabula rasa feels like. But magically, somehow…from somewhere…the answers pop out. Your hand starts writing the corrects words. You’re entering medications like you’ve been doing this for years, and you start to realize you know more than you think. The knowledge is there…you just have to apply it.

Thankfully, my co-interns were/are all in the same boat. Having them around and spending time outside of the hospital with them to talk and vent (and drink) have helped to depress those fears.

 

 

Ah your co-interns. As corny as it sounds, I’ve found that they truly are the best part of any residency program. You spend so much time with them in the hospital that it’s nice to enjoy their company too. Speaking of hours, what are yours like? What’s a typical day for a pediatric intern?

This is obviously institution-dependent, but I guess I’ll give you a little snapshot into mine…

It all depends on the rotation. ER is just 18 shifts/month, and we basically make our own schedule— clutch. Lighter rotations like nursery and neurodevelopment as well as outpatient electives are typical M-F 8-5, with weekend floor calls here and there. Floor sucks. Floor sucks everywhere. Sign-out is at 6:30am, and intern sign-out to the oncoming evening intern is at 7:00pm. Yes, that’s 12+ hours a day, usually 6 days/week. Morning report every morning from 8-9am, noon conferences daily from 12-1pm, grand rounds from 9:30am-10:30am every Thursday, and my office hours (or continuity clinic) Thursday afternoons.

Oh, and nights…nights are great. We specifically do 3 sets of 2 weeks of nights as interns, which are 7pm-9am Sunday-Thursday. Which means weekends off (for the most part). Lovely.

My institution is (amazingly) different in a way…interns get every Friday night off. Every one. For the entire year. All eight of us. Those nights…we drink and complain. I also usually get at least one entire weekend off per month, and use that time to get the hell out of New Brunswick for sanity purposes.

 

 

Speaking of sanity, what do you do outside of the hospital to keep it? 

I guess I covered a lot of that above. But yes…relax, drink, travel…in that order. I need it. We all do. Get close with your interns. Go out when you can. If not to drink then for dinner. Vent. Complain without your seniors around. Even if you think you’re in the most amazing place at the start (which I did), you will start to realize the flaws as you become familiar with the inner-workings and the politics. Every institution has them. And you need close people to talk about it with. That’s what we do. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be close with your co-interns, or as in my case, even your second (and sometimes third) years. Also, I get away when you can. I have friends and family all over, and getting out of the little hospital bubble with all your (likely) hospital friends is necessary to stay sane. Plus, I’m in the cold…I hate the cold. Winter sucks. I go to Miami every chance I get.

 

 

That’s great advice. How about exercising? How often do you find yourself exercising compared to before residency started?

This will be a short one. I don’t. I exercise the same amount as before, because I didn’t. Should I? Definitely. Quite honestly though, my feet hurt (I hate dress shoes). And after the day is over, I want to be horizontal. In my bed. Am I complaining? Yes. Do I plan to change this soon? Yes! You can’t be a doctor (especially a pediatrician) promoting health and wellness when you don’t do it yourself.

 

 

How often are you able to see your family or significant other?

This is something I struggle with daily. My family is in one city, my SO is in another, and I’m in a third. So when I get the chance, where do I go? To see my SO. It’s a hard decision, but I’m used to being away from my family…I went to college out of state, medical school internationally, and I haven’t lived at “home” in almost 10 years. It’s difficult being apart from my SO, and we need frequent visits to maintain our relationship, just like all long-distance relationships. Thankfully, we see each other at least monthly (whether I go there or he comes here), and Facetime is a live-saver. Since I moved to NJ in June, I haven’t been back home. My family did come visit for Thanksgiving, and I’m currently writing this on the plane home for Christmas. Holidays and occasions…that’s been pretty typical for seeing my family over the past years.

 

 

How are you handling the debt?

Debt? What’s that? Oh, right…I mean, the cronies automatically take money from my account monthly, and I don’t think about it. And that’s all I have to say about that.

 

 

When do you plan on taking step 3? 

Bleh. Adult medicine. I don’t want to study it. It’s like, I want to take it and get it over with so I never have to study adult medicine again, but at the same time…I don’t want to start studying adults again. But alas, I must. I’m either taking it mid-February or end of April, as those are the times that work with my lighter rotations. I’m getting UWorld for Christmas (yay, adulting), so I’m about to start on that. Mainly, I don’t want to spend the $900 or whatever is it to take the exam. I’d rather spend it on drinks. Medicine is a damn money pit, ya know?

 

 

What’s it like having the responsibility of teaching medical students?

I love it. It’s great. I’ve tutored in the past and was a head anatomy TA in medical school, so it’s something I enjoy. It’s also nice to have attendings tell me that medical students compliment me and enjoy working with me. They don’t think I’m dumb! However, it is sometimes hard to give them full attention as the intern…especially on floor when it’s super busy and I have one million things to do. That’s what the seniors and attendings are for.

Also, pro-tip: get the medical students to follow your patients. That’s what I do. Why? Because on floor rounds, the student presents and gets pimped, not me.

 

 

In retrospect, with the knowledge that you have now, are there any questions you would recommend to medical students to ask during their interviews? 

Other than all of the medical knowledge, you mean? I don’t think there is anything that I now wish I had asked…I pretty much knew what I was getting into, and I feel like it’s on par with my expectations. The most important thing is to ask the resident’s if they’re happy. We won’t lie. We really do tell it like it is. And definitely ask how they feel they attendings are and what their relationships are with the attendings. It will make a world of difference. I’m fortunate enough to have amazing attending physicians. It’s something I have been bragging about to all the interviewees this season. Like, you know how in medical school or residency even there are those physicians that people are “scared” to work with or grumble about being placed with? Yeah, we don’t have any. None. I would say 90-95% of ours are absolutely amazing, and the rest are good but ever-so-slightly more intimidating. That might be the best part of my residency. Definitely ask about that.

 

 

Speaking of medical students, do you strongly feel that there is anything you wish you did differently while you were in medical school that would have better prepared you for residency?

My one and only regret is not taking USMLE Step 3 prior to residency. I was going to, but I ended up drinking and traveling instead. (A common thread here, clearly) So, if you have time, seriously consider taking it. It will save you a load of stress and annoyance later, when that is the last thing you have on your mind or want to deal with. Otherwise, just be proactive. Act like a resident on rotations, not a student or a shadow. Ask to do procedures, to see extra patients, to write notes, to have your H&Ps checked and reflected on, to stay later, to make phone calls. These are all things you have to do as a resident, and the sooner you start, the better. These are all things I did, and not only did it get my outstanding grades and letters of recommendation, but it also significantly prepared me for residency. If you have all of these things (mostly) down before starting, you can focus on expanding your knowledge and being the best provider for your patients you can be.

 

 

For the current medical students reading this, what general advice do you have regarding residency?

First and foremost, the last line I just said. Be the best provider you can be FOR YOUR PATIENTS. That’s what it’s really about, and why (most) of us all are in this profession. It’s for the patients. Check your egos at the door. This isn’t about you, it’s about them. The rest…the knowledge, the fearlessness, the confidence, the competence…that will come with time. But your patients always come first, no matter what.

 

 

Zack, thank you so much for taking the time to let me interview you. I appreciate your words of wisdom and motivation.

Check back next week for my next intern interview update. And as always subscribe so you don’t miss out!

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The Life of a Pediatrics Intern

I sat down with a first year resident in pediatrics to find out what her life is like as a pediatrician in training. Here’s what she had to say.

 

 

I’m getting flashbacks of interview season but can you tell my readers a little bit about yourself?

Hello readers! I’m Sarah with an h, currently working as a 1st year pediatric resident at Cooper University Hospital in South Jersey. I’m a born and raised Jersey girl from a middle class family right outside of Philadelphia. I grew up playing soccer which I played at Widener University, a small private college in Chester, PA. The only medical blood in my family is my mother who is a NICU nurse. My original major at Widener was nursing, but halfway through my sophomore year I realized there was SO MUCH to learn and I wanted to continue my education past my four undergrad years. I switched to pre-med and it was at that point that my advisor told me about Caribbean medical schools, which accept applicants year round and geared more to the less traditional student like myself. I attended Ross University in Dominica, West Indies where I had the most amazing experiences and made lifelong friends. While I feel I did not get as many residency interviews as I would have liked because I went to a foreign medical school, through hard work, perseverance and constant contact with the programs I was interested in I wound up matching to my top ranked residency at Cooper back home in South Jersey.

 

 

So we’re about a quarter of the way through intern year and you’ve been a doctor for about four months. How’s it feel?

I feel like I’m finally settling into my role as a decision maker. The first couple months it was difficult transitioning from a closely monitored medical student to a doctor being pressed for urgent decisions and orders to be placed. I had to fight the urge to call a senior resident when being faced with medical decisions for several weeks before I felt comfortable in my new role. Even decisions I KNEW were correct, I suddenly became much less sure of when I was the one writing the order or telling the nurse which dose of medication to give. You are immediately thrown into the role as a team leader, which is daunting but extremely rewarding. I’m now at a place where I feel much more comfortable with my knowledge base, but know I have a long road to go.

 

 

What has been the most rewarding part of being a pediatrician?

Hands down seeing my patients’ laugh, smile or feel better. People always ask me what I love about my job, and it’s 100% the kids. The connections I make with children and their families make a 14 hour day all worth it. It can be one thank you, or one hug, or a colored picture and suddenly my hectic day where I haven’t sat down is put into perspective. It is so rewarding to be a part of the connections between the patients, to see the sigh of relief when they realize they’re not alone, and to be a part of an amazing team of medical personnel from social workers to physical therapists to nurses. Sometimes it’s surreal to think about what a critical role you play on that team. I am so grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given to positively impact children and there isn’t a day that goes by, even if it’s just for a brief moment, that I don’t remember that.

 

 

What has been the most frustrating part of residency?

I think a lot of frustration during residency comes from having a life and schedule that is no longer your own. Just know that for however long your residency is, mine being 3 years, you are more or less signing over your freedom. It sounds harsh, but when you look at it that way it makes you appreciate the time you do have off!

I went into residency with that outlook, and I found myself far less frustrated with the long hours.

The thing I would say I struggle with the most is disagreeing on medical care with other residents, more importantly my senior residents. Residency is a hierarchy, post graduate year 1 (PGY-1), PGY-2, PGY-3, and then fellows and then of course your attending. Medicine is also not black and white. Yes we have guidelines and peer reviewed articles, but in all honesty until I became a resident I didn’t realize how much of medicine was up to your own discretion.

Turns out, my treatment plan isn’t always the same as my senior residents. I think it’s important for interns to be prepared for differences of opinion and to know there is no one right answer in medicine. Like a bad USMLE question, it’s your job to choose the MOST correct answer, grapple with the opinions of other people around you, but ultimately do what is best for your patient. This is not as clear cut as you’d think, so pick and choose your battles and surround yourself with a strong support system.

 

 

What are you hours like? What’s a typical day for a pediatrics intern?

The hours vary depending on what rotation you’re on. There are more intense rotations which require 80+ hours and some less intense rotations where you work 40 hours a week or less. I feel that most programs do a good job of interspersing the two types of rotations so you have some time to breath in the middle of your tougher one.

For me, being on the “floors” or a pediatric hospitalist is the rotation that requires the most time and not only mental but emotional energy. Days start at 6am when you rush to get all of the vitals, history, updates and see all of your patients before rounds. The day ends at 7pm, but you usually have 2-3 hours of notes after that (14-15 hour days if anyone was keeping count). And you also have to remember you’re taking about two to three 12-hour weekend shifts per month.

But keep your head up! I’m in outpatient Behavior and Development now and I’m working a regular 9-5 (and some days less!).

 

 

What do you do outside of the hospital to keep your sanity?

Anything BUT medicine! I love doing guided meditation, which you can find on YouTube. I find the less time I feel like I have, the more that means I need to meditate. I hang out with my friends, I read non-medical books, I go to music shows, I go out to eat, drink and be merry. I travel on my vacation weeks. It’s so important to remember to do the things you love to do. So have a good idea of what makes you happy (outside of medicine) before you start residency and never lose sight of that.

 

 

What has been your most challenging aspect of residency?

Time management has probably been the most difficult for me. Not just in the hospital, but managing being a good resident, friend, sister, aunt and daughter. And going grocery shopping, keeping my apartment clean and bills paid. And on top of that studying enough to keep up with your own specialty, what you’re interested in, and preparing for the USMLE. It always feels like you should be doing more. Deep breaths throughout the day help.

 

 

The average medical school graduate finishes their schooling with roughly $160,000 of debt. How do you plan on paying it off?

The government really helps us out. They have amazing repayment plans you can enroll in now, which you can talk to your loan provider about. I’m currently enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan with an income-driven repayment plan. What that basically means is that if I work for a non-profit hospital and pay 10% of my income for the next 10 years, all of my loans are forgiven. It’s something to think about when ranking residencies, because this plan only applies to non-profit organizations. There are a lot of other plans available so definitely something to talk to your financial aid counselor or loan provider about!

 

 

You grew up playing soccer. In fact, that’s where we met! So you’ve always been an active person  How much are you exercising these days compared to before residency started?

Significantly LESS. Like I say, if exercising is one of your passions, you really have to set aside protected time for it. I try to just work exercise into my daily routine. I set a goal of 15 sets of stairs a day when I’m on floors. 100 squats any time before I take a shower. Stretching anytime you have the space to bend. Drink TOO much water. Take deep breaths throughout the day. Even if you don’t feel like you can be your most fit self, you can always lean in the direction of health.

 

 

Do you strongly feel that there is anything you wish you did differently while you were in medical school that would have better prepared you for residency?

Honestly, no. I wish I could have done more elective rotations in the hospitals where I wanted to match, but for insurance reasons Ross University students couldn’t rotate in the states of NJ and PA. But it’s absolutely something you SHOULD do if possible. And if you have the opportunity to rotate in a hospital where you’d like to match, to try to be in the hospital on the floors because some of the subspecialties are pretty far removed from the doctors and residents who make up the bulk of the program.

Take your role seriously, because the type of student you are is the type of doctor you will eventually become. And every skill you’ve learned will help contribute to making you the best doctor you can possibly be, regardless of what rotation you’re on.

But most importantly I enjoyed myself. That’s something I tell all my medical students now, just take time to really enjoy your role and learning experience because it’s a big change once you enter residency.

 

 

What was your biggest fear going into intern year? Have they come to fruition? How have you dealt with those issues?

The biggest fear was that I’d be a bad doctor. I’m sure people want to know more specifics, but really just that I would not be able to help my patients, or know what to do, or what to say, or that I wouldn’t be as good as the other interns. Luckily, these have NOT come to fruition! Turns out, you know a lot more than you think you know. And a lot of what patients’ need to hear is that they’re going to be ok and you’re here for them no matter what. And the other residents aren’t my competition, they’re my biggest allies. I go to work every day knowing that I am here to do the best I can for my patients. With that motivation, a good team, and a lot of hard work, you have all you need to succeed. Never forget WHY you’re doing this.

 

 

What’s it like having the responsibility of teaching medical students?

As an intern, you feel so overwhelmed by your work and getting used to everything yourself, you almost feel like you don’t know enough or have enough time to really make any difference in their education. But I found that just carving out a little time to explain how I’m approaching certain patients or problems, or how I like to write notes can help contribute to how they will eventually practice. And every single one has been SO grateful for the time. If they ask me a question I don’t know, I say let’s look it up together. I try to incorporate them into the team, ask them something I don’t know that they might, or ask them to look certain things up so we can learn together. It’s so rewarding when you see a student you taught succeed on rounds or pick up new interviewing techniques they saw you do.

 

 

When do you plan on taking step 3?

I plan on taking Step 3 mid-April, which is a little more than half way through my intern year. I tried to coordinate taking the test with a month I was on a lighter rotation. I know people who took it before residency started which I commend. I knew I wanted that time to celebrate, travel, and enjoy myself so it was not an option for me. I feel like it takes a good 6 months to settle into your new role as a resident, so I would recommend sometime before or after that period.

 

 

For current medical students, what advice do you have for residency interviews?

Just be personable. I think the questions are just a formality. I really feel interviewers are just trying to see if you can hold a conversation and will fit well with the other residents. I would ask questions about the interviewer, “Where are you from? What do you like to do in the area? What brought you to this place/position?” Start a conversation. Be a real human. Actually get to know the person.

 

 

For the current medical students reading this, what general advice do you have regarding residency?

Take DEEP breaths as often as you remember and DRINK plenty of water !!!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview Sarah!

 

And keep on the look out for a follow up interview with a family medicine resident who failed step one.