Archive for 'Clinical Rotations' Category
How to Succeed on Away Rotations
The all encompassing first rule of away rotations is: always work hard. The biggest thing that programs are looking for is hardworking, teachable medical students that appear to be engaged in the case or lecture, with whom they can get along with on a day-to-day basis. Most of the time they would rather have the [...]
How to be a Good Medical Student
An excerpt from Kendra Campbell’s 8 pointer’s for first-year residents – equally applicable to medical students… 1. Show up early, stay late. 2. Know as much as possible about your patients. 3. Be BFFs with the nurses. 4. Do things without having to be asked. Figure out what needs to be done, and do it [...]
RotatingRoom – Find Sublets for Away Rotations
If you need a place to stay or a room to rent during your away rotations, add RotatingRoom to your tool set. RotatingRoom is exclusive to students and offers a straightforward interface. It boasts excellent searchability and is worth a look for any away rotator. RotatingRoom
Weekend Repose – How to Capitalize on First Impressions
First impressions are a cornerstone of clinical rotations. Life Optimizer offers a personal approach to first impressions: 1. Get to Know the Real You 2. Don’t Try to Be Something You’re Not 3. Be Honest With Yourself 4. Relax and Be Yourself whenever I find myself in new situations, I focus on relaxing and being [...]
How to Be a Problem Solver on the Wards
take special note of the things the residents and attendings complain about. What annoys them? What frustrates them? Come to think of it, when you are on their service, what annoys/frustrates you? Make it your goal during 4th year to fix one of these problems. They will be impressed. During my fellowship, one of the [...]
How to Honor 3rd Year Rotations
A few tips for your 3rd year rotations from Graham Walker, MD … 1. Be enthusiastic. Energy is contagious, and we all need more of it in medicine. Bring it to your rotations! Even if you’re not interested in, say, surgery, look for a particular aspect that you do find interesting. Help out where you [...]
Clinical Years – Acting the Part
Eric Tam @ Medscape… “Medicine is showbiz” Terrible as it sounds, there is some truth in it. The point my professor was trying to make was: It is not enough to be nice. It is more important to act nice. It is easy to ignore or act briskly with a patient when ten tasks await [...]
How to Master Humility on the Wards
The clinical years of medical school are, in large part, a game of appearances. Medical students must find there place at the bottom rung, and they must excel in this place. An air of humility is often interpreted by the rest of the team in a positive light. Many of your evaluators use humility as [...]
How to Manage a Negative Clinical Evaluation
Sometimes personalities can clash and an attending may write an overly harsh evaluation that isn’t indicative of your performance. If you feel that this is the case, it’s usually a good idea to speak with the clerkship director and express your concerns. At some institutions, the burden of proof lies with the attending to demonstrate [...]
Common Mistakes Made by 3rd and 4th Year Medical Students
Kendra Campbell reminds us of some easy-to-avoid clinical mistakes 1. Arguing with a patient. 2. Reporting a physical finding without actually observing it. 3. Pimping your resident or attending. …Thou shalt not pimp up the chain. 6. Documenting an important positive finding without alerting your resident or attending. 9. Forgetting you are in a hospital [...]