I read with interest the report “COVID-19 Impact on Intern Exposure to Common Inpatient Diagnoses” by Yarahuan et al.1 As a recent graduate of the training program at the authors’ institution, one whose senior year occurred during the pandemic and intern year occurred prepandemic, their findings align with my experiences. They found the average number of notes per intern on pediatric hospital medicine blocks was significantly lower during the pandemic months (June 2020–January 2021) as compared with the same blocks for the years 2017 to 2020. For several common diagnoses (eg, respiratory illnesses), interns wrote significantly fewer notes, but for mental health and suicidality diagnostic encounters, they wrote significantly more.In my experience, the pediatric hospital medicine census did often seem lower during the initial pandemic months. Some diagnoses were far fewer my senior year, such as bronchiolitis, compared with my intern year, prepandemic. Viewed one way, this could raise concern about sufficient exposure for interns. A subsequent respiratory syncytial virus surge occurring at the end of the study period should mitigate some concerns.2 For other diagnoses, such as those for mental health and suicidality, encounters seemed much more frequent during the pandemic. While an increase in incidence of these conditions likely plays a role, I witnessed other system-level factors that contributed. For example, strict infection control policies of psychiatric facilities regularly impeded timely patient transfers. Consequently, patients stayed longer. Yarahuan et al1 rightly note that an increase in mental health diagnostic encounters can affect trainee well-being. I would add that facing these system-level barriers inflicts its own distress for trainees. The appeal by Yarahuan et al1 for additional training for house staff is more than welcome. As advocated for by others, pediatric hospitals need expanded resources to manage this growing crisis.3Aside from occasional quips with interns about “back in my day” as an intern, lower patient volumes led to several noteworthy positive changes in workflow and learning. During my intern year, high patient volumes meant hurried rounds and an afternoon flurry of phone calls, ordering, and discharges and admissions, all interwoven with documentation. In practice, we were mostly on phones while in front of computers, rather than at the patient’s bedside; a similar tension across other specialties.4,5 However, for my interns, less documentation meant longer, more in-depth family discussions. Interns felt like they had time to sit and be present with families. I saw my interns make wonderful, rewarding connections in this way. It also meant more time for bedside teaching during rounds. With lower documentation burdens, my interns were less distracted during my afternoon teaching. I even observed interns having longer discussions with consultants to learn more about the reasons for care and workup recommendations.Despite encountering fewer common diagnoses, in other ways less was more during the pandemic. While residency programs should ensure trainees are adequately prepared, programs should also keep in mind balancing measures, such as greater duration of patient and family interactions, and how these valuably contribute to learning patient management and to professional development.