Medical school can be a stressful time. While starting school, everything is new and exciting. However, it literally is like drinking from a firehose. Endless amounts of information that seem impossible to learn. As a medical student, I felt like I needed to forget useless facts like song lyrics to make room for the Krebs Cycle. However, finding your support and figuring out a study plan that works best for YOU is the best way to transition through medical school, in my personal opinion. Having the support of family, friends, classmates, instructors, whoever you feel is best, will allow you to focus on studies and know there are people who have your back.
Even leaning on your osteopathic family can do the trick! As you transition into studying for boards, the most important key to success is figuring out your personal study strategy. Everyone learns differently, so it’s incredibly important that you do not compare yourselves to your classmates while studying. Some people use flash cards, some use question banks and some use textbooks—everyone finds a pattern that works best for them. Please focus on what works best for you and you will succeed!
Once didactic years are complete, the excitement of becoming a clinical medical student is at the forefront. The biggest change in that transition is the steep learning curve that comes with applying textbook knowledge to the clinical setting. You likely will have the most board-based knowledge when compared to anyone on your team, having most recently taken COMLEX. Use your fundamental knowledge to create a differential.
Use your clinical exam to assess patients and obtain a thorough history. While moving through each clinical rotation, lean on your classmates for their tips and tricks so you can arrive prepared, professional and punctual. Most importantly, be a team player. As a third and fourth-year medical student, much of your learning will come from joining the medical team. Ask your senior residents and attendings how you can help. Maintain a situational awareness to know how and when to step in or step aside.
Then, after medical school, you become a resident. Becoming a resident is one of the most exciting processes—and it truly is a process. In medical school, there are very few times where patient care truly falls on our shoulders. However, as a resident, that drastically changes, and fast. July 1, you’re given EMR access and the power to place orders. Something as simple as giving someone a diet becomes a process—heart healthy diet? Carb controlled? Bite-sized? Supervised? Regular? Things I had never thought about before became another task on my checklist.
Decision fatigue and imposter syndrome rammed their heads as I powered through another shift. However, it doesn’t have to be scary. Surrounding yourself with the right people and resources can be life-changing. First and foremost, rely on your senior residents. They were in your shoes most recently, and I promise that they remember the emotions you’re feeling. Secondly, your program and leadership will likely have recommendations on resources to use. Whether it be UpToDate, Amboss, Rosh or UWorld, there are endless resources, so rely on those who have succeeded before you to help you succeed.
However, the most important piece of advice I received and share with you is: please feel empowered to ask for help. Whether that be help with completing tasks, help finding the bathroom or help placing an order—asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of and actually makes you a stronger and more competent resident. Monitor your health and wellness while going through this transition into residency and remember that you are meant to be exactly where you are today.
While transitions can be daunting, regardless of the stage in life, there are always nerves that come with entering a new phase. As a graduating resident, I have been looking forward to the next phase and the perks that it will bring. However, in talking to a co-resident today, we shared the same sentiment. While we are both SO excited for residency graduation, we are equally apprehensive to become attendings. I personally am both a little anxious and a little terrified to have the onus placed on me as an attending.
Right now, having been a resident for the last five years, I’m comfortable discussing patients with my attending, hearing their thoughts and bouncing ideas off each other. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely moments where I wish I didn’t have to “run everything by” an adult (what I call an attending, because as a resident, I still don’t feel entirely grown up yet). However, it’s a known comfort, this place I’m in now. When discussing these apprehensions with one of my attendings recently, he said, “We’ll always be here for you.” Those words resonated with me.
This world of medicine is a wild one. While sometimes it seems like we’re all on our own islands, we’re really not. It’s actually quite the opposite. Medicine truly is a team sport. It’s an All-Hands-On-Deck mentality; one where when the going gets tough, everyone jumps in to help. So, while being a resident may be comfortable to me right now, as an attending I still won’t be alone. I’ll be able to bounce ideas off of my fellow attendings, knowing they have my back and we can work together to ensure patients are cared for to the highest standard.