Leong Kah Mun, R1, shares with us her first year residency experience.
As a baby MO in Anaesthesia, one of my greatest fears was the alarm that seemed to only sound right after the senior leaves OT. While I would be stewing in distress, Boss would return, make a few quick adjustments and suddenly, all would be right with the patient (and the world) again. With experience, things have thankfully improved, but what continues to impress me is how our seniors manage to steer stressful situations into calmer waters with composure, decisiveness and forward thinking. Indeed if I can complete Residency and gain a measure of that quiet confidence and competence (all whilst consuming reasonable amounts of caffeine and remaining relatively radiation-free), I would count my training a success.
R1 Orientation month has come and gone in a blink of an eye and I'm not quite sure I have found my footing just yet. While the day-to-day work may be similar, the challenge as a resident is not reinventing the wheel, but rather how I should build upon current experience and do better, in clinical acumen, technical skills and communications.
So, to my fellow R1s, (borrowing a phrase from one of my favourite songs), let's get down to business.
And to our seniors, colleagues and nurses, 请多多指教 (a Chinese saying which roughly translates to looking forward to working and learning from you)!
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