No Longer a Resident

I've noticed a substantial change in how I'm perceived and treated now that I'm no longer a resident. Though I've always been treated with respect, now that I'm an attending, I've noticed that my interactions with other health care providers is different. When I express an opinion, it's taken seriously. When I make a decision, it's not questioned. I'm asked to do far less busywork that is unrelated to my specialty. My fellow health care providers - surgeons, nurses, consultants - really feel like colleagues, equals. When I was a resident and fellow, I could sense a hierarchy, which no longer seems to exist.

I'm sure that to some degree, this is a result of working at a community hospital with no residents. All physicians are equal members of the medical staff. The culture does not have to deal with those in training. At an academic center, I've always noticed that even among attendings, experience and rank makes a difference. A young attending may be questioned more, relegated to more tedious duties, taken less seriously. I'm quite fortunate that for me, such prejudices are minimal if they exist at all.

It feels really nice to be done with training, to be recognized for my expertise. I never minded being a resident or fellow, and I don't mind being asked to do busywork or to justify my decisions. But my life feels so much smoother now that such things are a rarity.