Morning Meditation: An Indian Exchange Visitor Physician Reflects on his J1 Experience

By Dr. Abdul Kareem Khan

A beautiful Floridian morning is peeping through my window, when sunlight seems to be at her cheerful best, before it resigns to the daily routine. It makes a glittering appearance every day, warming up the beaches and boats, for the rain and the famous Orlando lightning would be due by noon. The shades of weather shall favor me today, as I reflect on a delightful journey, celebrating a lovely concoction of flavors.

It is interesting how we change shoe sizes. The leap into a second year resident’s shoes has been remarkable. As a PGY-2 in internal medicine at Florida hospital Orlando, I must admit that the second year of residency has been the best of both worlds so far. The worlds I refer to are two amazing phases of learning medicine. The first part is the relentless responsibility to learn at every step, and the second is sharing the knowledge and learning through supervision. It is challenging, yet very enjoyable, to extend my abilities and further the skills learned in the first year, to apply and practice medicine with a new sense of maturity. Expectations are higher, and it is the time for me to be prepared for added responsibility. It is time to make decisions for the team, be the second in command after the attending physician, and guide, supervise and organize with the interns.

This fondly reminds of my days as a first year resident, with moist palms and a racing heart, as I embarked on the milestone in my medical career. The first year is a humbling, encouraging, at times overwhelming, yet the most rewarding of experiences. If I was to summarize it poignantly, I will say that it has been a time for exponential growth, both mentally and professionally. It was a precious gift, with the opportunity to learn every day, to improve with every passing shift, to be allowed to reflect on my mistakes, and to help myself grow tremendously. The first year was intense, but it will be the most important part of my professional career, for a year full of learning and improving, is a time worth every challenge. Before I change subjects, I want to quote one of my mentors with regards to the first year of residency, “your learning curve this year, is a straight vertical line!!”

The beginnings seem far away at the moment, days of apprehension and uncertainty. I was on the other side of the world, in the south of India, working my way to a residency in the U.S. It felt like a lifetime would pass before things fell in place, as I applied for my first USMLE exam. With relentless encouragement from my family and friends, days and months blend in endurance, and I arrived in the U.S. into open arms. Through the experience of visiting 12 states during my interview season, and living here for a year, I relish and enjoy everything it has to offer. I never expected blending into a different culture would be this easy and rewarding.

From my personal insight while living and working in this environment, I can safely say that it is a culture which invites, recognizes, evolves and celebrates what you have to offer. The foundation of American culture I believe is to nourish, cherish and appreciate positivity. The astounding diversity of my colleagues and our ability to work together without any hurdle is probably a reflection of that spirit. The tradition of improving and learning beyond boundaries comes from a sincere intention to work hard and indulge in excellence. It is remarkable, when folks from Asia, South America, Europe and Africa, gather to celebrate Christmas with our Iowan director, huddle up to enjoy the super bowl with our mate from Buffalo NY, and hit the Clearwater beach under Floridian sun.

Living next door to the famous Universal studios and Disney world, we have enjoyed and experienced the best of Orlando together. As a sports aficionado, it has been the place for me to be. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching soccer at the Soldier Field stadium in Chicago, found a newfound love in the NBA, and was right in predicting the McGregor vs Mayweather bout.

As I start a new day in my residency, I must take a moment to be grateful for everything. The opportunity to learn and work with excellent physicians, meet wonderful people from around the world, in such an enriching environment, is precious indeed. For aspiring physicians on their way to residency, I wish the best and welcome them to an experience where there is a feeling of success every single day. My greatest success is realizing that I learn every moment, and strive to do the right thing to the best of my ability every day.