When you think the hardest part is behind you, it really begins. That’s how career and professional growth are structured. You’ve passed medical school?! Congratulations! The next step is to get into the residency program. Here’s what you’ll face: document requirements, struggling to obtain a residency LOR (Letter of Recommendation), and interview prep—which you still need to land.
You’ve passed a hell of the circle of ERAS, the Match, and got the residency?! Congratulations, the next step begins here. Now, you need to survive the residency.
What’s the Point?
The best explanation of what residency is fits into the next two sentences:
Medical school taught you to talk like a doctor. Residency teaches you to think like one.
We’ve all seen countless movies about Navy SEAL training programs, right? Well, the movies don’t exaggerate – they actually undersell it a bit. Residency for medical school graduates is the equivalent of elite military training. It will be tough. Only the strongest will survive.
But after these challenging times, you’ll become part of the medical elite with some of the highest salaries in the world. It’s worth the effort! Be brave and feel our shoulder: we’re here to support you. Below, we’ve compiled our top 5 tips on how to survive and succeed in residency.
How to Successfully Survive the Residency: Forewarned is Forearmed
That’s the whole point. If you know what awaits you, you can prepare and go through residency to your cherished goal of being a Doctor of Medicine.
Tip One: Accept and Save the Energy
The truth: Our knowledge is not enough when it comes to real patients. People have their own emotions; they don’t speak the language of symptoms.
What do you do? Accept that some senior doctors and mentors may look down on you a bit. They’ve seen many residents come and go. Some were successful, others not. They know not everyone succeeds, and they may be a little skeptical about your chances of success.
Save your energy for the future when you’ll be right, not just from a textbook perspective but from an experience + textbook perspective. Then they’ll listen.
Tip Two: Trust and Authority Are Earned
The truth: Senior doctors have been through the same wringer you’re going through now. But they also have a whole lot more experience. So, as a wide-eyed newbie, your authority is about zero.
What can you do? Most people listen but don’t hear. You have to learn to listen to doctors, experienced nurses, and patients. It won’t be enough to grow your authority and trust in yourself. But the ability to listen and hear is the foundation. No matter how hard you try, you won’t move forward without those skills.
Tip Three: Balance
The truth: you’ll work a lot, get very tired, and not have enough time for sleep, hobbies, friends, family, or personal life.
What is your how-to here? The one that’s easy to say: find your work-life balance. But most importantly, don’t try to do everything at once. First, you need to adapt to the schedule and workload. Only then gradually add all the other aspects of life. Otherwise, it’ll be unbearably difficult, and you will burn out.
Tip Four: Study, Study, and Study Again
The truth: The more you learn, the more you’ll realize how little you know.
This is the fate of an intellectually developed person and doctors. Medical science and practical knowledge are constantly evolving. And you are still desperately trying to catch up. So, accept it: you will have to continually learn to maintain your status as a doctor of medicine.
Tip Five: Find Understanding and Support
The four previous points lead to the fifth truth: you will be constantly surrounded by people, but sometimes, you’ll feel alone.
What’s the must-do? You must build a support system with your fellow residents. You may be competitors, but you’re in this together. You understand each other’s struggles like no one else. Find words of encouragement, be each other’s listening ears and shoulders to cry on.
What will Bring You Peace of Mind
Want the truth? You’ll adapt to the challenges of residency anyway. And over time, it will get much easier.
Even in the toughest moments, remember: anything is possible. Just look at the doctors who came before you as living proof. They’ve been there. Doctors and mentors may be a bit skeptical of you right now, but in time, they’ll become your colleagues. Equals, just as respected and valued as you are. It’s worth the effort!
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