An Intergenerational Conversation about Frustrations, Lessons, and Hope in Physician Activism

Abstract

There is a common narrative among interns and residents. We work crazy hours. We often feel like we're in over our heads and don't know what we're doing. And yet, somehow, we are expected to be taking good care of very sick patients, among the sickest in our cities. While being a first-year intern is well understood to be overwhelming, one of the most significant challenges is rarely discussed and confronted: that our patients, especially in distressed environments, have urgent nonmedical problems that stem from systemic injustices.