First of July, Time and Again

July 1st is an important day in my life, and in the lives of all the physicians who are trained in the USA. This day, 28 years back I started my residency at Flushing Hospital. Three years later it was the first day of my fellowship in Hematology /Oncology at Westchester County Medical Center and again three years later, it was the first day of my job in Forest Hills where I joined a practice of medical oncology.

This is an anniversary, three times over. And similar is the story of all the doctors I know: my wife, siblings, cousins, nephews, friends, class mates and others included.  

Making rounds in the hospitals today I saw young physicians starting this journey of their lives; young, energetic, excited, some a bit nervous, they reminded me of my first day. 

World is a smaller place now than the time I started. Most of the foreign graduates like me had no exposure of American health system before that first of July. There was the difference of language, and I was unaware of the expectations of the patients, hospital staff and the dreaded senior resident. Among ourselves, the first years, we bonded well; some of the connections are still alive and strong. With time one realizes that the basic human interaction is same, across borders, languages and cultures. 

It is strange to realize what a difference those three years make in one's life. There is a sharp learning curve. You start as a novice and end up with a confident feeling, which at times may be erroneous.  

It is perhaps the most strenuous and rigorous time in the life of a doctor. I thought I had been through much rugged times in my previous life, but none equaled the time of residency. At the end of it, one has been through the final cast. What good or bad you learn, it would stay with you for the rest of your professional life. It is very hard to change after that. 

Outside of hospital. this is an equally important time in our lives. Most of us got married during that time. Many became parents for the first time. While job obligations are unrelenting, home obligations start to build up. If you find out how to do the balancing act at that time, you are good for the rest of the run.

While the doctor in training is there to widen the knowledge base and hone the skills of the trade, the hospital looks at the resident not much more than cheep labor. Some hospitals do better than others in and some residents take it better than others. At times it can be quite humiliating. By the June 30th of the last year, it is always rewarding. 

This June 30th, a young resident lost her life to senseless murder by a former fellow worker in Bronx Lebanon. I never thought our jobs could be that risky. Kudos to those who are in the line of fire.

So, Happy Anniversary to all of us, and good luck to those who are at the first step of this journey