I’ll put it this way: I wasn’t expecting to feel the way I do about my last elective prior to beginning the rotation. So what was my last elective? Emergency Medicine. Lots of words come to mind: long shift, busy, adrenaline, stressful, emergent, burn out.
Prior to starting the rotation, I assumed that I wouldn’t like Emergency Medicine whatsoever. In fact, I only took it to learn core skills in case I was in an emergency situation and needed to help someone in need—for example, a passenger coding on an airplane.
Over the course of my two-week elective, I loved every shift and the different things that I saw. We only had three shifts scheduled, since we also had simulation days. The residents and attendings were absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t have felt more at home. In fact, at the end of my first shift, I was in denial of how much I actually liked it. My attending encouraged me to think about pursuing a career in Emergency Medicine, and my response was that I appreciated her words, thoughtfulness, and encouragement, but I wasn’t sure if it was for me or if my personality matched the intensity of Emergency Medicine. But after my second and third shift, my thoughts changed. I absolutely LOVED my time, and I could see myself pursuing a career in the field of Emergency Medicine.
Toward the end of my rotation, I realized that Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology are at the top of my list. I plan to spend some additional time in the OR and ED to get a better idea of what exactly I may want to do with my life. I hope you’ll consider choosing an elective that may not be at the top of your list because you never know if you just might end up loving it!
