Hello!
My name is Alex Dos Santos, and I’m a Transitional Year resident at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC).
Right now, I’m on my ICU rotation, and here’s what a typical day looks like.
I wake up at 6 am, enjoy a nice breakfast and brew some coffee. I get to work by 6:45 am so I’m ready for hand-off from the night team and can start pre-rounding: checking overnight events, vitals, labs and imaging, then seeing each of my patients.
Rounds start at 8:30 am. We present our patients, put in orders and get pimped for education. It can feel like a quiz at times, but it’s where a lot of my learning happens. Rounds usually take us right up to lunch, where we get spoiled by our amazing resident lounge! The food is great quality with multiple options, similar to a hospital cafeteria. If you love desserts, there are great choices like brownies, apple pie and banana bread.
If I haven’t finished my notes before lunch, I get them done then. For the rest of the day, we monitor our patients, adjust orders as needed and handle any new admits that come in.
After work, I stop by home to change and head to BEAST gym for a workout, or take a walk along Midland Park. A good workout is how I clear my head after a long day. Then I either eat at home or go out to one of the local restaurants, like Atlas Pizza. To unwind, I spend quality time with my wife and hop online to game with friends.
Intern year is busy, but it’s rewarding to grow a little more every day. If you’re considering a Transitional Year, look for a program where the people are supportive. The hours are long anywhere, but the people you spend them with make all the difference.
To learn more about the Transitional Year residency program at NGMC, visit https://www.ngmcgme.org/programs/transitional-year/.