This whole process has been a whirlwind. From clicking the submit button on that ERAS application with sweaty palms, to receiving invitations and going on the interview trail adventure, to figuring out my rank list, and finally match day. I am very humbled and grateful that I matched, and that I will be at the program that I was most excited about for my 3-year family medicine residency. After match day, trying to figure out plans for my family, when to move, what to bring, how to pay for it…it’s all been a bit much. Then graduation. Oh the relief (and simultaneous panic!) of graduation.
I’m feeling nervous and excited. No more “oh, I’m just the student, let me go ask the resident.” Now that’s gonna be me. The weight of that responsibility, making decisions and writing orders, teaching medical students, delivering good or bad news to patients, is one which I do not take lightly. The keynote speaker at my graduation ceremony spoke eloquently. She said, while we did in fact earn these letters behind our names, being a physician is an absolute privilege. I agree. We are invited into the lives of perfect strangers and given the opportunity to use our knowledge to bring hope and healing. Of course, outcomes are not always what we desire, and it will also be challenging to work through this when it happens, and not internalize bad outcomes.
I am filled with gratitude. I believe I will be at the right place for me, and that I will be surrounded by people who will nurture me into the physician I am meant to be. Learning how to balance work and family life will be an ongoing challenge, but one that I welcome and that I recognize will never really end. This new season will challenge me in ways that I am certain I can’t even imagine right now, which is pretty scary. But it feels good to know that I’m continuing on the journey to fulfilling my potential.
JLDM 