Am I doing okay?

[JustPass]

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Howdy yall,
I've been an intern for a few days now and I don't know if I'm doing things okay.
I get to hospital early to get ready for rounding, present, and do my notes. That's all good but I don't know if I'm a doctor yet.
I run almost everything by my upper (including fluids, tylenol prn, who i should consult, and etc), and still have trouble (nervous) about presenting to attendings.
I've forgot a lot about medicine and I blank on simple things.
It just feels like I reiterate the plan that the previous resident/attending has in their note.
I am so busy with getting my things (mainly notes) that I have no idea what else goes on around me. My uppers talk to nurses, consulting physicians, and they know the updates when I don't.
If I didn't have my uppers... I don't know what I'd do.
Is this normal? Am I expecting too much from myself too early?
Thanks in advance.

 

[deleted951662]

Howdy yall,
I've been an intern for a few days now and I don't know if I'm doing things okay.
I get to hospital early to get ready for rounding, present, and do my notes. That's all good but I don't know if I'm a doctor yet.
I run almost everything by my upper (including fluids, tylenol prn, who i should consult, and etc), and still have trouble (nervous) about presenting to attendings.
I've forgot a lot about medicine and I blank on simple things.
It just feels like I reiterate the plan that the previous resident/attending has in their note.
I am so busy with getting my things (mainly notes) that I have no idea what else goes on around me. My uppers talk to nurses, consulting physicians, and they know the updates when I don't.
If I didn't have my uppers... I don't know what I'd do.
Is this normal? Am I expecting too much from myself too early?
Thanks in advance.

You’re doing fine. Try to relax. Just the fact you are asking this question means you have the right attitude and will be a good intern. The ones that struggle are unaware.

 

[Propane]

We all went through the same thing. You'll be just fine.

 

[jurassicpark]

Feeling like a fish out of water? Yup, normal. Good that you are running things by your senior. Good that you are coming in early, rounding, finding out what events occur, etc. The plans for now will most likely be formulated by your attending and senior. Your job is to learn why and how they are making these plans and eventually being able to interject your own. But right now most importantly it's important to know your patients, be able to devise a cohesive story out of it and be the most eager beaver ever.

 

[Stagg737]

Agree with the above. You're doing fine and you'll move past the "deer in headlights" phase in a couple of weeks.

If you're still not getting the basics after a few weeks/months then it might be time to be concerned (you should at least have a bit of a system down), but you're going to be questioning yourself about different things for quite a while and that's a good thing. Don't be afraid to ask your attendings/seniors, they're there to help you learn and they'll be much angrier if you try and go maverick and screw up than if you ask a dumb question. You'll pick up the smaller stuff like ordering analgesics and presenting during rounds pretty quickly. Fluids is something I always ran by my IM attendings though, as they can be a lot more dangerous than people realize.

Right now the best thing you can do is acclimate to the system and listen. You'll figure it out faster than you think.

 

[GastriqueGraffin]

Howdy yall,
I've been an intern for a few days now and I don't know if I'm doing things okay.
I get to hospital early to get ready for rounding, present, and do my notes. That's all good but I don't know if I'm a doctor yet.
I run almost everything by my upper (including fluids, tylenol prn, who i should consult, and etc), and still have trouble (nervous) about presenting to attendings.
I've forgot a lot about medicine and I blank on simple things.
It just feels like I reiterate the plan that the previous resident/attending has in their note.
I am so busy with getting my things (mainly notes) that I have no idea what else goes on around me. My uppers talk to nurses, consulting physicians, and they know the updates when I don't.
If I didn't have my uppers... I don't know what I'd do.
Is this normal? Am I expecting too much from myself too early?
Thanks in advance.

I would be more concerned for you if you didn’t feel somewhat like that on your first week of intern year because it would suggest a dangerous level of arrogance. Stay humble and try to learn from every experience and others. You will be just fine.

 

[wjs010]

I like your attitude... you’re doing fine. Stay curious and work hard. I just turned second year and believe me I don’t feel like one yet... but I suppose it’s all part of it. You’ll turn around one busy day in March-April and be like “damn, I feel like I can take care I’d most floor patients on my own”... and realize how far you’ve come. Then next July 1, you’ll actually see it. Trust me.

 

[Saxappeal1]

Howdy yall,
I've been an intern for a few days now and I don't know if I'm doing things okay.
I get to hospital early to get ready for rounding, present, and do my notes. That's all good but I don't know if I'm a doctor yet.
I run almost everything by my upper (including fluids, tylenol prn, who i should consult, and etc), and still have trouble (nervous) about presenting to attendings.
I've forgot a lot about medicine and I blank on simple things.
It just feels like I reiterate the plan that the previous resident/attending has in their note.
I am so busy with getting my things (mainly notes) that I have no idea what else goes on around me. My uppers talk to nurses, consulting physicians, and they know the updates when I don't.
If I didn't have my uppers... I don't know what I'd do.
Is this normal? Am I expecting too much from myself too early?
Thanks in advance.

I'm feeling the same way OP; my chief residents have done a good job at reassuring me that what you're describing is what EVERY intern feels, no matter how smart or competent they appear. We are always going to be anxious, nervous, worried, feeling that we did something wrong. That's normal. For whatever it is worth.

 

[Saxappeal1]

Also, I was told that the real learning is done in the several months following "survival mode," in the first several months. You're obviously still learning both consciously and somewhat subconsciously, but you're still in survival mode. So am I. So are all interns of all specialties. We will be fine 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

[JustPass]

Thank you all.
I do appreciate yall's encouragement and positive words.
I still do feel that I'm pretty worthless... Done with 1 week of being an intern.
Even 4th year medical students are a lot more knowledgeable than I am, which I don't care that THEY ARE but I care that "I" don't know as much.
I'm starting out in ICU fyi.
I guess I'll just have to study more...

 

[rokshana]

Thank you all.
I do appreciate yall's encouragement and positive words.
I still do feel that I'm pretty worthless... Done with 1 week of being an intern.
Even 4th year medical students are a lot more knowledgeable than I am, which I don't care that THEY ARE but I care that "I" don't know as much.
I'm starting out in ICU fyi.
I guess I'll just have to study more...

If it’s any consolation, they usually start stronger interns in the icu in the first few months...

It’s a steep learning curve, but You will be amazed at how you will learn in the next month.

 

[Espadaleader]

I’ve been on IM nights. I get to do whatever I want. Prescribe what I want. Do what I please with direct resident or attending supervision. It’s quiet and it’s a skeleton crew (maybe 2 ppl for 40 patients) so I needed to step up and I did. I think it depends on the rotation. Obviously, the REAL plans happen during the day and the attending/senior wants to look good for the families so you don’t a lot of time to shine.

 

[Espadaleader]

On day wards, unfortunately I didn’t get to shine until ppl started to die. Turf to MICU etc. they didn’t have time to think or worry about me not knowing. I convened with nursing, got my EKG, text my senior, read the EKG over the phone and told her I WILL push IV metoprolol. Now yeah, I’m an idiot and yes the nurse helped me out so much but I knew I needed to do something so my resident could respond to another sicker patient

 

[Espadaleader]

So I feel your time will come we all in the same boat, I’m doing psych I know I’m not the best at medicine but I am fortunate

 

[Laradd]

sounds like a normal intern to me