Passed Internship

I passed Internship!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe the Year has gone by so quickly. There have been LOTS of Ups and Downs physically and mentally, I feel like I just finished a long Roller-Coaster Ride.

It was almost exactly 1 Year ago, in which I was having Internship Orientation, and completely panicking over what my first Day of my very first "proper full-Time Job" would be like.

I'm so happy that I've completed this Hurdle, but am so exhausted. It didn't help that I spent the past 2 Days packing up my Luggage, driving back to Melbourne, and then unpacking my Stuff again.

I feel I'm having a Comedown from all the Busy-ness on the Ward, yet from speaking to Others I apparently had it very "soft", given that I did most of my Rotations at a rather small rural Hospital with fewer Patients.

I got my new Badge which has the same Photo but now says "Hospital Medical Officer" instead of "Intern". To be honest, whilst I passed Internship, I think I'll still feel like an Intern for quite some Time. I'll have to force myself to not refer to myself as an "Intern" on the Phone. I met a few of the new Interns at the Valedictory Dinner, and they'll also have a steep learning Curve as they learn to navigate the Wards. I can totally empathize with any Anxieties they have.

I'm so grateful for all the Support and Supervision that I've received from various inspirational Drs, in Addition to the overall positive Camaraderie from other Interns that I've met so far. So many People have helped me throughout the Year (including my Family), I just can't thank or repay everyone enough, and I don't think I could've made it without them. There'll be many People that I miss.

I dunno if it's a Fluke that I passed Internship, but I do know that the HMO-2 Year will likely be a Lot more challenging, given that the first 2 (of my 4) Rotations will have no Intern or Registrar, ie it'll just be me and the Consultant. So I'll have to figure out Ways to be more efficient without compromising Patient Care, or my own Physical & Mental State. I normally like to be very thorough in Documentation (especially Discharge Summaries) but it's relatively Time-consuming, so will have to learn to be comfortable including less Details. I might be in for a rude Shock...

I don't think Clinical Medicine is for me in the long-Term, as I predict I'll utterly burnout (unless I happen to work Part-Time or Locum casually). However, I've learned so much by communicating and working with other Staff and Patients, that these Things have assisted me with understanding other People (especially NTs) better as an Aspie / ADHD-er. And I can translate these Skills to Pathology (providing I manage to break into the Training Program) or even non-Medical Stuff (if for whatever Reason I end up quitting Medicine entirely).

Additionally I'm so glad I took a Gap Year to start learning the Accordion (amongst several other Things). It has provided me much positive Distraction / Relief after Work when I get tired from talking to People. And even if I procrastinate from playing the Accordion for Days, the Music is so refreshing once I get back into it. I dunno how the Hell I went through Med School without an Accordion???!!! Oh well, better late than never...

I've also had a net Weight Loss of 2 kg during Internship, bringing me down to 58kg, which is a bit scary considering I already dropped from 66 to 60kg during my East Timor Medical Elective in my Gap Year.

It's now Annual Leave Time for 3 Weeks, and then I'm back to Work again!

"Fingers crossed" that I'll go back to Work refreshed and a bit heavier...