If you’re in medical school, internship or residency, it can be pretty stressful to give a presentation. Public speaking is tough as it is, but you’re presenting to a bunch of people who often know more than you… and worse, one or two of them (actually think they) benefit from having someone like you not do so well.
Well, one way to really set a poor tone for the talk is to get there and have the thing not load.
Here’s a look at some ways of backing up your presentations so you don’t find yourself in that situation.
Now that everyone has switched over… 2nd year med students have started their clinical rotations, 3rd year medical students have become 4th years and are beginning the countdown to graduation, and new interns have started their stress-year…
I thought it appropriate to cover something you will never be taught about your pager… at least not formally, anyway. So here it is:
How To Avoid Having Your Pager Fall In The Toilet
It’s really quite simple. When wearing scrubs, you only have this semi-thin drawstring that doesn’t really hold a pager too well.
SCRUBS: If you wear your pager on your scrubs, it will flop around and sometimes unclip itself depending on your position.
WHITE COAT (side pocket): If you put it in your white coat side pocket, you will leave it on during conferences or you will not feel it vibrate. You also run the risk of it slamming into a door or wall as you walk.
WHITE COAT (top pocket): If you put your pager in your top pocket of your white coat or of your scrubs, well, that’s just inexcusable… it will fall out when you bend over & it will be impossible to reach if you wear a gown.
1. Tuck in your shirt – all the way – even in your underwear
2. Face your pager in towards you (not outward like you would if you were using a belt)
3. Clip the pager around your scrub bottoms drawstring AND your underwear
(In the interest of full disclosure: some of the links in RookieDoc posts are affiliate links, meaning that I might get a small commission if you purchase them through my link.)
One of the RookieDoc members shot me an email asking me about the pharmacology references I recommend to carry around in your white coat as an intern or a resident.
Here was a portion of our exchange:
Question:
I noticed you recommended Tarrascon Pocket Pharm – which edition is better, shirt pocket or lab coat pocket? I know the shirt pocket is a lot smaller, but will that be enough? It would be nice not to have to tote around a bigger book…if you could let me know what you think that would be great! Thanks again! I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly.
Answer:
You’re right, it’s better to carry around the smaller book.
Heavy stuff in your pockets eventually causes neck pain, back pain & headaches… and it usually takes people 6 months to a year to realize that that’s the problem.
Too many sources of information can be distracting.
Too many sources of information can be a time suck & leads to inefficiencies.
The more you can learn to use the resources around you, without depending on a single resource, the better… this isn’t necessary early on, but eventually, when you’re out in the working world, it will be priceless.
Internet access is everywhere – check to see if your program has access to some of the online resources – the online version of ePocrates, UpToDate, etc.
If you have a phone or a PDA, I’d skip the book & get ePocrates (even if you just get the free one)
Lastly, along the way, stay conscious of those times you say “Darn, I wish I had such&such”. If that occurs more than once, go out and get such&such.
Whatever you buy, save the receipt… and submit it for reimbursement if you have an education stipend.
Wow, what a roller coaster of emotions at this time of year, huh? Finally finishing medical school – a little nostalgia, and lots of relief. For a few weeks being called “Doctor” is going to be pretty awesome. And a few weeks after that, well, it’s going to be pretty scary (and awesome at the same time).
Well, if any of you are looking for gifts medical students (or for yourself), here are some gift ideas for medical students and new interns:
(In the interest of full disclosure: these are affiliate links, meaning that I might get a small commission if you purchase them through my link. It will not affect your cost at all. Alternatively, you can search Amazon, or something and order them directly. I still highly recommend these gifts.)
Gifts for Medical Students and Interns
Sapira’s Art and Science of Bedside Diagnosis
You go through all of this training to get where you are and then you find yourself in a situation where you are 100%, completely, and utterly dependent on technology to make a diagnosis… Well, Sapira’s Art and Science of Bedside Diagnosis can change all of that. And not only that… it can make you stand out as being light years ahead of your peers.
It’s not essential for “surviving” internship, but who is only interested in “surviving” anyway?
Marino’s The ICU Book
Too many people tell you which books to get… and too often (you know how it goes)… those books just end up on the shelf and you use them more like reference books. Well, this is the only textbook-sized book I actually carried with me while I was on-call. The ICU Book. It’s that good.
Seriously… this book is the real deal. It’s easy to read… not because it is dumbing-down the material, because it isn’t. It’s easy to read because it has just the right amount of information. Not too much and not too little.
Some people prefer the amplifying stethoscopes. I do not. At this point they’re a little too bulky. Maybe as technology improves, so will the size and weight. But who needs more heavy stuff to carry around with them? Plus, you better learn on the standard stuff and only use the souped up technology to supplement. Too many people are already losing diagnostic skills and relying too much on technology (… but I digress).
Funny stuff. A great stress reliever… even if you don’t buy something… there are things to forward along, especially at high-stress times. You can really make someone’s day with appropriate humor.
RookieDoctor.com Resources
OK… shameless plug time… Of course, there are some awesome gifts from this very site. If you want to “Wow” your graduating medical student friend or family member, give them a RookieDoctor.com Membership or an Internship Survival Skills Audio CD. The timing couldn’t be better in light of that emotional roller coaster I mentioned above. These RookieDoc products are designed for the medical student from 3rd-to-4th year transitioning into internship.
If you have other ideas for gifts for medical students, post them in the comments below.
What should you do now that the NRMP Match is over and you’re preparing for your internship and residency? Well, I just posted some quick residency preparation tips for things you should do (and things you should not do). Here’s the video from YouTube:
The NRMP Residency Match process just ended for this year and the most common question I’ve received in the Ask RookieDoc survey is “I didn’t match… What should I do now?” While I can provide some general advice about what to do if you didn’t match, it really depends on your personal situation. There is no one-size-fits-all advice for people who didn’t match. For some of you, it’s your scores, for others it’s communication skills, and for others it’s something else.
Well, here’s some advice I recently gave… in case it helps:
This, of course, is not the end of the world. But it will require some work and strategy.
The big picture steps:
Scramble process
Honestly assess the potential reasons for not matching
Set goals
Monitor for openings (ongoing)
Improve your credentials (ongoing)
Re-apply
So let’s look at these things one-at-a-time:
Scramble process: I assume you are doing this now… If so, remain active, and at the same time (most importantly) be patient. These 2 days of scrambling are loaded with rejections. Don’t get a few and then stop… keep plugging along.
Assessing your reasons for not matching: This is a 2 part process… 1 internal & 2 external. The internal self-assessment is to take a look at your application, your skill set, your CV, your scores, relationships, etc.
Before reviewing your stuff… ask this very important question: What does your gut feeling tell you – Why didn’t you match?
Then while reviewing these things above, put yourself in the mind of someone reviewing your application. Why should they take you? What about you is easy to sell to them? What about you would be a red flag?
Take a look at the relationships you’ve developed at various institutions – everyone from attendings to residents to nurses to residency program coordinators & secretaries. Ask yourself if there were any that were great. If so, what made them great? Were there any that didn’t go so well? If so, why not?
Take a look at your CV. What’s great about your CV? What’s not so good? What could be better?
How about the places you’ve done rotations… Which ones did you perform well in? Which ones not so well? Why? What relationships can continue to be nurtured now?
The external portion is to have someone examine some of these things for you. Ask the programs you thought you had a good chance at for some insight into why you were not chosen and what you can do now to improve your application. Send me your CV and personal statement for review (this is for RookieDoc members only). I can take a look at them. (Although I cannot offer immediate help for this application year, I can provide some helpful insights for what needs to be improved for next time.) But also, have others review them and give you feedback (just make sure they’re honest & not just trying to avoid the hard conversation – it’s not easy to tell someone about their weaknesses).
Set goals: Now don’t blow this off. Setting goals is ultra-important… and not only that… write them down. Even tell some people (friends/family) your goals for this upcoming year. They’ll help you stick to them.
Your goals should specific with specific dates. “I want to get a research position at XYZ University with Dr. ABC by April 30th” “I will have 3 people review my CV by April 10th” “I will get a job in XYZ hospital as a phlebotomist by May 1st” … or whatever you think will improve your application for next time.
Monitor for openings: The best way to monitor for openings is to be involved in the places near where you have the best shot at getting in. Sometimes people have visa problems when they get started & programs can wait only so long before they find a replacement. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out for one reason or another – behavior problems, etc. If you have befriended someone on the inside, they can let you know that something has happened in the program.
Another way to monitor for openings is to use services like FindAResident (https://services.aamc.org/findaresident/ ). Some programs even send out notice on Twitter, so you should have a Twitter account and follow them.
So as you’re carrying out your plan/fulfilling your goals, if a position opens up, you pounce on it.
Improve your credentials: This possibility is endless… most people think research is the only way to go. Although research is good, maybe even great, it really depends on what you identified in #2 (your assessment of why you didn’t get in). Sure research may be good for some, but if you find that your reason for not getting in is communication skills – then research won’t help, but maybe being a phlebotomist or an EKG tech would. You see? So, whatever your reason for not getting in was, you need to be able to counter that objection next time.
Another way to improve your credentials is to “strengthen your strengths”. If there’s something that you’re particularly good at that is a valuable skill, then maybe you take that skill from good to great. Maybe you work in research during the day, but work on writing a book at night, or whatever.
Again it all depends on #2.
Re-Apply: Map out the important dates for next year now. Get your papers/files in order now. Your re-application starts now. Along the way, you may have an opportunity to jump in if a spot opens up. Have all of your stuff ready for a moment’s notice.
Again, I’m sorry that you didn’t get in, but I hope this advice helps. Send me your CV & your most recent personal statement if you want me to look at them. (again… RookieDoc members only)
Also, tell me your answers to the above questions… your honest, gut feelings as to why you didn’t get in, etc. Also, are there any extenuating circumstances – family, visa, medical, financial, addiction recovery, language proficiency, etc.
Central Lines for Medical Students, Interns, & Residents
Placing central lines can be a pretty stressful part of medical school, internship, and residency… especially early on. Well, I’ve collected a bunch of videos and PDF files that you might find useful as you prepare for putting lines in yourself.
Here’s another one of those internship tips videos for medical students, interns, and residents. Check it out… This one’s about the doctor-patient relationship:
One of my close friends objected to the term “rookie” in the name for this site. Here’s a short video about how taking the perspective of a rookie could help you in your medical school, internship and residency training. Check it out:
Now that everyone has switched over… 2nd year med students have started their clinical rotations, 3rd year medical students have become 4th years and are beginning the countdown to graduation, and new interns have started their stress-year…
– which edition is better, shirt pocket or lab coat pocket? I know the shirt pocket is a lot smaller, but will that be enough? It would be nice not to have to tote around a bigger book…if you could let me know what you think that would be great! Thanks again! I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly.
, or something and order them directly. I still highly recommend these gifts.)
Too many people tell you which books to get… and too often (you know how it goes)… those books just end up on the shelf and you use them more like reference books. Well, this is the only textbook-sized book I actually carried with me while I was on-call. 
