Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) – Day 1

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my residency training. I was scheduled for community outreach all day which involved going to a local organization for “Questions for a Doctor” in the morning, and then in the afternoon we went to a local high school for an on-site “mobile” clinic to do sports physical for students. The opportunity to be out in the community and bring healthcare to people who may otherwise have limited access is a big reason why I wanted to be in this program. This morning I had some really great conversations with people in a setting that they feel comfortable and on their terms, answered some question, and got some advice on how to be a better doctor. This was my first time engaging with people and also doing clinical work as an MD, I even signed my first sports physical which was exactly as exciting as it sounds. While these kind of community-based activities are not going to be as frequent as I would like since I still need to become an expert at regular medicine, it was hugely motivating as I go into tomorrow to see my very first patients in clinic.