This March, interns will be one year s/p #match2019. As the PGY-2 year fast approaches, we seek reflections from #interns on the formative first year of being in-house. Submit your reflections to [email protected] today!

And finally, #1 of the in-House #Top12of2019:

"It is exquisitely painful to watch the person you love get broken by their job, destroyed by the thing they once loved."

Part 1 of Jennifer R. Bernstein's groundbreaking "Resident Wellness is a Lie."

Wash your face. Now wash your face again.

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That’s it. That’s the basics of double-cleansing. Our goddess Caroline Hirons covers the topic more extensively here, but if we dig a little deeper, we find that double-cleansing is specifically for removing SPF/makeup. Hence, if you haven’t put on any SPF or makeup during the day, you don’t need to do it (but you should always put on SPF. Always). This also means that double-cleansing should be done after work, whether it’s in the evening or early in the morning after overnight call. 

In terms of what type of cleanser you use for the double-cleanse, you generally want two different types of cleansers: a ‘makeup remover’ and another basic cleanser (for types of cleansers, see the last post). 

If you wear makeup regularly and you have a dedicated makeup remover, like one of the common biphasic, oil-in-water type removers or micellar water, you should use that to take off your makeup first. Sometimes that’s sufficient as a first cleanse, but depending on how much makeup you wear, you may need to do two more cleanses after that; for example, if I’m wearing a super waterproof mascara, I’ll remove it with a bit of coconut oil, then do my normal double-cleanse.

If you don’t wear makeup and just wear SPF, using one cleanser twice is sufficient for the double-cleanse. I would select it carefully to make sure it’s not too drying. Otherwise, having two types of cleansers, such as a milk cleanser (like Botanics Organic Softening Cleanser) and a cream or gel cleanser (like First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser), allows you the flexibility to adjust to your skin’s hydration needs that day.  

“As we embark on our medical training ship, we often face inclement weather, and having good coping mechanisms could mean the difference between a sunken or floating ship.

A colleague of mine, Dr. Juliet Yirerong, joined me in dealing with our experience in one of the best ways she knew how: singing. The idea came about during a hectic morning commute to the hospital during our third year of residency. We decided that we were going to spend what little free time we have on our hands creating a song. PGY3 was born.”

Internal medicine physician Roy Souaid, MD shares his song "PGY3,” his band John Lebanon, and the story of how he used music as a coping mechanism in the MICU. Published on in-House, the online peer-reviewed publication for residents & fellows.

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/johnlebanon/pgy3