Residency

I remember the feeling of graduating pediatric residency very well. At first, I felt exuberance and excitement! I had finally completed this monumental (not to mention, expensive) task that had been my life’s mission for many, many years. There was also a feeling of gratitude for making it this far and for the privilege of read more…

“Imposter syndrome” is a psychological phenomenon in which people doubt their own abilities, feel they don’t deserve to be where they are in life, and fear they will be exposed as fraud. The beginning of the academic year can heighten these anxieties among medical trainees as they climb the next rung on the ladder, taking read more…

If you’re headed into your OB/GYN intern year, it’s common to feel nervous or overwhelmed with the transition to residency. Here are some words of advice that I wish I knew before starting my own OB/GYN intern year, and some tips to help set you up for success! I vividly recall the night before my read more…

Trying to write about the “typical” day for an OB/GYN resident is nearly impossible, since they are all vastly different—that’s probably one of the reasons you chose to be an OB/GYN! But, that said, there are some things you can expect to do on a given day. And in this post, I’m going to paint read more…

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Exam is offered once per year over a two-week period of time. The assessment evaluates the ability of test takers to diagnose and manage both common and rare conditions under the broad umbrella of internal medicine. As you begin to prepare for the exam, it’s important to read more…

As a resident, you have a unique opportunity to shape the future of medicine by teaching medical students. Not only is it a chance to pass on your knowledge, but it also allows you to refine your own skills as a clinician. As the saying goes, “SODOTO: See one, do one, teach one.” If you read more…

Effective communication and interpersonal skills are necessary for a well-functioning medical team. As a practicing or aspiring physician, it is your duty to set an example in proper communication for your team members.  Whether you’re a resident learning clinical duties or an attending physician, these strategies are sure to improve communication among your medical team. read more…

Starting day one of your residency, patients and attendings will have certain expectations of you. As a resident, it is crucial that you are proficient in communication to retrieve clinical questions in caring for patients, relay this to your attendings, and use evidence that will be used to address said medical concerns. Of course, skillfully read more…

The internet medical education space is full of great guides on how to excel at different points along the medical journey. You’ll find plenty of material on excelling as a medical student, being a fantastic intern, and smoothing the transition to fellowship and/or attending-hood. But like a middle child, the junior resident can be forgotten. read more…

After spending the last two decades in school, there’s nothing quite like that first paycheck in residency. Now that you make money, what are you going to do with it? You can treat yourself, focus on your loans and financial goals, or ideally, find a healthy medium. Being a financially responsible adult doesn’t happen overnight. read more…

If you decided to pursue a career as a pediatrician, then congratulations! Pediatrics is an extremely rewarding profession that exposes you to a wide range of pathology, patients, and cultures. The path to becoming a pediatrician is a long journey, but it is worth it. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how long it takes read more…

I was the chief resident during my PGY-3 year of family medicine residency. Frankly, until the application deadline, I wasn’t sure I’d even run for chief. My program selected the chief based upon votes from your peers, but naturally, applicants had to be in good standing with the administration as well. Weighing the pros and read more…

Once you enter medical school, you’ve already overcome one of the largest hurdles in your medical career. However, choosing a medical specialty can feel just as daunting. If you’re a medical student considering a residency in psychiatry, here’s everything you need to know about the residency requirements, length, and more. Should you pursue a psychiatry read more…

Life as an internal medicine resident is busy. Most days are filled with patient responsibilities, and you naturally may want to relax and catch up on chores or errands during the occasional day off. You shouldn’t feel pressure to build even more into this busy schedule, but if you have the time and mental bandwidth, read more…

Embarking on residency is a daunting prospect. We’ve heard the horror stories of residents who exceed the 80-hour work-week limit, endure grueling calls, and take ownership of acutely sick patients on inpatient rotations. Admittedly, residents work long hours and go through difficult training in the pursuit of medical proficiency. I would never go so far read more…

Time flies, it seems, and you’ve made it to the last year of your family medicine residency! With less than a year before your graduation, this is your chance to learn as much as you can under supervision before entering the world as an attending physician. Take advantage of these tips to ensure a successful read more…

Every year as residency comes to an end, many decide between doing a fellowship or starting practice as an attending. It’s an individualized decision that hinges on professional goals and personal circumstances. The roles fellows and attendings serve are different in structure and purpose. If you’re approaching a similar decision, here are a few key read more…

Choosing a specialty in medical school isn’t easy. You’re required to make a career-long decision from a series of brief rotations each spanning a couple of weeks to months and then hope you made the right choice. Most of the time, this works out, and your career path becomes everything you wished for. But sometimes—maybe read more…

Fellowship is an exciting next step in your training after residency. Not everyone needs to do a fellowship (and many people don’t), but the advantage of further subspecialty training is the additional expertise that will set you apart from your colleagues. In this article, we’ll explain the different types of fellowships, how to apply to read more…

Starting residency is an exciting time! During this time, some specialties may require you to do a modified intern year before continuing to your “advanced” residency. This specifically applies to applicants going into anesthesiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), radiation oncology, radiology including interventional radiology (IR), and in some cases, urology and read more…