Navigating the first year of residency 

Nick Cronin

The beginning of residency is full of excitement. There are many highs and even more lows. School is finally over, and I am looking forward to starting professional life. The first year is when there is a feeling of imposter syndrome initially. Nobody tells you how to find a balance in your life—becoming efficient needs to be figured out many times. The first year is not easy, but plenty of strategies will make it manageable. After initially learning your responsibilities and managing the whirlwind of changes that come with it, the first step is finding stability in your work life. Getting paid a salary for the first time takes some getting used to after years of being a student. Buying that cafeteria lunch or going out to eat may seem more tempting than ever after getting paid. Packing a lunch can provide stability to your intern year in both a financial and routine sense, as attractive as buying or even skipping lunch, maybe.

Returning to previous routines or creating new practices help provide that stability. Finding some small recreational activity outside of the hospital is a great way to maintain mental health during a stressful filled intern year. Sometimes it will seem like there is no time for anything but work. Getting to the gym, playing a pick-up game of basketball or whatever sport you like, picking up an old hobby or new are all great ways to break up the pressure of a busy week. Relationships are a crucial part of the first year. Depending on your program, you may get to know internal medicine residents that start with you. Those connections are things not to take for granted, as those people can blossom into friends and people you have in your corner. It certainly helps when you have patients in common with those residents with who you’ve formed relationships. Having a support system is integral in dealing with the inevitable stress of the first year, and it can be easy to feel isolated. It’s essential to have a more senior resident to talk to. They can often help you deal with that stress and specific situations at work, teaching you some tricks to become more efficient. The first year of residency teaches you an abundance of lessons about becoming a podiatric surgeon, but it also grows you as a working professional. New experiences, people, and responsibilities tend to initially upset the balance in life. The important thing is to focus and get that balance back through a good routine, support system, and work ethic.

As I wrap up my first year at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, I had several preconceived notions about my academic career expectations. Many people talked to me about the challenges and difficulties that podiatry school may bring. I would hear from family members experienced in the medical realm, from peers in my undergraduate program, and from my mentors within the field itself. While preparing for the academic challenges ahead, everyone I spoke to described this time as challenging, scary, fast-paced, overwhelming, and competitive. I certainly knew that I was nervous to start podiatry school but was unsure of the specific challenges that it may bring. 

           As I wrap up my first semester at TU,  I would say that many of my expectations came true—but there were lots of pleasant surprises along the way. Personally, the most significant adjustment that I had to make was the time commitment. The change in my daily schedule from my undergraduate studies was drastic. For most of this first semester, my program consisted of 8 AM-5 PM classes filled with brand new information and studying through the pertinent information until approximately 10 PM daily (if I was lucky enough to end so early). The weekends became a great time to play catch up or study for an upcoming exam. It most definitely felt very overwhelming at times and was very fast-paced. Although this schedule change was daunting at first, this was something that I just had to get used to. It has ultimately made me a much more efficient person, but unfortunately, there was not much free time other than rare occasions with more significant breaks between exams.  

           When my class did have free time, it was nice to socialize and have fun with my peers. To my surprise and liking, the cut-throat competition aspect of my expectations did not hold. I felt that no one tried to hold anyone else back. We all try to help each other the best that we can. Whether in the anatomy lab discussing our dissections together or sharing Anki flashcard decks, I found that everyone was very humble and generous. The upperclassmen have also been extremely helpful on things to look out for, and so many outstanding tutors are willing to help you in any way possible.

Overall, it was a very challenging semester, but I have been feeling very privileged that I have gotten this opportunity to advance my education. There were times when coursework was piling up so high that it felt impossible for me to complete the assignments. However, it felt gratifying knowing that the hard work I put in was worth it and that I could triumph over these difficulties. Moving forward, I can’t wait to get the chance to work hands-on with patients and get more immersed and involved within the field of podiatry!