How Did You Stay Sane During Training?

Hoover  9 Sep, 2008  Residency Training

I didn’t, actually. I just worked all the time. I gained 25 pounds, and developed varicose veins and plantar faciitis so painful, I took analgesics constantly. My blood pressure went up, and despite my best efforts, I could not eat healthy as a resident. I developed prediabetes, and basically ignored my physical needs altogether. It is a show of weakness to express the need for the requirement of basic human needs as a surgical resident. Going to the bathroom was a big deal, actually. My only saving grace was the fact that I was only in my mid/late 20s, and my body tolerated the abuse…abuse that would be difficult (perhaps impossible) to physically recover from for someone a bit older.

I had no hobbies, nor could I engage in any meaningful discussion with other people (outside of medicine), since I had no time to engage in the world activities and issues. I became very one dimensional, and my entire identity became “me, the surgeon.”

Living the dream.

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4 Comments so far »

  1. Nate said

    September 9 2008 @ 10:38 pm

    This is yet another reason that I am pursuing a life scientist career over the cookie-cutter medical school path. Despite filling all of the pre-medical requirements that are also in my major (Biology B.S.), beginning research in pyschology and biology, and obtaining letters of recommendation, I will not consider myself a pre-med. I have no intention to give this “work harder for less” lifestyle a chance by applying to medical school. Time will tell if it’s the best decision, but hear me out:

    What good is all of the money if you’re spending 80 hours at work and sacrificing well-roundedness? What good is becoming so devoted to one occupation that all other aspects of your life dwindle into faded memories? I knew that I did not want to be a doctor by asking myself this simple question: If I had all the money in the world, would I still want to be working 80 hours a week and experience what this post just described? Also, adding a second, would I want to spend roughly half of my hours per week in a profession that causes neglect towards my other self-fulfilling, but non-profit interests?

    No and no.

    Even if this type of job offered me substantial income, what good would that be if I would have to suffer through hell to get there?

  2. X said

    September 10 2008 @ 6:25 am

    ^ SMART MOVE, NATE. Do it! I wish I had read this blog sooner, seriously. Like well before I even started thinking about med school, so I could have done something I actually want to do, not something my Asian parents want me to do :(.

    Med school blows, kids. Don’t do it if there’s anything else you’d rather be doing.

  3. Shining Hector said

    September 10 2008 @ 8:08 pm

    I don’t know if my school is just really cool, if I put off a don’t tread on me vibe, or med school is changing, but third year so far really hasn’t been a quarter of the horror it was made out to be. Maybe it’s a combination. I seem to get a lot of stories from residents and attendings about the shabby treatment they received was really pretty much inexcusable and they plan on breaking the cycle of abuse. Then they follow up on it by treating me like a human being who’s paying to be there. Haven’t hit any backstabbing evaluations yet that hit me for taking them up on their offer, either. The VA seems to still be a little old-school in places, but it’s so laid back there anyway it’s pretty easy to find the cracks to fall through if you’re so inclined. The students for the first OB and surgery rotations complained so much they’re changing a lot of things for the rest of us. I’m usually first to the pity party, but honestly the first two years probably wouldn’t have been as bad had I known it was going to be like this later.

  4. Superpig said

    September 12 2008 @ 8:24 pm

    i almost feel sorry for that resident. i say “almost” because it was his/her own dumbass decision to pursue his specialty of choice. and knowing med students’ and doctors’ tendencies for self-delusion and ego-inflation, that resident probably chose to go into surgery “to be a Surgeon.” well, congrats, Surgeon. you’re miserable, unhealthy, and no longer human. switch into rads, derm, path, PM&R, even EM, as soon as you can and start reclaiming your damn life.

    i’m with you on that 100%, Nate.

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