Jennifer Gates Shares Lessons from First Month of Residency: 'Still Feel Like a Fish Out of Water'
Jennifer Gates, the eldest child of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, is opening up about her first month of residency
Jenn Gates Nassar/Instagram
Jennifer Gates has completed her first month of her residency — and she's learned a lot.
The eldest daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and philanthropist Melinda French Gates shared a look at some of her takeaways in an Instagram post shared earlier this week.
"After my first month in residency, here is just a little bit of what I’ve learned," wrote Jennifer, 28, who graduated medical school in May and previously shared on Instagram that she would be doing her residency at Mt. Sinai on the Pediatrics Research pathway.
The first thing she learned? "11-12 hour workdays (up to 12 in a row 🫠) are not for the faint of heart," she wrote.
Jennifer, who is expecting her second child with husband Nayel Nassar, went on to share that “being a frontline provider is all about prioritizing and triage" and that "the first days are extra challenging because every request seems like a big deal.”
One small thing that can help on those busy days? Comrad compression socks, which she called “a MUST."
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Jennifer, already a mom to daughter Leila, wrote that another takeaway is that for families, no matter "who you are" or "what resources you have," when your child is in the NICU, it's "just hard."
However, she added that "NICU nurses are incredible" and "they know their patients so well and are incredible advocates for them."
Jenn Gates Nassar/Instagram
As for her last lesson, it's that residency is hard, but endlessly fulfilling.
"There is a STEEP learning curve in residency,” she wrote, adding that she's learned to not “put pressure on yourself to know everything… you aren’t supposed to!"
“This is easily the most mentally-challenging and interesting thing I have ever done,” she continued. “I still feel like a fish out of water constantly- but a little less so every day.”
Jenn Gates Nassar/Instagram
As for what's next, Jennifer ended her post by sharing that she's “excited for vacation time for the Olympics followed by inpatient medicine 💊.”
Her husband, a 33-year-old equestrian, is set to compete for Team Egypt at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Related: Phoebe Gates Graduates College — and Gives Parents Bill and Melinda a Shout-Out: 'So Grateful'
Of course, Jennifer won't be the only member of her famous family in attendance.
Her father Bill was already spotted in Paris, attending gymnastics events on July 29, and mom Melinda previously told TIME that she would also be making the trip abroad to watch Nassar compete.
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