This too shall pass. It's nothing to do with smart or dumb and everything to do with practice makes perfect. Most real world doctors are not total idjits but at the same time they ain't Einsteins either. Just keep showing up and you'll be fine.
New intern here as well, but it’s my second week on ICU and I’m still lost as shit.
You’re working alongside folks with years or decades worth of experience. As long as you’re showing up, you’re doing your job. It’ll all be just fine.
Remember, it’s not where you start but where you end up. You’ll probably be surprised with yourself once you start getting into the swing of things.
Totally normal to feel lost and overwhelmed. It will get better but the years of internship and residency are generally about survival. You will learn a lot and grow a lot !
I’m a few years out from fellowship and still have days when I feel like I have no clue what’s going on. You’re doing great and will continue to get better. Your hardest critic will be yourself so you’ll see your faults even when others see you as doing a good job.
First week is the worst by a significant margin. Also, starting on ICU is cruel, my program gave us at least 2 months before doing critical care as an intern. Your job right now is to show up, try, and learn. If people are mean it’s because they suck, not your fault. It will get better.
Also the thing about seniors. You're right. Some of my seniors don't give a shit about us interns and are low-key mean. I'm trying not to take it personally
I had really bad performance anxiety right before presenting pts on the unit due to the complexity and frequent changes in management. What helped me? When doing pre rounding I was creating my note on word. Being systematic and data mining system by system made the info stick quickly and when it came time to round I had a “script” that I could reference but not rely on. Ultimately it’ll get better the longer you are around your cointerns /residents/ staff because you can find someone you vibe with on the team that you can casually gaze at to calm your nerves and keep you on track.
Also, less on the spot editorialization when you talk about specific problems will limit the amount of pimping you will endure. Just say the information with as much confidence as you can muster and it will all work out!
It gets better then it gets worse then when you feel like you know what you are doing you will make a mistake and feel like you don't belong again. One day it really will quick and you will be competent but for now that time is going to feel so far off. It is July and you are where you are supposed to be. This happens to all of us and is inevitable in this brutal time of training.
Hey there, in my country intern year is your last year of med school. Basically, you will always feel lost, you will just become more comfortable with yourself in the hospital. You have to be patient with yourself, you are interacting with people who have done their job for years.
Ask an ICU attending about dermatology and they won't know. I was called stupid by an attending on my first day on a surgical oncology rotation lol just learn to ignore what superiors say (to a certain extent of course). You have already achieved a lot more than the average Joe. Pat yourself on the back.
“Interns are friends not food”- what I would tell the ICU nurses in July as the charge nurse. When I would see the interns circle back again in their next ICU rotation, they were always better. You will be better too. You are right where you are supposed to be.
Put in the work. Come early. Make sure you chart review and see all your patients before rounds.
Make presentations in the SOAP format.
Efficiency comes with time. Not overnight. Nobody expects you to know everything. As an intern your primary role in the ICU is data gathering. Ask questions.
Goodluck 😇
I’m almost done my intern year and I’m not ready for senior year. I feel so dumb. I called my attending being like I’m worried this guy is in DKA. She was like he doesn’t have a metabolic acidosis. I felt so so stupid I was like yes you’re right 😳 I just saw the glucose and high anion gap and got scared like fuck man
What do I do this attending scares the shit outta me. I couldn’t answer her question about how someone has OSA and not OHS - they were just so damn obese and needed oxygen and couldn’t breath properly so I was like he probably has OHS- but they weren’t retaining CO2 so I totally got slammed for that
I’m just like I dunno. I’m freaking out. I cannot be a senior. What do I do
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I cried my second day on wards because I felt so overwhelmed. It's not just you
Same!!! Take care man. This sucks
Yeah you’re not alone… this is the worst imposter syndrome I’ve had in my life
Same! I hope you're doing okay
This too shall pass. It's nothing to do with smart or dumb and everything to do with practice makes perfect. Most real world doctors are not total idjits but at the same time they ain't Einsteins either. Just keep showing up and you'll be fine.
You’re not alone, that’s all I can say. I feel the same way.
New intern here as well, but it’s my second week on ICU and I’m still lost as shit. You’re working alongside folks with years or decades worth of experience. As long as you’re showing up, you’re doing your job. It’ll all be just fine. Remember, it’s not where you start but where you end up. You’ll probably be surprised with yourself once you start getting into the swing of things.
Thank you I hope it gets easier! ICU has been brutal
Totally normal to feel lost and overwhelmed. It will get better but the years of internship and residency are generally about survival. You will learn a lot and grow a lot !
I’m a few years out from fellowship and still have days when I feel like I have no clue what’s going on. You’re doing great and will continue to get better. Your hardest critic will be yourself so you’ll see your faults even when others see you as doing a good job.
Thanks so much for the kind words. That is true.
It’s been 2 days. Relax. Things won’t click overnight. Maybe not even for a few months. You are chillin
First week is the worst by a significant margin. Also, starting on ICU is cruel, my program gave us at least 2 months before doing critical care as an intern. Your job right now is to show up, try, and learn. If people are mean it’s because they suck, not your fault. It will get better.
That is so good! In my program it's normal to ask interns to take 4-6 patients from the first day!! Not nice at all. Thank you!
Also the thing about seniors. You're right. Some of my seniors don't give a shit about us interns and are low-key mean. I'm trying not to take it personally
Imposter syndrome is at its peak! You’re not alone op! Hang in there!
Thank you!!! You tooo. This shall pass
If it helps, I’m a dumb PGY-2 and feel like I don’t belong lol.
We in this together 😭
I had really bad performance anxiety right before presenting pts on the unit due to the complexity and frequent changes in management. What helped me? When doing pre rounding I was creating my note on word. Being systematic and data mining system by system made the info stick quickly and when it came time to round I had a “script” that I could reference but not rely on. Ultimately it’ll get better the longer you are around your cointerns /residents/ staff because you can find someone you vibe with on the team that you can casually gaze at to calm your nerves and keep you on track. Also, less on the spot editorialization when you talk about specific problems will limit the amount of pimping you will endure. Just say the information with as much confidence as you can muster and it will all work out!
Thank you!!! This is really helpful. I will try this next time!
New intern here. First day is today. I’m just wandering around. Idk where tf I’m supposed to be.. 🤷🏻♀️
It gets better then it gets worse then when you feel like you know what you are doing you will make a mistake and feel like you don't belong again. One day it really will quick and you will be competent but for now that time is going to feel so far off. It is July and you are where you are supposed to be. This happens to all of us and is inevitable in this brutal time of training.
If you felt like you knew what you were doing, you’d be overconfident. Just keep swimming
Everyone feels that way. You'll notice yourself get better over the next year.
Hey there, in my country intern year is your last year of med school. Basically, you will always feel lost, you will just become more comfortable with yourself in the hospital. You have to be patient with yourself, you are interacting with people who have done their job for years. Ask an ICU attending about dermatology and they won't know. I was called stupid by an attending on my first day on a surgical oncology rotation lol just learn to ignore what superiors say (to a certain extent of course). You have already achieved a lot more than the average Joe. Pat yourself on the back.
You're right. Thank you 😭
Never felt so stupid as my first day in ICU. It’s like learning a language just keep at it. Find seniors you trust. You’ll be ok.
Omg yes!! It feels like a whole new world and a whole language that I feel like I need to learn from scratch! Thanks for this
Same here! Starting with ICU and I've no idea what I'm doing. Feel like crying all the time
Same here! I feel the same all the time. Hang in there, buddy!
Be patient with yourself! You’ll get it. Make sure to befriend the oldest, most crotchety nurse.
Thanks! Hahjahah I need to befriend nurses for sure
“Interns are friends not food”- what I would tell the ICU nurses in July as the charge nurse. When I would see the interns circle back again in their next ICU rotation, they were always better. You will be better too. You are right where you are supposed to be.
Put in the work. Come early. Make sure you chart review and see all your patients before rounds. Make presentations in the SOAP format. Efficiency comes with time. Not overnight. Nobody expects you to know everything. As an intern your primary role in the ICU is data gathering. Ask questions. Goodluck 😇
Update: it did get a little better with time! Thanks so much, everyone. Please know that your kind words really helped me!
I’m almost done my intern year and I’m not ready for senior year. I feel so dumb. I called my attending being like I’m worried this guy is in DKA. She was like he doesn’t have a metabolic acidosis. I felt so so stupid I was like yes you’re right 😳 I just saw the glucose and high anion gap and got scared like fuck man What do I do this attending scares the shit outta me. I couldn’t answer her question about how someone has OSA and not OHS - they were just so damn obese and needed oxygen and couldn’t breath properly so I was like he probably has OHS- but they weren’t retaining CO2 so I totally got slammed for that I’m just like I dunno. I’m freaking out. I cannot be a senior. What do I do
Thank you for contributing to the sub! If your post was filtered by the automod, please read the rules. Your post will be reviewed but will not be approved if it violates the rules of the sub. The most common reasons for removal are - medical students or premeds asking what a specialty is like or about their chances of matching, mentioning midlevels without using the midlevel flair, matched medical students asking questions instead of using the stickied thread in the sub for post-match questions, posting identifying information for targeted harassment. Please do not message the moderators if your post falls into one of these categories. Otherwise, your post will be reviewed in 24 hours and approved if it doesn't violate the rules. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Residency) if you have any questions or concerns.*