When I was a resident ......

"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." ~William Jennings Bryan

with permission from Med
Sketches by Kimberly Wong

When I was a resident …..  These are words I dread saying as I refer back to a situation or an experience that somehow relates to today.  I am sure those who have heard or have said these words probably feel the same way I do.  It brings up memories of sitting in the car with my father listening to him drone on about some past experience and how it is applies to me and my life.  He would lay those words of wisdom on me as if they were so important.  I, in turn, would blow him off, using those sophomoric words, such as, “you don’t know what I’m going through”, “things have changed”, or “you have no idea how difficult my life is.”  Now, as I look back and remember all those words and sayings, I realize how wise they all were.

with permission from Med
Sketches by Kimberly Wong

A quote I commonly use when discussing experiences with students is by Gustave Flaubert, “there is no truth only perception.”  Nietzsche says it in a different way, “There are no facts, only interpretations.”  We evaluate everything through the lenses of our past experiences, belief structure, and current position.  When we see something today, we refer back to a pattern in our life that is similar and compare.  We take that and compare it to the situation at hand.  It is important to understand that memory is funny and it changes every time we access it.  It is influenced by more recent events, thoughts, and experiences.  

Residency today has changed immensely.  The amount of information a medical student and resident is expected to consume grows exponentially.  There is increased rigor in testing or quantifying a student’s retention of that knowledge.  Yet, the number of hours to acquire this has been restricted.  In my view, this has made residency much different than when I started almost 20 years ago. 

I am here revisiting my blog voice.  I want to give you my perspective today.  For those who have read my blog posts before, welcome back and I hope you will see some maturity in my thoughts.  For those who are new to me, welcome to my perspective.

A lot of us grow up and we grow out of the literal interpretation that we get when we're children, but we bear the scars all our life. Whether they're scars of beauty or scars of ugliness, it's pretty much in the eye of the beholder. ~Stephen King