Preparing for Intern year

[Psyxh1]

Hi,

I know everyone says to relax, go on vacations, and enjoy the rest of MS4 but I was wondering what resources I could use to study and brush up on things just so that I'm not that rusty at the start of intern year. Any topics I should focus on? Also, what topics and management would it be a good idea to know before starting the medicine months? Thanks!

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[HarryMTieboutMD]

You can read and memorize all of Harrison's and the MGH pocket medicine book, and you will still be rusty. Residency is completely different. THAT SAID, I think reviewing basic MEDICINE (not psychiatry) during the months before intern year (while still having fun and going on vacation, etc) is a good idea. While most learning is on the job and you will be constantly uptodating/googling, etc, medicine is all about repetition, and the more you see something, the more readily it will stick. Also, the more medical knowledge you have at your disposal, the better you will perform. I would just buy step up to medicine or a similar review book and review fundamental topics (like an hour a day or whatever). Also I took Step 3 early in intern year (my second month), so that kind of forced me to keep my medical knowledge fresh.

 

[finalpsychyear]

Hi,

I know everyone says to relax, go on vacations, and enjoy the rest of MS4 but I was wondering what resources I could use to study and brush up on things just so that I'm not that rusty at the start of intern year. Any topics I should focus on? Also, what topics and management would it be a good idea to know before starting the medicine months? Thanks!

This may not be a popular answer. I found step 3 very annoying and had to delay it due to night float during 2nd year and goofing off during intern year medicine months. Anyways, you could probably study lightly from now and see if you can once you graduate work on getting registered and taking it as early as possible. At the very least, studying for step 3 would give you a very good review and a lot of it would be somewhat applicable during your intern year. Two birds with 1 stone.

 

[NickNaylor]

I think flipping through a medicine book (e.g., I like Step Up) might be a useful exercise. If you really wanted to go balls to the wall, working through the step 3 QBank might also be helpful in addition to preparing you for step 3 so that you could get that out of the way early.

You could also do nothing. That was my choice and everything worked out fine. The truth is that you will not be expected to manage things completely independently. You may also be surprised at how much material you "remember" when you're exposed to it again - either on tests or on the wards.

I say study if you want and it will make you feel better, but frankly I really don't see it as a requirement.

 

[notdeadyet]

If you HAVE to study (and I am firmly with the group of annoying people that will urge you to spend your time outside and play), I like the recommendation of doing some light reading in whatever Step 3 book you'll end up using for prep.

You don't NEED to do any study, so if you feel the urge to do so as anxiolytic, you may as well read something you'll be reading anyway. It's broad enough that it'll help you later and you will have to carve out less time to do the studying when you're likely going to be quite busy.

 

[Ψ-117]

If I had to do things over again, I might brush up on my ACLS algorithms prior to starting intern year, and then review them again prior to starting medicine. The scariest thing about intern year for me was the prospect of having to run a code on my own while on call. Fortunately I never had to do it, but I think it would have made me feel more comfortable to know those algorithms inside and out.

 

[Dharma]

A resident who provided a lot of solid advice and gems of wisdom over the last year dropped this one on me the other day (and I love it):

Enjoy the next few months, go on a vacation, chill, play sports, or fallout, or whatever to get some R+R, especially don't listen to these gunners talking about reading beforestarting intern year- that's some bull****.