Residents' Perspectives

"The first day I started residency I had no idea what to expect and a year and half later, I could not be more grateful. Today I'm starting to feel much more comfortable in my own skin as a medical resident at SJMC. The interaction with all our faculty, co-residents, attendings and consultants has always been warm, respectful, professional and most importantly, educational. Being able to address medical problems from a truly evidence based perspective, and creating a mindset to develop differential diagnoses, allows for optimal medical management of a patient. The patients confirm this when they speak highly of the care they are given. They feel important and valued under our care. I've also learned how to be a better person. Such skills as time management, organization, communication, leadership and team-building are taught both directly and by example. I can recall countless times when these skills were developed with the help of others. Residency is only half way over, and I am excited to continue learning, meeting new people and growing as a part of SJMC and this residency program. I have learned lessons that will follow me throughout my life in medicine, and in friendship."

 -Jean Carlos Jimenez, M.D.

"From one day to another you come to the realization that you are now a senior, initially intimidating but with a rush of excitement as you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, you realized that you have now become the teacher, the responsibility to pass on your knowledge to incoming interns, give guidance with the hopes that they to get started on the right foot as it was done with me. And that to me is what being a 3rd year is all about."

-M Hernandez M.D 

"As a new PGY-2, my level of anxiety reached peak level as I started the year with ICU as my first rotation. But, I remembered my seniors talking about how they felt different after ICU. A few months in, I understand it now, and I couldn’t have asked for a more smooth transition from my intern year, as I am grateful for the help of my PGY-3 seniors, the guidance of my Attendings, and even more important, the passionate understanding and skills of ICU nurses. After two ICU rotations over the past months, my confidence level has increased significantly. I feel more comfortable managing patients in hospital and in outpatient settings. Even better, this has helped in supervising my new colleagues as they develop their own practical skills in patient management. 

"On a given day, my schedule depends on my ongoing rotation. I live in the Bronx, about 18 minutes from the hospital. In general, I wake up at 5:30 a.m., and get ready to be in the hospital before 6:30 a.m.. I rush to see all my patients and to address all the pressing issues, including events of the night. Between 8-9 a.m., there is always something going on because we have morning conference. It is often the place to reconnect with fellow residents returning from different rotations. But also, it is one of the protected times for formal teaching given by faculty, specialists, and occasionally distinguished guests from New York Medical College, Montefiore Medical Center, and Saint John’s Hospital. After conference, the rest of my day includes bedside rounds, management of admitted patients, follow up with specialists, admission/discharge of patients, and some days clinic sessions.

"Besides work, there are plenty of opportunities to interact with a population as diverse as the residency program itself. This contributes to the strength of the program, the camaraderie, and the well-being of the residents. There is an emphasis from the program about us being not only great doctors, but great people. I particularly appreciate the monthly session set aside for faculty and residents to meet and talk about life, medicine, and whatever else come up. At the end of the day, when I leave the hospital, I enjoy spending time with my other family, mainly my spouse and two kids. When I interviewed for the program two years ago, as I was leaving, I had one word in mind: Family. More than a year as a resident, that overwhelming feeling of finding a family has remained, and I feel fortunate to be part of it. I will continue to enjoy the process and can’t wait to see what the rest of the journey holds.​"

 -Alain B. Tagne, MD, MS.