Stepping into a busy public hospital to begin my medical career could have felt daunting if I were doing it alone. Instead, O’Week made it feel like a collective step forward. Meeting fellow interns and healthcare workers, I was struck by the shared sense of purpose we brought with us. We are entering a perpetually under-resourced system under relentless pressure, yet many of us still hold strong ideals about the kind of doctors and colleagues we want to be.
What gave me optimism this week was not a denial of those challenges, but the emphasis on working together to meet them. The focus on interdisciplinary communication, inclusion and shared responsibility made it clear that none of us are expected to carry this alone. O’Week reminded me that culture matters, and that even within a stretched system, how we work together can shape both our experience and the care we provide.
As I look ahead to Monday, my first proper day on the job, that optimism is tempered by a mix of excitement and apprehension. I had imagined starting my internship at full pace, but instead I’ll be beginning on modified duties and shorter shifts while recovering from a broken ankle. I’m finding this harder to accept than I expected. After years of study and medical school, becoming an intern feels like a natural next step, and this unexpected detour feels frustrating. It’s not how I thought my career would begin.
With some reflection, though, I can see this experience as part of a much broader reality in medicine. Many of us move between the roles of doctor and patient at different points in our lives. Being on the other side offers insights that can’t be learned from textbooks alone. I know I’m not unique in this. So many of my peers bring empathy and understanding shaped by lived experience into their practice, and it reinforces the idea that medicine is, at its core, a human endeavour.
During O’Week, someone asked me what I enjoy most about practising medicine. After some thought, I realised it’s the people we meet and the trust they place in us. Patients share their stories with us at times of vulnerability, and that is a privilege not to be taken lightly. As training becomes busier and more demanding, I hope I can hold onto that perspective — and to the sense of shared purpose and support that O’Week has already helped to build.