{"id":13790,"date":"2024-12-13T19:54:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T19:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roshreview.com\/blog\/?p=13790"},"modified":"2024-12-27T18:40:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:40:13","slug":"6-key-lessons-that-helped-me-succeed-during-residency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roshreview.com\/blog\/6-key-lessons-that-helped-me-succeed-during-residency\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Key Lessons that Helped Me Succeed During Residency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
From a young age, I\u2019ve always wanted to pursue medicine\u2014I have fond memories of watching Discovery Health and \u201cHouse\u201d and being fascinated by the complexities of disease processes.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
While I always knew that this was my calling, entering residency was a different story that challenged me both personally and professionally. If you\u2019re a resident with my same passion for medicine but struggles to keep up with the day-to-day of your program, this post is for you. Here is my story, plus some tips for finding success as a resident.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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My Journey as a Resident<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Residency was particularly difficult for me. I started off as one of the worst interns in my program and received feedback early on from my pediatric emergency medicine mentors that I wasn\u2019t performing at the level expected of me. I took their advice to heart, and worked hard to improve.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I was nominated four times for resident of the month<\/strong> by the Divisions of Hospitalist Medicine, the director of the division of emergency medicine, the medical student clerkship director, and the class of interns I supervised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, I graduated residency with numerous honors,<\/strong> including an award for excellence in teaching I was nominated for by fellow residents and my attendings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6 Tips for Prospering During Residency<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Though I managed to become a successful resident, that outcome seemed far from certain in those hectic early days. I think my eventual success came down to a half dozen things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what I recommend for improving performance and maintaining good mental health during residency: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Ditch the victim mindset. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

No matter what challenges or obstacles you\u2019ve faced, focus on what\u2019s<\/strong> within your control and work towards achieving your goals and growing.<\/strong> Despite the negative feedback I received early on, I didn\u2019t blame others or my life circumstances or my program for the feedback. Instead, I focused each day on working hard and trying to improve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Study every day. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even<\/strong> if it\u2019s<\/strong> just<\/strong> for five minutes, studying every day is an important habit for physicians, especially trainees.<\/strong> Studying can take different forms. I used to listen to a pediatric podcast every day on my way to work and read UpToDate articles relevant to my patients each day. I also liked to read pediatric journal articles and case reports and do Anki flashcards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more I studied, the more my knowledge grew. And the positive feedback from being a more knowledgeable resident led me to studying even harder and ultimately teaching others. As an attending physician, I do Anki flashcards every day that contain information from podcasts and articles on the cases I\u2019ve seen. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Want to prep for boards with practice cases in your specialty? Sign up for\u00a0<\/em>Question of the Week<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to get Rosh Review practice questions sent straight to your inbox\u2014for free!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Practice gratitude. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Residency is a very difficult time, both mentally and physically. One practice I started at the beginning of my second year that had a tremendously positive benefit on my mental health was practicing gratitude.<\/strong> Every day in the shower (or on my commute to work) I would repeat in my head every single thing I was grateful for\u2014good health, a good attending, a caramel macchiato from Starbucks, anything I could think of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more I made this a daily habit, the more I noticed feeling happier and less focused on the challenges of residency. Practicing gratitude was especially important during my heme\/onc rotation, when I was thankful for good health and the opportunity to be present for children and their families with poor health and who are suffering. During residency with all the night shifts and 24-hour calls<\/a>, gratitude can be an incredibly helpful practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.<\/strong> Practice affirmations. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A common experience for trainees (and in medicine in general) is imposter syndrome<\/a>. This can be particularly challenging for residents, especially when we receive negative feedback or encounter a less than supportive senior resident or attending. I repeated to myself daily that I was smart, capable, and strong. Soon I started to believe it.<\/strong> The voice inside my head became one that was positive, optimistic, and confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Be proud of yourself. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Every day I would review the things I was proud of. <\/strong>Often, they were small things, or things we take for granted. For instance, finishing my notes on time, giving a good presentation on rounds, or teaching my medical students amidst a busy day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially in the face of negative feedback or other adversities or challenges, being proud of yourself and focusing on the things you\u2019re accomplishing daily can mitigate feelings of imposter syndrome, low self-confidence, or burnout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Do things that bring you joy. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Long walks in nature and meditation were my forms of self-care as a resident. I meditated daily. I found quiet spaces in the hospital to meditate for ten minutes before shifts. I tried to take breaks and sometimes ate lunch outside in the playground area. If I woke up early enough, I went for long walks before my night shifts in the park near my apartment building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my days off, I always made it a point to go for a long walk outside to enjoy nature. After I graduated residency, I woke up early the day of my boards and went on a long walk in the park before driving to the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever brings you joy, carve time and space for it.<\/strong> Meditating and walking were great sources of joy for me during residency, and helped me through an otherwise challenging and difficult time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Looking for more (free!) content to help you succeed as a resident? Check out these other posts on the Rosh Review blog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n