Initial Impressions

I thought it might be interesting to put down in words my impressions of the path ahead from the perspective of an outsider.

The Job

Hard graft. That's what comes to mind. Be ready to live in the hospital, on the ward. Be ready to role up your sleeves. Be ready to be walked on by your superiors and bullied by everyone else. Be ready for desperate eyes, unconsoleable sadness, grief and heartbreak. Be ready for you heart to fall, your words to fail and your spirit to ebb away. But most importantly, in dark moments, be ready to recall that there was a reason long ago that made you pursue this career. Remember that there was a deep seethed need for you to be more. To do more. To witness. To hold a hand that has just arrived for the first time or is about to leave for the last.

The Person

Worklife balance. What a theory. Prepare to be worn down in all facets of your person. Your relationships, your social commitments, your demeanour, your sanity. It is essential that you learn to manage your anger, your bitterness. Use them to drive you. Equally, learn to stoke the fires of hope and endurance. You will live and breath off their vapors. Sieze the small victories, they are your trophies. Do not ignore the scars of defeat, but regard them as an embellishment to an ever growing tapestry of effort. They are a permanent reminder of the road you have travelled and the road you are still walking. Indeed, we are all but pilgrims on that road.