Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

What you need to hear at your medical school graduation

Pranay Sinha, MD
Education
June 5, 2018
147 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Well done! Strong work! You’ve done it!

Four years (often more) of perspiration have earned you two extra letters (often more) in your name. You should be proud. Nothing should get between you and a gigantic glass of bubbly today. The world feels different. You feel different. But are you?

The thing about ceremonies that feature costumes, protocols and rituals is that they confer upon participants a sense of change. Just look at weddings — the two people who approach the altar are altered when they leave. Similarly, to borrow from Dr. Abraham Verghese, a patient gown, a white coat and a physical exam can transform two strangers into a doctor and a patient.

Between solemn recitations of the Hippocratic oath and congratulatory speeches, you might conclude that a magical metamorphosis has transpired. And while it is true that the years of medical training have changed you, there remains a vast canyon between your skills and knowledge as a fourth-year medical student and the doctor you have always wanted to be. Many overlook that chasm as their graduation gowns billow in free-flowing superlatives. I know I did.

Heady from graduation and a handful of institutional awards, I headed off to intern year with more confidence than caution. As a fourth-year student, I had won praise from kind attending physicians for managing four to five patients instead of the usual load of three. On my first day of inpatient wards, I received sign out on ten very sick individuals. Addled by the details, I took an eternity to pre-round and showed up late for rounds.

In medical school, I had received approbation for my thoughtful and, at times even, eloquent presentations by indulgent residents. But flooded with all these new patients, I mixed up patient stories, bungled vital signs and lab values and choked on simple questions about management. Good interns are supposed to have their orders placed, consults called and notes written by early afternoon. I wasn’t even close to done with my tasks when the evening team came to relieve us.

When nurses had questions, I frantically searched UpToDate for answers, ultimately turning to my residents and attendings for guidance. And when patients got emergently sick, I usually just got in the way. Far from healing patients, I usually felt that I was holding up their care. In fact, I felt like a child in a costume, playing “doctor.”

Hadn’t I been anointed as a doctor at graduation? Then why can’t I handle residency? Do I belong here? Am I a charlatan?

The discrepancy between the doctor I had imagined myself to be on graduation day and the doctor I actually was on day one of intern year was stark. The gap between expectation and reality dragged me into self-recrimination and depression. I had fallen into the chasm and there was darkness.

With time, I learned. We all did. Pre-rounding got easier. I learned to manage sick patients. My tasks were done before the evening signout. With introspection and a heavy dose of realism, my self-image and my reality merged into one. The guilt of being a charlatan also receded, but I don’t expect it’ll ever truly go away.

Every year, I see interns go through the same feelings of inadequacy and self-recrimination. While these feelings are powerful motivators for learning, they can also breed burnout, depression and even suicidal ideation.

And this is why I believe we need a modicum of restraint in the message we give out on graduation day. The truth is that medical school gives you some of the skills and knowledge for intern year, but it cannot fully prepare you for the intellectual, physical and emotional hardships of residency. The strength and the skill will assuredly come in time, but you should not expect to have it on day one.

Graduation from medical school is a rite of passage that invites you to become the doctor you want to become. The appellation of “doctor” is both a reward for the hard work you have done and a reminder of the even harder work that lies ahead.

Now raise that well-deserved bubbly and plunge into the future with humility and resolve.

Pranay Sinha is an internal medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Empathy is what separates doctors from computers

June 5, 2018 Kevin 10
…
Next

Mindfulness is not the answer for burnout

June 5, 2018 Kevin 18
…

Tagged as: Medical school, Psychiatry

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Empathy is what separates doctors from computers
Next Post >
Mindfulness is not the answer for burnout

More by Pranay Sinha, MD

  • How to find joy in practicing medicine

    Pranay Sinha, MD
  • Who should bear a dying man’s burden?

    Pranay Sinha, MD
  • An intern writes to his future self. See what he had to say.

    Pranay Sinha, MD

Related Posts

  • End medical school grades

    Adam Lieber
  • The medical school personal statement struggle

    Sheindel Ifrah
  • Why medical school is like playing defense

    Jamie Katuna
  • Promote a culture of medical school peer education

    Albert Jang, MD
  • The unintended consequences of free medical school

    Anonymous
  • A meditation in medical school

    Orly Farber

More in Education

  • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

    Med School Insiders
  • Breaking the silence: the truth about mental health challenges among medical students and why medical schools must take action

    Erin Waldrop
  • Breaking the stigma: Encouraging mental health help-seeking in medical trainees

    Anonymous
  • I’m not so different from Lionel Messi – and neither are you

    Lauren Tien
  • 6 ways ChatGPT can help you succeed in medical school

    Drew Bergman
  • Is it time to say goodbye to medical school rankings?

    James Goldchild
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • A pediatrician’s journey into integrative medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why allowing yourself to embrace discomfort is necessary for personal growth

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician
    • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

      Kara Wada, MD | Physician
    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • UnitedHealthcare in the Hot Seat Over GI Procedure 'Advance Notification' Policy
  • Genetic Risk Score Predicts Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
  • FDA Warns on Certain Forms of Compounded Semaglutide
  • Fired COVID Whistleblower Doesn't Want to Settle His Case
  • Video of ACOG Presenter Being Slapped Goes Viral

Meeting Coverage

  • TAR-200 Led to High Complete Response Rates in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
  • More Success for CAR T-Cell Therapy in Rheumatic Disease
  • Trial Shows RA Can Be Stopped at Preclinical Stage
  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • Benefits Found for Hand OA Drug Treatments
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • A pediatrician’s journey into integrative medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why allowing yourself to embrace discomfort is necessary for personal growth

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician
    • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

      Kara Wada, MD | Physician
    • Urgent innovation needed to address growing mental health crisis among children and families

      Monika Roots, MD | Conditions
    • The importance of listening in health care: a mother’s journey advocating for children with chronic Lyme disease

      Cheryl Lazarus | Conditions
    • Medical errors and the power of apologies [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

What you need to hear at your medical school graduation
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...