Anyone can be a rock star! Having the right mindset goes a long way in helping to realize your potential. Keep these tips in mind throughout residency and rock out.
Be enthusiastic!
You worked very hard to get here. Don’t coast, and don’t squander your potential. In 2022, 748 applicants participated in the ophthalmology match process, but only 507 spots were filled. That means 32% of applicants never got the chance that you did. Remember the feeling you got when you found out you matched, and hold on to that gratitude. We are extraordinarily lucky to be able to protect and restore sight. It is a gift that we share every day in our practice.
Remember why you are here.
In residency it’s easy to get bogged down with day- to-day tasks and lose sight of the goal. Make yourself remember that we (both the residents and the faculty) are all here for a reason: to teach and learn how to provide for patients throughout the entirety of our careers. You need to buy into this idea. Residency may seem long at times, but in reality it’s extremely short, and there is so much to learn. Learning is not passive — it requires effort.
Never be afraid to ask a question.
As faculty we know that you’re here to learn, and we want to teach. Asking questions is not a sign of weakness. It is how we all fill the gaps in our knowledge base. It’s difficult to teach someone who wants to show that they’re already perfect. I’ve been in practice for 15 years and am still learning new things — many times from my own trainees. So don’t be shy.
Every patient encounter is a chance to learn.
It’s a little hard to remember this when getting called for a consult at 2 a.m. If you think of the experience as a chance to make yourself better, it takes the sting out of being woken up. And remember, never argue with a consultant asking for help! Even as a PGY-1 in ophthalmology, you are likely the person with the most knowledge about the eye in the entire hospital at any given time. And you never know what you’re going to see.
Always be on time.
Being late is interpreted as a lack of interest. Once the day starts off on the wrong foot, it can be hard to recover. The attending may feel that if you don’t care to learn, they shouldn’t have to care to teach. If you’re late to the OR, it will add stress to an already stressful day.
Be prepared.
Nothing says that you’re ready to learn like having some background knowledge. Read up on the procedures you’re going to perform. Watch a video! Coming in with some basics helps you to learn and get the most out of every encounter.
Be dependable.
If you want to be a rock star, be someone people can depend on. Follow up on your patients. Keep a list of things you need to do. Make sure you complete your clinic notes, and that they make sense. Do your dictations. Enter your cases in the case log system. These are all little things, but if people know you do the little things right, they’ll also trust you to do the big things.
Be nice.
The relationships with the people we work with can either make work fun or unbearable. Treat everyone with respect, and acknowledge that patient care is a team effort. Remember that your co-residents are not your competitors. You need to work together, help each other and learn from one another. Lead your junior residents and med students by example, and look out for each other’s well-being.
Remember that the patient always comes first.
Patients trust us with their greatest possession — their children, their health, their sight. Do whatever it takes to do right by them. When caring for patients, sometimes we have to make a choice between something that’s easy for us to do and something that’s hard for us to do. Usually, it’s the more difficult thing that’s the right thing to do.
Never cut corners.
It’s not impossible to shine! In fact, it’s easier when you’re surrounded by other rock stars. Work together with your co-residents, form a supergroup and rock on!
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Jules A. Winokur, MD, is a cornea specialist and associate professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell in Great Neck, N.Y. He is the 2023 president of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) Program Directors Council.