The End of an Era: Finishing Dermatology Residency

I have been in major boards studying mode so haven’t been blogging regularly, but I wanted to use this brief study break to update you all on a major event, the end of an era, finishing dermatology residency! I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m not going back into work on Monday. I can’t believe that after decades of being a trainee, I’m finally FINALLY going to start my first “real” job as an attending. In fact, let me break down this long road for all of you who are considering medicine:

4 years of college
5 years of medical school
1 year of intern year in internal medicine
3 years of dermatology residency

It has been 13 YEARS since I graduated from high school in 2005! I will be honest: a lot of times during this long road I’ve felt discouraged or even jealous of my peers who have been working and rising up the ranks in their professions since college. Many times during the low’s of medical school and residency I’ve wondered if this is the job for me. And I think that now looking back, I appreciate everything that I went through. All that training, all that studying, was to equip me to take care of my patients and be the best doctor I can be.

I’m grateful for so many people who helped me get through these decades of schooling. My parents first and foremost for their emotional and financial support through it all. Of course, my husband for always taking care of me, making sure everything was taken care of at home in addition to being our breadwinner, so that I can just focus on school. He has listened to me vent for hours, and he just listens and supports me, which I’m so thankful for. Everyone along the way who helped me in some way, whether they were my residents, nurses, or MAs when I was a medical student or intern, or the attendings who taught me everything I know…I cannot be the doctor I am today without all of them touching my life in some way. And to my coresidents, the most impressive group of people I’ve had the privilege of working with, I continue to feel humbled and inspired even after graduating. They challenge me to work harder, learn more, and advocate for my patients.

Thank YOU GUYS for reading and following along on this journey. I have really loved sharing my experiences on the blog and on my social media, and I’ve often drawn support from this online community. Thank you for being a part of my life.

As you can maybe tell (hehe), I feel pretty emotional about being done, and it hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m going to be an attending. But there’s no time to dwell on that; I still need to study for my dermatology board exam which takes place in Florida on 7/17, and then I need to get ready to move my life back to California. The thought of leaving NYC gives me anxiety because I’ve grown to LOVE my life here, even despite the long distance marriage, but I think what it really boils down to is that I’m always unnerved by change. At the same time, I am looking forward to starting the next phase of my life with my husband and family in the same neighborhood, and moving back home (let’s face it – California is home!).