Residency Lessons I Wish I Knew

What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Self in Residency

Sleep is not optional, no matter what that overly caffeinated second-year says. You can’t run on fumes forever. And yes, there will be moments when you are asked to make decisions far beyond what you feel ready for—and that’s normal. Residency is a crash course in life, medicine, humility, resilience, and the art of not dropping your pager in a bedpan.

If I could go back and give my rookie-resident self a roadmap, here’s what I’d say:

1. You Are Supposed to Feel Overwhelmed—That Means You Care Every day in residency brings a tidal wave of new experiences. You’ll be learning medicine at lightning speed, managing sleep deprivation, and trying not to cry in the supply room. Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you’re stretching. Medicine has a way of cracking us open, only to rebuild us stronger.

2. It's Okay Not to Know Everything Despite what your imposter syndrome whispers, no one expects you to have every answer on day one (or even day 300). Be honest when you don’t know, and ask questions. You’ll learn faster, and people will respect your humility more than your performance.

3. Nurses Will Teach You More Than Some Attendings Respect the nurses. They’ve seen it all, they know the shortcuts that work, and they will save you from a thousand rookie mistakes if you treat them well. Show appreciation. Ask questions. Listen.

4. Your Mental Health Is Not a Luxury Burnout is real, and no, you’re not immune. Watch for signs. Talk to someone. Take breaks. It’s not weak to step back when your tank is empty—it’s smart. No one benefits from a doctor running on emotional fumes.

5. Efficiency Comes With Time, Not Panic You won’t finish notes in five minutes. You won’t remember every drug dose. That’s okay. Write better templates. Create systems. You’ll get faster. Right now, just focus on being accurate and thoughtful. The speed will come.

6. You’ll Have a Bad Code, and It’ll Haunt You There will be that one code where you do everything right, and the outcome still breaks your heart. You’ll remember the face, the room number, the sound of the flatline. Carry it, honor it, but don’t let it define your future patients.

7. Not Every Attending is Right—Learn from Them Anyway Some attendings will inspire you. Others will make you question your career choice. Learn from both. The best ones model compassion, patience, and curiosity. The difficult ones teach resilience and what not to become.

8. Confidence Isn’t Loud Some of the best doctors you’ll meet won’t be the ones who dominate rounds or bark orders. They’re the ones who triple-check doses, who ask their patients how they’re feeling, who listen before they speak. Follow that model.

9. You’re Going to Miss Important Moments—And That Hurts You’ll miss weddings, birthdays, and Sunday breakfasts. Some losses will sting more than others. Grieve that. Talk about it. You’re allowed to be human.

10. Learn the Art of Saying "I Don’t Know, But I’ll Find Out" Patients respect honesty more than overconfidence. Say you’ll check and follow through. You’ll build trust and stay safe.

11. Eat When You Can, Pee When You Can You think it’s a joke until you’ve gone 10 hours without water and realize you’re dizzy. Basic needs matter. Pack snacks. Take five minutes to breathe. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

12. The Best Residents Share Credit, Not Blame You’ll notice the kind of team members who thrive. They praise others publicly, own up to their mistakes, and ask, “How can I help?” Be that kind of resident.

13. Med Students Are Not Your Minions Teach them, guide them, but don’t condescend. You were one not long ago. How you treat those with less power than you says everything about your leadership.

14. Documentation Is Your Legal Armor—Respect It No one enjoys charting, but it’s the thread that protects you and your patient. Don’t copy-paste blindly. Don’t rush through key details. Future you (and your lawyers) will thank you.

15. There Will Be a Patient Who Changes You You won’t see it coming. Maybe it’s a child with terminal cancer or a stoic 90-year-old who tells you it’s okay. That moment will stay with you long after the white coat comes off.

16. Crying in the Call Room Is Fine. So Is Laughing Too Loud in the Cafeteria Residency is intense. You need release valves. Don’t bottle it up. Find your people—the ones who understand the jokes and the grief.

17. You Don’t Need to Specialize Just to Feel Worthy There’s honor in primary care. There’s genius in family medicine. Choose the path that speaks to your soul, not just your CV.

18. Be Curious, Not Just Compliant Don’t let the grind turn you into a box-checker. Stay curious. Ask why. Read beyond the orders. Learn how the system works—and where it fails.

19. You’ll Make Mistakes—Own Them You’ll order the wrong test. Forget to follow up. Miss a lab. The key is to own it, learn, and do better. Integrity matters more than perfection.

20. The Hardest Days Make the Best Doctors It’s not the smooth shifts that shape you—it’s the chaotic ones. The nights you felt like quitting. The patients who broke your heart. That’s where your foundation is forged.

21. One Day, You’ll Be the Senior Resident—and It’ll Feel Surreal Time moves fast. You’ll be giving the advice you once needed. Be generous. Share what you know. Make space for the younger you in someone else.

22. Find Joy in the Little Wins Celebrate the first central line that goes smoothly. The smile from a tough patient. The moment you get out on time. Residency is a marathon—pace yourself with joy.

23. It’s a Privilege to Be Trusted Even when you're tired and grumpy, never forget the privilege it is to be trusted with someone’s health, story, and fear. That’s the core of this calling.

24. Humor Is a Lifeline—Use It Crack jokes with your team. Laugh at the absurdity. Giggle at the pager alerts. It’s not disrespect—it’s preservation.

25. Your Future Self Will Thank You Every hard day, every double shift, every mistake you own up to—it’s all shaping you into the kind of doctor you set out to become. Future you is proud. You made it.