Staying Human During Residency
My husband called me on his first day of residency to let me know that the call schedule was out. “I guess I’m not coming home after all,” he added. “I’m on call tonight.” In a way, it was kind of exciting. He was finished with medical school and was officially was taking his first night of call as a real doctor. I took our children for a walk that evening, got them into bed, and then snuggled up in bed with a good book.
Within a few months, though, the relentless cycle of call started to take its toll on all of us. Q3 call wasn’t exciting anymore … it was downright miserable. He worked 36 hours shifts, came home and slept, woke up, and went back to work. I found myself alone most of the time, and with a toddler and new baby, I missed his companionship and help. I had a support system though. The iMSN became my lifeline during the final years of his training. Though my husband could commiserate with some of his fellow residents and fellows, he was exposed to abusive attendings and a work environment that led him down a path precariously close to burnout. Many of his meals were from the vending machines in the hospital. He stopped walking, reading for pleasure, and generally taking time for his hobbies.
I wish Staying Human During Residency: How to Survive and Thrive after Medical School had been available while we were navigating the training years.
Dr. Allan Peterkin’s Fifth Edition of this guide for residents and fellows just hit the shelves. It is an excellent resource for helping docs in training to pick a specialty and training program, manage their stress and learn to take care of their physical and mental well-being through the stress and sleep-deprivation that can define medicine. There is also a wealth of information about financial management and student loan debt that is helpful for all of us.
If the doc in your life is struggling to find a balance between training and their personal lives, I highly recommend this book.
Disclaimer:
What is this Kris? A sponsored post?
No. This is just a great book for physicians- in-training and I want to share it with you. It has the potential to improve their lives, and by default, ours.
