One day down...

A month ago I graduated medical school with an M.D., but it wasn't until today that I became a doctor. Introducing myself as "Dr." all day felt strange on my tongue- I almost felt guilty, like I was impersonating someone else. And yet, it also felt comfortable, especially as bits of medical knowledge came back to me over the day. By the end of my shift I'd admitted 2 kids, seen several more, did an LP on one and calmed another. I know residency will get much much harder than it was today (PICU anyone?), but right now I am so happy to have survived the first day. More importantly, my patients did too.

In the Beginning

Next week I will start a three year residency in pediatrics- which for the uninitiated, means 80 hour work weeks and a schedule that's planned out a year in advance. I'm not sure exactly what purpose this blog will serve yet- probably part reflection, part updates to friends and family, part my way of retaining some creativity in the midst of all that medicine. After four years of writing nothing more substantial than H&Ps and progress notes I am looking forward to writing for fun again, even though it may not be very often...