Internship update: Day 2

It's past time for bed, but I just wanted to briefly share that Day 2 was better than my first day on the floors. I knew that adjusting to such long hours would be hard, but I didn't realize just how long they would be. By the end of my first day I questioned whether I could adhere to this ascetic wake-eat-commute-work-commute&eat-shower-sleep lifestyle. I considered it a mixed blessing that I didn't comprehend even the most basic challenges internship would bring.

If I had known more about this in advance I'm not sure I would have chosen to pursue medicine. This may sound hyperbolic, but many former interns have told me they wanted to quit every day during their first couple of months of internship. Then several current interns & residents assured me that I will adjust and the year will fly by. I take comfort in these bits of advice and try to recall that adjusting to medical school and the freezing East Coast winters must have been hard for me at one time.

Fortunately, I have a great resident to show me the ropes and expect to continually improve with time, practice, & guidance. Everyone I have encountered has been very welcoming and willing to answer my many questions or help me to find my way. I also enjoy seeing patients, although I feel so pressed for time each day. I'm torn between trying to be more efficient and my detail-oriented nature/fear of missing something important.

I want to add that I don't think I could do this without Mike's support. He has been amazing about getting up each morning with me to fix a hearty breakfast and send me off with plenty of food for the day. I'm pretty sure that today's VitaMix veggie smoothies at breakfast and lunch were pivotal in keeping my energy steady throughout the day.

Of course I'm not out of the woods yet, but I'll keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope to make it through this thing with my body & soul intact, along with a solid set of new skills I can use during residency and in my future practice.