Goodbye to First Year. . .Again

I will take this opportunity today to stand for what I have gone through as a first-year resident. Again.

See, some specialty residencies have a unique start to them in that there is an initial transitional or intern year which may have little to no exposure to their specialty of choice. At UAMS, this is primarily the ophthalmology and dermatology residents. Many of the surgical subspecialists (though, dermatology is not a surgical specialty) have several months of general surgery scut or other "off-service" months, but they still get several months of their desired specialty. We got one month of ophthalmology, and it was one during which we just followed someone around and weren't allowed to do much. The other eleven were all internal medicine without even a once-monthly eye clinic to attend.

So then my actual first year of ophthalmology came around. I was finally really getting used to being a medicine resident when my feet were lifted off the ground and I was pushed over without a solid surface on which to stand. Even though I was a PGY-2, I knew nothing. I was like an intern all over again.

Alas, as a PGY-3, I have surpassed that point. I know a thing or two. And for once, I can spend the next year expanding on it. I can honestly say, "Okay, I've done this. I've seen this. Now what more do I need to learn about it?" Obviously, the answer will always be, "Plenty."