Congratulations on qualifying as a doctor! You will be faced with many new experiences and challenges in your journey as a resident doctor. This could seem exciting but also daunting. You are not alone.

Many others, including myself, have successfully traversed this path and you can too!

It is natural for things to feel overwhelming initially.

You are in a new role, with new responsibilities, and often a new environment. It will be a steep learning curve. Naturally, tasks may take longer initially and this does not mean that you are “inefficient”. At times you may feel inundated with tasks and struggle to prioritise.

You might think being a “good doctor” means you must say yes to everything, stay late, miss breaks etc. You will see examples of your colleagues doing the same.  But this is not sustainable!

Learn to say no!

If you continue to overstretch yourself this could lead to making mistakes, missing development opportunities and eventually burnout. Taking steps to manage your workload and wellbeing from the outset is vital. It is a skill that medical schools seldom teach and many learn too late.

I have learned through experience that it is more productive in the long term to take a boundaried approach to work. In practice this means learning when is appropriate to say ‘no’ or delegate tasks. This may feel uncomfortable initially and can take time and experience to develop but practising it early could be rewarding. You might worry about being unpopular, but I assure you that maintaining healthy boundaries will be respected as long as you remain co-operative and clearly communicate the rationale.

How to practise?  

For example, a colleague comes to you with a request, but you already have your hands full with existing jobs. First, thank the staff member for coming to you. Then explain your current workload and priorities. Consider how urgent is the task? Is it possible to wait or delegate? If the task can wait, show reliability by outlining on the expected timeframe of completion. Sometimes you will need to prioritise based on clinical urgency.  

Second, delegate tasks to develop a culture of teamworking.  Some jobs can be delegated between professions, such as taking bloods. However, it is important to note that some jobs that are not appropriate for certain MDT members, such as prescribing. Shared responsibility for patient care helps develop a culture of teamworking which improves patient safety.

Third, cultivate positive working relationship wherever you go. No matter how stressed you are feeling, always be kind and respectful to your colleagues. Keep in mind the NHS Core Values – Working together for patients, Respect and dignity, Compassion, Commitment to quality of care, and Improving lives.  It is more likely to elicit support when you support colleagues whenever you can.

The key message is to respect yourself and others and understand that working together for patients’ benefit is fun.