Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast16 Jun 2025

From Cringe to Competent: Surviving Intern Year

Intern year: where the learning curve is steep and you’re not sure if the patient is crashing or you are. In this episode of Behind the Knife, our surgical education fellows reflect on what they wish they had known before Day 1—and all the humbling, hilarious, and genuinely formative moments along the way.

From getting lost wheeling a critical patient through the hospital, to triple-scrubbing just to be acknowledged, to accidentally spraying TPA into your own eye (yes, really)—this episode is a candid conversation about the highs, lows, and everything in between. Whether you're gearing up to start your intern year or reflecting on how far you've come, this is the episode we all needed.

Hosts:

Elizabeth Maginot, MD – General Surgery Resident, University of Nebraska Medical Center @e_magination95
Nina Clark, MD – General Surgery Resident, University of Washington @clarkninam
Ayman Ali, MD – General Surgery Resident, Duke University
Michelle LaBella, MD – General Surgery Resident, University of North Carolina
Emma Burke, MD – General Surgery Resident, Baylor College of Medicine @emmaburke017

Learning Objectives:

Identify common misconceptions about intern year—and how to manage expectations
Understand how to approach early mistakes with humility and resilience
Recognize the importance of teamwork and asking for help
Reflect on what makes a strong, dependable intern

References

BTK Intern Survival Guide: https://app.behindtheknife.org/podcast-series/medical-student-and-intern-survival-guide
Institutional pharmacists (seriously, call them—they’re the unsung heroes)

Check out our Medical Student and Intern Survival Guide HERE: https://app.behindtheknife.org/podcast-series/medical-student-and-intern-survival-guide

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