New Intern Disease Discovered

Hello everyone: I’m resurrecting an oldy but goody from 2013 before biking down to New Haven to round in the MICU. You can’t avoid contracting this self-limited, entirely curable syndrome…

Mark

To our wonderful interns:

It has come to my attention that we have an epidemic of interns diagnosed with a disease bearing the following beliefs:

1. That he or she is neither skilled nor smart enough to be a Yale Resident
2. That this condition is rare and only affects one person (guess who)
3. That the affliction is incurable
4. That the signs of the disease (lack of knowledge and skill) are obvious to residents and attendings who gloss over the reality of the condition with fake compliments such as "nice work," "good job," and "very impressive."

Please know, dear interns, that this disease, which must not be named, occurs each July, afflicts the most talented interns most ferociously, and becomes less severe with each passing day. Its cause is the overwhelming realization that there is a lot to learn.

I am now 25 years past the same affliction, and can assure you that the cure is contained within the walls of our hospitals, in the confident smiles and support of your residency family.

You are an incredibly talented group of interns. Whether you believe this or not, your intelligence and skills are evident to those of us who recruited you . You are well on your way to becoming spectacular physicians, no matter what doubts plague your mind on this steamy summer night.

For those of you suffering this malady, your Residents, Chief Residents, and Program Directors are here for you. Let us know how we can help.

All my best,

Mark