What a life in medicine means to me: What this resident is thankful for

Thanksgiving is this week, and I have a lot to be thankful for, both inside and out of medicine. Life isn’t always easy as a resident, and to quote the lyrics of Journey, “And lovin’ a [medicine] man, ain’t always what it’s supposed to be.” What’s a life in medicine mean to me? It’s certainly not the glamorous. I’m on the back half of 30 years old. I’ve been a doctor for little over 3 years. I drive a 12-year-old Honda with 225,000 miles on it. I have $223,000 (and growing) in student loan debt. I work 60 to 80 hours a week in residency and pick up additional paid shifts moonlighting away through sleepless nights. Other than a scheduled vacation, it’s rare to find a free weekend I’m not in the hospital, moonlighting, or back up call one or more days. I still have 7 months of residency left, of which the days are long yet the months are starting to go by very fast. I have a wonderful wife and beautiful daughter, but between residency, moonlighting, and running #LifeofaMedStudent — I can never seem to spend enough time with them. I miss family events, time with friends, and milestones with my daughter all in the name of medicine. Medicine isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s a willing sacrifice to often put the training and the patient first. What do I have to be thankful for? All of it, actually. While I haven’t loved every single day in my medical training, I do love that the l...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Surgery Source Type: blogs