Intern Prep

For the last block of the year, my medical school has every student participate in a capstone series specific to all things related to internship aka the first year of residency as well as a specialty-specific bootcamp. During the capstone series, we had life lectures about loans and medical malpractice, but then we also had lectures on radiology, EKGs, ABGs, fluid management, and mechanical vent management. It was a whole lot to cover and a lot for me specifically since I haven’t had to work those brain muscles for quite some time on pretty complicated medical stuff. As for the specialty-specific bootcamp, I was able to delve into more outpatient and ambulatory concerns since I’m going into family medicine. I heard from current family medicine residents and family medicine preceptors about how to be a good intern. I even got to do skill sessions that involved refining history taking and taking home call via phone. Although I gained a lot of new skills and remembered some that I didn’t think I had, I’m still quite wary about being prepared.

In a way, I’m a little scared that in just two weeks, I’m going to have M.D. after my name. I feel like a charlatan! I mean, even after four years of medical school, I don’t feel prepared enough to take care of patients by myself. I suppose that’s why we go to residency, but the biggest transition that is on the horizon for me is that transition from being a student to being a resident. How will I be able to become more independent? How will I be able to make decisions that will acutely affect patient lives? How will I gain confidence in the choices I make? I will look to my senior residents and attendings and hope that they will help me through that transition and continue to push me to be the physician that I can be.