3 Years. 3 Lessons.

Three years of residency have come to an end. On paper I’m a surgeon now, but in my head the journey is still playing out. The degree is important, yes, but when I look back, what stays with me are the lessons.

If I had to pick just three, they would be patience, resilience, and humility.

1. Patience

I’ve always been an impatient person. Residency didn’t really give me a choice in that matter. I still remember the early days in OT, standing for hours with a retractor in hand, wondering when my chance would come. It felt endless at the time. But slowly I understood that this is how surgery is learnt. One knot at a time, one closure at a time, one case at a time.

Patience also meant learning to wait for myself to grow. Skills don’t come overnight, confidence doesn’t arrive in a week. It took three years of steady work for me to even begin feeling like a surgeon.

2. Resilience

There were days when I thought I had nothing left. Sleepless nights in the wards, rushing between emergencies, eating when I could, crashing for an hour before the phone rang again.

And then there was that one week - non-stop duty, no sleep, and when I finally came back to my room, it was burnt. Everything gone. I remember standing there, too tired to even react. And still, the next day, I was back at work. Because that’s what residency teaches you: to keep showing up, even when you feel you can’t.

3. Humility

Residency also made me realise how small I am in front of surgery itself. Just when I thought I was improving, there was always a case that reminded me how much I still had to learn.

Humility came from my patients too. From someone thanking me for a simple dressing. From families who trusted me even when I was just a tired resident. From mentors who scolded me but still gave me chances.

Those moments reminded me that being a surgeon is not about me. It’s about the people who trust me, the colleagues who stand by me, and the teachers who push me to do better.

Looking Back

Three years gave me more than a degree. They gave me patience I never thought I had, resilience I didn’t know I was capable of, and humility to remember that the scalpel in my hands carries a responsibility bigger than me.

This is only the beginning.

#OffToSomethingGreat