UVA School of Medicine

What has been the biggest adjustment to life after medical school? EMILY: The increase in responsibility is a huge adjustment. When you leave the hospital at the end of the day, it can be hard not to keep replaying every page, every order, every decision over again, which is troublesome when what you really need to do is unwind and rest so you can come back fresh the next day. i think all of us have figured out ways to cope and do this, but it takes some time. MAANASI: Probably taking on the responsibility of being an intern and being the first person to answer pages and talk to families about their concerns. NEEMA: Not having the flexibility with your time like you do as a student. Residency is a job and a busy one at that. But it is nice to finally be putting to use everything we learned. Did you feel well-prepared for your intern year? EMILY: i think i was as well-prepared as anyone can be, but there are certain things you can't prepare for, like the death of a patient or a distraught family member. Even if you know to expect that these things will happen, the experience itself can really shake you. MAANASI: For the most part, yes. i don't think anything can truly prepare you for intern year, but i felt my ACE was helpful in showing me what it's like to carry a lot of patients and take full responsibility for them. NEEMA: i felt ready to start, but i think there will always be some anxiety before you start something so new. i realized quickly that UVA had done a great job preparing me, though. you know a lot more than you think you do. What has been the toughest part of intern year? EMILY: The hardest part for me was trying to cope with everything mentioned above while being completely exhausted from the long hours. Difficult situations can be emotionally and physically draining when you are functioning at 100 percent, but when you are tired and running on fumes, it is that much more challenging. MAANASI: Trying to answer difficult questions that frustrated parents have about their sick children that no one really knows the answers to. NEEMA: The toughest part of intern year is the hours. it can be hard to keep up with your personal life, but as long as you prioritize some time for yourself you will do fine. What are you most looking forward to as a PG-2? EMILY: i'm looking forward to a little change of pace! We have more outpatient time as second years, so we'll get to see our kiddos when they are doing well, not just when they are in crisis. MAANASI: We get a lot more outpatient time, which means more free weekends to spend with friends. Also, we aren't writing all the notes every day. We get elective time for rotations that we find particularly interesting, too. NEEMA: i am looking forward to spending some time in the outpatient clinics. A lot of my intern year was spent on inpatient rotations, and so it will be nice to see how patients are doing once they leave the hospital. Also, not being the first one paged will be nice, too. What advice would you give the Class of 2017 as they start their fourth year? EMILY: Enjoy this time! When intern year feels overwhelming, remember the things that bring you joy now, and hold on to those. MAANASI: Find what interests you and go for it. if you want to take time off, do it. intern year will be busy and studying all through fourth year is not going to help you. Enjoy yourself! NEEMA: Enjoy it! it is really easy to get stressed out with acting internships, ERAS and interview season at the beginning of your fourth year, but take it one step at a time and enjoy the process. it's a lot of fun. What do you miss most about UVA? EMILY: i miss everything about Charlottesville! The people, the food, the concerts, the mountains. i moved around a lot as a kid and was never in one place for more than a few years at a time, so after eight years in C'ville, it really started to feel like home. MAANASI: i really miss the whole environment of Charlottesville. There was so much to do. And the collegiality amongst our classmates was really amazing. i always felt supported. i feel lucky to have a similar support system here at CHP, too. NEEMA: Bodo's! Maanasi Mistry, MD, Neema Shah, MD, and Emily Trauernicht, MD, (left to right) are all 2015 graduates of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. They are continuing their training in pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. We recently caught up with them via e-mail. life AFter MeD ScHool 28 Vitals Fall 2016

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