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Journeys User4November 24, 2020November 24, 2020Clinical Training Experience, My StoryCOVID-19, Neurology, PGY3, Texas, United Kingdom

Coming Full Circle: Training During COVID-19

By Dr. Jonathan Paul Donnelly

Unlike many of my colleagues in the medical field, I took a very unconventional path through my postgraduate training. Throughout medical school, I was convinced I was destined to be a surgeon. I loved anatomy, loved my surgical rotations, and thought that this was my destiny. Then on my first day as a house officer in general surgery, I stood for 9 hours in a laparoscopic hemicolectomy, without any breaks for eating or going to the bathroom, and suddenly my life choices became much less clear. I struggled a while longer, but eventually I put away my scalpel, took up my neglected stethoscope once again, and I took up a formal internal medicine training post in New Zealand, starting on another journey. Everything started to make sense for a change. The flow of hospital medicine, the critical thinking, the lack of having to stand in an OR for several hours with a full bladder and an empty stomach, it all finally came together. As it turned out, one shake-up was not enough, and as I rotated through stroke and neurology, I found a hidden interest that I wished to take further. Being inspired by some American mentors, I decided to apply for training in the USA, and began residency at the University of Texas (UT) Health Science Center, San Antonio Texas in June 2018. After all my continent hopping and specialty changes, at last I seemed to be on the right track.

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Journeys User4November 4, 2020October 29, 2020Cross-cultural Experience, My Story, Words of WisdomCOVID-19, India, Missouri, Neurology, PGY4

Doctors with Borders

By Dr. Uttara Koul

The past eight months have been a summation of the five stages of grief:

- - - - Stage 1: Denial – there’s a viral outbreak? Hmm. It won’t reach us.
        
        Stage 2: Anger – why aren’t people taking the lockdown strictly? Why is everyone hoarding toilet paper?
        
        Stage 3: Bargaining – a vaccine will be released any day now, right?
        
        Stage 4: Depression – all social engagements are postponed indefinitely. So many people have lost their lives! This is heartbreaking!
        
        Stage 5: Acceptance – this is the new normal.

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Journeys User4October 20, 2020August 4, 2021Clinical Training Experience, My StoryCOVID-19, Critical Care Medicine, New York, PGY7, Trinidad and Tobago

Critical Care Training in NYC, as COVID-19 Doctor and Patient

By Dr. Omesh Toolsie

Clinical training in America’s most populous city is known for being vigorous. If you’ve done any residency or fellowship training in New York City, you know that there is little downtime—chances are you’re busy year-round! The patient population here is perhaps the most diverse in the world and that fact is reflected in the rich clinical exposure; training in NYC is a qualification in itself. My wife and I, both physicians, moved from Trinidad and Tobago in June 2014 to pursue residency training in internal medicine at the BronxCare Health System. After completing residency, I completed a fellowship in pulmonary diseases at the same institution before moving to Montefiore Medical Center for training in critical care medicine. After almost six years in NYC, I found myself feeling comfortable managing very sick patients in almost any clinical context, but I was soon to be put out of my comfort zone.

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Journeys User4October 7, 2020October 6, 2020Clinical Training Experience, My StoryAnesthesiology, Costa Rica, COVID-19, Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts, PGY5

Hope and Resilience, My Experience in a COVID-19 ICU

By Dr. Ronny Munoz-Acuna

I was born and raised in Costa Rica, a small country in Central America with close to 5 million inhabitants. I was always passionate about science, and after debating for a long time, I decided to pursue training in medicine. I did my medical school in San José, Costa Rica, at the Universidad de Costa Rica. I also completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Critical Care in my home country.

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Journeys User4September 22, 2020My Story, Words of WisdomCOVID-19, India, Maryland, Pediatrics, PGY2, Well-being

Is Self-Care on Your To-Do List?

author headshot By Dr. Shreya Doshi

“You are a bright, grown-up girl now, almost 15-years old. You must take ownership of yourself and your body and look after your physical, mental, and emotional health. Eating healthy food, making healthier choices, exercising even if just for 30 minutes, and reaching out to the therapist again will go a long, long way.” This is the kind of advice I was giving my teenage patient last week during continuity clinic, and the kind of advice I am sure you give out too, no matter what specialty you are in. However, sometimes it feels hypocritical. As a resident physician, I wonder how many times a week do you give advice to your patients that perhaps also applies to you?

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