On to the next step

It is graduation day. That's right. All of the fourth year residents have finished their duties as resident physicians. There will be a dinner tonight. Tomorrow some of them will actually continue studying for their written board exams which will be given at the end of the month. Most will take a break of a month or two to move, getting settled before beginning jobs practicing medicine.

In the future there will be continuing education, the dreaded oral board exam in a couple of years, and recertification. Hopefully they will read regularly and continue to learn but the formal process of teaching is over. From here on out their patients will teach them more than they ever thought they would know. It is important that we remember that both as physicians and as patients. Education is endless, especially in medicine. This is why it is called practicing. As physicians, we will never know it all.