Just when you thought you were ready for adulthood, the learning begins

Stepping into a career as a 'fledgling' adult can be an abrupt introduction to the hard-hitting realities of being a grown-up.

- Faye Ng Yu Ci

Just over a year ago, I stepped away from the cocoon of being a medical student and into the shoes of a medical doctor. I had a bunch of doubts and reservations. One year in, I can't say I've mastered the art of "adulting", but I've learnt some things along the way.

The first thing that hit me as a "fledgling" adult was how I had real responsibilities. Throughout my schooling days, whenever I used to complain about academics or felt stressed over an upcoming examination, my mum would give me a chiding glance, saying: "The greatest privilege in life is to be a student."

I don't think I ever fully grasped what she meant until I graduated.

As a student, life was much simpler: All I had to do was show up for class, study my subjects and pass my exams. I had unbridled liberty to learn out of intellectual curiosity, and explore whatever my heart desired.

Entering the workforce constituted a mindset shift.

All of a sudden, I wasn't just accountable for myself and my grades. Instead, I had roles and responsibilities at work, managed my relationships with my peers and superiors, and dealt with other adult duties like figuring out finances and filing taxes.

Instead of a medical student, I was now a functioning member of the medical team, with actual patients under my charge, and a team who depended on me.

Dedicated time for revision was no more - I was expected to prepare for professional exams on my own time while still performing at work. For four months straight, I woke up in the wee hours to study, reported for work at daybreak and returned to my books in the evening, repeating the cycle every day.

The long days were trying, but character-building.

MAKING MISTAKES AND MOVING PAST THEM I have also learnt that as a "fledgling" adult, I will make mistakes, and I must learn to deal with them.

Making mistakes as a junior doctor is tough.