It's even crazier to think that this was your top choice residency program where you felt the most comfortable and excited about medicine. If this is the experience of a top-of-her-medical-class honor student matching at their top choice program, what is it like for everyone else?! Thank you for helping us set realistic expectations!
welcome to healthcare :) thank you for acknowledging that medicine is not always tik tok and youtube perfect like most influencers make it seem. We got this!!
10 years after my residency after years of sleepless nights and constant taunts from seniors... I can feel your pain. We worked so hard . I had no time to eat or even pee during duty days... But it's all worth it when that gorgeous baby is born.. however do take care of ur mental health. I had a burn out bad enough wanting me to quit after 5 years ... Now I'm a super speciality resident , life is better not great but I can say , work never stops.
I don't know how to feel about this. I am a premed. I enjoy medicine a lot, but I dislike the over work. Do you recommend me a doctor type that will allow me to work at hospitals, but really not more than 10h/day, and not every day(like I don't like to work more than 5days/week). As in is their a doctor work that would allow me to have no more than 50h of work/week? Even now as I am studying for the mcat(which is 2weeks from now), and I am feeling hella unprepared, I still take 2days off from studying because I can't do more than 5days of studying/week.
I am feeling unprepared because I haven't really done much study review on psychology and sociology, and pretty much would fail most physics questions. And I still feel underprepared for CARS. It was my fault though because I only began studying for the mcat a month ago, and 7weeks of studying doesn't feel enough for this exam. But, I am still optimistic. I need a 500 at the program I am entering. My gpa is 3.5 and I pretty much constantly get 127 or more on B/B. I think I could have easily gotten a 508 or more if I studied for the appropriate time, and if I began earlier. But, oh well, I may void it, but I hope I'll do well enough that I don't.
@@josephdahdouh2725 Hey! Fellow pre-med here with 3.7 gpa that ended up not going to medical school because I didn’t want to spend more time working than enjoying life. I’m still working in healthcare, training to be a psychologist, but I just wanted to be the voice that says it is okay to change your mind. Best of luck to you on the MCAT and in life!!
honestly...do PA school if this is what you're looking for, you cant cut corners in the medical school process. There are specialties that are less intense, but even to get to those residences you have to deal with the long hours from med school and those are still few and far between. Residency just sucks.@@josephdahdouh2725
More of us need to speak out about this, albeit I don’t even know where to begin. Here in Australia the system is so bad. You finish medicine and go into internship. Most specialties, particularly surgery, it takes an average 7+ years to get accepted onto the training programme. You’re considered an unaccredited registrar; completing various post-grad masters degrees, research, sucking up to everyone, taking unpaid overtime etc etc in hope that you’ll be accepted. Specialty training spots are limited, 3 failed applications and you’re no longer eligible. Then you start back from square one for a different specialty… I’ll graduate med school at 32. If I took 7 years to get into my specialty of choice, it’d be another 6 before I’m finished my training. 45 years old. Lol. It’s enough to make you cry. Is it worth it? Hope so. Could I imagine doing anything else? Nope. Kudos to all of us going through this, hope we all make it through without losing ourselves.
Its similar in america just sort of the opposite way with waiting to get in. And then if you dont match your speciality of choice you probably never will. Ugh medicine sucks
Hi Rachel, I was a peds resident. And trust me I loved medicine. I went to medical school despite my family be against it and despite my community saying I "couldn't do it and shouldn't do it." I was pretty much tortured in every way I could've been. I don't want to go into details but it was just so toxic. So I ended up burning out very badly just 3 months into finishing the residency. So I am not in medicine any more, it took about 1.5 years for myself to recover fully. I can now wake up HAPPY and interesting I don't miss medicine or the hospital at all!! It is just such a broken and inefficient, money wasting place. Its just being in residency is torture and its like I wouldn't place my worst enemy through what I got through.
As a lifelong heart and rheumatology patient (I’m 30 and have had 7 heart surgeries in past 4 years including 2 open heart surgeries- will need more and maybe a heart transplant. I also have lupus and RA) I want someone like you as my doctor. I know I’m not a patient in your speciality but you care about your patients AND yourself which makes a huge difference. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others! If I didn’t have congestive heart failure and other health issues I wanted to go into medicine so I love following your journey and admire you so much. Keep up the good work, I’m cheering you on!! ❤
Yes, absolutely worth it. The skills and knowledge you have are what will safely save lives when needed. You are a healer. Embrace it beautiful. You have come so far. You got this ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love the salad challenge idea! I love your videos also bc I’m not in the medical field…far from it, lol…but have always wondered what it was like to be a nurse / dr etc. You may be really sad and busy and stressed, but you should see how your face lights up each time you talk about delivering another baby😊…it really makes it all worthwhile!
I had always heard about your channel from other TH-camrs mentioning you and I decided to watch your videos. I did not expect the raw emotions and honesty! I just finished up my MS in clinical psych and one thing we had to do was hold in our emotions while giving therapy to a client (some people would talk about being abused or substance use experiences). I admire how in control you are of your emotions and your level headiness 😮. I can't wait to see more of your videos because they make me feel as though I can be as strong as you one day and make it into med school!! You're doing amazing and I admire you doctor ❤!
First year associate at a law firm and I relate HARD to this (acknowledging, of course, that I am compensated accordingly for my misery and that my work is not nearly as important and life affirming as yours). I had a tough week last week and found comfort in seeing that others also take it "day by day" at their jobs to survive. Rooting for you! Keep letting us know what we can do to support your channel. I know a lot of us already like and subscribe but knowing to turn on notifications in order to help w/ the algorithm helps! Will be doing that moving forward.
I really admire how you open up to us and be as truthful as you possibly can be. That takes alot of courage, especially now that you're a physician . I don't always get to catch your vídeos but when I do I appreciate everything because you do it for us when I know it's not always easy. I hope that whatever you go through...making vlogs are release therapy for you. 🤗😊
With the way you’re treated and worked absolutely not. But in the ways that you’ve utilized your platform to encourage a more healthier and proactive space … then yes. More residents are speaking up and advocating and I’m so proud of you all. I know it’s hard and stressful and the people running the big system don’t care about work load or the patients. But you guys are the middle men that matter. I hope one day we can transition into a system where intelligent and selfless providers can run the hospitals the way they should be. It’s a big risk being honest on here especially with so many who drink the Kool-aid. I’m praying for your strength and I’m wishing you a very long light of encouragement. You got this!!! Never get quiet
I’m a former l&d nurse and it is a surprisingly stressful unit. Everyone thinks it’s all fun and babies but anyone who works it knows how high stakes it is. Love that a doctor like you is out there, just wish it wasn’t such a rough process!
I’ve had this very same conversation (also a nurse, though not L&D), especially with new grad nurses. It seems like it’s all fun and games based on what you see on TV or experience when you first bear children, but such is a very unrealistic perspective of how challenging L&D can be. The patient population in L&D is very high acuity despite mainly consisting of
You’re not complaining or talking too much! You’re very professional with how you show the pros and the cons. I think your explanation about loving medicine was on point ❤
Medicine is nothing like what's shown on TikTok and Instagram. People only show the highlights, they don't show the behind the scenes work. As a scribe in an ER, I'm glad I learned about what medicine is really like, because it's not this glorious thing every day.
Wow! Time flies. It feels like just a few months ago you started medical school. I haven't had a chance to catch up on the vids, but I'm glad to see you Dr. Southard. Keep on taking us along on your inspiring journey.
I really appreciate you consistently putting out videos. I won’t take it for granted and will support anything you do. So for right now, thank you. Your hard work is immensely noticed
Residency is awful but I promise it gets better. As an attending you’ll have more autonomy over your day and schedule..you can choose to work part time if you want to focus more on your family/other non clinical endeavors or continue to work time full time if you’re able to balance it all. Getting paid more as an attending also makes it sweeter 😊
I love the more relatable content. Please continue the honesty and transparency. You are not too negative. I'm also a resident and i feel less alone when hearing what youre going through. Thank you for sharing yourself with the world.
I've never related to you more than this video! I'm a Teacher and this field is very much like yours. You have to Love teaching, to do this. You can't fake it because you will be pushed so far past your line (like your reference to having a reserve) that you will absolutely quit and find a completely different career. I truly do love the TEACHING part of being a Teacher. The paperwork is enough to break anyone. And it absolutely takes my time away from the classroom. When I come home each day I don't feel like always give off the positive side of my days, as equally as I'm fried and still have hours of computer work to do on my own time once I get my kids feed, cleaned and in bed. But my students are the reason for it all ❤
@@RoseHathaway12 For real? We had a school counselor and they literally did nothing all day long. No one went to them and when we did, no one would share anything. It was a waste of the school's money that the school ended up removing the counselor/therapist.
@@josephdahdouh2725 Maybe it depends on the school and the country. Kids at out school also don't want to come to me, but that's a long story. I have a lot of responsibilities such as evaluating kids that might be special needs, then working with them (I work with 9 such students at the moment), also they use me as a substitute teacher when somebody is sick (which happens at least bi-weekly and I'm not even a teacher), I also have classes with younger students on emotional intelligence. I have have meetings with parents about bad behavior or bad grades at least 1-2 times per week. I also have to deal with a lot of cases of verbal and physical aggression, which takes most of my time. I'm often in situatuions, where I have to be in three different meetings/places at the same time which is the most frustrating part. And obviously after i do anything, I have to document what and why i did it. So if I had to describe my role, it's more filling all the gaps at the school and problemsolving.
@@josephdahdouh2725what a shame you feel like that. At my sons school you could barely get an appointment they were so busy. Seems you school did something wrong with getting the word out to students on the benefits.
@@mommysaver71 I think because in my country(not an English one), it's a taboo still to go to therapists, but universities have been teaching otherwise to healthcare people
Hey Rachel!! Rooting for you and just so appreciative that you still take the time to update us and show us what life is really like in residency. I have been a fan since you started medical school and I still go back to watch your videos now that I am an M3 just to remind myself that I am not alone in the struggle :') I have heard from a lot of residents and attendings about the amount of administrative work and I was wondering if you could go into more detail. Even now on clerkship I am not fully understanding what they mean by that other than writing notes (unless it is all writing notes). If you can go through the details of the documentation each patient requires that would be great! Thank you for being you and showing the reality of the career! You have been such a source of inspiration for me and many of my classmates!
Great video, Dr. Southard -- you tell it like it is. Medicine is primarily for people who are willing and able to make sacrifices in time, energy and of course money in return for highly specialized (and really grueling) training that will enable them to take better care of people; anyone who is solely doing it for the money may crash and burn before they realize it!
Thats why specialties like derm require a 270 step 2 score, normal hours, little on call, good patient interactions, good outcomes, little emergencies, great pay.
The reserve explanation was so good. It pretty much exists in anything school related. It's hard to enjoy anything when the reserve is gone or not there. Ppl should always find things to do where they have the largest reserve. possible because
I'm currently in residency too and this is by far the most accurate day in a life video I've seen regarding a typical day in residency. Thank you for posting something so relatable! ☺
All health care providers have to document. I know you feel it takes away from patient care but it will save you from getting sued. Having been a nurse for 35 years I know people who have been saved from malpractice because of documentation.
What do you guys take notes of exactly? And how does that not help in patient care? By noting wouldn't you remember what you did much more easily? Doesn't that help you solve a similar case faster next time? Or are some notes completely unrelated to medicine?
Personal point I resume, in a deep gift to enjoy like studying or work as an individual purpose to guide harmful personal lifestyle.. perfect uba so hard.. love it❤
Rachel, I've been following you since the beginning and no matter what, I 100% appreciate your realness. I think that's what so many of us find so refreshing about you! People need to hear that it's not all sunshine and butterflies. I'm about to interview at Western this month, and I'm thinking about you and all you are accomplishing!
Rachel, the many administrative tasks of your profession are frustrating and time consuming. As you say, that means you have less time for your patients. It's to your credit that you dare to name this and dare to discuss it. This is a current problem all over the world and in various professions, including in the Netherlands and healthcare. Take care of yourself and keep seeing the beautiful things in your profession. Don't let the frustration get the better of you and keep believing in what you have entered this profession. I Have every confidence in you...
I relate a lot watching your videos and seeing you go though residency because I have already been 5.5 years in medicine (in Colombia it is the same 8 years as the US, the difference is that you go straight into medical school after graduating high school). I´m so burnt out I don´t know if I would want to go into a 3 to 5 year residency after all of this. Doctors handle really high levels of stress, with little to no sleep, limited amount of time outside of the hospital, very high expectations and little pay (in Colombia), makes you wonder if it is worth it.
Thanks for bringing us along your journey and giving us a real perspective. I have a new found respect for ob residents. I've worked with them in the past.
Omg yeah I agree, you can’t get into the medical field if you don’t really want to do it!! I realized after I became a psychiatric technician that I did not want to pursue becoming an RN like a lot of my cohort did. I am happy to pursue counseling instead because I love psychology and mental health so much & even with the most difficult psych patient, that was never the issue, it was the work environments in health care that drove me out & back to school. However, I know that even when becoming a counselor there are going to be stresses so you really have to “have it in you” to love what you do to push through the harder days. ❤ 💯 thank you for your honesty!! 🎉😊
Make sure you are taking full advantage of your hospital’s EMR for notes. Make macros for everything if you can!! If there are any scribes at your hospital, ask for their tricks. Maybe share macros with co-residents to speed your process
i just do ultrasound rachel but i related so much to your emotions about how things are not beautiful in medicine. im only 3 years in and feeling the burn... sad that it is this way for us who just want to help people.
My question is… if medicine is so tiring, takes so much time from your life, And you sacrifice so much, with lowered reimbursements, issues with insurance, and burnout, and crazy loans… why do so many people still apply for the MD? Passion, money, status, power? Family pressure?
Medicine is like a roller-coaster ride. Its not all sunshine and rainbows but I can promise it will be one helluva ride. Remember that residency is a fickle b*tch. She's going to try to flip you upside down and watch you land right on your butt. Remember you are stronger today than yesterday this is just a wave in the journey. It will pass. You got this.
so much hard work to become an dr i hope one day to help teach medical students as one of there body donors as I'm thermally ill young man so decided to give consent to body donation in the hope to help teach medical students Anatomy i wish all well in there studies and pray you carry on to become great dr take care
I just want to say that I am super appreciative of your honesty and transparency. thank you for being open and sharing your truth. And thank you Sketchy, I just understood like 10 concepts in org chemistry that I could not wrap my mind around in undergrad 🥳.
Hi Rachel, I am so proud of you! I was just wondering how you are coping with living alone now? I am only assuming since your set up looks different and I never see any more of your roommates anymore...is it lonely or are you so exhausted from work it doesn't affect you much?
Starting residency and moving to a new town are very stressful, if possible, takes extra time for self-care, especially for the transition. The administrative stuff and paperwork does get a little easier as time goes on as it is fairly repetitive and after a while you “know your script“ for most things that you’ll encounter
I feel so empathetic for you 😢 doctors do deserve better they deserve everything. We couldn’t live without you 🥺 does it get any better as you get more experience?
It’s so easy to fall into the negatives daily but man there are some great positives especially ahead of you. Keep chugging along champ we are all routing for you ❤
Those salad drawings was one of the cutest things I've seen in the videos lol. So cute how all of you guys participated in that and drew little salad pictures lol.
You deserve respect for speaking the truth!💪🤍 Here’s to hoping that your voice will be heard, and your sacrifices, and tiring days will pave the way for healthier residencies for future physicians🙏🏻
Hello Rachel I'm so happy for you to be able to pursue your goals and be a great doctor. You are not afraid to show is the emotional toll it can at times take on you or any doctor. I wish i could give you a ho five and give you a hug and a shoulder to cry on and wipe away your tears from your face when you are sad or depressed. Do you live in southern California? I bet your family are so happy for you.
Also been following you while I was still in medical school and I started internship this year which is what is kinda considered recidency in South Africa...I am currently watching your video during a call and I get what you are going through and saying if your reserve is small...it's going to be tough...
hey, Vet tech here, wanted to tell you this is in vet med as well, and its honestly why I am going into human nursing, (probably L and D) I am a ICU and Emergency Veterinary Technician, I do complex cases, hit by cars, unstable surgery recovery, dogs on multiple Pressors, and I can tell you I love what i do, but I do not love what i do, for the pay we get. my last pay was $19 and hour, and I am cross trained in ER and ICU, granted, Im not a LVT, or a VTS, so I dont have that pay bump, but I do almost everything they do. I would love to still do animal med and be able to pay my bills, but i can't. I get yelled at, verbally assaulted, almost physically assaulted I place things like NG tubs, and multiple IV catheters, IO catheters, Urinary catheters, I prep for surgery, I take Xrays, and do all my own labwork....the only thing i dont do is central line placement, and . and I get paid not even half of what nurses are getting paid.
Do you think a lot of the difficulty is because you’re doing the hard part of L&D versus like getting to see patients in the office and getting to know them/hopefully feeling more appreciated? New to your channel so I have zero context 😂 watching for the first time. ❤
Tbh you look really different from your previous videos. I think I've been following you for a little over a year now and I haven't seen you like this yet. (I mean this in a neutral way). I hope this virtual hug and good vibes find you and everyone else that needs it to keep going. I respect you so much for being so strong and still real. Thank you Rachel.❤
I think it’s a combination between aging ~5yrs in front of the camera. Also, I had dental work done to help fix my bite (since I could only chew on one side lol) and it’s changed my jaw and the way my teeth/lips sit.
@@RachelSouthard You aren't aging that fast. Common, you still look young and have a good age in front of you. And good job on fixing your bite. But, I think I understand what Alyssa was talking about, and it has to do with your mentality. We can see your stress and hard work through the camera. We appreciate you despite it, and I hope you'll be learning a lot from it.
You have to watch her journey from the start. It was truly amazing seeing her develop and experience life away from life, and now she's at the point of actually saving and delivering lives on a daily. An amazing transition that comes with a lot of struggles I'd imagine.
Personally, I do not recommend Sketchy, Amboss, BnB for med students mainly because you rely on borrowing someone else’s medical framework when you’re tackling medical problems. IMO, building your own framework is better the earlier you do it. It takes years but it’ll make rotation, residency that much easier.
when you said you miss being a med student that got me crazyyyy i mean working whole day whole week confined to your rooom is pretty sh*tifying 😭😭😭 no sundays nothing!!!! ain't there weekends off in residency plus is it like carrying work home like studying etc or so??
For the amount of sacrifice and work you put in during medical school, it’s not the best bargain. It only makes sense if you really want to be in healthcare fulfilling something that makes sense and has value to you, something specific that you really want and can only be obtained through this route, otherwise don’t go into medicine!
My brother is in like his idk 5th year of residency? No clue how he does it lol. He graduated in nutrition and one day saw sick kids. He went into it without telling anyone. Of course my family was excited so good but nursing school scarred me 💀
The vlog was perfect, the quick cuts and edits are the truth and we want the truth. Blogs will change over the course of your time in medicine. It’s okay 😅😅
I was thinking, instead of MCAT, we should test people’s ability to keep their good health both physical and mental… survive on less sleep and study for an exam in order to achieve their goal
You will make it! Enjoy the chaos! I really feel like you are gonna surprise with something really interesting soon bc 1st year is really intense and life changing! Self care all the way!
If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now (i.e. about medical school, residency, etc.), would you still choose the DO route or would you choose the PA route? Also, did you consider the PA route before choosing to go to medical school? If so, what made you choose DO over PA? Just started school to get a second bachelor’s degree and finish prerequisites for PA school.
@@dtae7855 I started out on the Neuroscience - Premed Track but ended up switching to Psychology. Now I’m back to Neuroscience (it fit best with my psych degree) with a pre-PA track.
HI Rachel, I really want to purchase the crewneck top on your website but am very confused with sizing... could you make a video on your merch and how it would look on different body types please :)
Hi Rachel! I love your videos, I watch you in the background as comfort (kinda like rewatching a show in the background lol) I know you’ve mentioned hair troubles, and I have something I do that might work for you! I boil fresh rosemary and then use the tea/rosemary water in a hair spray bottle to do my hair in the mornings. It might lessen hair loss, and increase baby hair growth :) i hope it helps if you try it!
I know you don’t want your content to be “negative” but your honest perspective is so refreshing!
It's even crazier to think that this was your top choice residency program where you felt the most comfortable and excited about medicine. If this is the experience of a top-of-her-medical-class honor student matching at their top choice program, what is it like for everyone else?! Thank you for helping us set realistic expectations!
PRECISELY
Hey Rachel, what was your second residency specialty pick had you not gotten into obstetrics and gynecology? 😊
Now imagine not matching and having to scramble to a different speciality and some random hospital. I sure as hell couldn't.
welcome to healthcare :) thank you for acknowledging that medicine is not always tik tok and youtube perfect like most influencers make it seem. We got this!!
Thank you!! I am a nurse and it’s not as glorious as social media paints it to be. Nonetheless, it is still an honorable career for me.
Agreeee😅
10 years after my residency after years of sleepless nights and constant taunts from seniors... I can feel your pain. We worked so hard . I had no time to eat or even pee during duty days... But it's all worth it when that gorgeous baby is born.. however do take care of ur mental health. I had a burn out bad enough wanting me to quit after 5 years ... Now I'm a super speciality resident , life is better not great but I can say , work never stops.
I don't know how to feel about this. I am a premed. I enjoy medicine a lot, but I dislike the over work. Do you recommend me a doctor type that will allow me to work at hospitals, but really not more than 10h/day, and not every day(like I don't like to work more than 5days/week). As in is their a doctor work that would allow me to have no more than 50h of work/week? Even now as I am studying for the mcat(which is 2weeks from now), and I am feeling hella unprepared, I still take 2days off from studying because I can't do more than 5days of studying/week.
I am feeling unprepared because I haven't really done much study review on psychology and sociology, and pretty much would fail most physics questions. And I still feel underprepared for CARS. It was my fault though because I only began studying for the mcat a month ago, and 7weeks of studying doesn't feel enough for this exam. But, I am still optimistic. I need a 500 at the program I am entering. My gpa is 3.5 and I pretty much constantly get 127 or more on B/B. I think I could have easily gotten a 508 or more if I studied for the appropriate time, and if I began earlier. But, oh well, I may void it, but I hope I'll do well enough that I don't.
@@josephdahdouh2725 Hey! Fellow pre-med here with 3.7 gpa that ended up not going to medical school because I didn’t want to spend more time working than enjoying life. I’m still working in healthcare, training to be a psychologist, but I just wanted to be the voice that says it is okay to change your mind. Best of luck to you on the MCAT and in life!!
@@josephdahdouh2725ever considered optometry? O.D.s have a much better work/life balance and are still doctors in their own right 👓
honestly...do PA school if this is what you're looking for, you cant cut corners in the medical school process. There are specialties that are less intense, but even to get to those residences you have to deal with the long hours from med school and those are still few and far between. Residency just sucks.@@josephdahdouh2725
More of us need to speak out about this, albeit I don’t even know where to begin.
Here in Australia the system is so bad. You finish medicine and go into internship. Most specialties, particularly surgery, it takes an average 7+ years to get accepted onto the training programme. You’re considered an unaccredited registrar; completing various post-grad masters degrees, research, sucking up to everyone, taking unpaid overtime etc etc in hope that you’ll be accepted. Specialty training spots are limited, 3 failed applications and you’re no longer eligible. Then you start back from square one for a different specialty…
I’ll graduate med school at 32. If I took 7 years to get into my specialty of choice, it’d be another 6 before I’m finished my training. 45 years old. Lol. It’s enough to make you cry.
Is it worth it? Hope so. Could I imagine doing anything else? Nope. Kudos to all of us going through this, hope we all make it through without losing ourselves.
Damn. I felt this.
Damn that’s actually really stupid why do they make it so hard
makes sense to me. why would i want someone less than 45 treating me medically? @@MohamedAhmed-wc3pw
Its similar in america just sort of the opposite way with waiting to get in. And then if you dont match your speciality of choice you probably never will. Ugh medicine sucks
I am Australian too. Thank-you for posting!
Hi Rachel, I was a peds resident. And trust me I loved medicine. I went to medical school despite my family be against it and despite my community saying I "couldn't do it and shouldn't do it." I was pretty much tortured in every way I could've been. I don't want to go into details but it was just so toxic. So I ended up burning out very badly just 3 months into finishing the residency. So I am not in medicine any more, it took about 1.5 years for myself to recover fully. I can now wake up HAPPY and interesting I don't miss medicine or the hospital at all!! It is just such a broken and inefficient, money wasting place. Its just being in residency is torture and its like I wouldn't place my worst enemy through what I got through.
As a lifelong heart and rheumatology patient (I’m 30 and have had 7 heart surgeries in past 4 years including 2 open heart surgeries- will need more and maybe a heart transplant. I also have lupus and RA) I want someone like you as my doctor. I know I’m not a patient in your speciality but you care about your patients AND yourself which makes a huge difference. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others! If I didn’t have congestive heart failure and other health issues I wanted to go into medicine so I love following your journey and admire you so much. Keep up the good work, I’m cheering you on!! ❤
Thanks for sharing this with me 💕 I’m sending hugs and love to you. Stay strong.
So many of us herds rooting for and thinking of you ❤ thank you for standing up for us!!!
💯
Yes, absolutely worth it. The skills and knowledge you have are what will safely save lives when needed. You are a healer. Embrace it beautiful. You have come so far.
You got this ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I love the salad challenge idea! I love your videos also bc I’m not in the medical field…far from it, lol…but have always wondered what it was like to be a nurse / dr etc. You may be really sad and busy and stressed, but you should see how your face lights up each time you talk about delivering another baby😊…it really makes it all worthwhile!
You’re honestly so right. Babies make me happy
You are completely right Rachel. You have to love medicine and you have to have a reserve. Make sure you take good care of yourself.
I had always heard about your channel from other TH-camrs mentioning you and I decided to watch your videos. I did not expect the raw emotions and honesty! I just finished up my MS in clinical psych and one thing we had to do was hold in our emotions while giving therapy to a client (some people would talk about being abused or substance use experiences). I admire how in control you are of your emotions and your level headiness 😮. I can't wait to see more of your videos because they make me feel as though I can be as strong as you one day and make it into med school!! You're doing amazing and I admire you doctor ❤!
First year associate at a law firm and I relate HARD to this (acknowledging, of course, that I am compensated accordingly for my misery and that my work is not nearly as important and life affirming as yours). I had a tough week last week and found comfort in seeing that others also take it "day by day" at their jobs to survive. Rooting for you! Keep letting us know what we can do to support your channel. I know a lot of us already like and subscribe but knowing to turn on notifications in order to help w/ the algorithm helps! Will be doing that moving forward.
I really admire how you open up to us and be as truthful as you possibly can be. That takes alot of courage, especially now that you're a physician . I don't always get to catch your vídeos but when I do I appreciate everything because you do it for us when I know it's not always easy. I hope that whatever you go through...making vlogs are release therapy for you. 🤗😊
With the way you’re treated and worked absolutely not. But in the ways that you’ve utilized your platform to encourage a more healthier and proactive space … then yes. More residents are speaking up and advocating and I’m so proud of you all. I know it’s hard and stressful and the people running the big system don’t care about work load or the patients. But you guys are the middle men that matter. I hope one day we can transition into a system where intelligent and selfless providers can run the hospitals the way they should be. It’s a big risk being honest on here especially with so many who drink the Kool-aid. I’m praying for your strength and I’m wishing you a very long light of encouragement. You got this!!! Never get quiet
I’m a former l&d nurse and it is a surprisingly stressful unit. Everyone thinks it’s all fun and babies but anyone who works it knows how high stakes it is. Love that a doctor like you is out there, just wish it wasn’t such a rough process!
I’ve had this very same conversation (also a nurse, though not L&D), especially with new grad nurses. It seems like it’s all fun and games based on what you see on TV or experience when you first bear children, but such is a very unrealistic perspective of how challenging L&D can be. The patient population in L&D is very high acuity despite mainly consisting of
You’re not complaining or talking too much! You’re very professional with how you show the pros and the cons. I think your explanation about loving medicine was on point ❤
I love your transparency. Thank you for all your time in creating videos! I hope you get some rest and peace when you can. I’m rooting for you!
Dr. Rachel, thank you for keeping us in this part of your journey. You got this!!
Medicine is nothing like what's shown on TikTok and Instagram. People only show the highlights, they don't show the behind the scenes work. As a scribe in an ER, I'm glad I learned about what medicine is really like, because it's not this glorious thing every day.
Yep scribing in the ER taught me a lot. Two ER attendings I worked with both said they regretted medical school
not a health care student/worker but have enjoyed watching your videos throughout the years. I like the honesty you share throughout your journey.
Wow! Time flies. It feels like just a few months ago you started medical school. I haven't had a chance to catch up on the vids, but I'm glad to see you Dr. Southard. Keep on taking us along on your inspiring journey.
I really appreciate you consistently putting out videos. I won’t take it for granted and will support anything you do. So for right now, thank you. Your hard work is immensely noticed
I appreciate that!
You are doing an awesome job, girlfriend! I'm utterly amazed that you're able to vlog at all on L&D.
Residency is awful but I promise it gets better. As an attending you’ll have more autonomy over your day and schedule..you can choose to work part time if you want to focus more on your family/other non clinical endeavors or continue to work time full time if you’re able to balance it all. Getting paid more as an attending also makes it sweeter 😊
I love the more relatable content. Please continue the honesty and transparency. You are not too negative. I'm also a resident and i feel less alone when hearing what youre going through. Thank you for sharing yourself with the world.
I've never related to you more than this video! I'm a Teacher and this field is very much like yours. You have to Love teaching, to do this. You can't fake it because you will be pushed so far past your line (like your reference to having a reserve) that you will absolutely quit and find a completely different career. I truly do love the TEACHING part of being a Teacher. The paperwork is enough to break anyone. And it absolutely takes my time away from the classroom. When I come home each day I don't feel like always give off the positive side of my days, as equally as I'm fried and still have hours of computer work to do on my own time once I get my kids feed, cleaned and in bed. But my students are the reason for it all ❤
Same here, but I'm a school psychologist.
@@RoseHathaway12 For real? We had a school counselor and they literally did nothing all day long. No one went to them and when we did, no one would share anything. It was a waste of the school's money that the school ended up removing the counselor/therapist.
@@josephdahdouh2725 Maybe it depends on the school and the country. Kids at out school also don't want to come to me, but that's a long story. I have a lot of responsibilities such as evaluating kids that might be special needs, then working with them (I work with 9 such students at the moment), also they use me as a substitute teacher when somebody is sick (which happens at least bi-weekly and I'm not even a teacher), I also have classes with younger students on emotional intelligence. I have have meetings with parents about bad behavior or bad grades at least 1-2 times per week. I also have to deal with a lot of cases of verbal and physical aggression, which takes most of my time. I'm often in situatuions, where I have to be in three different meetings/places at the same time which is the most frustrating part. And obviously after i do anything, I have to document what and why i did it.
So if I had to describe my role, it's more filling all the gaps at the school and problemsolving.
@@josephdahdouh2725what a shame you feel like that. At my sons school you could barely get an appointment they were so busy. Seems you school did something wrong with getting the word out to students on the benefits.
@@mommysaver71 I think because in my country(not an English one), it's a taboo still to go to therapists, but universities have been teaching otherwise to healthcare people
I am glad you are sharing this with us! I'm a career changer to medicine and want to know every aspect of actually working as a doctor/resident
Hey Rachel!! Rooting for you and just so appreciative that you still take the time to update us and show us what life is really like in residency. I have been a fan since you started medical school and I still go back to watch your videos now that I am an M3 just to remind myself that I am not alone in the struggle :') I have heard from a lot of residents and attendings about the amount of administrative work and I was wondering if you could go into more detail. Even now on clerkship I am not fully understanding what they mean by that other than writing notes (unless it is all writing notes). If you can go through the details of the documentation each patient requires that would be great! Thank you for being you and showing the reality of the career! You have been such a source of inspiration for me and many of my classmates!
Great video, Dr. Southard -- you tell it like it is. Medicine is primarily for people who are willing and able to make sacrifices in time, energy and of course money in return for highly specialized (and really grueling) training that will enable them to take better care of people; anyone who is solely doing it for the money may crash and burn before they realize it!
Been watching your videos since you were an m1 and now I’m an m1 myself. Thanks for your help and best of luck in residency
You are absolutely amazing :) thank you for sharing your experience because it helps me feel not so alone in the struggle
The more I see you sharing, the more excited I get to become a doctor. I would love to work in geriatrics or as a general doctor.❤
Thats why specialties like derm require a 270 step 2 score, normal hours, little on call, good patient interactions, good outcomes, little emergencies, great pay.
The reserve explanation was so good. It pretty much exists in anything school related. It's hard to enjoy anything when the reserve is gone or not there. Ppl should always find things to do where they have the largest reserve. possible because
Even watching how crazy your day to day can get, it makes me even more excited. I’ll take that as a good sign 😅🙏
Yay! A sketchy partnership?! So cool!
I'm currently in residency too and this is by far the most accurate day in a life video I've seen regarding a typical day in residency. Thank you for posting something so relatable! ☺
You got this! Sending my love!
How do you have time to work out 💪🏼 when you’re working 80 hours/week?! I’d be exhausted 😢
I watched you since you were studying to now. Congrats you didn't give up
That protein shake/coffee combo is such a cool hack!
All health care providers have to document. I know you feel it takes away from patient care but it will save you from getting sued. Having been a nurse for 35 years I know people who have been saved from malpractice because of documentation.
Definitely
What do you guys take notes of exactly? And how does that not help in patient care? By noting wouldn't you remember what you did much more easily? Doesn't that help you solve a similar case faster next time? Or are some notes completely unrelated to medicine?
Personal point I resume, in a deep gift to enjoy like studying or work as an individual purpose to guide harmful personal lifestyle.. perfect uba so hard.. love it❤
Rachel, I've been following you since the beginning and no matter what, I 100% appreciate your realness. I think that's what so many of us find so refreshing about you! People need to hear that it's not all sunshine and butterflies. I'm about to interview at Western this month, and I'm thinking about you and all you are accomplishing!
Thank you for staying true to yourself and us, we love you the way you are! Struggles and all :)
Rachel! Is it hard being a doctor and being this awesome?❤
Rachel, the many administrative tasks of your profession are frustrating and time consuming. As you say, that means you have less time for your patients. It's to your credit that you dare to name this and dare to discuss it. This is a current problem all over the world and in various professions, including in the Netherlands and healthcare. Take care of yourself and keep seeing the beautiful things in your profession. Don't let the frustration get the better of you and keep believing in what you have entered this profession. I Have every confidence in you...
Sending support, I appreciate your honest content and resiliency 💙
“Why would we have a chill Friday when we could have a chaotic Friday?” I felt that to my CORE.
I relate a lot watching your videos and seeing you go though residency because I have already been 5.5 years in medicine (in Colombia it is the same 8 years as the US, the difference is that you go straight into medical school after graduating high school). I´m so burnt out I don´t know if I would want to go into a 3 to 5 year residency after all of this. Doctors handle really high levels of stress, with little to no sleep, limited amount of time outside of the hospital, very high expectations and little pay (in Colombia), makes you wonder if it is worth it.
Thanks for bringing us along your journey and giving us a real perspective. I have a new found respect for ob residents. I've worked with them in the past.
In the Building waiting from Baltimore MD 😎
Omg yeah I agree, you can’t get into the medical field if you don’t really want to do it!! I realized after I became a psychiatric technician that I did not want to pursue becoming an RN like a lot of my cohort did. I am happy to pursue counseling instead because I love psychology and mental health so much & even with the most difficult psych patient, that was never the issue, it was the work environments in health care that drove me out & back to school. However, I know that even when becoming a counselor there are going to be stresses so you really have to “have it in you” to love what you do to push through the harder days. ❤ 💯 thank you for your honesty!! 🎉😊
Make sure you are taking full advantage of your hospital’s EMR for notes. Make macros for everything if you can!! If there are any scribes at your hospital, ask for their tricks. Maybe share macros with co-residents to speed your process
Your honesty means a lot rooting for you! I enjoy your vlogs more than I ever did E.R!
i just do ultrasound rachel but i related so much to your emotions about how things are not beautiful in medicine. im only 3 years in and feeling the burn... sad that it is this way for us who just want to help people.
My question is… if medicine is so tiring, takes so much time from your life, And you sacrifice so much, with lowered reimbursements, issues with insurance, and burnout, and crazy loans… why do so many people still apply for the MD? Passion, money, status, power? Family pressure?
Medicine is like a roller-coaster ride. Its not all sunshine and rainbows but I can promise it will be one helluva ride.
Remember that residency is a fickle b*tch. She's going to try to flip you upside down and watch you land right on your butt. Remember you are stronger today than yesterday this is just a wave in the journey. It will pass. You got this.
so much hard work to become an dr i hope one day to help teach medical students as one of there body donors as I'm thermally ill young man so decided to give consent to body donation in the hope to help teach medical students Anatomy i wish all well in there studies and pray you carry on to become great dr take care
I just want to say that I am super appreciative of your honesty and transparency. thank you for being open and sharing your truth. And thank you Sketchy, I just understood like 10 concepts in org chemistry that I could not wrap my mind around in undergrad 🥳.
Hi Rachel, I am so proud of you! I was just wondering how you are coping with living alone now? I am only assuming since your set up looks different and I never see any more of your roommates anymore...is it lonely or are you so exhausted from work it doesn't affect you much?
Starting residency and moving to a new town are very stressful, if possible, takes extra time for self-care, especially for the transition. The administrative stuff and paperwork does get a little easier as time goes on as it is fairly repetitive and after a while you “know your script“ for most things that you’ll encounter
I feel so empathetic for you 😢 doctors do deserve better they deserve everything. We couldn’t live without you 🥺 does it get any better as you get more experience?
It’s so easy to fall into the negatives daily but man there are some great positives especially ahead of you. Keep chugging along champ we are all routing for you ❤
Those salad drawings was one of the cutest things I've seen in the videos lol. So cute how all of you guys participated in that and drew little salad pictures lol.
You deserve respect for speaking the truth!💪🤍
Here’s to hoping that your voice will be heard, and your sacrifices, and tiring days will pave the way for healthier residencies for future physicians🙏🏻
I hope so too
Hello Rachel I'm so happy for you to be able to pursue your goals and be a great doctor. You are not afraid to show is the emotional toll it can at times take on you or any doctor. I wish i could give you a ho five and give you a hug and a shoulder to cry on and wipe away your tears from your face when you are sad or depressed. Do you live in southern California? I bet your family are so happy for you.
rachel please do more sponorships we love to support you
A question I often ask myself, just starting my 4th year now..
Also been following you while I was still in medical school and I started internship this year which is what is kinda considered recidency in South Africa...I am currently watching your video during a call and I get what you are going through and saying if your reserve is small...it's going to be tough...
hey, Vet tech here, wanted to tell you this is in vet med as well, and its honestly why I am going into human nursing, (probably L and D) I am a ICU and Emergency Veterinary Technician, I do complex cases, hit by cars, unstable surgery recovery, dogs on multiple Pressors, and I can tell you I love what i do, but I do not love what i do, for the pay we get. my last pay was $19 and hour, and I am cross trained in ER and ICU, granted, Im not a LVT, or a VTS, so I dont have that pay bump, but I do almost everything they do. I would love to still do animal med and be able to pay my bills, but i can't. I get yelled at, verbally assaulted, almost physically assaulted I place things like NG tubs, and multiple IV catheters, IO catheters, Urinary catheters, I prep for surgery, I take Xrays, and do all my own labwork....the only thing i dont do is central line placement, and . and I get paid not even half of what nurses are getting paid.
Do you think a lot of the difficulty is because you’re doing the hard part of L&D versus like getting to see patients in the office and getting to know them/hopefully feeling more appreciated? New to your channel so I have zero context 😂 watching for the first time. ❤
sketchyyy is the best thing on earth for sure!!!!!!!
Tbh you look really different from your previous videos. I think I've been following you for a little over a year now and I haven't seen you like this yet. (I mean this in a neutral way). I hope this virtual hug and good vibes find you and everyone else that needs it to keep going. I respect you so much for being so strong and still real. Thank you Rachel.❤
I think it’s a combination between aging ~5yrs in front of the camera. Also, I had dental work done to help fix my bite (since I could only chew on one side lol) and it’s changed my jaw and the way my teeth/lips sit.
Oh and also me aging fast from the years
Of stress and lack of sleep compounding on me 🌚👍🏼😅😂🪦🪦🪦🪦
@@RachelSouthard You aren't aging that fast. Common, you still look young and have a good age in front of you. And good job on fixing your bite. But, I think I understand what Alyssa was talking about, and it has to do with your mentality. We can see your stress and hard work through the camera. We appreciate you despite it, and I hope you'll be learning a lot from it.
Awh thank you💕
Hi Rachel I'm new to your channel and I already love u girl
You have to watch her journey from the start. It was truly amazing seeing her develop and experience life away from life, and now she's at the point of actually saving and delivering lives on a daily. An amazing transition that comes with a lot of struggles I'd imagine.
Personally, I do not recommend Sketchy, Amboss, BnB for med students mainly because you rely on borrowing someone else’s medical framework when you’re tackling medical problems. IMO, building your own framework is better the earlier you do it. It takes years but it’ll make rotation, residency that much easier.
To each their own. People will do what works best for their learning
i would have died without my labour and delivery women nurses and women doctors. Labour and Delivery women nurses and women doctors are my heroes.
Stay strong my Queen you got this
when you said you miss being a med student that got me crazyyyy
i mean working whole day whole week confined to your rooom is pretty sh*tifying 😭😭😭
no sundays nothing!!!!
ain't there weekends off in residency plus is it like carrying work home like studying etc or so??
For the amount of sacrifice and work you put in during medical school, it’s not the best bargain. It only makes sense if you really want to be in healthcare fulfilling something that makes sense and has value to you, something specific that you really want and can only be obtained through this route, otherwise don’t go into medicine!
My brother is in like his idk 5th year of residency? No clue how he does it lol. He graduated in nutrition and one day saw sick kids. He went into it without telling anyone. Of course my family was excited so good but nursing school scarred me 💀
It’s worth it your savings lives. People neee good medical care
The vlog was perfect, the quick cuts and edits are the truth and we want the truth. Blogs will change over the course of your time in medicine. It’s okay 😅😅
Anything in healthcare is rough and tough. Alot of secondary trauma.
Stay Strong Rach!! You got a big trail of red ants who are cheering for you. 📣 🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜
I was thinking, instead of MCAT, we should test people’s ability to keep their good health both physical and mental… survive on less sleep and study for an exam in order to achieve their goal
Also, your skin is so nice! What kind of skin care do you use!
In the Building watching from Baltimore MD 😎
Rooting for you! I believe in you! ❤
You will make it! Enjoy the chaos! I really feel like you are gonna surprise with something really interesting soon bc 1st year is really intense and life changing! Self care all the way!
I appreciate your videos so much. Thank you!
Rachel what do you use on your skin while you're working. you're glowing 🥰
If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now (i.e. about medical school, residency, etc.), would you still choose the DO route or would you choose the PA route? Also, did you consider the PA route before choosing to go to medical school? If so, what made you choose DO over PA? Just started school to get a second bachelor’s degree and finish prerequisites for PA school.
What did you get your first bachelors in?
@@dtae7855 I started out on the Neuroscience - Premed Track but ended up switching to Psychology. Now I’m back to Neuroscience (it fit best with my psych degree) with a pre-PA track.
@@courtneylee2455 Awesome! Wish you all the best in your studies! 🖤
@@courtneylee2455 you have to have some clinical hours before entering PA school...its still a midlevel and if you are under 30 just go to med school
Love you❤😢😢 feel your pain …hugging you
It's time to get a fair life and premier protein sponsorship. I'm laterally thinking about buying them cuz of this video lol
@ them hahaha I couldn’t agree more
actually seeing the strawberry cervix with trich is pretty rare I've heard
HI Rachel, I really want to purchase the crewneck top on your website but am very confused with sizing... could you make a video on your merch and how it would look on different body types please :)
Hi Rachel! I love your videos, I watch you in the background as comfort (kinda like rewatching a show in the background lol) I know you’ve mentioned hair troubles, and I have something I do that might work for you! I boil fresh rosemary and then use the tea/rosemary water in a hair spray bottle to do my hair in the mornings. It might lessen hair loss, and increase baby hair growth :) i hope it helps if you try it!
Hi Rachel, Thank you for your lovely video and great content as always!! May I ask what you add to your coffee morning?is it protein shake? Thank you
Can you please let us know how you make your coffee with the protein shakes?!!