Intern year drags on...

[murdoc9]

---

Members don't see this ad.

As I sit here wasting away on another cards long call, waiting for the inevitable 20-minutes-before-signout admission, I can't help but count the months (days) until CA-1. Even with all of the doom and gloom in medicine and anesthesia, I still eagerly await finally getting to do what drew me to medicine in the first place. Maybe I'll regret not pursuing derm or something else down the line. Maybe. But after 5.25 rotations into intern year, I still think I made the right choice personally. Any other lurkers out there in the intern year doldrums....

 

[rakotomazoto]

One of my co-interns and I were just talking about this. The best part about intern year is that once it is done, we move on to other things. If I had matched in internal medicine, I would be having a career crisis right now and I would be looking for a way out.

I am sure that some of this is the naive perspective of people who still look at doing anesthesiology every day as "the dream". There is plenty of time to become skeptical and jaded about anesthesiology, but one thing is for sure: avoiding internal medicine was clearly the right path for me. I am sure that CA-1 year is terrifying and difficult (or so EVERYONE says) but right now, it remains something to look forward to.

All that being said, intern year has not been as difficult as I imagined it might be. There have been some hard moments and long days, but overall my personal experience has been both easier and more enjoyable than I imagined. And it is SO much better than being a medical student. 🙂

 

[murdoc9]

Yeah. Internal medicine in theory could be very interesting and intellectually rewarding (loved learning all the pathology/pathophys), but I knew since the first week of my 3rd yr medicine rotation that the practice of gen med has become mostly an exercise in futility, made nearly intolerable by endless paperwork. Couldn't last the yrs until subspecialization, and even then I'm not convinced I'd enjoy the subspecialties.

Agreed re: intern year not being not too bad, but this is probably mostly because I'm at a community place. But it's definitely had it's moments... The times when I've been most engaged have been in the ICU and during surgery months hanging out with the anesthesia guys/gals.

 

[sheeed]

I'm more so shocked that we are almost at the halfway point. I'm at a community hospital in NYC and most days on the floor I can be out by 430 so I try not to complain too much. Just try and have fun where and when you can and take advantage of the pharm rep dinners till we make it better places

 

[Psai]

Yeah. Internal medicine in theory could be very interesting and intellectually rewarding (loved learning all the pathology/pathophys), but I knew since the first week of my 3rd yr medicine rotation that the practice of gen med has become mostly an exercise in futility, made nearly intolerable by endless paperwork. Couldn't last the yrs until subspecialization, and even then I'm not convinced I'd enjoy the subspecialties.

Agreed re: intern year not being not too bad, but this is probably mostly because I'm at a community place. But it's definitely had it's moments... The times when I've been most engaged have been in the ICU and during surgery months hanging out with the anesthesia guys/gals.

ratio of the amount of time i spend on internal medicine
reading notes: busywork like making appointments: writing notes: thinking about disease: seeing patients:
approximately 5:4:2:1:1

 

[RT2MD]

I am also feeling the intern blues... I'm in a prelim surgery year, and while the work is more enjoyable than I imagine IM to be, the hours get to me sometimes. The worst thing to me is that my prelim year is not at the same place as my anesthesia years. I've tried to commiserate with some of the anesthesia interns at my prelim program, but it's weird knowing that we won't be together next year. Just over 200 days until I'll be at my anesthesia program!!

 

[deleted162650]

Draggin this outta the archives just for you guys:



Life gets better. . . much, much better.

 

[RK.md]

You all are almost half-way done!! Keep it up! 🙂

 

[DocFocker]

It will be over soon and it does indeed get much better.

 

[deleted171991]

I'm in a prelim surgery year, and while the work is more enjoyable than I imagine IM to be

I would imagine just the opposite. 😉

 

[pastafan]

Just wait as you will all experience this phenomena: As the number of call nights you have left decreases, the more that you will hate each one. 😉 This will happen again during your training and career.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I am also feeling the intern blues... I'm in a prelim surgery year, and while the work is more enjoyable than I imagine IM to be, the hours get to me sometimes. The worst thing to me is that my prelim year is not at the same place as my anesthesia years. I've tried to commiserate with some of the anesthesia interns at my prelim program, but it's weird knowing that we won't be together next year. Just over 200 days until I'll be at my anesthesia program!!

I was in this position. I started to really enjoy the program I was at about 1/2 way through. Then uprooted to different city and program. There are days I still feel like I don't fit in, but it's coming along.

I definitely learned I would prefer a smaller hospital vs academics when job hunting comes around, but who knows where I'll be in the end.

 

[RT2MD]

Oh man. Doing a month of anesthesia during December. Glorious. Absolutely glorious. It's been great, had a nice mixture of days this first week - fast turnover rooms a few days with a couple days of long neuro cases mixed in.

Only 198 days until I leave for my anesthesia orientation... 😀

 

[sheeed]

anesthesia at my program is basically an unofficial vacation lol

 

[mja75]

Working night-float month now and, besides dreading the hustle/bustle of admission nights, I really can't complain about intern year thus far. Really lucky to be around a down-to-earth group of residents/attendings. Being close to the beach is the best decision ever too (having come from the northeast).

After having experienced and interacted with many different disciplines this year, I'm super happy/grateful I chose this specialty.

 

[Sirach38]

Working night-float month now and, besides dreading the hustle/bustle of admission nights, I really can't complain about intern year thus far. Really lucky to be around a down-to-earth group of residents/attendings. Being close to the beach is the best decision ever too (having come from the northeast).

After having experienced and interacted with many different disciplines this year, I'm super happy/grateful I chose this specialty.

What area are you in now?

 

[noise115]

Stay strong my friends. In my CA-1 year and it really is as awesome as you are expecting. Draining and mentally taxing because you are finally doing something you truly care about, but such a great field, which has definately exceeded my expectations.

 

[POW16]

We're at the half way point ! It beats being a med student. For me CCU has been the most intense rotation so far. Lots of call, busy work and steep learning curve. On the plus side, I did learn a lot. And a lot of it is relevant to anesthesia.

 

[hikikomori]

Learn as much as you can about medicine in your intern year. You are going to need it when you pre-op your patients before you bring them to the OR. You are not just a gas passer; you are a physician. It comes with lots of writing notes, rounding, etc. But if you just pay attention, you will learn a lot from medicine's clinical A/P. Hate to say this, an early IM R2 writes more well thought-out notes than a CA3. In fact, you are more likely to learn from a medicine subspecialty's notes than a pain fellow's. Did I mention the IM folks often quote relevant articles in their notes? What a piece of literature. Are we ever going to write notes? Yes, when you are on pre-op clinic, pain service, and sometimes in your anesthetics records if something is noteworthy. Enjoy your floor work. Wait until your CA1 and you'll feel the pain of a very labor-intensive gig.

 

[Laryngophed]

I think either @Noyac or @sevoflurane said to think of intern year as anesthesia appreciation months. I tell myself that every. single. day. That and a few of the faculty frequently remind us that "they can do lots of things, but they can't stop the clock."