Express Yourself

I'm working post call.  Just another day.   I got to talk to a senior resident about what I'm going through and he said he went through the same thing as me!  It made me feel so much better that I'm not alone.  I've known the resident for a long time and they told me they've noticed I have changed.

Residency is hard.  People drop out. People switch specialties even 2 years into residency.  If you don't have a support structure, build one!  It's so important. If you're not comfortable talking to people in your residency, make friends in other fields at your hospital and talk, even ancillary staff.  

People in the medical world work very hard, down to the techs and people who clean the operating rooms.  I just live in a constant state of exhaustion, hunger, and thirst.  I am careful about how much water and caffeine I take in because I don't want to be stuck with having to go to the bathroom when there's so much to do or I'm in a case.  

Another aspect of residency is working with people in other fields and building my reputation as someone knowledgeable and trustworthy.  So far it's been good. I can't emphasize how important it is to introduce yourself to the people you work with, even if it's just one call shift for a few minutes. 

Going to make it through this week for some hard earned rest.