Reflections for New Interns
Written by Lindsay Henry, MD
With two months of residency behind us, I can say, without a doubt, that all of my mentors were correct in that you truly cannot prepare yourself for your intern year.
Here are my top five reflections as a new intern:
1) We are a team
a) Working in medicine is a team sport, and it takes all team members to take good care of the patients. The nurses, pharmacists, social workers, techs, clerks, and so many others all play such a huge role in providing safe and high-quality patient care. There is a reason all of these fields exist - they each hold so much value and bring so much to the table with their specific skill sets. It is so necessary to treat everyone as a valued member of the team. There have been many times that one of our team members has approached me to advocate for a patient, and I am always so grateful that they did.
2) Communication is key
a) Especially as a brand new intern, I have tried to develop the habit of communicating with my chief and other residents on my team because they have so much more experience than I do. They can help review my orders, correct my errors, and teach me how to be more efficient. Doing this has made me feel well supported by my chief and has allowed me to learn so much from them.
3) Everyone is learning
a) I look to my upper levels with the hope that I will one day be as competent and confident as they are. I still must remind myself that we are all still in training and learning. Being patient is so important as we are all constantly learning. The structure of residency is great for progress in training with time and experience. Being patient with myself and my upper levels has given me a significant amount of peace as a learner.
4) Don’t forget what it was like to be a student
a) I love teaching, but the first few days I had students I did not know what to do. It was a strange transition going from just having been a medical student to being responsible for their learning while also learning as a new doctor. Everyone has a different personality and learning style, and it can be uncomfortable coming on to service as a medical student. I have started to be more intentional with the students by talking through at least one topic a day and trying to show them some cool stuff too, but the key is being intentional.
5) Even on the worst days, I am still so happy and privileged to be where I am.
a) There have been days when I have had a difficult time keeping my eye on why I was there. Some days, my losses feel so much louder than my wins and that makes being an intern so difficult. However, it is so clear that I am learning at an exponential rate. I love the field and the program I am in. I am so honored to be in this position and so grateful for each of my patients.
