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

A flurry of emotions as internal medicine residency comes to an end

Moksha Patel, MD
Physician
May 29, 2020
353 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As I come to the end of my internal medicine residency, I cannot help but experience a flurry of emotions. I am sure many of you, like myself, are feeling a whole host of sensations: relief at the fact that you have now completed over 23 years of education/training; exuberant joy when you click on your schedule and realize that you have no more 28-hour calls; and sadness when you realize you will be saying goodbye to some of the closest friends/colleagues you have ever worked with. I’ve always believed that camaraderie amongst co-residents is akin to the fellowship between soldiers during war, and while these bonds may be eternal, time and distance are inevitable.

But with these emotions, there is another one that I am sure is lurking in the shadows, one that I would like to bring to the light: fear. “Am I ready to be an attending?” “What if I don’t know something?” “What if I miss something?” It turns out, UptoDate doesn’t have a great article for this, so I decided to share some of my thoughts, based almost entirely on a compilation of the advice of those wiser than myself, with some of my own experiences sprinkled in.

First, they say there are no absolutes in medicine. While that may be largely true, the one thing that is always right is kindness. Kindness does not mean you have to agree with your patient or consultant on everything. Kindness does not mean you have to increase the opioids every time someone asks. Kindness does, however, mean that you see and treat each and every patient, nurse, physician, colleague, therapist, and family member for what they are—fellow human beings who deserve empathy and compassion, regardless of race, gender, religion, belief, attitude, or personality.

Just because you are an attending does not mean you have to know it all. This seems obvious, but every so often I find myself thinking, “Wow, how can I not know this? I’m the most senior member of the team.” Being the most senior member on the team doesn’t mean you have to know everything; it means you have to know how to get the information you need and have the humility to continue learning. Finishing residency is our license to continue a life long journey of learning and growth.

You are not alone. No sport is truly a one-person sport; I mean, even golfers have caddies. Whether you are going to become an academic fellow or a private hospitalist, medicine and life is a team game. Use your team. Your patient care and personal experience will be better for it.

Last but not least, love yourself. Early in our training, we are ingrained with values of resistance and resilience, urged to never show signs of weakness. Yet I would argue that the most important lesson residency has taught me is that despite some of the ridiculous demands of the job, at our cores, our most essential value and trait is our humanity. We, like all of our patients, will also feel tired, get sick, feel grief, sadness, and anger. We are vulnerable, and the sooner we realize it, the better we will be at everything we do.  If you don’t know something or are overwhelmed, ask for help.  If you are not well, take a sick day. Your most prized asset has and always will be your own health and happiness.

With that, I would like to thank each and every one of you for everything that you do, and congratulate you on yet another huge milestone. I wish you sunlight in your window always.

Moksha Patel is an internal medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

We will soon see a mental health pandemic that will cause unnecessary deaths

May 29, 2020 Kevin 0
…
Next

George Floyd: Framing police brutality through the lens of an emergent public health crisis

May 29, 2020 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
We will soon see a mental health pandemic that will cause unnecessary deaths
Next Post >
George Floyd: Framing police brutality through the lens of an emergent public health crisis

More by Moksha Patel, MD

  • How photography made me a better doctor

    Moksha Patel, MD

Related Posts

  • How social media can advance humanism in medicine

    Pooja Lakshmin, MD
  • Residency training, and training in residency

    Michelle Meyer, MD
  • The difference between learning medicine and doing medicine

    Steven Zhang, MD
  • Why academic medicine needs to value physician contributions to online platforms

    Ariela L. Marshall, MD
  • Residents need to learn medicine, not how to pass a test

    Eric W. Toth, DO
  • Moving forward in medicine with your significant other

    Todd Skertich

More in Physician

  • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Discover the power of patience

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Physician return-to-work policies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • How my patients’ Zoom backgrounds made me a better doctor

    Joseph Barrera, MD
  • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

    Anonymous
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician

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

Leave a Comment

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

  • Novavax's Updated COVID Shot Authorized by FDA
  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • FDA Advisors to Consider DFMO Maintenance for High-Risk Neuroblastoma in Kids
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D

Meeting Coverage

  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D
  • Low Relapse Rates With Twice-Yearly Schizophrenia Treatment
  • Menopause Can Negatively Affect Women's Careers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • America’s young men are facing a mental health crisis. Can we help them before it’s too late?

      Henna Hundal and Karan Patel | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician

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

Leave a Comment

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

Loading Comments...