What I wish I knew when I started my internship

If you have questions or concerns, are anxious, or feel something is wrong, approach a senior or the chief. They were in your shoes once and will give you their best advice.

Medicine is different in the United States. As an international medical graduate from Colombia, I panicked on my first day when everyone was talking in acronyms. I did not have a lot of U.S. clinical experience, and back home it’s frowned upon to write full sentences in acronyms. My students helped me get over it. I started my internship in the general medical floor and felt so embarrassed. Then I realized that it didn’t matter because it did not affect how I cared for my patients.

People understand that you are from another country. At the beginning, I used Google to search for everything, and then I realized that my 2 wonderful students didn’t think less of me because I didn’t know what BKA (below knee amputation) means. Do not be ashamed if you don’t know how things work in a different country. You will find people who are willing to help you; you will learn, and it will be a minor thing a year from now.

Keep your support system. It was 3 am in the emergency department, and on my break I went running out to the hallway feeling overwhelmed, tired, and lonely. I called my best friend across the globe.

If you moved away from home for residency, you are surrounded by new faces and far from the people you are comfortable with. Do not lose touch with them because you never know when you might need them the most. I had a hard road getting to where I am now, and many people helped me. You have to be there for them, too; a text message takes 30 seconds, and an e-mail, 1 minute.

Remember, you need to take care of yourself before taking care of others. No matter how much the MD or DO degree makes you feel like a superhero, you are still human.