There are many things chief residents want new residents to know right out the gate, but much of that goes unsaid. So the blog Academic Life in Emergency Medicine recently put together a list titled "Dear Residents: 10 Things Your New Chiefs Want You to Know." Each one was written by a different chief resident, as part of the blog's Chief Resident Incubator project.
It's a thoughtful collection of reflections that offers an interesting mix of poignant comments and practical advice. The full list is worth a read, but a few stand out:
"WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE CRYING, CRY TO ME."
...Know that every one of your attendings and senior residents continue to go through these same trials. When you find yourself on the ropes and feeling utterly alone, call us. We might not be able to make that Surgical ICU rotation any less painful, but we'll at least buy you a beer and share some stories from our own days working the surgery salt mine.
(Rory Stuart, Chief Resident, Wright State University, Dayton, OH)
...
WE ARE A TEAM
...Our learning should not only take place during scheduled conference time; we can all learn from each other. Share your successes and failures. Teach us all what you know, and what you wish you would have known. When we get out on our own, we all represent this residency program. Together we can make each other and this program better.
(Valerie Cohen, Chief Resident, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE)
NEITHER RESIDENCY NOR LIFE ARE FAIR. USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE
...Your week long string of night shifts was not borne of malice or vendetta. We try to make decisions that are in the best interest of the program and we ALWAYS consider your requests.
Your faculty, chiefs, and colleagues are paying attention to how you react to these perceived slights. When you take that extra shift in stride, we'll notice. When you take on a task that nobody else stepped up for, we'll notice. When you swap into a weekend night shift so a co-resident can celebrate an anniversary or birthday, we'll notice.
(Jimmy Lindsey, Chief Resident, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL)
Previously: Soon-to-be medicine resident reflects on what makes a good teacher, Keeping an even keel: Stanford surgery residents learn to balance work and life and A call to action to improve balance and reduce stress in the lives of resident physicians
Via Wing of Zock
Photo by U.S. Navy
