Who does the nurse call at midnight when a patient’s blood pressure is low? Who answers the phone when a worried mother calls the hospital about her baby’s cough? Who makes sure that the prescriptions are written, the instructions are given, and the discharge summary is complete so that a person who just spent 45 days in the hospital after a car accident can be transferred to rehab? Who spends countless hours in the operating room learning complex procedures, and then goes home to spend more hours studying for the next day?
Our residents and fellows, that’s who! Medical school is only the first stop on the road to being a doctor. After graduation, new physicians spend an additional three to seven years training to become expert in their chosen specialty, and then often several more years of more specialized training in fellowship.
Friday, February 23, 2024, is designated as “Thank a Resident and Fellow Day.” On this day, we thank our residents and fellows for their dedication to patient care and to Cooper. We recognize their hard work and skills and applaud their grit and determination to be the best physicians they can be. Our patients receive excellent care because of them, our faculty are better physicians because of them, and our institution is stronger thanks to them.