Measuring Progress in Intern Year
Written by Lindsey Ulin, MD
Thinking of progress during intern year takes many forms for me. Sometimes it’s in concrete tangible milestones like leading my first family meeting, doing a procedure for the first time, calling my first rapid response, etc. Other days it’s not repeating the same mistakes, like paging a consultant at the wrong hospital or as a July intern accidentally calling 911 from inside the hospital. Yes, you read that correctly, at my hospital we used to press 9-1 to dial out which has since been identified as a systemic issue and fixed. Boston EMS was very kind on the phone and no one could see how red my face turned under my mask. Some days just showing up and trying again is an accomplishment in itself.
Asking for feedback is another way to gauge progress during intern year, but I’ve found how you ask is equally important. Sometimes asking for general feedback results in generic and general answers, or the dreaded keep reading. A more effective way I’ve found is to identify your goals for a rotation so your residents and attendings have specific, actionable items to give you feedback on. Self-reflection is also key, as you will notice yourself improving at triaging tasks, becoming more autonomous, and feeling more comfortable with your workflow.
After the initial match excitement, I remember a daunting feeling of I’m going to be expected to know everything as the responding clinician in a few short months and I should study now. Now as I see this year wrapping up, I’m here to tell you so much of intern year is on-the-job learning. You will learn by doing but also consider how to keep your notes organized- I’ve liked Evernote. Residency is a training program, no one expects you to know everything and it makes for a more positive learning environment when we are honest about what we don’t know. Show up for your patients and their families, help your team, and never be afraid to ask for help.
Although this job can feel all-consuming much of the time, I’ve learned how to place more emphasis on the other aspects of my life along the way. This progress will look different for everyone, but for me includes calling my friends and family more regularly, getting back into swimming, reading for fun, and doing more things outside of my apartment on my days off. Accomplishing all of these life tasks on your one day off is not a realistic standard of success, it’s more important to be honest with yourself about what you’re needing. Some weeks I meal prep, clean, go out, and exercise consistently but switching to a busier rotation suddenly dry shampoo and lucky charms get me through. Intern year, and likely all of residency, is a non-linear journey of progress with peaks and valleys. Be kind to yourself, intern year is tough but you are too.
