I'll admit it: I'm in awe of, and a little intimidated by, medical residents. Between the early call times, long hours, and flurry of patients and cases, I often find myself wondering how these doctors-in-training manage to do it all.
So I was amazed to learn about Michael Lin, a fourth-year resident in Stanford's combined internal medicine-anesthesia residency program. While most residents focus on just one field - like dermatology or surgery -- Lin spends his time training in both anesthesia and internal medicine. He's equally at home in the operating room prepping patients for surgery and in the internal medicine clinic treating outpatients.
But Lin also manages to squeeze in rock climbing outings to the gym and to meccas such as Yosemite National Park.
During a recent interview, I had the chance to speak with Lin about his dual interests, his experience at Stanford, and why doctors make great rock climbing partners. Here's an excerpt from our Q&A:
What initially drew you to both fields?
When I was a medical student, I was interested in critical care and I was trying to decide which training route I wanted to take during my residency. I met with a lot of anesthesiologists and pulmonary critical care doctors who said that you get certain, specific skill sets from the medicine training and the anesthesia training. I realized that I didn't want to choose. I wanted both skill sets.
One thing that has really drawn residents into this program is the critical care component. The ICU is really the intersection of medicine and anesthesia. You're encountering critically ill patients with severe pathologies, so you need skills in acute resuscitation and advanced medical support that anesthesiologists are accustomed to providing in the OR, but you also need to treat the underlying pathology that landed them there in the first place, which is more aligned with the work of internal medicine physicians.
And as for why doctors make the best rock climbers? Lin has a simple response: "They're detailed oriented and stay calm under stress, and you can trust them with your life."
The only downside, he says, is that they always seem to be on call.
Previously: Stanford Internal Medicine Residency program to host Google+ Hangout, My couple's match: Applying for medical residency as a duo and "We are a team": Advice for new residents from chief residents, in their own words
Photo by Norbert von der Groeben
