ADD or overwhelmed with info?

[jakstat]

I'm currently a 3rd year. I often find that during busy rotations like gen sx, I have trouble keeping information straight in my head. I either forget pts after I see them, or confuse their lab values, or forget what the plan for them are. Also when residents discuss pts around me, I try to "take it all in" and follow their conversation only to forget later on that day. I write down the things discussed but then things change through out the day and I find my notes no longer accurate. Is this normal or do I have some kind of attention deficit?

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I'm currently a 3rd year. I often find that during busy rotations like gen sx, I have trouble keeping information straight in my head. I either forget pts after I see them, or confuse their lab values, or forget what the plan for them are. Also when residents discuss pts around me, I try to "take it all in" and follow their conversation only to forget later on that day. I write down the things discussed but then things change through out the day and I find my notes no longer accurate. Is this normal or do I have some kind of attention deficit?

I think that the diagnosis/treatment and plan is something you should know. Lab values are something that should be written down and kept on hand. Imaging is also probably something you should know - maybe not the technical statement that the radiologist makes but the overall picture.

 

[jakstat]

^^ your missing my point. I find it hard to keep track of 20 pts. I do not have problems interpreting results.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I'm currently a 3rd year. I often find that during busy rotations like gen sx, I have trouble keeping information straight in my head. I either forget pts after I see them, or confuse their lab values, or forget what the plan for them are. Also when residents discuss pts around me, I try to "take it all in" and follow their conversation only to forget later on that day. I write down the things discussed but then things change through out the day and I find my notes no longer accurate. Is this normal or do I have some kind of attention deficit?

I think it's very natural. But your goal should be to figure out how to get better.

I finally started feeling comfortable "knowing" my patients on the floor...which of course meant that it was time for me to start taking on more patients at one time...then when I got comfortable with that, I find myself dealing with unit patients and their innumerable active issues, drugs, vent settings, etc.

I am actually going to try and sit down with one of my residents (who is a really enthusiastic teacher) and try to ask for some pointers on developing a systematic way to approach and understand each patient.

 

[opb]

I think that all 3rd year students would have trouble tracking 20 patients. I would probably just focus on knowing the patients that you are personally carrying inside and out.

 

[jakstat]

southernIM, when you find out, keep me updated🙂