By Mardi O’Keefe
You're halfway through internship. You've completed two rotations and are close to finishing your third.
You’re feeling the cumulative effects of six months of shift work, constant learning and adapting to new clinical environments.
Building self-care into your routine and attending to your core needs is one of the most important things you can do. When your own needs are met, you're better able to think clearly, manage stress, regulate your emotions and maintain your professionalism, even during the busiest periods.
Attend to your core needs
As doctors, we often become so focused on caring for others that we stop paying attention to ourselves.
We can all cope for short periods when our needs aren't fully met. But over time, neglecting them affects our judgement, emotional regulation, resilience and ability to perform at our best.
Your needs generally fall into three broad areas:
Physiological needs – the basics that keep your body functioning, including sleep, food, hydration, movement and rest.
Emotional needs – the things that help you feel connected and supported, such as time with family and friends, debriefing after difficult shifts or simply having space to unwind.
Psychological needs – the activities that help you recharge and maintain perspective outside medicine, whether that's exercise, hobbies, time outdoors, reading or learning something new.
Everyone's needs will look different.
Progress, not perfection
There will be weeks when you don't eat well, miss the gym or struggle to get enough sleep. Internship isn't always compatible with the perfect wellness routine.
The goal isn't perfection. It's recognising your needs and when they have been neglected and taking small steps to address them.
That might mean:
Packing a healthy lunch instead of relying on a fast food from the cafe
Protecting time with family or friends
Going for a walk after a run of shifts
Saying no to another commitment
Planning some mini breaks or staycations on your days off and genuinely switching off
Small, consistent habits are often more effective than trying to overhaul your routine.
Do you have a self-care plan?
Take five minutes and ask yourself:
What are the three things I need to function at my best?
Have I been prioritising them?
If not, what is one thing I can change this week?
Knowing your own non-negotiables is an important part of self-awareness.
When you understand what keeps you physically, emotionally and psychologically well, you're much more likely to recognise the early signs that you're becoming depleted – and take action.
Looking after yourself won't remove the challenges of internship, but it will increase your capacity to meet them.
Your patients benefit from having a doctor who is well. Your colleagues do too. Most importantly, so do you.
Mardi O’Keefe is the Director of Engagement & Professional Growth at AMA Victoria.