Dear third-year medical students,
Welcome to the wards.
I remember this stage — basking in the glory of completing pre-clinicals, in the excitement of finally switching heavy textbooks for living, breathing people, in the realization that medical education now lies in the hands of those I wanted to heal. I would be sleeping less, but living more, because this was my purpose.
Remember this moment because this will be the most difficult year yet. Your humanity, empathy, and purpose will be challenged. You’ll experience exhaustion like never before. You’ll be broken down, time and time again. But still, find the resilience to stand. Never forget why you’re here.
Depending on where you start you might have an easier transition. You might find people willing to guide, teach you, take you from classroom to wards. You might be shoved in the operating room the first day and the scrub nurse will stare with eyes of fury as she protects her sterile field. You might be scolded over how you don’t know how to navigate the EMR, drilled on questions you don’t know, over, over, until you feel like you have learned nothing over the past years. This is luck, of who you are paired with, what rotation you begin and what team you’re joining. Some have forgotten they once were where you are now. Don’t let them get to you. You are meant to be here. Look in the mirror every morning with those dark eye bags of courage and bury that imposter syndrome. Every stumble is a lesson learned. Every failure will make you a stronger clinician. Practice, exposure, and experience brings competence. Hang in there.
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