Seriously? Why? Why is it almost October already again? If you are a Psychiatry resident or any kind of medical resident for that matter in a U.S. residency training program, you don't equate fall with changing colors and crisp in the air; after a long hot smoldering summer. Fall is literally fall. Fall from the snoozing horse of daily routine and realizing it is time to hit the MCQs and flashcards. Even if just for 3 weeks prior to your in-service but now the panic is setting in since "it's practically here." I almost feel like the Grinch. Where is my sleigh and dog with the reindeer horns?
Just saying, I have an excuse for being gone for so long. I am studying or at least am trying to. I feel like I am stretched too thin with having to read more and more ever since I started outpatient. I love being in out patient. To me it is the Utopia that isn't anymore. I love seeing patients everyday and seeing patients actually get better and show up for appointments. The never ending cycle of rinse and repeat that is called the inpatient is like a distant memory. I don't feel stressed out like I used to but I feel more pressured to read more and stay updated more. Of course this is not to say that while inpatient you shouldn't read but you have more time or luxury to watch your patient and make adjustments to titrate treatment. Not so much in outpatient. You have to make decisions based on a limited amount of time you have with them and then see them in a few days, sometimes weeks; depending on your calendar. So the need to know more and know it then and there is more pressing than when I was a second year. Now I am having to add prepping for the PRITE and with kids being back in school, shorter days and the need to have some down time in the evening; I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day. I am never with just myself anymore.
Outpatient is also emotionally more demanding esp. if you decide to take more therapy patients; which I have done. As much as I love therapy it does takes it toll on me. Some days I am really beaten down because of what I hear and process all day. On top of that, as a newly minted 3rd year who is doing therapy; there are many many days I am just not sure what I did or said was even the right thing to say. I doubt myself and at times I am proud of myself for containing my patient's emotions but it is hard work. I have to depersonalize at times so I can empathize but stay objective as well. Thank God for my supervisor. The importance of a therapy supervisor is actually more clear now even though I had one since I was a second year and had some therapy patient.
But for the time being this PRITE is sucking the joy out of my life as a 3rd year. It falls in the candy month which is no help because how I will do on PRITE might be a mystery but what it would do to my waistline is no rocket science. So it is that time of the year again and until the 2nd week of October I probably won't pop in again. Of course the aftermath will be a post in itself.
So here is to a few more weeks of prep until I check back again.
Stay tuned!!!
Just saying, I have an excuse for being gone for so long. I am studying or at least am trying to. I feel like I am stretched too thin with having to read more and more ever since I started outpatient. I love being in out patient. To me it is the Utopia that isn't anymore. I love seeing patients everyday and seeing patients actually get better and show up for appointments. The never ending cycle of rinse and repeat that is called the inpatient is like a distant memory. I don't feel stressed out like I used to but I feel more pressured to read more and stay updated more. Of course this is not to say that while inpatient you shouldn't read but you have more time or luxury to watch your patient and make adjustments to titrate treatment. Not so much in outpatient. You have to make decisions based on a limited amount of time you have with them and then see them in a few days, sometimes weeks; depending on your calendar. So the need to know more and know it then and there is more pressing than when I was a second year. Now I am having to add prepping for the PRITE and with kids being back in school, shorter days and the need to have some down time in the evening; I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day. I am never with just myself anymore.
Outpatient is also emotionally more demanding esp. if you decide to take more therapy patients; which I have done. As much as I love therapy it does takes it toll on me. Some days I am really beaten down because of what I hear and process all day. On top of that, as a newly minted 3rd year who is doing therapy; there are many many days I am just not sure what I did or said was even the right thing to say. I doubt myself and at times I am proud of myself for containing my patient's emotions but it is hard work. I have to depersonalize at times so I can empathize but stay objective as well. Thank God for my supervisor. The importance of a therapy supervisor is actually more clear now even though I had one since I was a second year and had some therapy patient.
But for the time being this PRITE is sucking the joy out of my life as a 3rd year. It falls in the candy month which is no help because how I will do on PRITE might be a mystery but what it would do to my waistline is no rocket science. So it is that time of the year again and until the 2nd week of October I probably won't pop in again. Of course the aftermath will be a post in itself.
So here is to a few more weeks of prep until I check back again.
Stay tuned!!!
