Resident Physician Contributing Writer
University of Pennsylvania
Adrienne is a graduating fourth-year medical student at Georgetown who will be starting residency in general surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interested in surgical oncology and is passionate about the role that palliative care can have for the multi-disciplinary care of oncologic surgery patients.
In an ideal world we would all die at home with our loved ones caring for us, slowly slipping away in our sleep into the placid beyond. But why doesn’t it happen this way? There’s a dignity to that way because of its organic simplicity. It’s how people used to die prior to modern medicine and before we started needing to always “fix the problem.”
Over the course of residency and fellowship training, it’s likely that almost all trainees will encounter veterans through rotations at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. With mandates from Title 38 and long-standing relationships with academic institutions nationwide, the Veterans Health Administration plays a significant role in shaping the education of future medical professionals.
As I reflect on the year that was, I am excited and yet terrified of what lies ahead. Intern year is unlike any other during which the training wheels—otherwise known as the short white coat—are abruptly stripped. The mannequins are traded for breathing patients, the co-signatures are traded for signatures, and the infamous “I am just the medical student” transitions to the equally unassuming “I am just the intern.” Here are my takeaways from the year that was.
Resident Physician Contributing Writer
Georgetown University Hospital
Hi! My name is Manik Aggarwal, I am currently an internal medicine resident at Georgetown! I plan to pursue cardiology training with an emphasis on heart failure. I'm originally from Texas and like nothing more than watching my Dallas Cowboys on Sundays. I enjoy writing, reading and teaching and look forward to hearing your opinion on my pieces!
