Halfway through Intern Year

I cannot believe that we are halfway through intern year and approaching the end of 2020. 2020 overall has been an emotionally overwhelming and stressful year, needless to say: the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation from our loved ones and peers during the quarantine months, the racial tensions and social injustices running rampant in our nation, the 2020 presidential election (though the outcome was a relief)... it has overall been an absolutely crazy year. Let's not forget the deaths of famous individuals such as Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and Chadwick Boseman. 

It has been stressful as well. I hit an overall low point in November when I worked 14-hours most days on one of the busiest services in the hospital: General Medicine. I was pushed over the edge, however, when a couple of other stressful events took place in my personal life, including with my family. I went into a depression during this time and made it a point to reach out to my therapist and someone through our Employee Assistance Program. I was grateful to also have the support of my PD, co-residents, and other administrative staff in the program.

General Medicine was the hardest rotation I worked on all year because of the long hour days and immense amount of information that quite frankly, I'm still trying to master. It was an exhausting couple of weeks. Intern year so far has taught me tremendous humility and resilience. 

After General Medicine I was scheduled to be on Geriatrics for a couple of weeks before a one-week Christmas vacation. The New Year will bring another 2.5 months of the General Medicine rotation, and a few weeks here and there of Ambulatory (clinic), Rheumatology consults, Pulmonology consults, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and Emergency Medicine. 

Hoping for a fresh, new start in 2021 :) Thanks for reading this short udpate!