Can I call you Dr. Chen?


As an intern, we get a lot of opportunities to interface with the medical students. One of the things that I was pretty uncomfortable with was the admiration and deference from the medical students. In my eyes, I was just a MS-5, not that far away from them. In their eyes, I was a doctor.
It's strange, that in the transition from medical school graduation and residency, there seems to be a jump in expectations from what we know and can do. In reality, it isn't so much of a jump, but much more of a steep learning curve as we acquire the necessary skills to survive this intense period.
I remember being very unsettled when the medical students looked upon me for guidance when the truth was I wasn't that different from them. Though, I myself remember looking at the interns and residents with such awe. It still unsettles me because I'm really still in such an early phase of my career, but I've learnt to slowly take ownership of my title.

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