- First week: You will need to revise physical examinations and history taking as you may be doing them alone and then asked to present your findings to the doctor before they start teaching you things on your first week and before you start remembering them as they teach you. So get a head-start by freshening up your memory.
- Be punctual. ALWAYS be on time (or before time)!
- Have your white coat neatly on you (crinkled white coats and splotched ones make for an unsightly disheveled look. Patients already do not want to see your faces, us being students and all. Add an unkempt look to the list and you may not be welcome anywhere.)
- Have your stethoscope on you, a quick reference guidebook or ipad, a notepad and pen (and a measuring tape if OBG). Make sure you have an ID tag on you at all times (certain hospitals are strict about this).
- Be confident NOT COCKY! Be polite and respectful to ALL staff. Doctors. Nurses (are your best buddies in a hospital ya hear me! Make good friends with them. They run the place.). Janitors (good possible translators).
- Do not talk to each other in ward rounds. Only talk to ask the doctor/nurse a pertinent question that absolutely cannot wait or when they are not utterly busy.
- You can tell the doctor at the beginning of the rotation/week what your group goals are for that time period so he can help you achieve them. Is there a certain something you want to learn? Haven't learned something yet? Doctors are there to help you.
- When you are not given a task, do not sit in a room and wait. Follow the doctor around and observe him, do not wait for him/her in a room until they tell you to do something (unless he/she tells you so). That way you miss out on many things you could be learning by observing.
- If a doctor says something you find contradictory to something you read, bring it up in a gentle manner. Doctors may feel challenged when you do that and few may get offended enough to get angry (I've seen it happen...). You may start with a: I would like to ask a question regarding this point, I read in this so [site reliable reference], that so-and-so is supposed to be like this-and-that....you get the hang of it.
- Make educated guesses. Say "I don't know" when you don't know something. Doctors respect someone who is honest and not conceited in their own knowledge. Most doctors do not like random guessing of answers (the ones who do will let you know). Many a time have I witnessed students being berated for uneducated guesses.
- Do not be afraid to ask questions that seem stupid. Do not be afraid of looking inexperienced. You are. Do not be afraid to try new things in order to learn. At this stage, everyone knows we are at the beginning of learning and expect us to be idiots anyhow. No matter the geniuses we were at university academically, this is clinical life. A person's life is either renewed or taken here. Allow yourself to make mistakes now - because that is truly the only way to learn - when you do not have a person's life hanging on your hands. When you are under the care and protection of the people responsible. Learning is done now, or in the future you would be too shy to admit inexperience as a full-fledged doctor. So seize the opportunity and learn to become great later!
No those are not flowered diapers! But that is us now and for another few years...or maybe even till we retire!
Anything I missed out on?
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