Find what keeps you going and celebrate it. The excitement that I feel when I have a sick patient and I know what to do to help that person in the critical moments … getting a difficult airway…a bloody shot to the face…finding those beautiful vocal cords on the first try … makes it all worth the exhaustion and the sacrifices. I love the feeling of educating patients about their medical issues. When the occasional patient thanks me for helping, it makes up for all the agitated patients who spit on me.

Seek out other resident/parents and share your stories. If you are a new ED resident/parent, remember what worked for me. Find a good nanny and treat her well. Respect your spouse’s challenges and make couple time; text each other and chat when you can. Schedule your study time. Sit on the floor with your kids as often as possible. Pay your bills and shop online. Pray. Remember why you went into medicine and remember your values in the midst of the battle. And most of all, forgive yourself for not being perfect.

And remember, in the words of Mel Herbert: “What you do matters.”

If you would like to be included on our Facebook ED resident/parent group, send a friend request to K. Kay Moody, letting me know that you are an ED resident/parent. I will add you to the group and we can all share ideas on how to survive and balance being good parents while learning to be an emergemcy physician.

Dr. K. Kay Moody is a resident at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia. She is the resident representative on the board of the ACEP Pennsylvania chapter.