Member-only story
Why I Walked Away From My Residency Training
A Story of Burnout, Resilience, and Finding My Balance as a Doctor and Mother
Not a Medium member? read for free here
Six months into my role as a medical officer, everyone around me—friends, family, and even myself, to a lesser extent—agreed on the next logical step: applying for residency training. It felt like the natural progression for someone with my background, and when I got admitted into the family medicine program, I was excited. I packed my bags and relocated, ready to begin this new chapter.
But the excitement quickly gave way to reality. The stress of settling in, navigating the registration process, and adjusting to the demanding workload while balancing my other roles as a wife and mother of two was overwhelming. Still, I held on, fueled by the belief that things would stabilize soon.
Then the issue with my salary began.
While my colleagues began receiving their pay and arrears, I received nothing. What initially seemed like a minor delay stretched into months of confusion, endless paperwork, and fruitless follow-ups. Everyone kept telling me to be patient, that it would be sorted out eventually. But living without pay while working long shifts took a toll I wasn’t prepared for.
