And if you were anything like me, you had no idea what to expect. I mean, sure, you know some things about your program. But where was that lecture in medical school that gave the rundown on Residency life? Simply put: you always heard about what happens in residency, but not how to do residency life. So here are a lot of tips that I wished I knew before residency - from the practical to the personal - as someone who just completed their intern year.
Location, Location, Location
Often the first major question - or first question period - that residents have to figure out once they match is “Where am I going to live?” And unless you matched somewhere local, this can create so many headaches. So here are some things to think about:
- Safety: Many FM resident clinics are strategically placed to provide healthcare opportunities in areas of socioeconomic or similar SDOH disparities. And this creates an exciting place to learn & help people but may raise concerns for those moving into or around those areas. Especially if you have a spouse or children, I recommend using a crime map app, like Spotcrime, which can help give you peace of mind on where to live.
- Distance: Many residencies have one main learning center, others have two or more. This is important because knowing where you will spend most of your time should help you decide where you should live. I have seen plenty of native residents commute 45 minutes to arrive for inpatient service @ 5:00am because they didn’t want to move out of their current home. Even if it is temporary, live somewhere ideally as close as possible to your main learning site, within reason.
- Buy v. Rent: This can be really confusing, especially if you buy a home for the first time. When you graduate, you will definitely expect to receive some kind of email about utilizing your prestigious “Physician Home Loans”. But just because it is an option does not mean that it is the right option for you. I would advise you to do some heavy research before deciding to buy a home. And if you cannot find the right place before residency starts, waiting can always work in your favor.
Health & Wellness
Gone are the days in medical school you had a university fitness center at your fingertips. No longer are you able to fit your workout routine around your pre-recorded video lectures. And now more than ever, your health is your most beneficial asset (because none of us are getting younger). A small study done on Emergency Medicine Residents showed that weight gain occurred in over 60% of residents during their intern year, and 30% had weight gain as high as 20lbs in intern year alone. Here are a few tips to make it manageable:
- Localize Your Exercise: Most people do not have the time to head to the gym in the morning, come home for a shower, and then show up for a 14-hr shift at 6 am. But it’s much easier to exercise when your “gym” is in your garage, your backyard, or at your hospital before you come home. Limiting your “commute” can cut down the friction to commit to your health. Invest in some simple equipment and have fun.
- Consistency: While situations can change month-to-month on the wards, showing up for your health every single day - no matter what - even for just 10 minutes a day can be plenty to gain all the positive benefits of exercise.
- Entertainment: The learning in residency is strenuous but does not have to be all-consuming. Being on the wards puts you in so many situations to learn that you shouldn’t feel the need to study for hours upon coming home. Commit 30 min-1 hr each night to learn and then get some much-earned rest: take a walk, call a friend, or meet up with some co-residents and trauma-bond over some stories. Laughter is excellent medicine.
Learning
Okay, now to focus on how to make the most of residency, because it is only three short years. And before you know it, you’ll have to do everything on your own. But before you give yourself sustained V-Tach, here are some tips to help you be your best-self through learning:
- Be Efficient, not Fast: You are there to learn. The expectation is quickly thrust upon you to carry a hefty patient load. And though it seems the pages from nurses never end, take each one of them seriously. If you have questions about doing anything (even if it’s ordering Tylenol), Intern year is definitely your time to ask.
- Ask Questions: Every case is a great opportunity for one of three things: Learn Knowledge, Test your Knowledge, or Improve upon your Knowledge even further. Having a learning mindset and challenging your knowledge curiously will help you be top-of-your class amongst your peers. As you ask questions, you resist the urge to anchor your medical decisions in your biases, and you expand your thinking and critical-decision making.
- Create a Learning System: Family Residency exposes you to a little bit of everything. From running Codes, to delivering babies, to office procedures, and more, there is no shortage of things to learn. Instead of learning passively, create a learning bank for you to review and fall back on… especially when you are sleep-deprived on nights. Some options are: to use your notes app on your phone and categorize by system or use a note-taking system like “Evernote”. Bring a physical notepad with you and write takeaways or get Anki cards for each interesting case you come across. Residency provides the opportunity for you to embrace ownership of your learning in a deeper way. As you do this through residency, you will have a library of information at your fingertips to help guide you after residency.
Other Tips
I didn’t know how to categorize these, but these are MUST “do’s” in residency that may change from program-to-program, but I would be amiss not sharing.
- When to take COMLEX 3: Intern year does plenty to prepare you for COMLEX (it absolutely does), but you still gotta learn how to take the test and brush up on what NBOME wants you to know. So try to find a period no earlier than half-way through intern year where you have 2 easier rotations back-to-back and make those your dedicated board question months. I also recommend you do a set number of flashcards or board questions, even on your harder rotations to keep things fresh. Consistency is key.
- Take Your PTO: Know how many days/weeks your program gives you and use every. Single. One of them. Unfortunately, there are quite a few rules on how/when you take time off. The last thing you want to happen is that you leave PTO on the table because you didn’t plan for it. Take time off to see your family, get important tasks done, or take a well-deserved vacation (yes, even while in residency). You’ll thank yourself later.
- Leave Work at Work: When you are at work, be 100% present. Show up on time, pour into your patients and your learning. And when you go home, rest so that you keep yourself fresh for tomorrow and keep yourself steady for the long-haul. Everyone has heard of residency burnout, but it is 100% manageable if you put the work into your personal life.
- Have Fun: Residency is short. The laughs at the rounding table or on your night’s rotation will soon be over before you know it. Just Breathe. You already made it this far, and it will be over sooner than you know it.
