The New Year

We have put a close on 2016 and entered into 2017, but one can’t help but reflect on what has happened in in the year that has just gone by.

Another year as a junior doctor flew by in a blink of an eye. I try to reflect on what I’ve learnt last year and grasp back memories – both good and bad, that will shape me into a full-fledged doctor.

My mind wanders back to sitting for the RCPCH clinical examinations last year, the dreaded examination that all junior Residents will eventually have to conquer at some point as a young doctor. While it was one of the biggest stressors I have probably experienced since graduating from medical school, it’s an experience that made all of us grow, not just as doctors, but as people.  We spent hours with colleagues, our heads buried in stacks of notes and books, marching down the different wards united with a single mission.  Professors and tutors who once seemed like kings and queens from afar, stepped down to provide hours of tutorials, words of wisdom and encouragement. It was no wonder that acquaintances fast became close friends; senior colleagues became approachable confidantes.

So we marched off into battle together and were united as colleagues with a single goal and mission. Some of us emerged victorious; others less fortunate were wounded, me included.  But if you asked me how 2016 went, it was definitely a year of growth, a year of deeper friendships with colleagues. I’ve learnt a lot (I hope), of what is expected of me as a young growing pediatrician, as well as how to react in times when lies ahead feels like an overwhelming Everest.

Here’s to the brand new year that has just begun, and to all those who have their own Everest to scale, I wish you all the very best. Take the experience, enjoy it and learn from it.