There are plenty of things I want to work on in the New Year that are within my control. Then, there’s a significant number of things that aren’t. This vacation has given me time to think about how truly inhumane residency is. We work 60-100 hrs a week (duty hours are averaged over a month, and the month atribarily starts on a Sunday, making it pretty hard to break them as an IM resident.) If you want to do a competitive speciality, you do research in your free time. You study for step 3, then boards. Clinic time is written off as a “break,” but between writing notes, calling back patients, and filling out paperwork from insurance companies trying to slack on coverage, I can wrack up just as many hours as on my inpatient blocks. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I often hear this adage that, as a resident, I can accomplish self care if I prioritize it. But what’s left out of that is that in order to prioritize myself, I have to sacrifice something else- whether that’s time spent creating, or quality time with my fiancé, or seeing friends. It’s another demand for us to be superhuman against incredible odds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And I can’t tell myself that the point of residency is to make me a better doctor. I would be a better, more patient doctor if I could do all the things I tell my patients to do that I have very limited time for. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So my New Years resolution is to be kind to myself. Be accommodating. To recognize that though many of my friends are going through this with me, it’s not normal. To keep trying my best, but not to kick myself when I’m too exhausted to accomplish that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So…ahem. What’s your New Year’s resolution? . . #comic #webcomic #healthcare #burnout #resident #intern #inpatient #doctor #relatable #womeninmedicine #blackdoctors #graphicmedicine #premed #premedmotivation #residency #internalmedicine #medschool #medicine #medicalschool #medlife #md #medstudent #nurse #physician
I.M. Resident only a little jaded.