Residency is an important milestone in a physician’s career that represents years of dedication, discipline, and acumen. This next step in your medical training may seem daunting, but six recent St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine graduates have advice for the next class of rising physicians entering their residency programs. Here are five tips that can help you to be successful during residency and to understand how medical residency works.

1. Embrace your new role

Moving up from student to resident means that there will be newer, higher expectations, especially when it comes to the care you deliver.

“Those are your patients. You are the primary (physician),” says David Thomas, MD ’12, an advanced clinical fellow of transplant and oncology infectious diseases at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Do your best to carry out any tasks that your seniors or attending give you as efficiently and competently as you can.”

Residency comes with more than just new responsibilities. It also comes with the need for a solid mindset and positive habits.

William Cobb, MD ’22, a general surgery resident at Advent Health Orlando, likens the feeling of starting residency to starting medical school—it may be intimidating at first, but doable with the right mindset and habits.

“If you show up early, work hard, have a positive attitude, be open to constructive criticism, and have a smile on your face every day then you will succeed,” he says.

Importantly, Dr. Cobb says that being open to constructive criticism and accepting feedback can allow you to build stronger relationships with your fellow residents and attendings.

Not only will this help create a better experience, but you may also find that you have additional support and perspectives to help you provide quality care to your patients.

2. Never stop learning

Matching into residency is inarguably a testament to your skills and hard work, but by no means does it signify the end of learning.
Julie Hansen, MD ’22, an internal medicine, physician-scientist track resident at the Medical College of Wisconsin, reassures that it’s normal to not have all the answers or solutions and encourages seeking guidance as needed.

“It’s okay to ask for help or get clarification, and don’t forget to double-check your orders and make sure your notes are signed,” says Dr. Hansen.

In fact, asking for help and using caution can be beneficial for patients.

“Always be curious about any abnormal finding. Don’t worry about sounding the alarm and it being nothing. It’s your job to sound the alarm if something is off. You must investigate. Let your seniors and attending with more experience decide if it’s really nothing to worry about,” says Dr. Thomas.

Being curious also means continuing to grow as a physician and seek out knowledge, he adds. Dr. Thomas recommends reading materials to help you expand your knowledge base for at least an hour a day. If you’re too tired to read, then he recommends looking at clinical images.

That said, continuing to learn and study is only one, albeit big, element to success in residency. You must also develop the necessary soft skills to be a caring physician, a reliable employee, and a positive team player.

“Learning medicine is the easy part. Being a good person, being professional and (being) accountable cannot be taught,” says Nicholas D. Panting, MD ’19, a practicing physician of family medicine and obstetrics in Elkhart IN.

3. Don’t neglect your own well-being

While it may seem obvious, that doesn’t make this tip any less important to survive medical residency! Dr. Thomas sums it up nicely:
“Absolutely critically—eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, and don’t neglect your friends and family more than you have to,” he says. “This is all about finding balance as you get better at your practice. Most of all enjoy yourself and have fun in your duties. You’ve finally arrived!”

4. Remember: You are capable

Imposter syndrome, or the perception of one’s skills as inferior and their accomplishments as undeserved, can easily set in with an unfamiliar environment and high expectations. Remember that matching into residency is the result of years of your hard work and dedication. Even if adapting to your new role is challenging in the beginning, that does not mean you don’t deserve it!

Dr. Hansen shares her experience of watching how residents grow in their first years.

“The first three months will be a learning curve to get down your program’s processes, procedures, and even EMR, so give yourself grace,” she says. “In months four through six, you’ll settle in and become efficient. Imposter syndrome will slowly start to fade. In the last six months, you’ll be in a flow and learning tips and skills for being a senior in the upcoming year. Intern year is challenging and long. We all know that, but it gets easier. By the end of the year, you’ll be like, ‘Wow, I know so much.’ You’ll be more confident in your ability to make decisions and care for patients.”

Keep in mind that you’re not meant to know everything when you start residency as there will be opportunities to advance personally and professionally.

5. Enjoy the ride

Remember that residency is an exciting time! You are embarking on a wonderful, new journey in your medical career.

“Do not think of residency as a destination or finish line. This is a new and equally demanding challenge and adventure that will push you to your limits and reward you equally. Enjoy the hustle—both the ups and downs—you will one day look back upon it with nostalgia,” says Mahdi Khattabi, MD ’21, a trauma surgery resident in New York City.

Lastly, just as the SGU community was there for you during your studies and training, it is there for you on your residency journey and beyond through its active and accomplished alumni network.

Ramona Mittal, MD ’23, an internal medicine resident in Virtua Voorhees Hospital in Voorhees, NJ, encourages rising residents to seize this new opportunity, saying, “It’ll feel like a rollercoaster but embrace every moment and take it in. This is the day you’ve worked so hard for!”

See practicing medicine in your future? SGU can help

St. George’s University Medical School can equip students for success in their medical careers. Do you have questions about the SGU experience? Learn more about the SGU medical school experience.

You can also find more information about how to get started, check out our article “Understanding the Medical School Application Process.”