As I reflect on my initial years of training, I am deeply moved by the kindness that surrounded me, especially during hands-on interactions with patients as an anxious new trainee. The warmth and guidance that were shown to me had a profound influence on my personal learning and growth.

Oscar Li and Yeonsoo Sara Lee reflects on their experience inserting a Foley catheter for the first time, and how crucial a supportive environment in medical education is.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.