Intern Year

Keanan McGonigle, MD, MPP Keanan McGonigle, MD, MPP (1 Posts)

Resident Physician Contributing Author

George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Keanan McGonigle is a PGY-1 in internal medicine at George Washington University. He plans to go into primary care and has particular interests in geriatrics and HIV medicine. Dr McGonigle is a 2019 graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine and spent a year working in public policy and medical student advocacy before starting residency.




Internalizing Medicine: Starting Intern Year in the Time of COVID

Published by Keanan McGonigle, MD, MPP

In my home city of Washington, D.C., citizens have taken the changes brought on by COVID-19 very seriously; social distancing, masking and frequent hand hygiene are now routine. These days, I am startled when I see the bottom half of someone’s face out in public. Our homes have become our sanctuaries. In the hospital, however, much of our work continues unabated. Orders are written, notes are signed, lab work is drawn, imaging is performed. Housestaff are on the front lines with nurses, respiratory therapists and patient care technicians taking care of the sickest patients day-in, day-out.

July 1, Take 2: Navigating the Transition from Intern to Senior Resident

Published by Arhant Rao, MD

You could feel it in the air, in how the nurses double-checked the orders, how the attendings’ notes bloated in size, and even in how the patients, despite their general lack of knowledge towards the inner workings of the hospital, exuded mild apprehension. It was day one of the academic year, the day that the new interns — my new interns — started.

Why We Walked Out: A Call for Courage and Action from the University of Washington Housestaff Association

Published by Brandon Peplinski, MD, MPH

On September 25, we participated in a 15-minute unity break (effectively a walk-out) with over 450 residents and fellows at the University of Washington in protest of UW’s dismal contract proposals during our negotiations. It was led by the University of Washington Housestaff Association (UWHA), one of the few unions of resident doctors in the United States.

Night Call

Published by Sevde Felek, MD

My senior and I had been on night float together for a few weeks. That night, the dimmed lights of the hospital corridors spilled into the workroom which was lit only by my computer screen, but that was enough. Despite the few months that I had been there as an intern, I could describe each inch of this room with my eyes closed.

The Sweet and Sour of Intern Year

Published by Saba Malik, MD, MPH

Of all the fulfilling and purposeful vocations to pursue, we’ve ended up trying to find our footing in the vast and ever-changing maze of medicine. Propelled by some combination of privilege, perseverance, and circumstance, we became doctors — many of us with the noble drive to heal and support other humans through the physical and spiritual struggles of life.

An Open Letter to New Interns, Residents and Fellows

Published by Lara K. Ronan, MD

I am very pleased to welcome you all to a new academic year at the esteemed institution at which you find yourself, perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, thanks to the Match. Late June is always somewhat bittersweet, but it is a simultaneously exciting time in the academic year.

Handshakes and Shaking Doubt: Reflecting on Being a Woman in Medicine

Published by Arya Shah, MD

In the 1950s, my grandmother wanted to be a doctor. She asked her father for her dowry money, wanting to use it instead to get her medical degree to become the first female doctor in her hometown. She married another doctor and practiced from an office below her home, accepting vegetables and dry-cleaning services as pay.

Arya Shah, MD Arya Shah, MD (2 Posts)

Resident Physician Contributing Writer

Brigham and Women's Hospital

I am a PGY-1 psychiatry resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a Class of 2018 graduate of the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. I'm a Los Angeles girl, born and raised. In continuing to pursue creative endeavors, and in working to engage my classmates in the arts, I hope to show people that creative expression can help to keep burnout at bay and help to keep humanism alive in medicine.