This month, in a span of just three weeks, the medical school will celebrate the graduation of more than 60 resident physicians and fellows, and welcome its newest group of first-year residents fresh out of medical school.
鈥淭his annual cycle is really an exciting time,鈥 said Dr. Hal B. Jenson, WMed鈥檚 founding dean. 鈥淔or medical students and residents, they perhaps see it as an ending though it鈥檚 really not an ending. These events are milestones along the journey.鈥
On Friday, June 9, 2017, the medical school celebrated its graduating residents and fellows during a ceremony at Miller Auditorium.
Dr. Jenson said this time of year always prompts a bit of reflection on his part and it gives him a chance to look back on the transitions he made from medical school to residency, residency to fellowship, and then post-training.
He recalled how, after graduating from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, he felt like his move into his Pediatrics residency at Rainbow Babies and Children鈥檚 Hospital at Case Western University in Cleveland was 鈥渁 big leap鈥 and a big change.
What he realized later, though, Dr. Jenson said, was how monumental the transition and change was that came after he completed his residency and then a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at Yale University School of Medicine.
鈥淎s a student, there鈥檚 maybe more of a sense when you leave medical school that you鈥檝e made a big leap. When you鈥檙e in medical school you don鈥檛 see the leap from residency to post-residency as that big, but it鈥檚 just as big of a leap or even bigger.鈥
鈥淭he greatest change is really when when you transition from graduate medical education to your career because you鈥檙e going from general supervision to no supervision and you鈥檙e going from being mostly a team follower to now often being a team leader.鈥
While this time of year can be one of change and, possibly, anxiety for new and graduating residents, Dr. Jenson said his years of experience as a physician have taught him that medicine is not practiced alone. Every resident, as they complete their training and move on to the next phase of their career, realizes that no one practices medicine independently.
鈥淲e all practice medicine as members of teams and good medical care really revolves around teamwork,鈥 Dr. Jenson said. 鈥淭here are very few settings where physicians practice medicine by themselves.鈥
Dr. Jenson said post-residency will also bring the opportunity for several of WMed鈥檚 most recent graduates to work with 鈥 and mentor 鈥 resident physicians and medical students. That sharing of knowledge, Dr. Jenson said, is a reminder that 鈥渨hile we鈥檙e taking care of today鈥檚 patients, we鈥檙e also training tomorrow鈥檚 physicians so we have a hand in continually improving the health of our community, far into the future.鈥
鈥淵ou get a chance to pay back to the next generation of physicians all of the training and mentorship, and coaching that those who went before you have given you in your life,鈥 Dr. Jenson said. 鈥淔or a lot of us, that is a key reason why we go into medicine and why the field of medicine is so rewarding.鈥
For those residents who graduated on June 9 and for those who will arrive later in the month as new residents, Dr. Jenson said his message for both groups is the same.
He said he hopes that graduating residents and new residents will work hard but also strive for what he calls a good work-life 鈥渂lend.鈥 Additionally, he said that he is filled with gratitude for both groups 鈥 new and graduating residents 鈥 for their willingness to be a part of the WMed family.
鈥淭o our graduating residents and fellows, thank you for being a part of Kalamazoo. Even if you鈥檝e only been here for a few years, thank you for sharing a part of your life with us to help make our lives better, and also helping improve the health of our community,鈥 Dr. Jenson said.