12 things the 12 months of internship has taught me
Be selfish
Why am I starting with this? Because though this was the most painful thing to learn and took me the longest, it was the most important lesson that I have learned. It is alright to choose yourself over anything and everybody, even though it means that the opposite person would possibly be offended by it. Because, by asking to choose them over you, they are already being selfish. I am much happier since I started choosing myself and being selfish when it comes to having some me time or saying no to people invading my personal space.
Mental health is important
I know this a myth in India and that it is overlooked but mental health should be your top priority. Especially if you are working over 8-12 hours a day, sometimes more than a day at a stretch, without proper food, sleep, water, washrooms even, stress tends to get to you and if you aren’t mentally stable, it makes it a 100 times harder.
Look out for yourself
Life is tough! It only gets tougher if you wait for help and be a damsel in distress. So, look out for yourself. Make sure you are not being taken advantage of, make sure you are not being used and make sure you are not being disrespected. Once you start overlooking these things, it will get easier for people to keep doing it. So, put your foot down and stand up for yourself.
Enjoy!
Well! Needless to say, these are your last days that can be spent being irresponsible. After this, BOOM! LIFE WILL HAPPEN! It’s a race that you have to win. At the end of the race, there may be anything waiting – a PG seat, a job, an MBA or even a wedding, but it will get real. So, while you’re at it, make the most of it. Enjoy and make memories and strengthen your bonds. While you’re at it, may be making a video to show off to your future generations is a good option.
Have empathy
Empathy isn’t something that comes easy because we live in a selfish, selfish world. But when you chose a profession that burns brighter as it serves others, Empathy is something that is a necessity, if you do not want your life to feel like a task. I have been mocked because I speak freely and with contempt with the suffering. I have been asked to stop doing that because I am above them, apparently. But, when the patients look up at me and smile, tell me that it feels nice when I approach them, tell me that they are glad that I am here, that they are a little less scared for their lives, even though all I did was smile and talk to them, it feels freaking amazing. It also makes my long working hours and the efforts that I put it worth it.
You can learn something from everyone
Everyone who has spent at least a day more than you in the hospital has something to teach you. It may be a clinical skill, management of a case or even teaching you how to deal with patient’s relatives, everyone can teach you something or the other. Treat everyone well and learn from everyone.
Not everyone is what they claim to be
It gets obvious as time passes by that people lie to get their work done. It is painful to see that these people are the ones you’ve known since a really long time. Betrayal, Lies, Bigotry runs deep amongst them. Almost everyone has a mask on and it gets harder as we keep realizing this. Bottom line is, TRUST NO ONE with your life and work.
Stand your ground
We have opinions. As well educated and well raised humans, they are strong opinions. All opinions do not have to be the opinions of the majority. All opinions do not have to be 100% right. But if it is what you feel is the best, then stand for it. Others will try to make fun of it, undermine it, and do everything they can to make you change your mind. While it is good to have an open and sporty outlook and correcting your mistakes, it is not okay to let others rule your choices. Be strong and prosper.
Mind your own business
This should be our way of life, tbh! Everyone is dealing with their own problems. You are dealing with your own problems. The best thing you can do is to not let yourself get involved with others matters and get tangled in too deep. It will only make your life miserable (than it already is!) So, keep to yourself and let others deal with their shit by themselves.
Read! It will get you through
When I say read, I do not exactly mean read. I mean find a hobby. Find a hobby that will make you look forward to something to do after long hours at work. Have a good thing in your life. For me, it was reading books. It can be working out for some, studying for PG for others (these people are highly dedicated and out of the world and I do not belong to this category) or cooking or art. Having a book with me all the time helped me get through most of the long hours. However stressful the work was, I would always come back to relax with a few pages of the book and it was a good feeling to have.
WOMEN are very strong beings but they can also be raised in an environment where they feel otherwise and are okay with it
This is probably the hardest truths that I had to digest. I could not believe it in the beginning. I could not understand how on Earth someone can be okay with being stepped on. I could not believe that the offenders were winning and the offended took pride in supporting them. I thought them to be fools. It was only later that I realized that they do not think this to be offensive at all. It is how they watched the world function and it is how they learned to be. Do I want to change their outlooks and empower them? YES! Do I want to tell them and make them understand that there is no sex that is superior? DOUBLE YES!! Can I do it right now when I have a thousand things happening in my life that I haven’t figured out yet? Unfortunately, NO! I have however learned to surround myself with people that resonate with my thoughts so that some day in the future, I will be strong enough to do it.
Choosing silence is okay sometimes, especially if it is beneficial to your mental health
You cannot fight every evil. You cannot always win the arguments even though you are right because some people are ignorant and it isn’t your job to change them or their thought process. Sometimes, even though it would kill you to zip your mouth, it would affect you even more to open it. So, stay mentally sane and read on.
And just like that, my 365 days of internship are done. YAAAAAAAY!!!!!
