On Becoming a Surgical Intern: Navigating the Lurch from Medical School to Internship

There are three major transitions in the educational trajectory of those heading into a career in surgery. The first transition is from the first year or two of medical school to the clerkships of the third year.  The second is the transition from medical school into the first postgraduate year of residency training. The third, which is widely held to be the toughest transition of all, is from residency into independent practice.  This review, which could be called ‘a rookie’s survival guide,’ will address the second of those ‘lurches,’ that of the transition from medical school into a surgical internship.