So You've Got a Job ?

It’s almost April, and we are obviously getting late in the residency academic year. Many of you who are in your 2nd or 3rd year of residency will be going into practice soon and have already signed a contract for your new job. This end-of-the-year time frame can be a very tough situation, because you are naturally beginning to focus your efforts and time onto what you will be doing July 1st…

Be sure to keep your priorities straight. I’m not saying it is WRONG to start getting excited and prepared for your new work, but I would say that it is potentially damaging to your career to become known as a ‘lame-duck’ resident that really didn’t put much effort into his / her final months of training. With the proper balance, you can be actively pursuing the logistics which will get you into your new job, while at the same time making sure that you stay focused on the remaining time in training that lies between now and July 1. I have seen and heard about many residents who performed outstandingly right up until the final few months of their training…and it is of course those final months that leave the lasting impression. Having an ‘I don’t really care anymore’ attitude in the final months will surely leave a weak impression on your program faculty and residency director. These persons will be your colleagues in the profession, and word of bad reputations can spread more rapidly and widely than you would imagine. Remember, you will be relying on your residency director to fill out numerous hospital privilege forms and state licensure applications over the next few months…

Just some brief helpful thoughts to keep you out of trouble.
 

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John S. Steinberg, DPM
Editor, PRESENT