Third-year residents thankful for knowledge and experience gained while at Duke Family Medicine
The time has truly flown by since my fellow residents — Aaron George, DO; Jon Bonnet, M.D.; and Michele Fass, M.D. — and I entered the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program in July 2012. We now are enjoying our final month here before we go our separate ways.
It does not seem possible that it was only three years ago when I picked up my life and moved from Des Moines, Iowa, to Durham, North Carolina, a community that I have truly grown to love.
Durham is such a vibrant community situated in a beautiful part of the state, and the diversity of Durham creates an interesting eclectic mix of restaurants, cultural opportunities and other activities. The farmer’s market in Durham is one of the highlights of a typical weekend for me, a time to explore all the fresh produce and goods that makes North Carolina distinct.
Being chief resident this past year, I’ve seen the first-year residents go through many of the same challenges we all faced when we first arrived. As chief resident, there is a lot of work behind the scenes, such as helping to create schedules and figuring out the logistics of various residency events. However, the fun part of the position for me has been mentoring the interns and watching them grow in their medical skills and confidence. Congratulations, interns! You made it through a very grueling and demanding schedule, with many early mornings and late nights at the hospitals.
Residency is challenging in many different ways and the amount of knowledge learned during these three years is substantial. Every single person at Duke Family Medicine contributed to our learning experience and has helped us grow in our careers.
My fellow third-year residents and I would like to thank the faculty for their dedication to what seems like an ever-changing world of residency education, and for their creative ways to further strengthen our education and future goals.
To the clinical staff, you have helped us learn and grow as physicians while working alongside us in the clinic, and we will miss you, as well. We really appreciate you!
To my fellow third-years, Aaron, Jon and Michele, I could not have asked for better co-residents, and I wish you well in your future endeavors. We made it!
Bret Powell is chief resident with the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program. Email bret.powell@dm.duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Family Medicine residents guest blog the second Friday of every month.