Coping with Mistakes in Residency
Written by Annie Kopera, DO
Intern year is monumental in your career as a physician because it is likely the first time you have so much autonomy. Nurses will be calling you first to ask clinical patients about patients, you will be the first one to try to decide on the plan of care, and you will be placing orders. You will constantly be questioning if you are doing things correctly. Overall, there is a drastic increase in responsibility during intern year, which inevitability comes with more mistakes. No matter which subspecialty you are in, coping with mistakes made during intern year is a necessary skill needed for growth.
Early in my intern year, I found myself perseverating over the mistakes I made. I became frustrated with myself that I didn’t have the knowledge or wisdom of my attending or senior resident. I gradually began to accept the mistakes I made with an understanding that the entire purpose of residency is to practice medicine while supervised, so that mistakes can be addressed and learned from.
To better cope with my mistakes, I started writing them down. It was helpful to get the mistakes out of my head and onto a piece of paper to transition them solely from mistakes to learning points. Before I started writing the mistakes down, I would constantly replay them in my head. The act of writing the mistake down gave me permission to stop focusing on the mistake, and instead, start focusing on what I learned from the situation. Although it took some time, the guilt associated with making the mistake waned, and these turned into clinical topics that made me a better resident.
Talking through mistakes with others can also be helpful. Although it can sometimes seem like you are the only one making mistakes, all trainees are making mistakes. This is the point of residency. It may be challenging at the beginning of the year as your friendships are new, but talking with your senior resident or chiefs can help cope with your mistakes. They can help you process what happened, and will assure you that you are not alone.
No matter how serious, always be honest about the mistakes made. Own up to them and apologize to all parties involved. Being honest from the beginning will help resolve the mistake faster.
Throughout the year, you will get more comfortable being uncomfortable. At the beginning of my intern year, I had a challenging time letting mistakes go, and I would think about them constantly. At the end of my intern year, I still make mistakes, but I acknowledge they are a necessary part of medical training and I have the appropriate skills to handle and grow from them.
