Video series sheds light on real-life residency experience

Dramatic patient resuscitations. Fierce competition. Obscure medical cases. Popular television shows like Grey’s Anatomy and House make residency seem like a non-stop barrage of scary emergencies and romantic workplace rendezvous. But as Dr. Tiffany Florindo will tell you, it’s about real people, real lives and real issues.

The 25-year-old is a first-year resident in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She is also the star of the hospital’s A Day in the Life of a Resident video log (vlog) series. Geared towards preparing medical students and potential medical students and educating the general public, the videos provide insight into the health care system and residency process while showcasing doctors in a relatable—and human—light.

“TV shows make it seem like medicine is insanely demanding or that residents are always partying. The truth is it’s not always chaotic, but most of the time it’s not a party either. Residency takes a lot of dedication and hard work,” says Florindo.

From wondering if she’ll be “the worst resident in the history of residents” to discussing her first experience with the death of a patient, Florindo gives an honest account of what residency is really like in the vlog series. The episodes – which have already received thousands of views on YouTube – catalogue her experience with transitioning to residency, treating patients and work-life balance.

The fourth installment of the series is now available online here, but the hospital plans to release a new episode every month until summer 2013.

“Residency can seem like a huge beast and new residents often feel inadequate. The reality is, your colleagues are all very supportive and it isn’t as difficult as you think,” says Florindo, who has also received great feedback from patients who’ve watched the episodes.

“We wanted to explore the different emotions, areas and issues associated with residency in a lively and accessible manner. Medical students, residents and patients can really relate to Tiffany and, as a result, not feel so isolated or alone,” says Monica Matys, the communications advisor at Sunnybrook who developed the video series.

“Tiffany’s vlogs help alleviate some of the apprehension I feel about the future. It’s great to get a sneak peek into what residency is like at one of our affiliate hospitals,” says Latif Murji, a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto.

Visit sunnybrook.ca/dayinthelife to watch the series or follow them on Twitter (@SunnybrookHSC) to get the latest updates.