
15 lessons internship taught me.
One year can seem long or very short depending on what you’re doing, what you hope to achieve. The support system you have , finances, stressors, daily constants make it either bearable or not.

Internship for me was a rollercoaster. A work rollercoaster, and emotional rollercoaster. There were beautiful days when patients put a smile on your face because of a simple thankyou, or you’re just impressed by how good their recovery has turned around. But there will be other days when the same patients will stress you, then your bosses, then yourself. I wanted to leave internship the month started it. I made my consultations and realised without an internship certificate, I’d only settle for being a biochemistry lecturer and not treat patients. This humbled me. Because I like my job actually. But internship was just being something else.
I know people who gave up and left, people who ended up in the Psychiatry unit, and people who just accepted it for it, and made a serious countdown hoping for the end. I was the later. I learnt afew lessons and hopefully you can learn from them too.
1. You are an intern. You may want to strike, put up posters, say many things aren’t in your favour, but you’re an intern. Sadly many people will look down on you for it, but have your goals, know what you want to learn in a particular time , and pick your lessons. The title changes after 365 days.
2.Your senior is always right. There is no compromise with this one. The earlier you accept it, the quicker many things will fall in line. If your boss says you didn’t do something, the battle is easily solved if you agree to his claim. It doesn’t matter if you have a CCTV footage to back you up, just agree to the mistake, and promise to be better. You don’t have time to be arguing with your seniors, because. They’re always right!
3. Have every meal like it’s your last. It doesn’t matter if you have a whole sack of money in your room, time might never be your friend. There will be days when you will eat up to 4 meals a day, but there will also be busy days when you will yearn for someone to feed you via a nasogastric tube with Dry bread and water. Please eat. We will lose the weight later.
4. Find your coping mechamism. Cliché as this may sound, but I think most of us had the first months rough because we didn’t have coping mechanisms. Later, everyone sort of devised one for themselves. One of my bosses told us they had a Work Wine Women slogan over 10 years ago when he was an intern. I guess it’s been going on for years. Pick your coping mechanism, and let it save you. Just don’t be it’s slave.
5. Where is the party at? You need to know where the party is at, because you need to be there. Every chance you get. Those small moments of laughter, noise, joy. You need them. You should live for each one of them.
6. It’s pointless stressing about getting the job. Seriously. I know about 4 internship sites where their former interns didn’t apply for thee job because they were just tired by the 12th month. You need all the calm in your brain as you can to go through the 12 months. You can stress about the job in September.
7. Save some money. It’s one thing to be the life of the party, and it’s another to fall back to nothing after all your hard work. The viscious cycle of internship will only get longer and could live on even after the 12 months if you haven’t got a job yet.
8. Love someone . Love makes this brain rejuvenate. The brain cells need that dopamine and serotonin surge that special someone brings to you. Use this information the way you want to 😅😅.
9. You can be more than just an intern. With the help of my good mentors and supervisors who looked out for me, I was able to be part of about 7 case reports ( 2 published already, 5 pending publication) and 2 research projects. All from 3 departments, including a minor rotation. This isn’t me rubbing an achievement to your face, but that extra energy you beem with can be invested in other things. I know people who started businesses in this 1 years and are doing so well. Invest, read books, do online courses whenever you can. It’s only for the good.
10. You are protected legally from your medical errors, but it’s only for a while. The earlier we learn to write legibly, clerk patients and write as much info as possible and not keep it in our heads, reading , proper consultations, and doing the best for your patients. All this is important and should be mastered early enough. Because after internship, it’s on you right from day 1. And you don’t want to lose your medical license on day 1 due to a silly mistake. Let’s beware!. When it comes to medicolegal issues, the patient you once smiled with is not your friend.
I leave the last 5 lessons to your imagination and suggestion. Above all, it was a road and journey worth it. I would recommend my internship site as a good hands on site since it’s a high volume hospital. For now, let’s get me job. I’m hunting and read to work.
❤️
Thumbs up for you for the lively and comic yet very informative lessons shared. I want to believe that I should be able to read these lessons again in about 2 years from now and I get to capitalise on your experience. For now fingers crossed for your next job hunting :)) adventure.
I totally agree. Lessons to keep at heart.
Great share. Asante bwana
Perfectly described ,am awitness of all this.