Liana Tedesco, MD | Aaron Brandt, MD
September 11, 2024
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Congratulations! You made it to the other side of the arduous match process. First things first, give yourself a pat on the back. You worked hard and you should celebrate this accomplishment. There are a few things you can do before you start residency to ensure you are refreshed and ready to go – but, to assuage your anxiety, know that the best thing you can do to prepare before residency is take some time for yourself so that you can show up to residency read to work and ready to learn.
1Logistics/Onboarding
Ask your residency coordinator what documents you need to collect for your onboarding process. The earlier you know, the less likely you will be scrambling at the start. This process can be long, so the sooner you identify what you need to do, the less stressful it may be. Do not forget to ask what your start date will be! This can vary based on residency as some start prior to July 1 with an ortho bootcamp. Once you know this, you can play the next few months accordingly.
2Travel
Is there some place you have always wanted to go? This is the time! You have few responsibilities at the moment, so take advantage. Whether a local excursion, a cross country road trip, or an adventure across the world, this is one of the best times to take an extended trip where you can truly relax and enjoy.
3Identify Priorities
Now that you will be (likely) moving, starting your training in earnest, it is important to do some self-reflection as once residency starts, you will be drinking from the firehose once again. Is living close to the hospital important to you or would you rather have some space from work? Will your family be close by and how important is being close to you? How do you de-stress – working out? hiking? cooking? Knowing what is best for you in times when you are overwhelmed and need to take a break is critical so that you can maximize that time. Once you understand this, you can start to build your new routine. It will be hard when you start, but having this sorted (subject to change, of course), will help you manage the start of this next journey.
4Clinical Preparation
Of course, one can always be reading! How to read X-Rays or a fracture handbook is a great way to keep this clinical information at the top of mind. However, no matter how much prep you do, the world changes the day you start residency and that firehouse isn’t going to hit any less.
5Get Involved
When polling some junior residents, getting involved in research came up. While this is certainly not necessary for everyone, if you DO have a specific interest in research, you may want to take a few minutes to review the work that residents and attendings are doing at your new institution. When something peaks your interest, reach out via email and ask to get involved so that you can hit the ground running.
Give yourself some grace during this time and so something for you. Every year of training your head will swim a little less and your confidence will grow. You will make mistakes – everyone does! However, if you work hard and have a good attitude, especially when doing some of the more “scut”-like tasks, it will go a long way. Residents and attendings alike are looking for interns who are coachable. Befriend everyone you meet in the hospital. Life is easier in the ED/radiology suite/OR/consult room when you have people by your side. The most important thing to do between now and residency is enjoy yourself as finding time for yourself, your friends, and your family will definitely get harder as you start residency. Once you start, keep building on your fund of knowledge wherever that stands. You are ready for the next step!
DISCLOSURES: Dr. Tedesco This individual reported nothing to disclose. Dr. Brandt This individual reported nothing to disclose.
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