Intern burn out?

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Advice avail to help me (and others going thru this) for the remainder of the semester (and intern year)?

I refer you to this thread, about halfway down the page.

The short answer to your question is "yes."

Originally Posted by Doctor4Life1769

Advice avail to help me (and others going thru this) for the remainder of the semester (and intern year)?

A lot of interns go through this, so you're definitely not alone. To some degree, the best thing is to have a group of people going through the same pain that you can vent with.

A couple small things that may help:

Find time at night to exercise, even if only a token amount. It is very cathartic.

Wake up a couple minutes early so you can occasionally have a nice, hot breakfast. It makes the crappy days a little more bearable.

On call nights, bring a change of clean socks/underwear.

As for a general way to deal with stress, as a surgery resident (and now fellow), I was involved in plenty of very stressful situations. I always found that staying calm, thinking in a linear, methodical fashion, and formulating a step-by-step game plan helped make things seem less overwhelming. (e.g. busy day with 15 tasks to accomplish: plan it out and write it out, then attack things one-by-one until the pile of work seems more manageable).

Thanks for the advice, SLUser11!

True that. If I had a penny for every little box I've drawn and filled in this year already, I would be debt free...and my debt is twice as much as what my parents' house is probably worth. haha.

Ah, filling in those little boxes doesn't end when you become a PGY-2, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by Buzz Me

Ah, filling in those little boxes doesn't end when you become a PGY-2, unfortunately.

It does somewhat when one is going into some fields other than medicine/surgery.

Originally Posted by Dral

It does somewhat when one is going into some fields other than medicine/surgery.

This makes me happy.

I agree with SLUser about finding a group of interns to commiserate with. The worst is feeling like you're alone when everyone feels the same way you do.

Most interns feel overwhelmed and close to burn out at this time of year. You spend your intern year figuring out how to work efficiently, effectively, and not harm patients in the process. At the end of your intern year, you generally don't feel too different until you see the new crop of interns come in - then you realize how very much you've learned in your 12 months of grueling work.

While I realize and totally appreciate that at this particular moment all you want to do is sleep when you're not at work, you do need to take some time for yourself. Go for a walk, keep your hobbies up, go caroling during the holiday. Simple things that make you giggle can be very very important at this time.

Originally Posted by Dral

It does somewhat when one is going into some fields other than medicine/surgery.

Good point!

Originally Posted by ShyRem

Most interns feel overwhelmed and close to burn out at this time of year. You spend your intern year figuring out how to work efficiently, effectively, and not harm patients in the process. At the end of your intern year, you generally don't feel too different until you see the new crop of interns come in - then you realize how very much you've learned in your 12 months of grueling work.

While I realize and totally appreciate that at this particular moment all you want to do is sleep when you're not at work, you do need to take some time for yourself. Go for a walk, keep your hobbies up, go caroling during the holiday. Simple things that make you giggle can be very very important at this time.

That is the only thing getting me through.

So how is intern year going for everyone? I am a prelim medicine intern beginning radiology in July and most days when I come home I spend about 5-10 minutes counting my blessings that I matched into radiology. Those days that I have to cross cover are the worst. I sometimes get about 50 pages in like 2 hours while at the same time admitting patients.

I guess it could be worse if I had to a surgical prelim year, right? I need to start studying for Step 3 soon too. Do you guys have time to study during floor months? I certainly do not.

I only took a long weekend to study for Step 3 - reviewed the clinical cases in First Aid and did the official practice CD. But I was only looking to pass.

Originally Posted by Futuredoc1364

So how is intern year going for everyone? I am a prelim medicine intern beginning radiology in July and most days when I come home I spend about 5-10 minutes counting my blessings that I matched into radiology. Those days that I have to cross cover are the worst. I sometimes get about 50 pages in like 2 hours while at the same time admitting patients.

Amen. I know I'll get paged like crazy as a rads resident too, but I can't take this crap anymore. If I get told to stick my finger up another patients ass for a heme check, have another fight with a narc seeking patient over how much dilaudid they need or see one more 90 year old demented patient who gets the billion dollar workup from every consult service in the hospital, I swear I am going to lose it.

Originally Posted by cowme

Amen. I know I'll get paged like crazy as a rads resident too, but I can't take this crap anymore. If I get told to stick my finger up another patients ass for a heme check, have another fight with a narc seeking patient over how much dilaudid they need or see one more 90 year old demented patient who gets the billion dollar workup from every consult service in the hospital, I swear I am going to lose it.

For the radio dudes here, why didn't ya'll do a TY? No judgements, just curious.

Originally Posted by Futuredoc1364

So how is intern year going for everyone? I am a prelim medicine intern beginning radiology in July and most days when I come home I spend about 5-10 minutes counting my blessings that I matched into radiology. Those days that I have to cross cover are the worst. I sometimes get about 50 pages in like 2 hours while at the same time admitting patients.

I guess it could be worse if I had to a surgical prelim year, right? I need to start studying for Step 3 soon too. Do you guys have time to study during floor months? I certainly do not.

6 months down.

It hasn't really gotten a whole lot better for me. At least I know this isn't gonna last, and I'll move on to doing anesthesia. I have been a hard worker, but I still am feeling burned out.

In terms of Step 3, yeah well I pushed it back now for a second time. Taking it in a few months now. Hopefully the "easier" rotations leading up to it will afford me some time to study.

Originally Posted by Dumb

For the radio dudes here, why didn't ya'll do a TY? No judgements, just curious.

Cush TY

Originally Posted by Dumb

For the radio dudes here, why didn't ya'll do a TY? No judgements, just curious.

I'm in a TY. Even the most cushy of TY programs still have at least 6-7 months of medicine rotations (most require ER, ICU, 3 ward months, one month float)

Originally Posted by cowme

I'm in a TY. Even the most cushy of TY programs still have at least 6-7 months of medicine rotations (most require ER, ICU, 3 ward months, one month float)

Oh snap...I didn't realize even cush TYers get to the borderline losing it stage

My TY is 2 months inpatient medicine, 2 months MICU, 1 month inpatient Peds or inpatient Cards (your choice), 1 month ED, I month outpatient FP, 1 month Nights/Consults (2 weeks of Nights, 2 weeks of inpatient medicine consults), and 4 months electives. It's been a great experience so far and I've learned a lot.

Originally Posted by Punkn

1 month inpatient Peds or inpatient Cards (your choice)

Talk about Sophie's Choice.

Originally Posted by Punkn

My TY is 2 months inpatient medicine, 2 months MICU, 1 month inpatient Peds or inpatient Cards (your choice), 1 month ED, I month outpatient FP, 1 month Nights/Consults (2 weeks of Nights, 2 weeks of inpatient medicine consults), and 4 months electives. It's been a great experience so far and I've learned a lot.

Does not sound too bad at all!

I have an elective coming up in March with a two week vacation. It seems that I will be taking Step 3 then. I also have a few days off during the Holidays. I am debating whether I should start studying now or whether I should relax now and just worry about it during my elective. I have had a long stretch of busy months lately so a break is nice. Any suggestions?

Happy Holidays!

Originally Posted by Futuredoc1364

I have an elective coming up in March with a two week vacation. It seems that I will be taking Step 3 then. I also have a few days off during the Holidays. I am debating whether I should start studying now or whether I should relax now and just worry about it during my elective. I have had a long stretch of busy months lately so a break is nice. Any suggestions?

Relax...don't waste your time studying for Step III now.

I took it during a fairly busy service month during my intern year. I studied for about 2-3 days, during which I went through a couple hundred USMLE World questions and several case simulations.

Originally Posted by Skinceutical

Relax...don't waste your time studying for Step III now.

I took it during a fairly busy service month during my intern year. I studied for about 2-3 days, during which I went through a couple hundred USMLE World questions and several case simulations.

If I can fanegle it, I'm using step three to get two days off during one of my busy medicine months!

Can I just say tho, that this Christmas sucked. Just couldn't get into it. Now I've always worked Christmas in the past, so it wasn't being the the hospital on Christmas that drove me nuts. I didn't have time to put up lights, didn't go to midnight mass (the parish around here doesn't do one), didn't give my husband anything, and he likewise though we both made a small effort. Family got gifts, we just didn't have time for us. All makes for a pretty blah Christmas. At least it was quiet enough at the hospital yesterday to go to the gym. Which was then negated by having Chinese food when I got home.
The only good thing I did yesterday was get a little girl with pna home early in the morning so she could have her Christmas.

Intern year for me has been a cross between being so bored that I'm worried about the strength of my program to being so busy that I can't finish all my notes in time. But all in all, I know I'm learning, I know I've come a long way from July, and like every other drug it's addicting. Hit me again!

Transitional here, going into anesthesia. I am feeling kinda burned out too. Am finally on an easy month after back to back 2 ICU months. Need to get step 3 studying done but am so tired. Hoping to crank out at least 1 block a day.

Originally Posted by Seagal

Transitional here, going into anesthesia. I am feeling kinda burned out too. Am finally on an easy month after back to back 2 ICU months. Need to get step 3 studying done but am so tired. Hoping to crank out at least 1 block a day.

I feel you. 2 of my past 3 months were ICU... now back to 2 straight months of medicine wards and Step 3 in March.

Hang in there, power through. Half way to passing gas.

Originally Posted by rachmoninov3

like every other drug it's addicting. Hit me again!

A drug? More like a dental procedure. Get me the **** out of here. I still love my program, but the sooner I get to my categorical program the better.

Originally Posted by Neuronix

A drug? More like a dental procedure. Get me the **** out of here. I still love my program, but the sooner I get to my categorical program the better.

Originally Posted by Doctor4Life1769

Haha.
On another note, any interns taking the anesthesia in-service this march? Anyone thinking about it?

As an anesthesiology resident I can see why you hate your catagorical year. You'll understand what I mean by a drug next year when you're doing really cool cases that require replacing someone's blood volume twice over (or whatever gets you gas guys interested). But yes, it is a drug. You can feel on top of the world seeing a cool disease, delivering a kid, seeing a 30 week premie, etc then you come home to realize you've neglected your house, your bills, your spouse etc. Then you relapse and return to the hospital and see something realy cool again...

I am in the midwest and the relatively mild winter up to this point has been pretty helpful... also we're past winter solstice so the days are getting longer and the earth is being reborn

It helps that I am knowing things now that I struggled with as an MS4.. like cephalosporins and treatment regimens because I've written for so many of them. I'm on a consult month now and get weekends off which is so strange compared to my past 4 ward months.

also this- how I have seen a rash boil pustule hardware etc in what seems like every part of the body and what it's done to me

Originally Posted by Seagal

Haha.
On another note, any interns taking the anesthesia in-service this march? Anyone thinking about it?

yeah, my program is requiring it for us. ive thought about it, but not as much as step 3. honestly, i've been told intern year scores mean nothing, and it's good to see it as a pre-test, so to speak.

Originally Posted by rachmoninov3

As an anesthesiology resident I can see why you hate your catagorical year. You'll understand what I mean by a drug next year when you're doing really cool cases that require replacing someone's blood volume twice over (or whatever gets you gas guys interested). But yes, it is a drug. You can feel on top of the world seeing a cool disease, delivering a kid, seeing a 30 week premie, etc then you come home to realize you've neglected your house, your bills, your spouse etc. Then you relapse and return to the hospital and see something realy cool again...

i like acute care. i like calling the shots and seeing results. it's why i like consult service and the ICU. i loathed medicine wards... surgical wards i kinda loathed too but i felt i learned A LOT while on it. my baby delivering days are long-gone, but i do recall liking that a lot as an M3. i think in FP, where you have more variety in terms of the pt population and the rotations themselves from the get-go, it's easy to like it. for me, i feel more ICU, more consults would be awesome... i feel as an off-service intern on med and surg, we get scutted out way too much.

To D4L1969: in 3.5 short years you'll be making bank, doing what you love, with little call, and no rounding. Only 5 more months to go!

Another thought: anyone else look back at July and then look at where you are now? I have no idea what happened, but something big happened all the same. Now think about next year's intern class and being an PGY-2. Isn't that scary?