A Day in the Life of a PGY-1 Resident – Dr. Correa Rubianes
Juan Correa Rubianes, MD
Class of 2027
Hi there! If you’re reading this, that means you’re considering our program for residency. I’m therefore thrilled to help you make that decision by sharing my experience at BMC Psychiatry. As a bit of background, I spent my entire life prior to residency in Puerto Rico, including undergrad and medical school, and am still amazed by how at home I’ve felt in Boston and BMC from the very start of my training. The highlight of this residency, in my opinion, is its people. From a warm and welcoming faculty, to co-residents that have truly become my family over the last few months, I’m extremely grateful to have landed in a place with so many empathetic and caring individuals.
Our intern year is divided into six months of psychiatry, four months of internal medicine, and two months of neurology. I am currently on a medicine rotation treating a geriatric population at our Bedford VA site. These veterans live on a long-term care unit, and usually have a complex medical history that necessitates careful medication management. They are also some of the most grateful patients I’ve had the pleasure of working with. My day begins with a morning huddle, where nursing updates the medical team about overnight events. After huddle, I meet with the veterans who have new issues they need help with, and then meet with my attending to develop plans for them and receive teaching tailored to their clinical pictures. I then go to formal midday didactics, where I learn about issues related to geriatric syndromes deepen my understanding regarding the VA facility. Finally, I write patient notes in the afternoon, and respond to any urgent situations that might present during the day.
My favorite rotation so far has been Bedford Inpatient Psychiatry, where I worked with patients with a wide variety of psychopathology, including severely manic, psychotic, and obsessive-compulsive patients. There, I gained an immense respect for neuromodulation after observing marked improvement in several of my treatment-resistant patients. Such was its impact, that I’m considering spending some my elective time in PGY-4 to become certified in electroconvulsive therapy.
In my free time, I enjoy reading and watching films. I was one novel short of reaching my reading goal of twenty-four books on Goodreads during 2023, and was able to log fifty-five movies this year on Letterboxd! That is to say, yes, there is time to do the things you love in residency, whatever they may be. And I guarantee you’ll meet a diverse group of people who’ll introduce you to even more wonderful experiences you never even thought you’d fall in love with. My best piece of advice is, when it comes to your co-residents, rely on and care for each other–I have 9 new lifelong friends that I am thrilled to spend time outside of BMC with.
On a personal note, a very important factor when ordering my rank list was the population I would be serving for the next few years. As a safety net hospital, BMC serves a wide range of underserved patients hailing from minority groups, and it is truly the honor of a lifetime to serve folks from dozens of distinct cultures and walks of life. Please think of what your priorities are, and choose a place that will meet your needs best. It has been a joy to write this, and I know you’ll find the best fit for your growth as a professional and, more importantly, as a human being, wherever that may be.
Written by Dr. Juan Correa Rubianes in January 2024