Today was my first clinical workday as a psychiatry resident! I have spent YEARS waiting for this day to arrive, and it was just as great as I hoped. As a new psychiatry resident at Penn, I'm starting my residency in the same hospital where I discovered my love of psychiatry a little over a year ago. The Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Philadelphia will always have a special place in my heart, and I'm excited to serve the veterans there for the next month or so during my first block of residency.
Heading into this new chapter, one of my best friends gave me some great advice. She reminded me of the importance of setting small goals for myself each day. My goals for my first day as a psychiatry resident was to learn the names of my coworkers and to get to know the stories of the patients on the floor. I'm glad to say that I accomplished these goals!
I enjoy psychiatry at the VA mainly because of the unique patient population and the seemingly unlimited access to mental health resources. Even the flow of the workday stands out. Here's a rundown of how today went for you to get a sense of my first day as a psychiatry resident.
8:10 am - Team meeting to discuss overnight events and inform the different treatment teams of new patients admitted overnight
8:30 am - Community meeting led by veterans
9 am - Treatment team meeting to discuss the patients specifically on my team's patient list
9:30 am - Get VA badge and initiate the process of gaining computer access
10 am - See patients with the senior resident and attending on my team
12 pm - Head to lunch and a series of afternoon lectures
3:30 pm - Go home! (Psych work/life balance really works for me 🙂 )
This first day was atypical in two ways. First, I didn't have access to computers at the VA to help with notes or placing orders. Thankfully, Penn Psychiatry pairs up the interns with senior residents for a week to help us transition into our roles as physicians. Second, today was a didactic half day, so I only spent the morning at the hospital. The afternoon lectures were great. They ranged from topics related to positive psychology to the nitty-gritty of taking care of psychiatric patients in the emergency setting.
My first day as a psychiatry resident was exactly as I hoped. I had the chance to dip my toes into the world of residency life, and I even introduced myself as Dr. Jordan for the first time! I truly appreciate the support that the Penn Psychiatry department provides. Just another sign that God placed me in the right program!
I'm really looking forward to the growth that I will experience throughout my intern year of residency. There's so much for me to learn, and even more for me to do to help my patients.
Peace and blessings,
Atasha Jordan, MD, MBA
P.S. Let me know down below how your first day of residency went, whether it was today, last week, or ten years ago!