The Transitional Phase

Lately, as I’ve been going through residency interviews, I’ve found myself in a strange but meaningful in-between space, a true transitional phase. It’s that place where you’re excited for what’s ahead, proud of what you’ve done, and yet somehow the imposter inside your head still taps your shoulder and whispers, “Are you sure you belong here?”

But something unexpected happened during these interviews. I realized that our applications: those neat, restricted boxes with “top 10 experiences”, capture only a fraction of who we are. Not because we’re trying to boast, but because life is bigger than bullet points and timestamps. They always say it’s not the whole book that changes you; it’s the one paragraph. And life works the same way.

Yes, long-term experiences matter. But it’s the small, passing moments that truly shape us. In my case, it was those 15-minute patient encounters during outreach camps, strangers whose lives intersected with mine for just a few minutes. They inspired me in ways I didn't recognize at the time. Retrospectively, I see how they changed the way I think, the way I serve, the way I want to show up in this world.

And then came the interviews themselves. Meeting people from all over the world: faculty, residents, program coordinators, who were simply being kind, simply doing their jobs. But for me, sitting thousands of miles away from home, coming from a small corner of a third-world country, carrying a dream I’ve nurtured for years, their kindness felt immense. What might have been a normal conversation for them became a moment of reassurance for me. A reminder that I am allowed to be here. That I am capable.

With every interview, I felt more touched by the lives around me and realized I have touched others too, in my own small ways. And now, after each call, instead of feeling drained, I find myself even more motivated. More certain of the path I’m choosing. More grateful for every person who has shown me warmth during this process.

To anyone else standing in this transitional phase, unsure, overwhelmed, hopeful, I want to say this:

You are doing great. You are growing even when you don’t feel it. You have already survived parts of life you once wondered if you could handle. Be kind to yourself. Beautiful things are unfolding...