Internship starts in 2 weeks OH NO!

[Poety]

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Dear God PULEASE don't let me hurt anyone


SOLID? ARE YOU FREAKING OUT YET?

Were you this nervous Sazi? DS?

I also like staying home with baby - I really hpe this is going to be worth missing the greatest moments of her life 🙁

MBK2003, did you feel like that about leaving your little ones? OPD?

 

[Solideliquid]

Dear God PULEASE don't let me hurt anyone


SOLID? ARE YOU FREAKING OUT YET?

Were you this nervous Sazi? DS?

I also like staying home with baby - I really hpe this is going to be worth missing the greatest moments of her life 🙁

MBK2003, did you feel like that about leaving your little ones? OPD?

meh, the force is strong with me.

 

[MBK2003]

MBK2003, did you feel like that about leaving your little ones?

I started PGY-1 on maternity leave, so when I came back I was over the top nervous, not sleeping due to a VERY colicky baby and nervous I'd kill someone the first day.

Honestly, intern year it rarely seemed worth it leaving the house at 5:10am everyday. There were a few nicer months (ahh... geriatrics, 🙂 ), but for the most part it sucked. Yeah, yeah, I know learning medicine the hard way so I can be a competent psychiatrist, but why did I have to spend 90 hrs a week in the hospital?

PGY-2 was better (except for a grueling 4 month experience on a certain inpatient unit), definitely better to see the light of day once in a while.

PGY-3 has been surprisingly busy, but the ability to have large chunks of weekends free (this year and last) to spend with the kids more than makes up for the twice to three times a week staying until 8:30pm to see pts.

I'm looking forward to PGY-4 (except for 4 months of C/L, god help me 😱 ), lower patient load, more free time for reading, and more time with the kids.

Looking back, I'm still surprised my marriage survived intern year (perhaps my husband shares my masochism). I was never home and when I was I wasn't mentally there or just crying in a corner from sheer exhaustion. OTOH, the interns who followed me and this year's PGY-1s report that work hours and working conditions have SIGNIFICANTLY improved in the light of my year's meticulous recording of work hours and the ALMOST DAILY work hours violations. The moral of the story, it gets better every year, and if it doesn't YELL and SCREAM until the administration makes changes so it does get better.

Leaving the kids is never easy, however, at times during the intern year (by the end) this gets compensated by a feeling of mastery in what you do on the medicine wards or ICU. Nothing beats the feeling of leaving your last call at the end of PGY-1, signing out your patients to the incoming PGY-1 thinking, "God what they have ahead of them" and "Gosh they look so young, and I look so old now."

Sorry to be a downer, I was never able to look back upon my intern year fondly. Probably others had much better experiences, I was stuck in a malignant medicine program which was an inch away from ACGME fines for work hours violations.

MBK2003

 

[Anasazi23]

I'm looking forward to PGY-4 (except for 4 months of C/L, god help me 😱 ), lower patient load, more free time for reading, and more time with the kids.

Looking back, I'm still surprised my marriage survived intern year (perhaps my husband shares my masochism). I was never home and when I was I wasn't mentally there or just crying in a corner from sheer exhaustion. OTOH, the interns who followed me and this year's PGY-1s report that work hours and working conditions have SIGNIFICANTLY improved in the light of my year's meticulous recording of work hours and the ALMOST DAILY work hours violations. The moral of the story, it gets better every year, and if it doesn't YELL and SCREAM until the administration makes changes so it does get better.

Leaving the kids is never easy, however, at times during the intern year (by the end) this gets compensated by a feeling of mastery in what you do on the medicine wards or ICU. Nothing beats the feeling of leaving your last call at the end of PGY-1, signing out your patients to the incoming PGY-1 thinking, "God what they have ahead of them" and "Gosh they look so young, and I look so old now."

Sorry to be a downer, I was never able to look back upon my intern year fondly. Probably others had much better experiences, I was stuck in a malignant medicine program which was an inch away from ACGME fines for work hours violations.

MBK2003

Sounds awful. Most of us have been in a similar situation.

It does get better each year, from what I can tell.

You'll be fine Poety. Just keep reading and don't get burned out. [easier said that done]

Take vacations and enjoy them, enjoy your free time, and enjoy the CN. Residency is only 4 years. A psychiatry career is lifetime. This is only a small [albeit significant] step. It's temporary.

 

[Doc Samson]

Dear God PULEASE don't let me hurt anyone


SOLID? ARE YOU FREAKING OUT YET?

Were you this nervous Sazi? DS?

I also like staying home with baby - I really hpe this is going to be worth missing the greatest moments of her life 🙁

MBK2003, did you feel like that about leaving your little ones? OPD?

If it makes you feel any better, our interns start on Friday.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

..
MBK2003, did you feel like that about leaving your little ones? OPD?

Well, um, sorry but...um, I'm a dad, so uh...
...well, there are times that my kids make me long for the relative peace and quiet of a psych ward... 😳

 

[Anasazi23]

Just don't KILL anyone.



That's all.

 

[Poety]

Just don't KILL anyone.



That's all.

OH THATS NICE SAZI WAY TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF A NEW INTERN
]]

Solid: go to hades mr. force be with you 😛

MBK, thanks so much for your response, so I take it you were a medicine resident first? I don't do inpatient med until the end of my intern year, I do outpt and lots of subspecialties in psych, 2nd year is all outpatient.

I am excied to be around the other residents, just nervous about call, and being intellignt enough to pass rotations (reading horror stories on here freaks me out!)

Does anyone recommend a palm? Or can I do the books in pocket thing - I just don't want to look like an idiot looking up everything to "refresh" ya know?

OPD: I know you're a dad! CLearly it works in the opposite for you guys

 

[OldPsychDoc]

OPD: I know you're a dad! Clearly it works in the opposite for you guys

Yeah--the other thing is that as "the attending", when I'm at work people actually listen to me and do what I say. At home I can't even get the orders taken off the chart when I write them!

 

[Poety]

Yeah--the other thing is that as "the attending", when I'm at work people actually listen to me and do what I say. At home I can't even get the orders taken off the chart when I write them!

No one really listens, they just pretend 😉

 

[MBK2003]

MBK, thanks so much for your response, so I take it you were a medicine resident first?

No, but I did have 7 months of inpatient medicine, including ICU during my intern year and we are essentially thrown in like a prelim IM intern. Our program loves the philosophy:
"That which doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger (and bitter)"

Just be aware that with your medicine at the end of the year you'll be at level 1 and your IM cointerns will be at level 100 in their training/learning curve. You won't kill anyone on an inpatient psych unit as an intern, it just doesn't happen because there's way too much supervision.

MBK2003

 

[MDhasbeen]

howdy poety and other regulars!

i've been away from here enjoying the last, precious moments of freedom before internship. hard to believe we're almost residents! i start with a couple months inpatient psych, then move on to medicine oct-dec. woot!

how do you like the premeditated third incarnation of my sn? poety, have you moved south of the mason-dixon yet? i see the kid's growing up before our eyes. anything else shakin' here?

xoxo,
MDhasbeen

 

[Poety]

howdy poety and other regulars!

i've been away from here enjoying the last, precious moments of freedom before internship. hard to believe we're almost residents! i start with a couple months inpatient psych, then move on to medicine oct-dec. woot!

how do you like the premeditated third incarnation of my sn? poety, have you moved south of the mason-dixon yet? i see the kid's growing up before our eyes. anything else shakin' here?

xoxo,
MDhasbeen

HEY BABY!!!!!!!!!!! IM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOu! Wanna hear something TOTALLY WEIRD?~ I was GOING TO START A THREAD saying "WHERE ARE YOU MDGONNA!" but now you responded here We're astronimically connected in cyber space 😉 How r u? The CN is getting HUGE, walking already! And isn't she precious? We've all been here hanging on, discussing tits and tats of stuff, but I'm so glad you're back!

Are you nervous? Are you excited? Whats going through that beatie little mind of yours? do tell 😉

So happy to see you, congrats on graduation - don't forget to pm either about our usual topics k? 😳 😀 😛 😍

 

[Solideliquid]

I'm not on call until the 6th! Yessssssssss!

 

[Poety]

I'm not on call until the 6th! Yessssssssss!

Ewww you have call that early? I don't think I have call until like 4 months in. I'm not sure though, so don't hold me to it. I'll let you know.


YOUR FIRST CALL WILL BE A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE WOOO HOOO Solid! I take it you're at your new place now?

 

[Solideliquid]

Ewww you have call that early? I don't think I have call until like 4 months in. I'm not sure though, so don't hold me to it. I'll let you know.


YOUR FIRST CALL WILL BE A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE WOOO HOOO Solid! I take it you're at your new place now?

Waaaaaaaaa? I'm transfering.

 

[Doc Samson]

Waaaaaaaaa? I'm transfering.

Our interns start call this Monday. Early bird catches something, right?

 

[MDhasbeen]

HEY BABY!!!!!!!!!!! IM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOu! Wanna hear something TOTALLY WEIRD?~ I was GOING TO START A THREAD saying "WHERE ARE YOU MDGONNA!" but now you responded here We're astronimically connected in cyber space 😉 How r u? The CN is getting HUGE, walking already! And isn't she precious? We've all been here hanging on, discussing tits and tats of stuff, but I'm so glad you're back!

Are you nervous? Are you excited? Whats going through that beatie little mind of yours? do tell 😉

spoken like a true shrink. hmmm... scared? ha! after my icu rotation a mere month ago, i don't really feel all that concerned about what internship may bring my way. yeah, it'll be more stressful than being a med student. but when given responsibility i tend to become more motivated to LEARN, and that's what's most important about residency. thus i'm pretty, well, "psyched." 😉

So happy to see you, congrats on graduation - don't forget to pm either about our usual topics k? 😳 😀 😛 😍

ah yes. well, not too many interesting updates aside from the move and a possible upcoming tour by a certain rock star. good to hear the cn's doing well... whatever "cn" stands for. haha. pm to let me know what's up with you!

 

[Hurricane]

Got my schedule. First 2 months in PES. We have a huge busy one here. I'm on days in July - 6AM to 6PM five days a week, then nights in August with the opposite schedule. Eek. Oh well, at least I get to wear pajamas to work...

 

[Solideliquid]

Got my schedule. First 2 months in PES. We have a huge busy one here. I'm on days in July - 6AM to 6PM five days a week, then nights in August with the opposite schedule. Eek. Oh well, at least I get to wear pajamas to work...

PES??

I am on the psych inpt. floor for the first two months. Schedule is about 8am-4:30pm about 6 calls a month for now. Pretty nice, I think.

We don't have a night float. So I guess that's a good thing, or not. I'll let you know

EDIT: Oh and weekends we just round from like 8 to 12 or so. Unless you are on call that day, 8am to 8am the next day.

 

[Poety]

We don't have call overnight at all except for on medicine, which is actually with a night float service so we only do short call - so in essense, the only true call we have is in second year (when we want it) which is moonlighting - which I'm going to do to pay down my loans ofcourse.

We do have a week of pager call during inpt psych, but thats it, no going in or anything except to round on weekends, but other than that, our schedule is 8:30-5p QD no weekends.

btw, I love my program and the residents and faculty are top notch, I'm so happy here!

 

[littlepurplepil]

We don't have call overnight at all except for on medicine, which is actually with a night float service so we only do short call - so in essense, the only true call we have is in second year (when we want it) which is moonlighting - which I'm going to do to pay down my loans ofcourse.

We do have a week of pager call during inpt psych, but thats it, no going in or anything except to round on weekends, but other than that, our schedule is 8:30-5p QD no weekends.

btw, I love my program and the residents and faculty are top notch, I'm so happy here!

Could your life BE any easier? 😕 I'm gonna start my 4th yr of med school soon and I don't think I'll have it as good as you. Maybe I should rethink my plans and look into southern programs

 

[Solideliquid]

We don't have call overnight at all except for on medicine, which is actually with a night float service so we only do short call - so in essense, the only true call we have is in second year (when we want it) which is moonlighting - which I'm going to do to pay down my loans ofcourse.

We do have a week of pager call during inpt psych, but thats it, no going in or anything except to round on weekends, but other than that, our schedule is 8:30-5p QD no weekends.

btw, I love my program and the residents and faculty are top notch, I'm so happy here!

You don't have to round on sat. and sun. morning even??!!

 

[Poety]

You don't have to round on sat. and sun. morning even??!!

Oh yeah, we round on weekend am's but thats it - I'm just so glad I won't have any of those horrendous overnights (which remind me of OBGYN nightmares) I don't do well on a significant lack of sleep. What I like the most is that this residency believes you DON'T learn well under sleep deprived states and under severe pressure to do the right thing - they prefer to have you guided through the process to learn how to make the right decisions, and as you progress, more and more responsibility is placed on you. We have a lot of time to study and lots of time to pursue our academic interests as well which I think is important - today they explained to us, don't feel like the buck stops here with you, because it doesn't - you're here to LEARN, so the buck still stops with us, enjoy it while you can 😀 😳

Solid, you havea great group of residents too - are you excited? Is everyone pumped up?

 

[Hurricane]

Working a month of nights apparently really sucks, but the upside is that we do this twice, and then for the rest of residency call = home call.

I really like the residents here. They're all so helpful. One of them showed me around PES today since I'll be starting Saturday morning and they're won't be any residents around that day. Eek.

Tomorrow I have orientation at the VA. I hope Google Maps gets me there...

 

[Doc Samson]

Fellowship starts in 2 days! 😱 😱

I'm on call... wait, oh yeah, there is no call.... never mind. 😛 😉

 

[fiatslug]

Fellowship starts in 2 days! 😱 😱

I'm on call... wait, oh yeah, there is no call.... never mind. 😛 😉

Cool! What field are you "fellowing" in? Congrats! 😀

 

[Poety]

Working a month of nights apparently really sucks, but the upside is that we do this twice, and then for the rest of residency call = home call.

I really like the residents here. They're all so helpful. One of them showed me around PES today since I'll be starting Saturday morning and they're won't be any residents around that day. Eek.

Tomorrow I have orientation at the VA. I hope Google Maps gets me there...

Orientation is the bane of my existence, thank God for my fellow interns palm games, and ofcourse, my Amy Tan books 🙂

congrats DS, I'm seriously thinking of forensics for my fellowship, I'm fascinated with that field! Many of our reisdnets are doing child and then forensics.

 

[Doc Samson]

Cool! What field are you "fellowing" in? Congrats! 😀

Psychosomatic Medicine, the artist formerly known as Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry.

 

[Anasazi23]

The more residency I do, the more I just want to be friggin done and forget about fellowship in two years.

I'd be happy enough in adult psychiatry.

 

[whopper]

Again not make Psychiatry look bad.

but IMHO there's not much to be scared about in psychiatry compared to the other fields. E.g. in Medicine, Surgery, Ob-Gyn its real easy to kill a patient if you don't know what you're doing.

In Psychiatry-the only times (99%) where life hangs in balance is discharging a patient (they might be suicidal) or medicating an agitated patient.

Once you got those 2 things nailed down, everything else is something where you got the time to always double check, take your time to do the research etc.

My advice--learn those 2 things I mentioned-treating agitated patients and knowing the safe guidelines to discharge a patient.

Aside from that, I'd only be worried if you know your program's schedule is going to kill you or you got one of those abusive pimp doctors. My own program is great---as a PGY 1 you're on call 6 times a month, calls are not all nighters (you get to go home at 10pm) have 1 weekend call a month and you're in 8am & usually out by 5 & BEST OF ALL NO PIMPING.