Dr. Dale Ellenberg: “A Doctor?”

     While a Transitional Year Residency is a one year internship meant to teach skills that bridge these residents from medical school to their advanced training in subspecialty fields, like radiology and anesthesia, there is another aspect to this transitioning process which I find interesting to observe – and that is, the passage from student to doctor.
     At the very beginning of the year these young people are rather uncomfortable with their new appellation, “doctor.” Some of them are even embarrassed to be called doctor or introducing themselves as such. Yet, at some point they all come to grips with their appended name. But it’s not simply the title they’re adjusting to - it’s the responsibilities (and the awareness of those responsibilities) that come with that new title.
     Now for some, this transition is a subtle one, one that develops practically unnoticed over time. However, for others, it comes as an Epiphany – a moment in time that they realize, “Hey, I’m a real doctor!”
     I would encourage our readers to ask of our three residents what their experiences have been thus far and to follow this thread over the year. The experiences of our past residents and those of other young doctors in training are also more than welcome.
      -- Dr. Dale Ellenberg, resident supervisor Read more.