Subject: RE: I made it! I made it!....I'll tell you what I tell the students who rotate through psych here during my lecture on development. As we look at Erikson's stage of Adolescent development (Identity vs Role diffusion), we consider that completion occurs when your identity is fully developed. You have spent the last 25 or so years with your identity as "student". In the last 2-3 years, you have been fleshing that out as "medical student" - on your way to becoming "doctor". In another year and a half (or so), you will be "doctor" - but now will be focusing for the next 3-5 years on your particular specialty (pediatrics, surgery, psych, pathology - whatever), with your identity being "I am a _____ resident". You will then complete your formal training and enter practice, where it will take another 2-5 years as an "early career physician" to establish your professional identity and have the self confidence in what you do that goes along with a stable sense of identity. In short, you will be all done with adolescent stages when you are in your mid to late 30's...But hey, congratulations! |