Advice on traveling during Externships

[PodLove]

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Hi everyone,

I would like to know if anyone have great tips on what to take with you during externship year. My externships are all over the place. That being said I will be living at different places on monthly basis (Aug-Jan) and will not have set home where I can keep everything at. If I can only travel with a luggage and a carry-on, what are the important things to carry at all times so that I am prepared (i.e type of clothes, which notes to carry along, household items that are important, etc).

Being a female, there are so many types of clothes I can carry with me and I am trying to minimize it as much as possible. My question is, do people go out with residents from the place they are externing at during the weekends?

There are so many notes that I think it's important, now which ones should I actually keep with me? I have an Ipad and will be having majority of the manuals on that.

Any suggestions, will be helpful. Thank you all. 🙂

 

[handoverfist77]

Make sure you always have an extra pen to loan out to resident/attending. Keep your white coat full of supplies. This always makes you look good when rounding and they need something from supply room ( ie. suture removal kit, abd pads, bacitracin). Always have bandage scissors/tape. Keep a penlight on you also if attending/resident is looking at ulcer. Have it out and on site of interest. Your goal as an extern is be prepared and 1 step ahead whatever the resident/attending needs. If you can do this well. you will look like a superstar. Your iPad should be all you need for notes. Some residents may invite you out at programs. Definitely do not turn them down, unless you absolutely can't make it. Should carry a small iron with you, as you don't want to look sloppy, even in scrubs. Pocket sized reference charts for drugs/surgeries/pathology are also handy. Always keep some form of notes in your white coat. Some programs have lots of down time, and if they see you studying they are less likely to pimp you lol. Plus it makes you look motivated.

 

[PodLove]

Thank you very much handoverfist77!