Intern year: Finding the balance16 mins read

The medical internship year is usually associated with lots of stress and it can be quite tiresome. Sometimes people even say you should just dedicate that whole year to being in the hospital all the time which can be quite frustrating, especially when you have other things to attend to. In today’s post, some medical doctors share their experiences with combining being medical interns and still having a life outside the hospital – from running a business to destressing and enjoying life to the fullest. I’m certain you’d gain a thing or two from their experiences, which can also be applied to other aspects of life. Enjoy!

Elizabeth…

…is a public health physician, among other things. If you ask for the minister of enjoyment on the streets of Twitter, you’ll be promptly directed to Dr ETP, as she’s popularly called.

Internship Hospital + a typical day at work?

I interned at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). A typical day in internship is hard to detail as each unit had its peculiarities but I’ll just try to generalize it. As a house officer, in most units; you’d be the first person to see the patients in the morning when you do your house Officer’s round, which involves asking for new complaints, investigation results and also any changes in vital signs, among other things. You’d do this for all your patients and report your findings to a senior colleague (normally a resident doctor) who will then do their round after yours.
After rounds, there are a number of other activities which is generally supporting the medical team in clinical activities, administrative and otherwise (this is where the line blurs and many interns get upset – like having to buy bread and beans lol but such is life at times).

A summary of internship year?

I’d summarize my year as intensely challenging some days, and relaxed other days – it’s a rollercoaster you’ve just got to keep your hands tightly on the reins and take control of your life as you go through it. I allowed myself to be immersed in it and did each posting as though I had a plan to specialize in the field, it helped build a positive work ethic and made my senior colleagues likelier to share experiences with me.

Outside of being a doctor?

I am a public health physician who has many years of experience in civil society organizations management. I’ve been an invited speaker at the World Health Organization, United Nations Youth Assembly, and the GIMAC Pre-Africa Union Summit. Currently, I’m a co-founder of a non-profit non-governmental organisation, Inspire Youth Leaders (Nigeria), and the founder and editor-in-chief of my 5-year old blog, www.ElizabethTPeters.com.

Finding the balance?

Finding the balance would be to know your job description and know when you draw the line, for your own health’s sake. Recognize that you cannot possibly do everything and that you work as part of a team; just because you can do it doesn’t mean you have to, because some healthcare professionals will abuse your availability and when you collapse from exhaustion they’re the same ones that will say “she used to work too much as if she’s the only doctor”. Please, dears. Plus, taking time for yourself is in your patient’s best interests too, a worn-out doctor is a hazard.

Tips for others?

Challenges as an intern are everywhere you turn, unfortunately. Challenges from senior colleagues, from allied healthcare staff, from patients’ relatives and even your patients themselves. How you cope boils down to your personality traits but as a rule, know when to let things slide and when to speak up. Don’t be that confrontational doctor but also don’t be the doormat doctor either. Weigh each situation you’re in and act accordingly – when in doubt ASK. One consistent piece of advice I got in every posting was to “always pass the ball”. Acknowledge when the issue is above your level of understanding and escalate it to the appropriate person on the team – this is a learning period, don’t assume responsibilities that you cannot be accounted for.

I strongly advocate for self-development. If you don’t actively plan towards it, you could spend the year chasing blood and lab results and have nothing to show for it, as you can’t put “professional blood-chaser” on your CV. You can put Research Assistant, or certificates from short courses you do. Be wise with your time and don’t let “tiredness” rob you of the opportunity to better yourself when you’re not on duty.

Some inside gist?

My favourite colour is pink to see (i.e colour of items around me, like my bedroom walls) but black to wear haha. I love travelling and trying new foods – I’ve been to 17 countries so far and I’m looking to expand that. 😁

Ik…

…is a vibrant and diverse Medical Doctor and Entrepreneur.

Internship Hospital + a typical day at work?

I’m carrying out my medical internship at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta, Lagos. A typical workday has me waking up at 5:30am to leave home at 6:30 so I can get to work at 7:00am. This helps me beat the morning traffic and get to work in time to do my pre-ward round checks on patients which involves asking about new complaints and carrying out physical examinations, among other things. Call days are the most demanding, just like calls in any other health facility. Sometimes, they are quiet, other times, busy, but there’s always work to do. Housejob at FMC isn’t as cumbersome as some other facilities like LUTH, National Hospital (this is exactly why I really wanted FMC).

Outside of being a doctor?

I run StekoDesigns, an agency that specialises in assisting the growth of businesses through compelling brand design, digital marketing and business consultations. I design and consult for a diverse group of organizations, including EMDEX, Nigeria’s No 1 Drug Reference Company.
I also host Business and Design Masterclasses in Lagos, Nigeria.

Finding the balance?

Honestly, it’s been very tiresome. I don’t rest when my colleagues do and sometimes, I’ve had to sleep just 3-4 hours at night and I end up looking really tired or nodding off at work. It’s not as easy anymore to spend time with those I love. Housejob has placed more demand on me to deliver to clients. Sometimes, I default and I’m not able to meet deadlines. It’s a terrible feeling when you’re stuck at work and you remember you have a design to send to a client. It’s been so difficult taking on more jobs, it seems my income earning capacity is reduced, but, thank God, Housejob pays – and at FMC, – promptly. So it’s kind of balanced out. I must weigh the odds and plan wisely. Balancing the activities of an intern with running a business and visions that course my mind every day. Sigh. That’s something I’m still adjusting to. It’s not new though since I already started the business in medical school, but it’s not the same. Here, in Housejob, you can’t just disappear or ask to be excused. You have real responsibilities. You have to attend to your patients, yet, you can’t disappoint your clients. So what did I do?

1. Refer
Since I already am on a retainership contract with some organisations, I sought out a few designers I could refer other clients to. If I was going to take on an extra Design/Marketing job, then it better be high paying or gives me huge exposure.

2. Outsource
I outsourced jobs that will demand me learning a new skill. I’m a fast learner so then, if a client asked me if I designed eg. web pages, I would typically say yes, learn it and do the job so excellently, they’ll think I was an expert at it. But now I don’t have the luxury of time. So, I outsource and make a little in the process. Being a middleman is good too.

3. Delegate
I’m a Doer. That’s good, but the problem with that is we tend to subconsciously try to do everything ourselves. I currently am organising Design and Business Masterclasses and have realised that having a team of people is necessary. So I’m building a team that helps plan and execute this training effortlessly. All I need to do is show up and teach.

Tips for others?

Nonetheless, in spite of all these challenges, I feel my body, mind and schedule adjusting. I’m wiser about time management. I’m wiser about taking jobs. I try to communicate my apologies to clients when I default and make it up to them by going the extra mile or coming through earlier than normal when I’m less busy. Yeah, at times when I’m free, I do work ahead.
I try, as I’ve always done in med school to squeeze out time for those I love. I have an exceptional girlfriend that helps out where she can and a family that loves regardless. I try not to work on Sundays (except I’m on call). I don’t pick business calls on weekends unless it’s urgent. I just disappear from the business/work world. I try to rest.

My advice to people about to venture or already are into this kind of life: Business and Medicine (HouseJob to be precise) are already in between the lines.

1. Refer as much as you can
2. Create a team and Delegate responsibilities
3. Manage your time wisely
4. Don’t leave out your loved ones
5. Neither your Business, Work nor Relationships should suffer.

You can work with StekoDesigns by reaching out on any of the platforms, or visiting their website www.stekodesigns.com.

Some inside gist?

I watch movies a lot, I like playing FIFA, I like to dance (in my closet), I like gist and making sarcastic comments…lol. I’m an extroverted introvert.

George…

…is a medical intern and event compere, among other amazing things. He is popularly known in the social spaces as TheTalkDoctor.

Internship Hospital + a typical day at work?

I am currently interning at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba. A typical day for me starts with waking up in the morning (obviously) from probably having less than 6hours of sleep (from the previous night due to the hectic work), a short prayer and then preparing for the day ahead. Activities of the day vary, from ward rounds to clinics, presentations, emergency surgery or chasing for blood/materials BUT one thing is constant – ENDLESS WALKING! Before the end of the day, the day’s work could have taken me around the compound at least 3 times! As I say, doing your housejob is the best way to lose weight and keep fit!

A summary of housejob year?

It definitely hasn’t been a very comfortable year as the work is mostly hectic, however, I have learnt invaluable skills that will help me moving forward. I have also had the privilege of seeing the workings of the healthcare system from within. In medical school, we heard a lot about how bad the system was and this year gave me the opportunity to experience the good, bad and ugly when it comes to health care in Nigeria. While some units I passed through had senior colleagues who made the hectic work a little more enjoyable, some other units had people who made it more hell than it already was. All through the work, I was able to create new relationships, discover more things about myself, appreciate my strengths more and identify my weaknesses. All in all, it has been an eye-opening year!

Outside of being a doctor?

When I am not saving lives in the hospital, I am saving lives at events as a Master of Ceremonies/Event Compère or via media as a Radio/TV show host. I am also a health content creator/writer, a Health Educator and an author-in-view (my 1st book will soon be out). Generally, I like to think of myself as a Healthertainer.

Finding the balance?

😄😄😄I get this question a lot. It hasn’t been easy finding a balance tbh. This might sound cliché but I think firstly it has been God – because a lot of the time, I wonder where the inner strength & drive comes from. There are days that I come back from the hospital fagged out but I have an engagement to be at and I still carry on with it without anyone knowing how exhausted I am. I also know a number of people who have other interests but could not follow through with them this year ‘cos this medical profession/housemanship year is like a pit, if you are not careful, it will swallow you. So I give God the glory for the strength and drive.

That said, I believe that if one’s passion is real and true, there’s no length you won’t go to make it happen. I am passionate about all things talk, so there’s no sacrifice that’s too much to make it happen. Finding a balance between work and my other interests requires a combination of commitment, dedication, discipline and sacrifice. I can’t start going through all I have done just so that I can keep doing my stuff. The truth is that those interests are where I find the most happiness, where I am in my expressive best and there’s nothing I won’t do to be happy.

Tips for others?

First, know that it is doable! You will hear a lot about housejob and everything surrounding it but its gruesomeness shouldn’t deter you.
Also, be ready to put in the work, to make sacrifices and to be disciplined cos the extra time you need to do other things is not lying down there, just waiting for you. You’d have to create it out of literally nothing. Don’t forget to involve God (or whoever you believe in) in whatever it is you are doing cos in times when you are tired, angry and lacking motivation, it is from him that you will draw your inspiration and inner strength. Now is the time! Do those things that make you happy and give you fulfilment! You might not have another opportunity to!

*I’m already sounding like the ‘inspire to perspire to aspire’ people*😄😄😄

Inside gist?

Hmmmm, when I am not engaged with my other activities, I am either sleeping, (I need all the sleep I can get when I am not working), listening to the radio (I am a radio freak). I also love dancing (my feet are always itching to move).

You can book Dr George for your events via any of these platforms:

Instagram: @officialdrgeorge
Twitter: @TheTalkDoctor_
Facebook: Dr.George #TheTalkDoctor
LinkedIn: Dr. George #TheTalkDoctor

Sandra…

…is a medical doctor, blogger at reviewnaija.com and beauty enthusiast.

Internship hospital + A typical day at work?

I interned at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. A regular day at work is highly dependent on the posting one is currently in. For instance, during my Neonatal Unit (NNU) posting, it involved attending to the babies all day and leaving work by 6, if I am not on call.

A summary of Intern year?

Work-wise: it was actually not as bad as I expected. I mean, some postings were crazy. Eg – paediatrics where I was on alternate day calls in NNU or every 4 days call on ward d3, giving continuous medications to over 25 children, I legit had elevated blood pressure and was placed on medications. Paediatrics was surely my most stressful; because my stay in medicine (dermatology) was fun-filled, obs and gyne was beautiful, surgery was equally okay.

Outside of being a doctor?

I enjoy things that involve the making of money and the spending of it. I have a particular interest in skincare and this led to me setting up a business to make and sell natural skin care products (Ehuoma Essentials). I also enjoy blogging about my experiences on reviewnaija – a “yelp” type of blog which has exposed me to the fine/good/poor services in various aspects of life. During the course of the past year, I also started a ‘hangout group’ – The ChopLife Gang through which I organise fun staycations for a small group of people. This was born out of a need for destressing from work and general love for all things enjoyment.

Finding the balance?

Throughout the year, I kept telling myself that “work would not kill me”. I decided to do things that would make me happy. I got to do this through planning events and staycations for The ChopLife Gang, visiting restaurants and also finding time to travel to out of Nigeria during the course of intern year. I surely wasn’t the regular house officer and I’m glad it was that way.

Challenges?

Timing; my free time most times didn’t tally with that of my friends, so I made new ones! The ChopLife Gang is one of the ways I was able to do this.
There were also financial issues as well. You know how you have to save because exams and post house job life reeks of poverty, yea, I had to be guarded with how I spent and unfortunately, I couldn’t make money from my other businesses which used to fund my expensive lifestyle because of no time.

Tips for others?

Housejob can suck your soul, your spirit, your joy. You need to find something that makes you happy. Is it going on short vacations in beach houses, or travelling on a budget to neighbouring countries? Also, find something fun to do that would take you out of the hospital environment from time to time.

Some inside gist?

I was born to enjoy life, in fact, enjoyment looks so beautiful on me. I absolutely like short vacations on islands, beach houses. I feel there are so many African countries that are yet to explored and I’m ready to explore them. I’m available for funding as well, so if you are looking for someone to spend on, to enjoy, I’m your plug. 😘

Asabe…

… a medical doctor, fashion designer and creative director at AsabeMaiyaki.com.

Internship hospital + a typical day at work?

I interned at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). On a regular day, I wake up before my alarm at 5:00 am, toss and turn for a bit, pray, work out and somehow be at work before 7:00 am. I get chocolate cookies to eat on the way to work (super unhealthy, don’t do it folks). There are ward rounds every morning (8 am till whenever it ends) and as the intern, I resume earlier to check on the unit patients, examine them, give IV medications, note any issues and inform her senior colleagues.

After rounds, I get involved in other activities like clinics, seminars, theatre procedures… depending on the unit activities for the day. Work typically ends by 4 pm, except on days when she’s on call. or when her senior colleagues finally closed for the day  (if she was not on call).  She would resume at Asabe Maiyaki HQ then go home to her online courses. Sleep, rinse and repeat.

A summary of intern year?

The year was intense. Surviving med school was public information – study hard, show up, apply yourself, practice, practice again, prove that you have learnt the necessary skills to be a safe doctor and satisfy the examiner. Internship, on the other hand, is the start of the real world. Med student of yesterday now making emergency decisions (under supervision). I remember tweeting the night before I resumed as an intern about my worries and wondering how I will cope. Now the year is over and I can say for a fact that it was crazy! but I survived.

My best postings in house job were the ones where the senior colleagues were easy to relate with. One of the best consultants I worked with was always particular about “say what’s on your mind”. No matter how ridiculous she thought it was, we were free. One time, she mistakenly wrote a prescription that I was sure was wrong and I drew her attention to it. She apologized, corrected it and thanked me. It was easy to do that because she always encouraged us to talk freely without problems. I won’t mention names but if it was another consultant that I worked with, I would not dare speak because I know exactly how that would turn out.

Outside of being a doctor?

Asabe Maiyaki HQ, Style, Fashion, Design thinking, Politics and Health Policy, Economics and Administration (still medicine. Ha!)

Challenges?

Being an intern is hard work! You are usually the closest to the patients, who will always have needs. Some may go overboard and feel entitled to you and many will have ridiculous demands. There is also working relationships with other health personnel and colleagues which can be nice or not yet you are expected to always be the bigger, younger yet mature one (Lol). You are expected to silently endure and tolerate targeted abuse, harassment, etc from senior colleagues, co-health workers, patients, patient relatives with almost zero protection.

Unless you are with under senior colleagues that genuinely care about you, your well-being, if you are learning anything at all or just passing through – the reality is You are on your own. We lost a classmate and house officer to hoodlums in the area on a sad night and next minute work… Just. Went. On. Before it generated a protest, I remember talking about it with a senior colleague and I never forgot his response “welcome to real life”. Omo it shook me.

Finding the balance?

I think finding the balance is a myth unless your work, life and environment are perfectly predictable and monotonous. There is no “balance”. I compulsorily planned each day – this is particularly important if not I would just keep working and skip some other important life activities – praying, eating, family, relationships, sleeping, hobbies, interests etc. I learnt to take each day as it came and found my way around challenges.

I have always had a business since my second year in med school (Omorfi Culture then and now Asabe Maiyaki HQ and Mniks Purple Ventures) that constantly demanded attention. Having to combine them with house job was particularly hectic because now there is work and patient lives assigned to my care during work hours. In retrospect, I could not have handled both any better.

My way around was to give house job my full attention (during work hours) and business full attention (outside work hours) and whatever needed to be done that would cross hours was outsourced. I painfully turned down a number of opportunities on both ends so none would suffer. Thankfully, I mostly worked with colleagues that pulled their own weights.

Honorary mention – my bestie, the Holy Spirit.  More than ever, I had to depend on wisdom, inner strength and comfort that I could not have generated to survive every day. In the midst of all this work and craziness, there was personal life and a lot happened this year that I can only attribute not breaking down at different points to the holy spirit. On some days, I really could not find 20 minutes to tag devotion or anything else so I learnt to maximize time every day. Toilet time could be speaking in tongues time, between walking on the corridors and running errands (pretty common at my centre), there was always something to do – devotional I’ve missed, emails to reply, scriptures to study/meditate on, Family/friends to check on etc. 

Asabe shared some extra tips, targeted at senior colleagues, which she believes will help make intern year more tolerable for the average intern. Hopefully, the right people see these and positive changes can be made. We the younger generation can also keep it in my mind for when we are in senior positions.

• Make working materials available. Many interns become mobile “pharmacists”, stationery suppliers and ‘robin hood’ due to scarcity of necessary items. It is ridiculous seeing interns carrying big bags filled with forms, bottles, syringes etc and even more ridiculous to throw a tantrum because your intern does not have any to work with versus directing energy to the problem and ensuring these materials are always available from the right people.

• Interns deserve time-off too. This is not peculiar to interns but it is just as important. They are usually first on call to attend to patients every day, giving IV medications, threatened, bullied day and night and expected to be first at work etc. Things and lives can easily go wrong in the hands of a stressed intern.

• Be kind. I cannot stress this enough. Interns are the newbies in the medical career block. They look up to you – a lot. Many interns are still very undecided about the future and intern year helps solidify decisions. I know a couple of intern colleagues who decided not to pursue further training in a specialty because of how they were treated by a senior colleague in that line (crazy but true).

• Encourage freedom of expression. There is way too much silence, timidity and I-just-don’t-want-to-get-into-trouble attitude that I have noticed and seen. Starts in medical school (I don’t want to move pus or say nonsense) and is sealed in the intern year (I don’t want to say nonsense and then goes ahead to do nonsense).

• Teach your interns. Doctor work is busy work. It is easy to forget that the intern under you is also in training, (not for writing or running errands) and you as a senior colleague have a serious responsibility to train that doctor right.

• Resist the In-my-time-ism. This one was particularly irritating. You would be lamenting in peace about your predicament or “suffering”, one senior colleague will just start “you’re even lucky, in my time…” and the struggle for who suffer head pass starts. Okay but seriously, if in your time, things were bad for interns and now, the same things are still bad for interns, you see where I’m going with this? Please, Fix up.

Tips for others?

Dear new house officer/ interns,

Find what makes you happy and absolutely, unapologetically enjoy it as long as you don’t hurt anyone else, yourself or break any laws. For me, it is ASABE MAIYAKI HQ, for my friends: Dr Ope Ade-Akinboye (@meepor164, my former Senior house officer), it is dancing, Dr Ochuko (@uzeziunlocked) in Abuja, it is singing and Dr Olamide (@theRedmosquito), it is drawing.

Take breaks when you can!

Treat patients and their relatives respectfully but don’t ever forget – Patients and patients relatives are not your friends.

Cry if you need to.

Your spiritual life is important.

As a doctor, your mental health is precious and important.

Don’t forget to be a good person.

Save your money.

Have fun working and laughing

Inside gist?

I love my work at Asabe Maiyaki HQ. I love good clothes, style and fashion. I love animals. I love intelligent discussions.  I love smart people. Chocolate and I are great friends. I love vacations. I love good food. I love creative processes. I love strategy.

Asabe Maiyaki HQ Spring/Summer 2020 collection is on its way. I have dedicated a lot of sweat, tears and time to this project so I am particularly excited about this one. Follow our growth on social media: @AsabeMaiyakiHQ

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If I were to pick a theme that is present in all the contributions, I’d pick intentionality. All 5 of them seemed to have some level of intentionality about what they wanted and the worked towards it, in spite of the stress of the year. You can read more about medical internship year here.

Want to find a better balance for various aspects of your life? Try being more intentional! Share on X

Did you identify any other theme that cut across all the contributions? Or do you have a way you find a balance in various aspects of your life? Do share in the comments section, I’ll like to learn from you too.