The Modern Training Physician
By: Emma Fenske, DO
I attended a medical school where I was convinced many thought my name was Emily. To that end, I was not very surprised when my academic accomplishments, which would have reflected positively on the institution, were left without recognition entirely: editing for First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, attending a medical mission in Guatemala, or publishing various narrative medicine pieces.
Upon transitioning to a much more demanding role, interns are constantly facing new challenges: moving to a new community, financial stressors, integrating into and learning a new hospital system as well as juggling life stressors. Met with many social and financial stressors myself, I reflect at the end of my intern year grateful that I matched at the program I had. Everywhere I turned was a mentor of whom not only knew my name but my interests and passions both inside and outside of medicine.
As I met with my mentor at the end of the year, this sentiment was reinvigorated. While I knew previously “In some medical specialties and subspecialties, divorce rates climb over 50 percent…,” what I did not know was that I am also married to medicine. I entered my mentorship meeting fearful that I was a selfish person for not being able to maintain the bandwidth to nurture relationships with family and friends beyond medicine. “Keep moving forward and when you fall backwards, (and you will), you will still be further ahead than you were before.” My mentor reminded me, even though I felt as though I was the worst friend, partner, sister, and daughter, that my contributions my intern year prove that my efforts had been anything but selfish. These were words I needed to hear and left me feeling supported while lessening the burden I felt in my many roles as a training physician.
As I finish my intern year, it is unclear to me if I would have been able to succeed this year without the mentors I have been humbled to meet this year. The support my program cultivates has formed a culture of mentorship which I believe has not only bolstered my own approach to mentorship but will allow me the opportunity to be a better mentor to patients I encounter along my journey.
Acknowledgements: Sima Desai, MD, Katie Iossi, MD, Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD and the many mentors and residents I have encountered in a long, yet short intern year.
References:
Grizzard T. Love in the time of medical school. Am Fam Physician. 2002 Sep
1;66(5):907-8. PMID: 12322780.
Emma is a current PGY-3 in Internal Medicine at OHSU. She has a passion for narrative medicine, advocacy, addiction medicine, and end-of-life care. When not working, she can often be found running long distance, riding her motorcycle, or stopping mid-sentence to note a cute dog.
