Intern Year Chronicles - The Grind Continues

Last week, I transitioned from being in the clinic to the labor & delivery floor and it has been a whole new experience. The clinic was a great way to ease into residency - the

hours weren't too bad and the pace was steady for the most part. Now that I'm working in the hospital, the hours are much longer and I'm sleeping less and working more. Also, the pace can change from 0 to 100 really quickly and you have to be able to change with

it. I've been on the labor and delivery floor many times as a med student but now that I'm an intern, there are more responsibilities that come with the new role. I have to make sure that I see all my patients in the morning, order labs and medications, complete daily progress notes, and tie up loose ends as needed. It can often feel like a race against time to get everything done because if it's not done on time, the to-do list starts piling up, ultimately affecting the entire team and possibly compromise patient care.

I've been moderately successful at trying to keep calm during the crazy times but there are instances where I find myself starting to panic and lose my cool. Days like that are when I go home and pour myself a glass of wine, just kidding, two glasses of wine. Nothing can truly prepare you for intern year. A lot of it is learning on the job and rolling with the punches. Each patient presents with different concerns and require different methods of medical management, meaning that you always have to be ready. As expected, I've come across situations that I was not prepared to handle but those situations provide great opportunities to grow.  While it is important to challenge yourself however, there's absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. I am grateful to be surrounded by colleagues who are always willing to help and reaffirm that there's light at the end of the tunnel. I'm optimistic that things will get better but in the meantime, the grind continues.