Getting Through Residency Without Losing Yourself
Advice from attendings who remember what intern year felt like, and what they wish someone had told them.
Dr. Hannah Lindqvist, MDPsychiatry · Sept. 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Residency is designed to be demanding. It does not need to be dehumanizing. Attendings looking back often say the same thing. The hours were hard, but isolation was harder.
Stay connected
Protect a few relationships outside medicine, find one mentor who sees you as a person, and know where to turn when things get heavy. Asking for help is a clinical skill too.
Dr. Hannah Lindqvist, MD
Dr. Lindqvist is a psychiatrist focused on clinician wellbeing, moral injury, and sustainable careers in medicine.
This article is for professional education and does not replace clinical judgment. Treatment decisions should be based on the individual patient and current guidelines.
