"In our residency program at the University of Iowa, as with most programs, R1 and R2 years are dominated by inpatient rotations. As interns, all rotations (both at University Hospital and the Veterans Administration Hospital) are on inpatient wards whether it be adult mood, adult psychotic, or geriatric. R2s, however, get to encounter inpatients (and some outpatients) in other scenarios as well -- ECT service, consult-liaison service, chemical dependency service. This truly broadens the residency experience, as you begin to appreciate the scope of psychiatry outside of the inpatient experience."
"Aside from more varied rotations, my favorite aspect of R2 year is interacting with the interns. We all remember the combination of enthusiasm, anxiety, and awe that personified the internship year, and I truly enjoy working with the R1 class as they proceed from recently-graduated medical students to "Doctor." While we R2s certainly do not claim to understand the whole field of psychiatry based on our vast one year of experience, we are afforded the opportunity to teach what little we know and pass on valuable bits of residency knowledge to our R1 cohorts: how do we fill out all these forms? What's all this about commitment hearings? And, most importantly on those rough Mondays, exactly how late is the coffee shop open?"
"Although I'm still early in my R2 year, it's been very rewarding so far. Having enough knowledge to function more independently, being able to help the R1s as they learn to navigate the system, and feeling more confident in our place as resident physicians -- all of these things make R2 year well worth surviving R1 year. And all of these things make R2 a rewarding experience."
Jeanne
PGY-2, 2004-2005
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