A New Chapter Begins

“You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

Mary Pickford

In a few short days, I’ll finally get to say these words: ” Hi I’m Jennifer Tich and I’m the student doctor on your team today.” This is what I’ve been working toward and dreaming of for as long as I can remember. Third year is officially here! I’ve recharged after studying for STEP, had the lovely surprise of getting to spend time with my sister, brother and nephew, and now I’m ready to reenter the clinical world. The thought is both so exciting and so nerve wracking at the same time. It’s been three years since I worked as a medical scribe and was in the clinic every day. Now I’ll get to see things from another point of view, armed with more knowledge and the responsibility that goes along with it.

We are in the middle of our transition to rotations course, which has been a great opportunity to ask questions about rotations, our roles as students, how to navigate the medical record and present our patients. It’s helpful knowing others that have just been in our shoes and learn from their experiences. As someone whose parents are not physicians, the advice I receive from mentors and classmates is invaluable and I am so grateful for their support. As part of the course, we had the opportunity to practice inserting IVs, urinary catheters and nasogastric tubes on mannequins. I had never had the opportunity to learn these skills before, so I was definitely nervous to try. Like I’m sure I will many times this year, I surprised myself and didn’t find the procedures as scary or challenging as I thought.

My first rotation is in psychiatry, which I’m excited to learn more about. Mental illnesses face so many people that, whatever field I go into, I want to be able to gracefully help my patients access the support they need. My college degree was in psychology and I enjoyed our neuropsych course last year, but I’ve taken a psych interview maybe once. I’m starting with a clean slate. I’m going to make mistakes and be confused. I am not, however, going to be afraid to try, to ask questions, or to learn everything that I can to improve and be the best doctor I can for my patients. I can’t wait to take full advantage of every experience I can this clerkship year. Until then, I’m going to enjoy soaking up a few more rays of Virginia Beach sun and catching up with friends.