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.

• RookieDoctor.com/dropbox

I thought it appropriate to cover something you will never be taught about your pager… at least not formally, anyway. So here it is:

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.

So here’s what you do (see the video at http://youtube.com/RookieDoc):

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

That’s it. I hope it helps

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.

Whatever you buy, save the receipt… and submit it for reimbursement if you have an education stipend.

I hope that helps

Dr. Tori
RookieDoctor.com

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.)

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?

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.

This is the line of stethoscope I use (and hey, I work primarily on cardiac floors): Littmann Master Cardiology. There’s a pretty good review of this stethoscope at HolterMonitor.org.

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).

You can get funny medical humor gifts like mugs, shirts, hats, bags, etc at the GiggleMed.com Store. There’s even a funny infection control humor book, Bugs on Scrubs, that pits a doctor and a nurse against each other -arguing over who is spreading infection – hilarious, evidence-based advice in rhyming Dr Seuss-style text.

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.

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.

How does it feel in my first day of internship, at the end of the 1st week of my internship and at the end of the internship?

Here’s my response on YouTube:

Like it? Tweet this video.

Like it?  Tweet this video.

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.

(and if you think it’s helpful Re-tweet it)

1. Scramble process
2. Honestly assess the potential reasons for not matching
3. Set goals
4. Monitor for openings (ongoing)
5. Improve your credentials (ongoing)
6. Re-apply

• 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?

(Again, if you found this helpful Re-tweet it)

In the next post, I’ll cover what to do if you got in… What should you do between now and starting residency?

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.

Let me know what you think of it.