"Chiefs, remember, one of those interns is going to fill your shoes in a few years. They may model you in that role, so you want to raise them well! As a former chief resident, I have lots of pearls for those entering residency. However, what I will tell you now is different from what I would have told you then. I have since learned that there are possibilities to create the results that we want and not just follow the path we are told to take.

Recently, a former intern of mine — who went on to be a chief resident and subsequently a program director — tweeted that he received advice from another chief: “If you are unhappy in residency, you need to adjust your expectations.” He pondered that this suggestion was a mixed bag. Can you see both sides?

Residents, who is responsible for your happiness? Is it the institution, the program, the program director, the chief resident — or you?"

Marion McCrary is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at Marion McCrary Wellness.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "A word of advice from one chief resident to another." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/07/a-word-of-advice-from-one-chief-resident-to-another.html)